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Then he measured out another 1,500 feet, where he led me through water that was knee-deep. And then he measured out another 1,500 feet, where the water was waist-deep.


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When he had measured out another 1,500 feet, the water had become deep enough that I wasn't able to ford it. Instead, I would have had to swim through it.


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Then, as he was bringing me back along the river bank, he asked me, "Son of Man, did you see all of this?"


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As we were coming back, I was amazed to see that there were many, many trees lining both banks of the river.


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He told me, "This river flows toward the eastern territories all the way down into the Arabah, and from there its water flows toward the Dead Sea, where the sea water turns fresh.


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It will support all kinds of living creatures that will thrive abundantly wherever the river flows. There will be a great many fish, because this water will flow there and turn the salt water fresh. As a result, everything will live wherever the river flows.


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"A day will come when fishermen will line its banks-from En-gedi to En-eglaim there will be plenty of room to spread out nets. There will be all sorts of species of fish, as abundant as the fish that live in the Mediterranean Sea. There will be lots of them!


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Lining each side of the river banks, all sorts of species of fruit trees will be growing. Their leaves will never wither and their fruit will never fail. They will bear fruit every month, because the water that nourishes them will be flowing from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves will contain substances that promote healing."


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This is what the Lord GOD says: "This is to be the territorial border by which you apportion the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel, with Joseph double-portioned.


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Apportion it for their inheritances, distributing everything equally as if you were distributing things to your own brother, which is how I promised to give it to your ancestors. This way, the land will fall to you as an inheritance.


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"This is to be the border for the land: on the north side, from the Mediterranean Sea by the Hethlon Road to the entrance of Zedad,


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Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (which lies between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), and Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.


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The border will proceed from the Mediterranean Sea to Hazer-enan (a border of Damascus), and on the north facing north will be the border of Hamath. This will be the north side.


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"The eastern extremity will proceed from between Hauran and Damascus, then between Gilead, and then through the land of Israel-the Jordan River. You are to measure from the northern border to the Dead Sea. This will be the eastern perimeter.


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"You will determine the southern extremity running from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then from there proceeding to the Wadi, and then to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern perimeter.


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"The western perimeter will be the Mediterranean Sea, from the southernmost border to a location opposite the entrance to Hamath. This will be the western perimeter.


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dividing it by lottery among yourselves and among the foreigners who live among you and bear children among you. You are to treat them like native-born Israelis. Among you they, too, are to be allotted an inheritance with the tribes of Israel.


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Furthermore, you are to provide the foreigner's inheritance there in the tribe within which he remains," declares the Lord GOD.


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"These are the names of the tribes from the northernmost extremity westward along the road from Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar-enan (a border of Damascus) northward to the coast of Hamath. The perimeter is to run east-to-west; the tribe of Dan with one portion;


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running along the border of the tribe of Dan from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Asher with one portion;


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running along the border of the tribe of Asher from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Naphtali with one portion;


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running along the border of the tribe of Naphtali from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Manasseh with one portion;


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running along the border of the tribe of Manasseh from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Ephraim with one portion;


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running along the border of the tribe of Ephraim from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Reuben with one portion;


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and running along the border of the tribe of Reuben from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Judah with one portion."


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"Running along the border of the tribe of Judah from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter you are to set apart the Terumah, 25,000 units wide, with its east-west length equal to one of the other apportionments, from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, with the Temple in the middle of it.


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"The holy Terumah is to be reserved for these, the priests: Toward the north, 25,000 units in length; toward the west, 10,000 units in width; toward the east, 10,000 units in width; and toward the south, 25,000 units in length. The LORD's sanctuary is to be in its midst.


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It is to be for use by priests from the descendants of Zadok, who have observed the things with which I charged them and who did not wander astray when the Israelis went astray, just as the descendants of Levi wandered astray.


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It is to be a Terumah for them from the allotment of the land, a Most Holy Place, adjoining the border of the descendants of Levi."


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"Alongside the border of the priests, the descendants of Levi are to be allotted 25,000 units in length and 10,000 units in width. The entire length is to be 25,000 units and its width 10,000 units.


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Furthermore, they are not to sell or exchange any part of it, nor transfer these firstfruits of the land, because it is holy to the LORD.


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"The rest, 5,000 units wide and 25,000 units along its front, will serve as a common portion for use by the city for housing and open spaces, since the city is to be in its midst.


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These are to be its dimensions: the north side, 4,500 units; the south side, 4,500 units; the east side, 4,500 units; and the west side 4,500 units.


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The city is to have urban areas set aside: on the north 250 units; on the south, 250 units, on the east, 250 units; and on the west, 250 units.


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"The remainder of the length that borders the holy Terumah is to be 10,000 units long eastward and 10,000 units westward. It is to lie adjacent to the holy Terumah. Its harvest will produce food for those who work in the city.


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The entire Terumah is to be 25,000 units by 25,000 units-you are to reserve it as a holy Terumah in the form of a square within the city limits."


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"Now the remainder of the allotment on either side of the holy Terumah will be for the Regent Prince and for city property-adjoining the 25,000 units along the eastern border and adjoining the 25,000 units along the western border, and parallel to the allotments. These are to be for the Regent Prince. The holy Terumah and the sanctuary of the Temple is to stand in the middle of it.


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Except for what belongs to the descendants of Levi and the city property, which will stand in the middle of what belongs to the Regent Prince, whatever is between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin is to belong to the Regent Prince."


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"Now as to the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin will retain one portion.


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Adjacent to the border of Gad to the south and extending toward the south, the border will proceed from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then to the Wadi of Egypt, and from there to the Mediterranean Sea.


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"This is the land that you are to allocate by lottery to the tribes of Israel as their inheritance, and these are their respective divisions," declares the Lord GOD.


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will be the gates of the city. Named after the tribes of Israel, three gates are to serve the north site: one named the Reuben Gate, one named the Judah Gate, and one named the Levi Gate.


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On the east side, 4,500 units by measurement, there are to be three gates: one named the Joseph Gate, one named the Benjamin Gate, and one named the Dan Gate.


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On the south side, 4,500 units by measurement, there are to be three gates: one named the Simeon Gate, one named the Issachar Gate, and one named the Zebulun Gate.


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On the west side, 4,500 units by measurement, there are to be three gates: one named the Gad Gate, one named the Asher Gate, and one named the Naphtali Gate.


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A perimeter is to measure 18,000 units, and the name of the city from that time on is to be: THE LORD IS THERE.'"


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In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.


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Within a week, the Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with valuable objects from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar brought them to the temple of his god in the land of Shinar and stored them in its treasure house.


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They were to be young men without physical defect, handsome in appearance, skilled in all wisdom, quick to learn, prudent in how they used knowledge, and capable of serving in the king's palace. They were to learn the literature and language of the Chaldeans.


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The king assigned them fine food and choice wine on a daily basis, ordering them to be trained for three years, at the end of which time they would enter the king's service.


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The chief officer assigned the name "Belteshazzar" to Daniel, the name "Shadrach" to Hananiah, the name "Meshach" to Mishael, and the name "Abednego" to Azariah.


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Daniel determined within himself not to become defiled by the king's menu of rich foods or by the king's wine, so he requested permission from the chief officer not to defile himself.


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The chief officer told Daniel, "I fear his majesty the king, who has determined what you eat and drink. If he notices that your faces are more pale than the other young men in your group, I will forfeit my head to the king."


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But Daniel told the guard whom the chief officer had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,


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Then compare how we look with the young men who ate the king's rich food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you observe."


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At the end of ten days their appearance was better and their faces were well-nourished compared to the young men who ate the king's rich food.


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As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge, aptitude for learning, and wisdom. Daniel also could understand all kinds of visions and dreams.


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Then at the end of the training period that the king had established, the chief officer brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.


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When the king spoke to them, none of them compared to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah as they stood before the king.


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In every matter of wisdom or understanding that the king discussed with them, he found them ten times superior to all the astrologers and enchanters in his entire palace.


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Now during the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him. As a result, he couldn't sleep.


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So the king gave orders to summon the diviners, the enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to reveal to the king what he had dreamed. When they came and stood before him,


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The Chaldeans responded to the king in Aramaic: "May the king live forever. Tell the dream to your servants, and we'll reveal its meaning."


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In reply the king told the Chaldeans, "Here is what I have commanded: If you don't tell me both the dream and its meaning, you'll be destroyed and your houses will be reduced to rubble.


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But if you do relate the dream to me as well as its meaning, you'll receive gifts, rewards, and great honor from me. Therefore reveal the dream to me, along with its meaning."


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The king responded, "I'm convinced that you're stalling for time because you're aware of what I've commanded.


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So if you don't disclose the dream to me, there will be only one sentence for all of you. You have conspired together to present lies and corrupt interpretations until the situation changes. Now tell me the dream and I'll know that you can reveal its true meaning."


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The Chaldeans answered the king directly, "There's not a single man on earth who can do what the king has commanded. No king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such a thing from any diviner, enchanter, or Chaldean.


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Furthermore, what the king is asking is so difficult that no one can reveal it except the gods-and they don't live with human beings."


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At this point, the king flew into a rage and issued an order to destroy all the advisors of Babylon.


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When the order went out to kill the advisors, they searched for Daniel and his friends to kill them, too.


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Daniel responded with wisdom and discretion to Arioch, the king's executioner, who had gone out to execute the advisors of Babylon.


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so Daniel went to ask Nebuchadnezzar for an appointment to see him, and it was granted him so that he could reveal the meaning to the king.


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Daniel was seeking mercy, in order to ask about this mystery in the presence of the God of heaven, so that Daniel and his friends might not be executed along with the rest of the advisors of Babylon.


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When the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision later that night, Daniel blessed the God of heaven


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It is God who alters the times and seasons, and he removes kings and promotes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.


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To you, God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise, because you have given me wisdom and power; you have now revealed to me what we asked of you by making known to us what the king commanded."


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After this, Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the advisors of Babylon. He told him, "Don't destroy the advisors of Babylon. Bring me before the king and I'll explain the meaning to him."


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Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel into the king's presence and informed him: "I've found a man from the Judean captives who will make known the meaning to the king."


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King Nebuchadnezzar replied by saying to Daniel (whose Babylonian name is Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me about the dream and its meaning?"


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By way of answer, Daniel addressed the king: "None of the advisors, enchanters, diviners, or astrologers can explain the secret that the king has requested to be made known.


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But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he is making known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. "While you were in bed, the dream and the visions that came to your head were as follows:


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Your majesty, when you were in bed, thoughts came to your mind about what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Secrets has made known to you what will take place.


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As for me, this secret was made known to me, not because my own wisdom is greater than anyone else alive, but in order that the meaning may be made known to the king, and that you might understand the thoughts of your heart.


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"Your majesty, while you were watching, you observed an enormous statue. This magnificent statue stood before you with extraordinary brilliance. Its appearance was terrifying.


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That statue had a head made of pure gold, with its chest and arms made of silver, its abdomen and thighs made of bronze,


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"As you were watching, a rock was quarried-but not with human hands-and it struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, breaking them to pieces.


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Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together and became like chaff from a summer threshing floor that the breeze carries away without leaving a trace. Then the rock that struck the statue grew into a huge mountain and filled the entire earth.


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You, your majesty, king of kings-to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory,


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so that wherever people, wild animals, or birds of the sky live, he has placed them under your control, giving you dominion over them all-you're that head of gold.


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"After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to yours, and then a third kingdom of bronze will arise to rule all the earth.


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Then there will be a fourth kingdom, as strong as iron. Just as all things are broken to pieces and shattered by iron, so it will shatter and crush everything.


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"The feet and toes that you saw, made partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, represent a divided kingdom. It will still have the strength of iron, in that you saw iron mixed with clay.


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Just as their toes and feet are part iron and part clay, so will the kingdom be both strong and brittle.


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Just as you saw iron mixed with clay, so they will mix themselves with human offspring. Furthermore, they won't remain together, just as iron doesn't mix with clay.


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"During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor its sovereignty left in the hands of another people. It will shatter and crush all of these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.


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Now, just as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without human hands-and that it crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold to pieces-so also the great God has revealed to the king what will take place after this. Your dream will come true, and its meaning will prove trustworthy.


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Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face before Daniel, paid honor to him, and commanded that an offering and incense be presented on his behalf.


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The king told Daniel, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and the Revealer of Secrets, because you were able to reveal this mystery."


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Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position and lavished many great gifts on him, including making him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over the advisors of Babylon.


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Moreover, Daniel requested that the king appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained in the royal court.


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Some time later, king Nebuchadnezzar built a golden statue, making it ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He set it up in the Dura Valley within the province of Babylon.


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Then King Nebuchadnezzar summoned the regional authorities, governors, deputy governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all of the other administrators of the provinces, ordering them to come to the dedication of the statue that he had erected.


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So the regional authorities, governors, deputy governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all of the other administrators of the provinces assembled to dedicate the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They took their places in front of the statue that he had erected.


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Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp, playing together along with various instruments, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that was set up by King Nebuchadnezzar.


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Anyone who does not fall down and worship is immediately to be thrown into the blazing fire furnace."


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Therefore, when all of the people "heard the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp, playing together along with various other instruments," all the "people, nations, and languages" began to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.


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Just then, certain influential Chaldeans took this opportunity to come forward and denounce the Jews.


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You, your majesty, issued this decree: 'Every man who hears the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp, playing together along with various other instruments is to fall down and worship the golden statue.


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"Certain influential Jewish men whom you appointed to manage the city of Babylon-Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego-have neither paid attention to you, your majesty, nor served your gods. And they won't worship the golden statue that you set up."


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Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and furiously ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him.


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Nebuchadnezzar asked them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don't worship my gods and that you don't worship the golden statue that has been set up?


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Now, if you are ready at this very moment to obey 'the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp,' and worship the image that I have made... If you do not so worship, you will immediately have cast yourselves into the middle of the blazing fire, and what god is there who can deliver you from my power?"


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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "It's not necessary for us to respond in this matter.


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Your majesty, if it be his will, our God whom we serve can deliver us from the blazing fire furnace, and he will deliver us from you.


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But if not, rest assured, your majesty, that we won't serve your gods, and we won't worship the golden statue that you have set up."


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Out of control with rage, Nebuchadnezzar's facial expression changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.


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Then he issued orders to his elite guard to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with ropes and throw them into the blazing fire furnace.


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So the elite guard tied them up fully clothed, still wearing their robes, tunics, and turbans, and threw them into the blazing fire furnace,


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because the king's command was so drastic. Since the furnace was blazing hot, its flames killed those who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the blazing fire.


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Bound firmly with ropes, these three men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the blazing fire furnace.


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Astonished, King Nebuchadnezzar stood up in terror, and asked his advisers, "Didn't we throw three men into the fire, bound firmly with ropes?" In reply they told the king, "Yes, your majesty."


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"Look!" he told them, "I see four men walking untied and unharmed in the middle of the fire, and the appearance of the fourth resembles a divine being."


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Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the blazing fire furnace. He shouted out, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.


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The regional authorities, viceroys, governors, and royal advisors gazed at those men and saw that the fire had no effect on their bodies-not a hair on their head was singed, their clothes were not burned, and they did not smell of fire.


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Nebuchadnezzar spoke up and announced: 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego! He sent his angel to deliver his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king's command and were willing to risk their lives in order not to serve or worship any god except their own God.


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So I decree that people from any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will be destroyed and their house reduced to rubble, because there is no other god who can save like this.'


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AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE KING To the people of all nations and languages who live on earth. Peace and prosperity to you!


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It gives me great pleasure to tell about the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.


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How great are his signs! How powerful are his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and his dominion lasts from generation to generation.


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I had a dream that made me afraid. The thoughts that went through my mind while in bed and the visions in my head terrified me.


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So I gave an order to bring in all of the advisors of Babylon so they would tell me the interpretation of the dream.


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Then the diviners, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers came in, and I told them the dream. But they could not reveal its interpretation to me.


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Eventually, Daniel appeared before me. (He is called Belteshazzar, in accordance with the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is within him.) I told him my dream:


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"Belteshazzar, chief of the diviners, since I know that the spirit of the holy gods is within you, and no mystery too difficult for you, explain to me the vision of my dream that I saw, along with its interpretation.


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This is what I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed: I was looking and-listen carefully!-I saw a tree in the middle of the earth, the height of which was very great.


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The tree grew large, became strong, and its top reached the sky. It could be seen to the ends of the earth.


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Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit bountiful, and its food sufficient for everyone. The animals of the field found shade under it, the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and every creature was fed from it.


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"Then I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed-and take careful notice!-I saw a holy observer descend from heaven.


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He called out aloud: 'Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get out from under it, and let the birds leave its branches.


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Nevertheless, leave the stump and its roots in the ground, but bind it with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky, and let him graze with the animals in the grass of the earth.


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Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of an animal until seven seasons of time pass by for him.


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This order is announced by the observers, and the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires, and he places the least important of men over them.'


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"This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning, since none of the advisors in my kingdom can tell me its interpretation. But you are able to do so because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."


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Then Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was greatly troubled for a while and was terrified by his thoughts. The king said, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream or its meaning terrify you." Belteshazzar responded, "Your majesty, if only the dream were about your enemies and its meaning about those who oppose you!


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The tree that you saw, which grew large and strong until its top reached the sky and became visible to the whole earth


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with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit-enough food for everyone-and under which wild animals of the field found shelter and the birds of the air had nests in its branches-


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it's you, your majesty! You've become great and strong, your greatness has grown to the heavens, and your dominion reaches to the distant parts of the earth.


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"Your majesty saw a holy observer descending from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump in the ground, along with its roots, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be soaked with the dew of the sky and live with the wild animals of the field until seven seasons pass over him.'


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"This is the meaning, your majesty, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against his majesty, the king:


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You'll be driven from people, and you'll live among wild animals of the field. You'll eat grass like cattle and be soaked with the dew of the sky while seven years pass you by-until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.


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Just as it was ordered for you to leave the stump of the tree in the ground along with its roots, so your kingdom will be restored to you when you realize that Heaven rules over everything.


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Therefore, your majesty, may my advice be acceptable to you: Stop your sinning, do what's right, and put a stop to your wickedness by showing kindness to the oppressed. Perhaps your tranquility will continue."


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he commented to himself, "Isn't Babylon great? I've built a royal palace in it by my own might and power, for the sake of my majesty."


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As the words were being spoken by the king, a voice came forth from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, this is declared to you: 'The kingdom has been taken from you!


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You're to be driven away from people. You're to live with the wild animals of the field. You are to be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass you by until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.'


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The decree was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar immediately. He was driven away from people to eat grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws."


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"When that period of time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my sanity returned to me. I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring the one who lives forever: For his sovereignty is eternal, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation.


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All who live on the earth are nothing compared to him. He does what he wishes with the heavenly armies and with those who live on earth. No one can hold back his power or say to him, 'What did you do?'


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At that moment I recovered my sanity, and my honor and majesty returned to me, for the sake of my kingdom. My advisors and officials sought me out, my throne was restored, and even more greatness than I had before was added to me.


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"In conclusion, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and give glory to the King of heaven: For everything he does is true, his ways are just, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride."


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King Belshazzar put on a great feast for a thousand of his officials. He joined all one thousand of them in getting drunk.


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Under the influence of wine, Belshazzar ordered that the gold and silver vessels his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem be brought in so the king, his officials, his wives, and his mistresses could drink from them.


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As ordered, they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the sanctuary of God's Temple in Jerusalem, and the king, his officials, his wives, and mistresses drank from them.


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At that moment, humanlike fingers of a hand appeared near the lamp stand of the royal palace and wrote on the plaster of the wall.


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While the king watched the back of the hand as it was writing, his facial expression changed. Utterly frightened, he lost control of his own bowels and his knees knocked together.


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The king cried out to bring in the enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers. He announced to the advisors of Babylon, "Whoever can read this writing and tell me its meaning will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain placed around his neck, and will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom."


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Then all the king's advisors came in, but they were unable to read the writing or tell the king what it meant.


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So King Belshazzar became even more frightened, and his facial expression showed it. His officials also were thrown into confusion.


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Hearing the voices of the king and his officials, the queen entered the banquet hall. "Your majesty, live forever," the queen said. "Don't be frightened by your thoughts or allow your facial expression to show it.


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There's a man in your kingdom in whom dwells the spirit of the holy gods. During your grandfather's reign, he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom, like that of the gods. Your grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar-your kingly predecessor-appointed him to be chief administrator over the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,


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because he was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding, along with an ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. His name is Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar. Call for Daniel, and he will reveal the meaning of the writing."


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Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king spoke up and told Daniel, "So you are Daniel, one of the Judean exiles whom my grandfather the king brought from Judah!


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I've heard about you, that a spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, discernment, and extraordinary wisdom.


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Take note that the advisors and enchanters were brought before me to read the writing and explain its meaning, but they were unable to do so.


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However, I've heard that you can provide meaning and interpretation, and that you can solve difficult problems. If you are able to read the writing and report its meaning, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom."


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At this, Daniel answered, speaking directly to the king, "Let your gifts and rewards be given to someone else. However, I'll read the writing for the king and tell him its meaning.


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Your majesty, the Most High God gave your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty, as well as greatness, glory, and splendor.


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And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages revered and feared him. He executed those whom he desired to execute, he spared those whom he wished to spare, he promoted those whom he desired to promote, and he humbled those whom he wished to humble.


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But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.


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He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.


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"You've exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. "You've had the vessels from his Temple brought into your presence. "And you, your officials, and your wives and mistresses drank wine from them. "You praised gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which can't see, hear, or demonstrate knowledge. "But you didn't honor God, who holds in his power your very life and all your ways.


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Then Belshazzar gave orders to clothe Daniel in purple, to place a chain of gold around his neck, and to proclaim him the third highest ruler of the kingdom.


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along with three chief administrators from them, one of which was Daniel. The regional authorities reported to these three administrators, so that the king would experience no losses.


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Daniel distinguished himself among all the administrators and regional authorities, because he was of an extraordinary spirit. Therefore the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom.


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Because of this, the administrators and regional authorities tried to bring allegations of dereliction of duty in government affairs against Daniel, but they were unable to find any charges of corruption. Daniel was trustworthy, and no evidence of negligence or corruption could be found against him.


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So these men said, "We'll never find any basis for complaint against Daniel unless we build it on the requirements of his God."


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Then these administrators and regional authorities went as a group to the king and said this, "Your majesty, live forever!


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All of the royal administrators, prefects, regional authorities, scribes, and governors have concluded that the king should establish and enforce an edict that anyone who prays to any god or man for the next 30 days (except to you, your majesty) is to be thrown into the lions' pit.


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Therefore, your majesty, establish the decree and sign the written document so it can't be changed, in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians that can't be repealed."


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When Daniel learned that the written document had been signed, he went to an upstairs room in his house that had windows opened facing Jerusalem. Three times a day he would kneel down, pray, and give thanks to his God, just as he had previously done.


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So they approached the king and asked, "Didn't you sign an edict that for the next 30 days if anyone prays to any god or man, except to you, your majesty, he would be thrown into the lions' pit?" The king responded, "The decree has been established, in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians that can't be repealed."


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Then they told the king, "Daniel, who is one of the Judean exiles, pays no attention to you, your majesty, or to the written decree, since he is still praying three times a day."


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When the king heard this, he was greatly upset, because he was determined to make every effort to save Daniel before the sun set.


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But the men who had gone as a group to the king told him, "Remember, your majesty, that according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, any decree or edict that the king establishes cannot be repealed."


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At this point, the king ordered Daniel brought in and thrown into the lions' pit. The king spoke to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve constantly, will deliver you himself."


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A stone was brought and placed over the opening to the pit, and the king affixed a seal to it with his personal signet ring and with the signet rings of his officials so that no one would interfere with Daniel's situation.


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Then the king retired to his palace to spend the night fasting. He enjoyed no entertainment, and he couldn't sleep.


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As he approached where Daniel was in the pit, he cried out to him in a voice filled with anguish, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve constantly, been able to deliver you from the lions?"


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My God sent his angel and sealed the mouths of the lions. They have not harmed me, proving that I'm innocent before him. Also against you, your majesty, I've committed no offense."


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The king was ecstatic, so he gave orders for Daniel to be released from the pit. Daniel was taken up from the pit, and no injury was found to have been inflicted on him, because he had believed in his God.


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Then the king gave orders to bring those men who had tried to have Daniel devoured, and they threw them, their children, and their wives into the lions' pit. They had not reached the floor of the pit before the lions had overtaken them and crushed all their bones.


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Afterward, King Darius wrote to all peoples, nations, and languages who lived throughout his realm: "May great prosperity be yours!


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"I hereby decree that in every area of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, who endures forever. His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed, and his dominion continues forever.


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He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."


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In the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel dreamed a dream, receiving visions in his mind while in bed, after which he recorded the dream, relating this summary of events.


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Daniel said, "I observed the vision during the night. Look! The four winds of the skies were stirring up the Mediterranean Sea.


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The first resembled a lion, but it had eagles' wings. I continued to watch until its wings were plucked off, it was lifted up off the ground, and it was forced to stand on two feet like a man. A human soul was imparted to it.


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" Then look!-a second animal resembling a bear followed it. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs held between the teeth in its mouth. Therefore people kept telling it, 'Get up and devour lots of meat!'


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" After this I continued to watch-and look!-there was another one, resembling a leopard with four birds' wings on its back. The animal also had four heads, and authority was imparted to it.


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"After this, I continued to observe the night visions. And look!-there was a fourth awe-inspiring, terrifying, and viciously strong animal! It had large, iron teeth. It devoured and crushed things, and trampled under its feet whatever remained. Different from all of the other previous animals, it had ten horns.


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" While I was thinking about the horns-look-another horn, this time a little one, grew up among them. Three of the first horns were yanked up by their roots right in front of it. Look! It had eyes like those of a human being and a mouth that boasted with audacious claims."


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" I kept on watching until the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothes were white, like snow, and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne burned with flaming fire, and its wheels burned with fire.


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A river of fire flowed out from before him. Thousands upon thousands were serving him, with millions upon millions waiting before him. The court sat in judgment, and record books were unsealed.


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"I continued watching because of the audacious words that the horn was speaking. I kept observing until the animal was killed and its body destroyed and given over to burning fire.


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Now as to the other animals, their authority was removed, but they were granted a reprieve from execution for an appointed period of time."


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" I continued to observe the night vision-and look!-someone like the Son of Man was coming, accompanied by heavenly clouds. He approached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.


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To him dominion was bestowed, along with glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and languages are to serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion-it will never pass away-and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."


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" Now as for me, Daniel, I was emotionally troubled, and what I had seen in the visions kept alarming me.


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So I approached one of those who were standing nearby and began to ask the meaning of all of this. He spoke to me and caused me to understand the interpretation of these things.


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"I wanted to learn the precise significance of the fourth animal that was different from all the others, extremely awe-inspiring, with iron teeth and bronze claws, and that had devoured and crushed things, trampling under its feet whatever remained.


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Also, I wanted to learn the significance of the ten horns on its head and the other horn that had arisen, before which three of them had fallen-that is, the horn with eyes and a mouth that uttered magnificent things and which was greater in appearance than its fellows.


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"As I continued to watch, that same horn waged war against the saints, and was prevailing against them


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until the Ancient of Days arrived to pass judgment in favor of the saints of the Highest One and the time came for the saints to take possession of the kingdom.


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So he said: 'The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the kingdoms. It will devour the entire earth, trampling it down and crushing it.


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Now as to the ten horns, ten kings will rise to power from this kingdom, and another king will rise to power after them. He will be different from the previous kings, and will defeat three kings.


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He'll speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One. He'll attempt to alter times and laws, and they'll be given into his control for a time, times, and half a time.


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Nevertheless, the court will convene, and his authority will be removed, annulled, and destroyed forever.


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Then the kingdom, authority, and magnificence of all nations of the earth will be given to the people who are the saints of the Highest One. His kingdom will endure forever, and all authorities will serve him and obey him.'


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"At this point the vision ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts continued to alarm me, and I lost my natural color, but I kept quiet about the matter."


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"During the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, saw a vision after the earlier vision that had appeared to me.


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As I observed the vision, I looked around the citadel of Susa in Elam Province. While I watched, I found myself beside the Ulai Canal.


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"Then I turned my head to look-and behold!-a two-horned ram was standing beside the canal. The two horns grew long, the first one growing longer than the second, with the longer one springing up last.


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I watched the ram charging westward, northward, and southward. No animal could stand before him, nor was there anyone who could deliver from his control. He did as he pleased and exalted himself.


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"As I watched and wondered, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a distinctive horn between its eyes.


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It approached the ram with the two horns that I had observed while standing beside the canal, and charged at him, out of control with rage.


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I saw it approach the ram, overflowing with fury at him, and run into him with the full force of its strength. The goat shattered the ram's two horns, and the ram could not oppose it. So the goat threw him to the ground and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from its control.


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Then the goat grew extremely great, but when it was strong, its great horn was shattered. In its place, four distinctive horns grew out in all directions."


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"A somewhat insignificant horn emerged from one of them. It moved rapidly against the south, against the east, and against the Glory.


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Then it moved against the heavenly army. It persuaded some of the army to fall to the earth, along with some of the stars, and it trampled them.


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Then it set itself as great as the Prince of the army, from whom the daily ritual was abolished, in order to bring low his sanctuary.


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Because of the transgression, the army will be given over, along with the daily ritual, and the horn will cast truth to the ground, prospering while it continues to act."


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"Then I heard one holy person speaking, and another holy person addressed the one who was speaking: 'In the vision about the daily ritual, how much time elapses while the desecration terrifies and both the Holy Place and the army are trampled?'


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"After I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. All of a sudden, there was standing in front of me one who appeared to be valiant.


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I heard the voice of a man calling out from the Ulai Canal, 'Gabriel, interpret what that fellow has been seeing.'


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"As he approached where I was standing, I became terrified and fell on my face. But he told me, 'Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.'


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"While he had been speaking with me, I had fainted on my face, but he touched me and enabled me to stand upright on my feet.


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Then he said, 'Pay attention! I'm going to brief you about what will happen at the end of the period of wrath, because its end is appointed.


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The shattered horn and the four that took its place are four kingdoms that will come from his nation, but they will not have his strength.


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Toward the end of their rule, as the desecrations proceed, an insolent king will arise, proficient at deception.


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Mighty will be his skills, but not from his own abilities. He'll be remarkably destructive, will succeed, and will do whatever he wants, destroying mighty men and the holy people.


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Through his skill he'll cause deceit to prosper under his leadership. He'll promote himself and will destroy many while they are secure. He'll take a stand against the Prince of Princes, yet he'll be crushed without human help.


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The vision about the twilights and dawnings that has been related is trustworthy, but keep its vision secret, because it pertains to the distant future.'


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Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and ill for days, but afterward I got up and went about the king's business. Nevertheless, I was astonished by the vision, and could not understand it."


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"In the first year of the reign of Darius son of Ahasuerus, a descendant of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans,-


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in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, noted in the Scripture the total years that were assigned by the message from the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem: 70 years.


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"So I turned my attention to the Lord God, seeking him in prayer and supplication, accompanied with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.


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I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing and saying: Lord! Great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and gracious love for those who love him and obey his commandments,


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we've sinned, we've practiced evil, we've acted wickedly, and we've rebelled, turning away from your commands and from your regulations.


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Furthermore, we haven't listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, to our officials, to our ancestors, and to all of the people of the land.


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To you, Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us, open humiliation-even to this day, to the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, both those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the lands to which you drove them because of their unfaithful acts that they committed against you.


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Open humiliation belongs to us, LORD, to our kings, our officials, and our ancestors, because we've sinned against you.


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and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws that he gave us through his servants the prophets.


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And all Israel flouted your Law, turning aside from it and not obeying your voice. Because we've sinned against him, the curse has been poured upon us, along with the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God.


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He has confirmed his accusation that he spoke against us and against our rulers who governed us by bringing upon us great calamity, because nowhere in the universe has anything been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.


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As it's written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has befallen us, but we still haven't sought the LORD our God by turning from our lawlessness to pay attention to your truth.


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So the LORD watched for the right time to bring the calamity upon us, because the LORD our God is righteous regarding everything he does, but we have not obeyed his voice.


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And now, Lord our God, who brought your people from the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made a name for yourself that remains to this day-we've sinned. We've acted wickedly.


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Lord, in view of all your righteous acts, please turn your anger and wrath away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become an embarrassment to all of those around us.


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So now, O God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his requests, and look with favor on your desolate sanctuary, for the sake of the Lord.


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Lord, turn your ear and listen. Open your eyes and look at our desolation and at the city that is called by your name. We're not presenting our requests before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great compassion.


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Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, take note and take action! For your own sake, don't delay, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name."


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"While I was still speaking in prayer, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and placing my request in the presence of the LORD my God on behalf of the holy mountain of God-


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while I was still speaking, Gabriel the man of God whom I had seen in the previous vision, appeared to me about the time of the evening offering.


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He gave instructions, and this is what he spoke to me: 'Daniel, I've now come to give you insight and understanding.


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Because you're highly regarded, the answer was issued when you began your prayer, and I've come to tell you. Pay attention to my message and you'll understand the vision.


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Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city: to restrain transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for lawlessness, to establish everlasting righteousness, to conclude vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.


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So be informed and discern that seven weeks and 62 weeks will elapse from the issuance of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed commander. The street will be rebuilt, along with the wall, though in troubled times.


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Then after the 62 weeks, the anointed one will be cut off, and will have no successor. Then the people of the coming commander will destroy both the city and the Sanctuary. Its ending will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war, with desolations having been decreed.


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He will make a binding covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he will pause both the sacrifice and grain offerings. Destructive people will cause desolation on the pinnacle until it is complete and what has been decreed is poured out on the desolator.'"


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In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar). The message was trustworthy and concerned a great conflict. He understood it and had insight concerning the vision.


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I ate no fancy foods-neither meat nor wine entered my mouth. Furthermore, I didn't use any ointment until the end of the entire three weeks.


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I lifted up my eyes to look-and behold!-there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was encircled with gold from Uphaz.


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His body was like beryl, his face flashed like lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and legs were like polished bronze, and his speech roared like that of a crowd.


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"Now I, Daniel, was the only one to receive the vision-the men who were with me didn't see it. However, an enormous fear overwhelmed them, so they ran away to hide,


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and I was left alone to observe this magnificent vision. Nevertheless, no strength remained in me-my face lost its color, and I became weak.


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As I listened to the sound of his words, I fell down on my face unconscious, with my face to the ground."


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He told me, 'Daniel, man highly regarded, understand the message that I'm about to relate to you. Stand up, because I've been sent to you.' When he spoke this statement to me, I stood there trembling.


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"'Don't be afraid, Daniel," he told me, "because from the first day that you committed yourself to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I've come in answer to your prayers.


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However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then-look!-Michael, one of the chief angels, came to assist me. I had been detained there near the kings of Persia.


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Now I've come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the days to come, because the vision pertains to those days.'


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But all of a sudden someone who resembled a human being touched my lips, so I opened my mouth and spoke, addressing the one who was standing in front of me: 'Sir, I'm overwhelmed with anguish by this vision. I have no strength left.


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So how can a servant of my lord talk with someone like you, sir? And as for me, there's no strength left in me, and I can hardly breathe.'


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and said, 'Don't be afraid, man highly regarded. Be at peace, and be strong.' "As soon as he spoke to me, I gained strength and replied, 'Sir, please speak, now that you've strengthened me.'


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"Then he said, 'Do you understand why I came to you? Soon I'll return to fight the prince of Persia. I'm going forth to war-and take note-the prince of Greece is coming.


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I'll inform you about what has been recorded in the Book of Truth. No one stands firmly with me against these opponents, except Michael your prince.


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"'Now I'll tell you the truth: Look! Three more kings will arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain more than them all. As soon as he gains power by means of his wealth, he'll stir up everyone against the Grecian kingdoms.


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However, after he has come to power, his kingdom will be broken and parceled out in all directions. It will not go to his succeeding descendants, nor will its power match how he ruled, because his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to successors besides them.


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"'The southern king will become strong, along with one of his officials, who will become stronger than he and rule over his own realm with great power.


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After a number of years, they'll become allies and the daughter of the southern king will go to the northern king in order to craft alliances. But she won't remain in power, nor will he retain his power. Instead, she'll be surrendered, along with her entourage, the one who fathered her, and the one who supported her at that time.


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"'One of her family line will replace him. He'll come against the army and enter the fortress of the northern king, conquering them and becoming victorious.


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He'll also take their gods, their molten images, and their valuable vessels of silver and gold into Egypt as hostages. He'll avoid the northern king for a number of years.


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His sons will prepare for war, assembling an army of considerable force. One of them will come on forcefully, overflowing, passing through, and waging war up to his own fortress.


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"'The southern king will fly into a rage and march out to fight the northern king. He'll gather a large army, but that army will be handed over to him.


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When that army has been defeated, he'll become overconfident and slaughter many thousands, but he won't succeed.


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The northern king will return and raise a greater army than before. After a few years he'll advance with a great force and with a vast amount of armaments.'"


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"'During those years, many will rebel against the southern king. The more violent ones among your people will rebel in order to fulfill this vision, but they will fail.


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Then the northern king will come, erect a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The southern forces won't prevail-not even with their best troops-and they'll have no strength to take a stand.


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"'However, the one who invades him will do whatever he wants to do. No one will oppose him. He'll establish himself in the Beautiful Land, wielding devastating power.


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He'll decide to come with the full power of his kingdom, bringing with him an alliance that he'll implement. He'll give him a daughter in marriage to overthrow it, but it won't succeed or work out for him.


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Then he'll turn his attention to the coastal lands and will capture many. But a commander will put an end to his insolence, repaying him for his scorn.


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He'll turn his attention toward the fortresses in his own territory, but he'll stumble and fall, and won't endure.


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"'His successor will send out a tax collector for royal splendor, but in a short period of time he'll be shattered, though neither in anger nor in battle.'"


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"'In his place there will arise a despicable person, upon whom no royal authority has been conferred, but he'll invade in a time of tranquility, taking over the kingdom through deception.


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Overwhelming forces will be carried away before him, along with the Commander-in-Chief of the covenant.


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From the time that an alliance is made with him, he'll act deceitfully, and he will go up and take power with only a small group of nations.


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He'll invade the most prosperous areas of the province during a time of tranquility, accomplishing what neither his predecessors nor his ancestors ever could. He'll distribute war spoils, booty, and wealth to them, and he'll plot the overthrow of fortresses, though only for a time.


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He'll encourage himself against the southern king by raising a large army. As a result, the southern king will mobilize for war with a large and powerful army, but he won't succeed because they will devise elaborate schemes against him.


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His own security detail will undermine him, his army will be swept away, and many will fall and be killed in battle.


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"'Now as for the two kings, their intentions will be evil, and they'll promote deception at their dinner table, but none of this will succeed, because the end won't have come yet.


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Then he'll return to his homeland with great wealth, will focus his attention against the holy covenant, and will take action as he returns to his land.'"


text:
because ships will come against him from the Mediterranean islands. Disheartened, he'll return, incited to vehemence against the holy covenant, and he'll take action. As he returns, he'll show deference to those who abandon the holy covenant.


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Armed forces will arise from his midst, and they'll desecrate the fortified Sanctuary, abolish the daily sacrifice, and establish the destructive desecration.


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Through flattery he'll corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but people who know their God will be strong and take action.


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Insightful people will impart understanding to many, though they'll fall by sword, by fire, by captivity, and as war booty for a while.


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When they fall, they'll be given some relief, but many will join them by pretending to be sympathetic to their cause.


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Some of the insightful will fall so they may be refined, purged, and purified until the time of the end, since it will surely come about.'"


text:
"'The king will do as he pleases. He'll exalt and magnify himself above every god, speaking amazing things against the God of Gods. He'll succeed until the indignation is completed, because what has been determined must be carried out.


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He'll recognize neither the gods of his ancestors nor those desired by women-he won't recognize any god, because he'll exalt himself above everything.


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He'll glorify the god of fortresses, a god whom his ancestors never knew, honoring him with gold, silver, valuable jewels, and treasures.


text:
He'll take action against the strongest fortresses. With the help of a foreign god, he'll recognize those who honor him, making them rule over many, and he'll parcel out the land for a profit.


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"'At the time of the end, the southern king will oppose him, and the northern king will overrun him with chariots, cavalry, and many ships. He'll invade countries, moving swiftly and sweeping through.


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He'll enter the Beautiful Land, and many will fall, even though these will escape his control: Edom, Moab, and certain Ammonite officials.


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He'll capture treasures of gold, silver, and all the treasures of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites at his feet.


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However, reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he'll march out in great anger, intending to destroy and to desolate many.


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When he pitches his royal pavilions between the seas facing the mountain of holy Glory, he'll come to his end, and no one will help him.'"


text:
"'At that time Michael will arise, the great prince who will stand up on behalf of your people, and a time of trouble will come like there has never been since nations began until that time. Also at that time, your people will be delivered-everyone who will have been written in the book.


text:
Many of those who are sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken-some to life everlasting, and some to disgrace and everlasting contempt.


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Those who manifest wisdom will shine like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars for ever and ever.


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Now as for you, Daniel, roll up your scroll and seal your words until the time of the end. Many will rush around while knowledge increases.'"


text:
"Then I, Daniel, continued watching-and look!-two others stood there, one on this side of the river bank and the other on the other side of the river bank.


text:
One asked the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river, 'How long until the fulfillment of the wonders?'


text:
"I heard the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river as he lifted his right and left hands to heaven and swore by the one who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and a half. When the shattering of the power of the holy people has occurred, all these things will conclude."


text:
"He answered, 'Go on your way, Daniel, because these matters are wrapped up and sealed until the time of the end.


text:
Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, though the wicked act wickedly, and none of the wicked understand. Nevertheless, the insightful will understand.


text:
There will be 1,290 days from the time the daily ritual is rescinded and the destructive desolation established.


text:
Now as for you, go on your way until the end-you'll rest and then rise to receive your reward at the end of the age.'"


text:
A message from the LORD came to Beeri's son Hosea during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Joash's son Jeroboam, who was king of Israel.


text:
When a message from the LORD came to Hosea, the LORD told him, "Go marry a prostitute and have children with her, because the land is prostituting itself by departing from the LORD."


text:
So he went out and married Diblaim's daughter Gomer. She conceived with him and gave birth to a son.


text:
The LORD told Hosea, "Name the child 'Jezreel,' because in a little while I'll avenge the blood that was shed by Jehu's dynasty at Jezreel. I'll put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.


text:
Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, so the LORD told Hosea, "Name her 'Lo-ruhamah,' because I will no longer be showing mercy to the house of Israel, nor will I forgive them.


text:
But I'll have mercy on the house of Judah, and I'll save them by the LORD their God-I will not save them by the bow, nor by the sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by cavalry."


text:
so the LORD told Hosea, "Name him 'Lo-ammi,' because you are not my people, and I will not be your God.


text:
Despite this, the number of the people of Israel will be like ocean sand, which can neither be measured nor counted. And the time will come when instead of it being said, 'You are not my people,' it will be said, 'You are children of the living God.'


text:
And the people of Judah and the people of Israel will be united as one. They will appoint for themselves a single leader and will take dominion over the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.


text:
"Call your mother to account, call her-for she is not my wife, and I'm not her husband. Let her do away with her seductive looks and remove her adultery from between her breasts.


text:
Otherwise, I'll strip her naked-as she was on the day she was born-make her like a wilderness, turn her into a parched land, and cause her to die of thirst.


text:
Indeed, their mother has committed prostitution-the one who has been conceiving them has acted disgracefully-when she said 'I'm going after my lovers, who provide me food and water, as well as my wool, my flax, my oil, and my wine.'


text:
"Look how I'm blocking her path with thorns and building a wall to hinder her, so she can't find her way.


text:
She will pursue her lovers, but she won't catch up with them. She will seek them, but she won't find them. Then she will say, 'I'll go back and return to my first husband, because it was better for me then than now.'


text:
She didn't recognize that it was I who provided her grain, wine, and oil, and it was I who gave her silver, while they crafted gold for Baal.


text:
"Therefore I'll return and take back my grain at harvest time and my new wine in its season. I'll take back my wool and my flax that was to have covered her nakedness.


text:
So now I'll reveal her lewdness to the eyes of her lovers, and no man will rescue her from my control.


text:
I'll put a stop to her mirth, along with her celebrations, her New Moons, her Sabbaths, and all of her festive assemblies.


text:
I'll destroy her vines and her fig trees, about which she said, 'These are the earnings that my lovers paid me. I'll make them grow into a forest, and the wild animals will eat from them.'


text:
I'll punish her for the time she has devoted to the Baals, to whom she burned incense, and for whom she put on her earrings and jewels so she could go after her lovers and forget me," declares the LORD.


text:
"Therefore, look! I will now allure her. I will make her go out to the wilderness, and will speak to her heart.


text:
There I will restore her vineyards to her, and the Valley of Achor will become a doorway to hope. There she will respond as she did in her youth, when she came up from Egypt."


text:
"It will come about at that time," declares the LORD, "that you will address me as 'My husband,' and you will no longer call me 'My master'.


text:
I will remove the names of the Baals from her vocabulary-they will not be remembered by their names anymore.


text:
I will make a covenant with them at that time, a covenant with the wild animals of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creatures of the ground. I will banish the battle bow, the sword, and war from the earth. I will cause my people to lie down where it is safe.


text:
I will make you my wife forever-I will make you my wife in a way that is righteous, in a manner that is just, by a love that is gracious, and by a motive that is mercy.


text:
"It will come about at that time that I will respond," declares the LORD, "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth.


text:
I will plant my people in the land for myself. I will show mercy on her who has received no mercy I will say to those who are not my people, 'You are my people!' and they will say, 'You are my God.'"


text:
Then the LORD told me: "Go love your wife again, even though she is being loved by another and is committing adultery. Love her the same way the LORD loves the people of Israel, even though they look to other gods and love raisin cakes."


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I told her, "You will remain with me a long time, you won't be promiscuous, you won't be involved with any man, and I'll do the same."


text:
Likewise, the people of Israel will dwell a long time without a king, without a prince, without sacrifice, without sacred pillars, and with neither ephod nor teraphim.


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Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come in awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the last days.


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"Hear this message from the LORD, people of Israel. Indeed, the LORD brings a charge against the people who live in the land-for there is no truth and no gracious love or knowledge of God in the land.


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Therefore the land will mourn, and all who live there will languish, along with the wild animals of the field and the birds of the air. Even the fish in the sea will disappear.


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So you will stumble during the day, the prophet also will stumble with you at night, and I will destroy your mother.


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My people are destroyed because they lack knowledge of me. Because you rejected that knowledge, I will reject you as a priest for me. Since you forget the Law of your God, I will also forget your children.


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"The more they increased in number, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.


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So it will be: like people, like priest. I will punish them for their lifestyles, rewarding them according to their behavior.


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They will eat, but will not be satisfied. They will engage in prostitution, but they won't increase, because they have stopped listening to the LORD.


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My people seek counsel from their piece of wood, and their diviner's rod speaks to them. For a spirit of prostitution causes them to go astray; in their immorality they desert their God.


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They offer sacrifices on the mountain tops, burning offerings on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and terebinth trees, since their shade is very good. Therefore your daughters are prostitutes and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.


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However, I'm not going to punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because their men are themselves immoral-they offer sacrifices with prostitutes. These people who aren't discerning will stumble.


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"Even though you prostitute yourself, Israel-let not Judah incur guilt-don't go to Gilgal, or visit Beth-aven, or swear an oath using the LORD's name.


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For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn mule! Nevertheless, will not the LORD feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?


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"Hear this, priests, pay attention, house of Israel, listen, royal family! For judgment is coming your way, because you have been a trap to Mizpah, a snare spread out on Mount Tabor.


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I know Ephraim, and Israel cannot hide from me, since you, Ephraim, have been acting like a prostitute, defiling Israel.


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"Their actions hinder them from turning to their God, because a spirit of fornication is in their midst, and the LORD they do not know.


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The arrogance of Israel testifies against him; therefore Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity, and Judah with them.


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They will go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them.


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They have been unfaithful to the LORD, having raised unbelieving children. In the coming month they will be devoured, along with their fields.


text:
Ephraim will be desolate when it is rebuked. I have made known among the tribes of Israel what will surely come about.


text:
The princes of Judah have become like those who move boundary markers: I will pour out my anger on them like water.


text:
When Ephraim examined his illness and Judah his injury, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and inquired of the great king; but he could not cure you nor heal your injury.


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Therefore I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I-even I-will tear them to pieces, and then I will leave. I will take them away, and there will be no rescue.


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"I will leave and go back to my place until they admit their offense and seek my face. When affliction comes to them, they will eagerly seek me."


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"Come, let us return to the LORD; even though he has torn us, he will heal us. Even though he has wounded us, he will bind our wounds.


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After two days he will restore us to life, on the third day he will raise us up, and we will live in his presence.


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Let us know, let us pursue knowledge of the LORD; his coming is as certain as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the autumn and spring rains come on the earth.


text:
"What am I to do with you, Ephraim? What am I to do with you, Judah? Your love is like a morning rain cloud-it passes away like the morning dew.


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Therefore I cut them to pieces by the prophets, killing them by the words from my mouth. The verdict against you shines like a beacon.


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Like a gang of thieves that stalk a man, priests commit murder along the road to Shechem, committing shameful crimes.


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"When I was healing Israel, Ephraim's sin was uncovered, along with Samaria's wickedness. While they craft lying schemes, the thief invades, and the gang of thieves plunders outside.


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It never occurs to them that I remember all their sin. Now their actions have caught up with them, and they have my attention.


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All of them are adulterers-they burn like an oven prepared by the baker, who has ceased stoking it until the dough is leavened.


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For they have stirred up themselves like an oven as they lie in ambush. Their baker sleeps through the night; in the morning, the oven will be blazing like a fire.


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They all burn like an oven; they have consumed their judges; all their kings have fallen-not even one of them calls on me.


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Foreigners have consumed his strength, and he hasn't noticed. Furthermore, his head is sprinkled with gray hair, but he doesn't realize it.


text:
Israel's arrogance testifies against him; but they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him in all of this.


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When they go, I'll cast my net over them. I'll bring them down, as one shoots birds in the sky. I'll chasten them, as the assembly has already heard.


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Woe to them-because they have run away from me. Ruin to them-because they have sinned against me. Even though I redeemed them, they spread lies against me.


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They will not cry to me from their heart-instead, they wail on their beds. They gather together to eat and drink, turning away from me.


text:
They return-but not to the Most High. They are like a defective weapon. Their princes will fall by the sword because of their raging tongue, and they will be a laughingstock in the land of Egypt."


text:
"Sound the ram's horn! Like a vulture the enemy will come against the Temple of the LORD, because Israel violated my covenant, transgressing my Law.


text:
They set kings in place, but not by me. They established princes, whom I did not recognize. They crafted idols for themselves from their silver and gold; as a result, they will be destroyed.


text:
Your calf, Samaria, has been thrown away. My anger is burning against them. How long until they become pure again?


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Because from Israel it was fashioned by craftsmen, it is not God; therefore Samaria's calf will be broken in pieces.


text:
"Because they sow the wind, they will reap the wind storm. The plant has no stalk and its bud yields no grain. Even if there's a harvest, foreigners will gobble it up.


text:
"Because they went over to Assyria, they are like a wild donkey alone by itself. Ephraim has hired some lovers.


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Even though they sold themselves to the nations, I will gather them. They will mourn for a while for the burden they were to the king and princes.


text:
They offer me meat from the sacrifices of my offerings, and they eat from it, but the LORD does not accept them. He will now remember their transgression and pay them back for their sins; to Egypt they will return.


text:
"Israel has neglected its maker in building palaces. Judah has multiplied its fortified cities, but I will send fire to their cities, and it will consume their fortresses."


text:
"Don't celebrate, Israel, like other nations would rejoice, because you left your God by committing fornication, loving the profit you gained on all of the threshing floors.


text:
They will not live in the LORD's land-Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.


text:
They won't present wine offerings to the LORD, nor will they please him. Their sacrifices will seem like food for mourners-everyone who eats them will become unclean; none of them will enter the Temple of the LORD.


text:
Look! They have gone away because of the destruction-Egypt will gather them up, and Memphis will bury them. Weeds will overgrow their inheritance, and thorns will grow in their tents.


text:
The time for your judgment has now come; payday is here-and Israel knows it. The prophet is a fool, and the spiritual man is insane. Because of your great sin, the hatred against you is great.


text:
While Ephraim stands watch with my God, the prophet has snares set that will trap his ways, and hostility lodges in the Temple of his God.


text:
They have corrupted themselves deeply, as did Gibeah in its day. Therefore God will remember their lawlessness, and he will pay them back for their sins.


text:
"I found Israel, as one finds grapes in the wilderness; Your ancestors seemed to me like the fruit gleaned from a fig tree's first harvest. When they went to Baal-peor, they devoted themselves to that filth, and they became loathsome, like what they loved.


text:
Even if they rear their children, I will, in turn, make them childless-in fact, woe to them when I turn away from them!


text:
Ephraim, as I see it, is like Tyre, planted in a comfortable place; Ephraim will bear children but they will be executed."


text:
"All of their wickedness started in Gilgal, because I began to hate them there. Because of the wickedness of their behavior, I will drive them from my Temple. I will not love them anymore; all their leaders are rebels.


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Ephraim is blighted; its roots shriveled. It can bear no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will kill their cherished offspring.


text:
"My God will reject them, because they did not obey him, and they will become wanderers among the nations."


text:
"Israel, the overgrown vine, bears fruit like itself; the more fruitful they become, the more altars they build. The better the land, the more ornate the stone idols.


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Their hearts are divided; from now on they are to be found guilty. God will tear down their altars, he will destroy their stone idols.


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From now on they will say, 'We have no king, because we did not fear the LORD-and what would a king do for us?'


text:
Their word is falsely given as they make their agreements; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.


text:
"The residents of Samaria will be terrified because of the cows of Beth-aven. Its people will mourn over Beth-aven, along with the priests who will mourn its glory, because that glory has departed.


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Indeed, that glory will be carried to Assyria-it will become a present for an avenging king. Ephraim will be disgraced, and Israel will become ashamed of its decision.


text:
Destroyed will be the high places of Aven, that are the sin of Israel. Both thorn and thistle will grow up over their altars. They will call out to the mountains, 'Cover us!' and to the hills, 'Fall on us!'


text:
"From the time of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel; There they took their stand; the battle at Gibeah could not subdue the lawless.


text:
When I'm ready, I will chasten them; and the people will gather against them, to imprison them for their two unrighteous acts."


text:
"Ephraim, the well-trained heifer, loves to thresh grain, so I will spare her neck. I will turn Ephraim into a pack animal. Judah will pull the plow, and Jacob will turn up the fallow ground.


text:
Sow in righteousness in your own interest, reap in gracious love, break up your own unprepared ground; It is now time to inquire of the LORD, until he comes to pour out righteousness for you.


text:
You have plowed evil; you have reaped unrighteousness; you have eaten the fruit of hypocrisy; because you trusted in your own direction, and in the number of your mighty forces.


text:
Therefore a disaster will come upon your people, and all of your fortresses will be ruined. As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in wartime, mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.


text:
The same will happen to you, Bethel, because of your great evil-early one morning the king of Israel will be totally silenced."


text:
The more I called out to them, the farther they fled from me; they sacrificed to Baals, burning incense to carved images.


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Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, supporting them by their arms, but they never knew that I was healing them.


text:
I guided them with human kindness, with loving reins. I acted toward them like one who removes a yoke from their neck; I bent down and fed them.


text:
"They will not return to the land of Egypt; instead, the Assyrian will be their king, because they kept refusing to repent.


text:
The sword will fall on their cities, consuming and devouring their fortified gates, despite their planning.


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My people are determined to turn away from me; though they call to the Most High, no one is worshiping.


text:
"How can I give up on you, Ephraim? I will deliver you, will I not, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? I can't make you like Zeboim, can I? My heart stirs within me; my compassion also fans into flame!


text:
I will not act in my anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim, For I am God, and not a human-the Holy One among you-so I will not enter the city in anger.


text:
They will go after the LORD, who will roar like a lion; and when he roars, the children will come trembling from the west.


text:
Trembling like a bird, they will come out of Egypt, and as a dove from the land of Assyria; and I will settle them in their houses," declares the LORD.


text:
"Ephraim surrounds me with lies, and the house of Israel surrounds me with deceit, But Judah still rules with God, and remains faithful, along with the godly ones."


text:
"Ephraim feeds on the wind, chasing after the eastern winds, storing up lies and desolation day after day. They are making a contract with the Assyrians, and sending oil to Egypt.


text:
The LORD accuses Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; he will repay him for what he does.


text:
He even fought the angel and won; he cried and prayed to him. Then at Bethel he found him, and there he spoke with us-


text:
Ephraim claims, 'I have become rich, I have made a fortune! Because of all my wealth, no one will find any iniquity or sin in me.'


text:
"Yet I remain the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival of that name.


text:
I spoke to the prophets, giving revelation after revelation, and employing parables in the prophetic writings.


text:
"There's iniquity in Gilead, isn't there? They have become truly vain. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; their altars are like piles of stone in furrowed fields.


text:
Jacob fled into the land of Aram; Israel served there to obtain his wife, tending sheep to gain his wife.


text:
Ephraim has stirred up violent anger; therefore the guilt of his blood will remain on him, and his Lord will repay him for his contempt."


text:
"When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; and it was exalted within Israel. But when they offended God by Baal, they died,


text:
but now they are sinning more and more, crafting idols from melted silver. Their idols are made with the most exacting skill, all of it the work of craftsmen. People say about them, 'They offer human sacrifice, and kiss calf-shaped idols.'


text:
Therefore they will be like morning clouds, like early morning dew that evaporates, like chaff blown away from the threshing floor, or like smoke from a chimney."


text:
"I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt, and you have known no god except for me, because except for me there is no savior.


text:
As their pastures flourished, all their desires were met. As they were satiated, they became arrogant and therefore ignored me.


text:
I will confront them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their ribs. I will devour them like a lion-the wild beasts will rip them apart.


text:
Now where is your king? Will he save you in all your cities? And where are your judges, about whom you demanded, 'Give me a king and officials!'?


text:
"From the power of Sheol I will rescue them, from death I will redeem them. Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? My eyes will remain closed to your pleas for compassion.


text:
Even though he is fruitful compared to his relatives, an east wind will come, the LORD's wind storm from the wilderness, and his spring will evaporate. His fountain will dry up, and the LORD's wind storm will plunder all the expensive vessels of the treasury.


text:
Samaria will be held guilty, because she has rebelled against her God. By the sword they will fall-with their infants dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women torn open."


text:
Bring a prepared speech with you as you return to the LORD. Say to him: 'Take away all our iniquity, and accept what is good. Then we will present the fruit of our lips.


text:
Assyria won't save us; we won't be riding on horses, Nor will we be saying anymore to the work of our hands, "You are our God." Indeed, in you the orphan finds mercy.'


text:
I will be like the dew to Israel; Israel will blossom like a lily, growing roots like the cedars of Lebanon.


text:
Israel's branches will spread out, and its beauty will be like an olive tree, with its scent like that of Lebanon.


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Those who live under its protection will surely return. Their grain will flourish; they will blossom like a vine, and Israel's scent will be like wine from Lebanon.


text:
"Ephraim, what have I in common with idols? I have listened and will pay attention to him. I am like a flourishing cypress; in me will your fruit be found."


text:
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things. Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right: the righteous follow his example, but the rebellious stumble in them.


text:
"Hear this, you elders! Listen, all of you residents of the land! Has there ever been anything like this during your lifetime, or even when your ancestors were alive?


text:
Pass it on to your children, and from your children to their children, and from their children to the following generation.


text:
Whatever the devouring locust left behind the locust swarm has consumed! Whatever the locust swarm has left behind, the young locust has consumed! Whatever the young locust has left behind, the ravaging locust has consumed!"


text:
"Wake up, you drunkards! Cry aloud and howl, you wine drinkers, because your supply of new wine has been snatched from you.


text:
Indeed, a nation has invaded my land-it is strong and its population is too large to count-with teeth like a lion and fangs like a lioness.


text:
That nation laid waste my vines, and stripped bare my fig tree, discarding it. It stripped off its bark.


text:
"Grieve like a virgin, who, dressed in her mourner's clothes, cries out in memory of the man she was going to marry.


text:
Both grain offering and wine offering have been removed from the LORD's Temple; the priests and ministering servants of the LORD are mourning."


text:
"The fields lie in ruins and the ground is dried up. Indeed, the grain is ruined, the new wine has evaporated, and the olive oil has run out.


text:
Be dismayed, you farmers! Cry aloud, you vintners, for the wheat and barley, because the harvest in your fields has been lost.


text:
The grapevine is shriveled and the fig tree is withered, along with the pomegranate tree, the palm tree, the apple tree and all of the cultivated trees. Truly, joy has evaporated from Adam's children."


text:
"Put on your mourning clothes, you priests; and cry aloud, you ministering servants at the altar! Come! Stay the night in mourner's clothes, you ministers of my God, because the grain offering and the wine offering is held back from the Temple of your God.


text:
Set apart time for a fast! Call a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and everyone living in the land to the Temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD!"


text:
Isn't our food supply cut off right in front of us, along with joy and gladness from the Temple of our God?


text:
Seeds shrivel within their furrows, the storehouses lie empty, and granaries stand in ruins because the grain has withered.


text:
Oh, how the livestock groan! The herds of cattle wander about because they have no pasture. Even flocks of sheep suffer!


text:
To you, LORD, I cry out, because fire has devoured the open pastures, and has set all the cultivated trees ablaze.


text:
The livestock also cries out to you, because their water sources have evaporated and because fire has consumed the open pastures.


text:
"Sound the ram's horn in Zion! Sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Tremble, all of you inhabitants of the land, because the Day of the LORD is coming. Oh, how near it is!


text:
A day of doom and gloom, a day of clouds and shadows like the dawn spreads out to cover the mountains-a people strong and robust. Never has there been anything like it, neither will anything follow to compare with it, even through the lifetime of generation upon generation."


text:
"A fire blazes in their presence, and behind them a conflagration rages. Before they come, the land is like the garden in Eden; after they leave, there is only a barren wasteland. Indeed, nothing escapes them.


text:
They leap like the rumbling of chariots echoing from mountain tops, like the roar of wild fire that devours the chaff, as an army firmly established in battle array.


text:
They run like elite soldiers, climbing ramparts like men trained for war. Each man advances in proper order, never breaking rank.


text:
Neither does a man crowd his fellow soldier; each one marches in his own path. When they fall by the sword they are not injured.


text:
They swarm through the city, running upon its ramparts. Climbing atop the houses, they enter through windows like a thief."


text:
"The land quivers in their presence; even the heavens shake. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will stop shining.


text:
The LORD will shout in the presence of his forces, because his encampment is very great; for powerful is he who carries out his message. Truly the Day of the LORD is great, and very terrifying. Who will be able to survive it?"


text:
"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Turn back to me with your whole heart, with fasting, tears, and mourning.


text:
Tear your hearts, not your garments; and turn back to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil.


text:
Who knows? He will turn back and relent, will he not, leaving behind a blessing, even a grain offering and drink offering for the LORD your God?"


text:
Gather the people! Dedicate the congregation! Bring in the elders. Gather the youngsters and even the nursing infants. Call the bridegroom from his wedding preparations, and the bride from her dressing room.


text:
As they serve between the porch and the altar, let the priests and ministers of the LORD weep and pray: 'Spare your people, LORD, and do not make your heritage a disgrace so that nations ridicule them. Why should they say among the people, "Where is their God?"'"


text:
The LORD will say to his people, "Look! I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be content with them. I will no longer cause you to be a disgrace among the nations."


text:
"I will remove the northerners from you, driving them to a barren and desolate land-the front toward the Dead Sea and the back toward the Mediterranean. Their stench will rise, and their stinking odor will ascend, because they have done great things."


text:
Stop being afraid, beasts of the field, because the desert pastures will bloom, the trees will bear their fruit, and the fig tree and vine will deliver their wealth.


text:
And so be glad, children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, because he has given you the right amount of early rain, and he will cause the rain to fall for you, both the early rain and the later rain as before.


text:
"Then I will restore to you the years that the locust swarm devoured, as did the young locust, the other locusts, and the ravaging locust, that great army of mine that I sent among you.


text:
You will have plenty to eat, and will be fully satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has performed wonders specifically for you. And my people will never be ashamed.


text:
As a result, you will know that I am in the midst of Israel; that I myself am the LORD your God-and there is none other! And my people will never be ashamed."


text:
"Then it will come about at a later time that I will pour out my Spirit on every person. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your elderly people will dream dreams, and your young people will see visions.


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The sun will be given over to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and terrifying Day of the LORD.


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And everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be delivered. For as the LORD has said, 'In Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, the survivors whom the LORD is calling.'"


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I will gather all nations, bringing them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will set out my case against them there, on behalf of my people, my heritage Israel, whom they scattered among the nations, apportioning my land among themselves.


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They cast lots for my people-they sold a young boy in exchange for a prostitute, and a girl for wine, so they could drink.


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Furthermore, what have you to do with me, Tyre, Sidon, and all the sea coasts of Philistia? Are you taking revenge on me? If you are taking revenge on me, I'll send it back on you swiftly and promptly,


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and sold Judah's and Jerusalem's descendants to the Greeks, so you can remove them far from their homeland!


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and I will sell your sons and daughters into the control of the people of Judah. And they will sell them to the people of Sheba, a country far away." Indeed, the LORD has spoken.


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"Declare this among the nations: 'Prepare for war! Wake up your elite forces! Let all the soldiers draw near! Call them up!


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Beat your plow blades into swords, and your pruning knives into spears! Let the frail say, "I am strong!"


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Hurry and come, all you gentiles! Gather yourselves together!'" LORD, cause your mighty army to come down.


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"Let the nations be awakened and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; because I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.


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Put in the sickle, because the harvest is ripe. Come and go down, because the winepress is full. The wine vats are overflowing, because their evil is great!


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Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Judgment! For the Day of the LORD is near in the Valley of Judgment!


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The LORD will roar from Zion, and shout from Jerusalem. The heavens and the earth will shake, but the LORD will be the refuge of his people, and the strength of the people of Israel."


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"And truly you will know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no foreigners will invade her again.


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It will come about at that time that the mountains will drip with newly pressed wine, the hills will flow with milk, and the streams of Judah will flow abundantly. A fountain will spring from the Temple of the LORD, to water the Valley of the Acacias.


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Egypt will be desolate, and Edom will be a desert, because of violence against the people of Judah since they shed innocent blood in their land.


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The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders of Tekoa, which he spoke concerning Israel during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah and during the reign of Joash's son Jeroboam, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.


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He said, "From Zion the LORD roars, and from Jerusalem he shouts aloud. The shepherds' pastures will languish, and Carmel's summit will wither.


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This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Damascus-and now for a fourth-I will not turn away; because they have trampled down Gilead with ironclad threshing sleds.


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I will shatter the gate bars of Damascus, and I will cut off the residents of the Aven Valley, along with the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Aram will be exiled to Kir," says the LORD.


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This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Gaza-and now for a fourth-I will not turn away; because they exiled the entire population, delivering them to Edom.


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and I will cut off the inhabitants of Ashdod, along with Ashkelon's ruler. I will turn to attack Ekron, and the rest of the Philistines will die," says the Lord GOD.


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This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Tyre-and now for a fourth-I will not turn away; because they delivered the entire population to Edom, and did not remember their covenant with their relatives.


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This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Edom-and now for a fourth-I will not turn away; because he pursued his brother with a sword, refusing to be compassionate. His anger was raging continuously; he kept up his unending wrath.


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This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of the Ammonites-and now for a fourth-I will not turn away; because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their national borders.


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So I will send down fire upon the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour their fortified citadels with an alarm sounding in the time of battle, and with a whirlwind in the time of storm.


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This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Moab because they cremated the bones of the king of Edom, burning them to lime.


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So I will send down fire upon Moab, and it will devour the fortified citadels of Kerioth. Moab will die in the uproar of battle, with a war cry and with the trumpeting of the ram's horn.


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This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Judah-and now for a fourth-I will not turn away; because they rejected the Law of the LORD and did not keep his statutes. Their own lies made them wander off, following along the same path their ancestors walked.


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This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Israel-and now for a fourth-I will not turn away; because they sold the righteous for money, and the poor for sandals,


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moving quickly to rub the face of the needy in the dirt. Corrupting the ways of the humble, a man and his father go to the same woman, deliberately defiling my holy name.


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They lay down beside every altar, on garments pledged as collateral, drinking wine paid for through fines imposed by the temple of their gods.


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Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites in front of them, though their height seemed like a cedar, though their strength seemed like an oak, but whose fruit I destroyed from above and the roots from beneath.


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Furthermore, I brought you up from the land of Egypt, leading you in the wilderness for 40 years, to take possession of the land of the Amorites.


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I also raised up your sons to be prophets, and from your young men I raised up Nazirites. Is this not true, people of Israel?" declares the LORD.


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"But you forced the Nazirites to drink wine, and commanded the prophets, 'You are not to prophesy!'"


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So the swift runner will not escape, the valiant will not fortify his strength, and the mighty warrior will not save his life.


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The skilled archer will not be able to stand, the swift runner will not survive, and the mounted rider will not preserve his own life.


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"Listen to this message that the LORD has spoken about you, people of Israel. It concerns the entire family that I brought from the land of Egypt:


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"You alone have I known from among all of the families of mankind; therefore I will hold you accountable for all your iniquities."


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Will a lion roar in the forest without having found its prey? Will a young lion cry from its den without having caught anything?


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Does a bird fall into a snare on the ground without any bait in the trap? Will a trap snap shut when there is nothing to catch?


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And when an alarm sounds in the city, the people will tremble, won't they? If there is trouble in a city, the LORD has brought it about, has he not?"


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"Truly the Lord GOD will do nothing he has mentioned without revealing his purposes to his servants the prophets.


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Announce this in the fortified citadels of Ashdod, and in the fortified citadels of the land of Egypt. Tell them, 'Gather together on the mountains of Samaria; look at the great misery among the citadels, along with the oppression within Egypt.'


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Because they do not know how to act right," declares the LORD, "they are filling their strongholds with treasures that they took from others by violence into their fortified citadels."


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Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "An enemy will surround the land. He will pull down your defenses, and plunder your fortified citadels."


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This is what the LORD says: "Just as a shepherd might save from the lion's mouth only two leg bones or a scrap of an ear, the Israelis will be saved in a similar manner-those in Samaria who sit on the remains of their broken beds, and those in Damascus who lie on the edge of their couches."


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"Listen and testify against the house of Jacob," declares the Lord GOD, the God of the Heavenly Armies,


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"because on that day I will lay out the charges against Israel. I will also bring judgment upon the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off and will fall to the ground.


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I will wreck both the winter house and the summer house, and the ivory houses will fall. These palaces will surely fall," declares the LORD.


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"Listen to this message, you fat cows from Bashan, who live on the Samaritan mountains, who oppress the poor, who rob the needy, and who constantly ask your husbands for one more drink!"


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The Lord GOD has taken a sacred oath: "The day is coming when they will take you away on fishhooks, every last one of you on fishhooks.


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Each of you will go out through the breaches of the walls straight to Mt. Hermon," declares the LORD.


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"Come to Bethel and sin, to Gilgal and sin even more! Bring along your morning sacrifices, and pay your tithes every other day.


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While you're at it, present a thank offering with leaven, and publicize your freewill offerings, letting everyone hear about it, because this is what you really love to do, you Israelis," declares the Lord GOD.


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"I also have scheduled food shortages for you in all of your cities, and lack of bread in all of your settlements, but you haven't returned to me," declares the LORD.


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"I therefore have withheld the rain from you three months before the harvest, causing rain to come upon one city, but not upon another, and upon one field but not upon another, so that it would wither.


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So the people of two or three cities staggered away to another city in order to obtain drinking water, but you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.


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" I afflicted you with blight and fungus; and the locust swarm devoured the harvest of your gardens, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees, but you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.


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"I sent plagues among you as I did with Egypt. I killed your choicest young men with the sword. I took your horses away from you. I filled your noses with the stench of your encampments, but you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.


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"I overthrew your cities, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You've become like a burning ember, snatched from the fire, but you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.


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"Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel. Because I am about to do this, prepare to be summoned to your God, Israel!"


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"Look! The one who crafts mountains, who creates the wind, who reveals what he is thinking to mankind, who darkens the morning light, who tramples down the high places of the land-the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies is his name."


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Fallen is Israel the virgin-never to rise again! She is abandoned on her own land, with no one to raise her up.


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"For this is what the Lord GOD says: 'The city that is sending out a thousand will have a hundred left; The city that is sending out a hundred will have ten left of the house of Israel.'"


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but don't seek Bethel. Don't go to Gilgal, and don't pass over to Beer-sheba. Because Gilgal will surely go into captivity, and Bethel will come to nothing.


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Seek the LORD and live! Otherwise, he may break out like a fire in the house of Joseph and devour Bethel, and there will be no one to extinguish it.


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Seek the one who fashions the Pleiades and Orion, who turns the deep darkness into morning, who darkens day into night, who calls out to the waters of the sea, pouring them out onto the surface of the earth-the LORD is his name.


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It is he who is raining sudden destruction upon the strong like lightning, so that ruin comes upon the fortress.


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They have hated those who are presenting their cases in court, detesting the one who speaks truthfully.


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"Therefore, since you continually trample the poor, taxing his grain, building houses of stone in which you won't live and planting fine vineyards from which you won't drink-


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and because I know that your transgressions are many, and your sins are numerous as you oppose the righteous, taking bribes as a ransom, and turning away the poor in court-


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"Pursue good and not evil, so that you may live, and this is what will happen: The LORD God of the Heavenly Armies will be with you, as you have been claiming.


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Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in court-perhaps the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, will be gracious to the survivors of Joseph."


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Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, the Lord, says: "There will be dirges in all of the streets; and in all of the highways they will cry out in anguish. They will call the farmer to mourning and those who lament to grieve.


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"Woe to those who are craving the Day of the LORD! How is it to your benefit, this Day of the LORD? It's a day of darkness to you, and not light.


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It will be like a man who runs from a lion, only to encounter a bear; or who comes home, leans his hand against a wall, and a serpent bites him!


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Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness, and not light-pitch black at that, without a ray of sunshine?"


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And if you send up burnt offerings to me as well as your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I consider your peace offerings of fattened cattle.


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And you carried the tent of your king-and Saturn, your star god idols that you crafted for yourselves.


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So I will cause you to be taken captive beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is God of the Heavenly Armies.


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"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, to those who rest on the mountain of Samaria-the famous men of the nations to whom the house of Israel came!


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Cross over to Calneh and look around, then go on to that great city of Hamath, and from there go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory more extensive than yours?


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lying on ivory beds, stretching out on your couches, eating lambs from the flock, and fattened calves from the stall,


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chanting to the sound of stringed instruments as if they were David, composing songs to themselves as if they were musicians,


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drinking wine from bowls, anointing themselves with the choicest of oils, but not grieving on the occasion of Joseph's ruin-


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therefore you will be the first to go into exile, and the celebrations of those who are lounging will end."


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"The Lord GOD has sworn by himself," declares the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, "I utterly detest the arrogance of Jacob; I hate his fortresses; and I will deliver up the city, along with everyone in it.


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One's relative will pick up the corpse to carry them from the house for burning, saying to whomever remains inside the house, 'Is there anyone still with you?' And he will say, 'No.' He will respond, 'Be quiet, because we do not mention the name "LORD".'


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For indeed, the LORD is giving the command-and he will smash the large house to rubble and the small house into bits.


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"Horses don't run over bare rock, do they? One doesn't plow rock with oxen, does he? But you have turned justice to gall, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness.


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You rejoice in nothing worth mentioning-that is, you keep on saying, 'We captured Karnaim by our own strength of will and by our own effort, didn't we?'


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"So look, house of Israel! I will raise up a nation against you," declares the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, "and they will harass you from the entrance of Hamath to the wadi of the wilderness."


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This is what the Lord GOD showed me: Look, he was forming locust swarms as the latter plantings were just beginning to sprout. Indeed, the king had just taken his first fruit tax.


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And so it came about that when the swarm had finished eating the grass of the land, I was saying, "Lord GOD, forgive-please! How will Jacob stand, since he is small?"


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This is what the Lord GOD showed me: Look, the Lord GOD was calling for judgment by fire, and it was drying up the great depths of the ocean and consuming the land.


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This is what he showed me: Look, the Lord was standing upon a wall that stood straight and true, with a plumb line in his hand.


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And the LORD was asking me, "What do you see, Amos?" I replied, "A plumb line." So the Lord said, "Look, I have set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I will no longer spare them.


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Isaac's high places will be destroyed, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined. I will rise in opposition to the house of Jeroboam with my sword."


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So Amaziah priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel. It said, "Amos has been conspiring against you in the very heart of the house of Israel! The land cannot bear everything he has to say,


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because Amos is saying this: 'By the sword will Jeroboam die, and Israel will surely go into exile far from her homeland.'"


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So Amaziah kept saying to Amos, "Get out of here, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Live there and prophesy there.


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Amos replied in answer to Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor am I a prophet's son, for I have been shepherding and picking the fruit of sycamore trees.


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But the LORD took me from tending the flock and the LORD kept saying to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'


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"Very well then, hear this message from the LORD: 'You are saying, "Don't prophesy against Israel, and don't preach against the house of Isaac."


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'Therefore this is what the LORD says: "Your wife will become a whore in the city, and your sons and daughters will die by the sword. Your land will be divided and apportioned, and you will die in a foreign land. Israel will surely go into exile, far from its homeland."'"


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And he was asking, "What do you see, Amos?" I answered, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD told me, "The end approaches for my people Israel. I will no longer spare them.


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At that time," declares the Lord GOD, "the temple songs will be wailing. Many bodies will accumulate everywhere.


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and who are saying, 'When will the New Moon fade so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath conclude so we may market winnowed wheat?'-shortchanging the measure, raising the price, falsifying the scales by treachery,


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buying the poor for cash, and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling chaff mixed in with the wheat."


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Surely the land will tremble because of this, won't it? And all who live in it will mourn, won't they? The entire land will swell up like a flooded river. It will be stirred up and then will sink like the river of Egypt.


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It will come about at that time," declares the Lord GOD, "I will cause the sun to set at noon and the earth to darken in the daylight.


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I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all of your songs to dirges. I will cause all of you to put on sackcloth and to shave all of your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son, and its conclusion will be like the end of a bitter day."


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"Look! The days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine throughout the land-not a famine of food or a thirst for water-but rather a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.


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People will stagger from sea to sea, from north to east. They will run back and forth, searching for a message from the LORD, but they won't find it.


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Those who have been swearing oaths by the sin of Samaria, or who say, 'As your god lives, Dan...' or who say "As the way of Beer-sheba lives...'-will fall, and will never rise again."


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I saw the Lord standing beside the altar as he was saying, "Strike the doorposts so that the thresholds tremble, bringing them down on the heads of all of them. Those who survive I will kill with the sword. Those who flee will not escape. There will be no deliverance for the fugitives.


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"Even if they burrow into Sheol, from there my hand will find them. Even if they ascend to the heavens, from there I will bring them down.


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Even if they hide at the top of Mount Carmel, from there I will search and seize them. Even if they hide from my sight in the depths of the sea, from there I will order the serpent to strike them.


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Even if they go into exile among their enemies, from there I will order the sword to kill them. I will fix my gaze on them to inflict disaster, and not to do good.


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"The Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies who is touching the earth so that it melts and all of its inhabitants mourn there-the land rises like the Nile River, but sinks like the river of Egypt-


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who is building his stairway to heaven and setting its foundation on earth; who is calling for the waters of the sea and pouring them out over the surface of the land-the LORD is his name!


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"Aren't you people of Israel like the people of Cush to me?" declares the LORD. "I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, did I not, as well as the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?


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Look! The eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth; but I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," declares the LORD.


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"Look! I'm giving the order: I will sift the house of Israel throughout all the nations, as one sifts with a sieve, yet not a single kernel will reach the ground!


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All sinners among my people will die by the sword, especially all who are saying, 'Disaster will not come upon or conquer us!'"


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"At that time I will restore David's fallen tent, restoring its torn places. I will restore its ruins, rebuilding it as it was long ago,


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so my people may inherit the remnant of Edom and all of the nations that bear my name," declares the LORD who is bringing this about.


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"Look! The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the one who sows will overtake the harvester and the treader of grapes will overtake the planter. Fresh wine will drip down from the mountains, cascading down from the hills.


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I will surely restore my people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine from them. They will plant gardens and eat the fruit from them.


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I will plant the people of Israel in their own land, never again to be torn out of their land that I gave them," says the LORD your God.


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Obadiah's vision: This is what the Lord GOD has to say about Edom. We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been dispatched among the nations to say "Get up! Let us rise up against her to fight!"


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The arrogance in your heart has deceived you, who inhabit hidden places on rocky cliffs, whose dwelling is in the heights, who say continually to yourself, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?'


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


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"If thieves came against you, if marauding gangs by night-Oh, how you will be destroyed!-Would they not steal only until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave some grapes to be gleaned?


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All your allies will force you out of the land, your associates will deceive you and prevail against you. Your friends will lay out a trap for you, and you will never understand it!


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"In that day," declares the LORD, "will I not destroy the wise from Edom, and those with understanding from Esau's Mountain?


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Teman, our mighty soldiers will be dismayed, so that every man from Esau's Mountain will be slaughtered."


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"Shame will overwhelm you because of the violence you inflicted on your brother Jacob, and you will be excluded forever.


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"On the day you just stood by, when strangers carried away Jacob's wealth and foreigners entered his gates, casting lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them.


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"You should not have gloated over your brother, on the day of his calamity. You should not have rejoiced when the descendants of Judah were perishing. You should not have boasted when they were in distress.


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"You should not have entered the gate of my people on the day of their disaster. Also, you should not have gloated over Judah's misfortune on the day of his disaster, nor should you have plundered his wealth on the day of his disaster.


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And you should not have taken your stand at the crossroads to cut down his fleeing refugees, nor should you have handed over his survivors on the day of his distress."


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"Indeed, the Day of the LORD approaches all nations. As you have done it will be done to you-your deeds will return to haunt you!


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Just as you have drunk from the cup of my wrath upon my holy mountain, so will all nations drink from the cup of my wrath perpetually. They will drink, they will gulp it down, and they will be as if they had never existed!


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"But there will be a delivered remnant on Mount Zion. There will be holiness, and the house of Jacob will take back their possessions."


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"The house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau will be kindling. Then Jacob and Joseph will burn and consume Esau, and no survivor will remain from the house of Esau." Indeed, the LORD has spoken it.


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"Those in the Negev will possess Esau's Mountain, and those in the Shephelah the Philistines. They will possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria, while Benjamin will possess the territory of Gilead.


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The exiles, the Israeli host, will possess the territory of the Canaanites all the way to Zarephath. The exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev.


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Deliverers will assemble on Mount Zion to judge Esau's Mountain, and to the LORD will the kingdom belong!"


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"Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city! Then cry out in protest against it, because their evil has come to my attention."


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But Jonah got up and fled from the LORD to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, and secured passage on a ship bound for Tarshish. He paid the fare and boarded, intending to go with the mariners to Tarshish to escape from the LORD.


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Then the LORD sent a great wind over the sea, and a severe storm broke out. It seemed as if the ship were about to break up.


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At this point the mariners became terrified, and each man cried out to his gods. They began to throw the cargo into the sea in order to lighten the vessel. But Jonah had gone down into the vessel's hold, had lain down, and was fast asleep.


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So the captain approached him, and told him, "What are you doing asleep? Get up! Call on your gods! Maybe your god will think about us so we won't die!"


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Meanwhile, each crewman told another, "Come, let's cast lots to find out whose fault it is that we're in this trouble." So they cast lots, and the lot indicated Jonah!


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So they interrogated him: "Tell us, why has this trouble come upon us? What's your occupation? Where'd you come from? What's your home country? What's your nationality?"


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"I'm a Hebrew," he replied, "and I'm afraid of the LORD God of heaven, who made the sea along with the dry land!"


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In mounting fear, the men asked him, "What have you done?" The men were aware that he was fleeing from the LORD, because he had admitted this to them.


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Because the sea was growing more and more stormy, they asked him, "What must we do to you so the sea will calm down for us?"


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Jonah told them, "Pick me up and toss me into the sea. Then the sea will calm down for you, because I know that it's my fault that this mighty storm has come upon you."


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Even so, the crewmen rowed hard to bring the ship toward dry land, but they were unsuccessful, because the sea was growing more and more stormy.


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At last they cried out to the LORD, "Please, LORD, do not let us perish because of this man's life, and do not hold us responsible for innocent blood, because you, LORD, have done what pleased you."


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Now the LORD had prepared a large sea creature to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the sea creature for three days and three nights.


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He said: "I called out to the LORD from the midst of affliction directed at me, and he answered me. From the depths of death I cried out for help; and you heard my cry.


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You cast me into the deep-into the heart of the sea. Flood waters engulfed me. All your breakers and your waves swirled over me.


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I sank to the roots of the mountains; the earth's prison bars closed around me forever. Yet you resurrect the dead from the Pit, LORD my God!"


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But as for me, with a voice of thanksgiving I will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance is the LORD's!"


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So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh to do what LORD had ordered. Now Nineveh was a very large city, requiring a three-day journey to cross through it.


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As Jonah started into the city on the first day's journey, he proclaimed the message, "40 days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!"


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The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast, and from the greatest to the least important of them, they put on sackcloth.


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When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his royal garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in ashes.


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Then he had this proclamation published throughout Nineveh: "By decree of the king and his nobles: No man or animal, herd or flock, is to taste anything, graze, or drink water.


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Instead, let both man and animal clothe themselves with sackcloth and cry out to God forcefully. Let every person turn from his evil ways and from his tendency to do violence.


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Who knows but that God may relent, have compassion, and turn from his fierce anger, so that we are not exterminated?"


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God took note of what they did-that they turned from their evil ways. Because God relented concerning the trouble about which he had warned them, he did not carry it out.


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So he prayed to the LORD, "LORD, isn't this what I said while I was still in my home country? That's why I fled previously to Tarshish, because I knew you're a compassionate God, slow to anger, overflowing with gracious love, and reluctant to send trouble.


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Then Jonah left the city and sat down on the eastern side. There he made a shelter for himself and sat down under its shade to see what would happen to the city.


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The LORD God prepared a vine plant, and it grew over Jonah to shade his head and provide relief from his misery. Jonah was happy-indeed, he was ecstatic-about the vine plant.


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But at dawn the next day, God provided a worm that attacked the vine plant so that it withered away.


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When the sun rose, God prepared a harsh east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head, he became faint, and he begged to die. "It is better for me to die than to live!" he said.


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Then God asked Jonah, "Is your anger about the vine plant justified?" And he answered, "Absolutely! I'm so angry I could die!"


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But the LORD said, "You cared about a vine plant that you neither worked on nor cultivated? A vine plant that grew up overnight and died overnight?


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So why shouldn't I be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 human beings who do not know their right hand from their left, as well as a lot of livestock?


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This message from the LORD came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah concerning the vision he saw about Samaria and Jerusalem:


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"Listen, people! All of you! Earth! Pay attention, and all you inhabitants of it! May the Lord GOD be a witness against you-the Lord from his holy Temple.


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Look here! The LORD is coming from his place! He will come down and will trample down the high places throughout the land.


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The mountains will melt under him and the valleys will split apart, like wax in the presence of fire and like water gushing down a steep incline.


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All this comes about due to the transgression of Jacob, and due to the sins of the house of Israel. What is Jacob's sin? It's Samaria, isn't it? And what's Judah's high place? It's Jerusalem, isn't it?


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"So I will turn Samaria into a mound of dirt in a field, a place to plant vineyards. And I will dump her building stones into the valley, uncovering her foundation.


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All of her carved images will be crushed to pieces, all the earnings of her prostitution will be burned up, and I will destroy all her idols; because she collected the wages of prostitution, and to the wages of prostitution they will return."


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"Therefore I will cry out and grieve loudly; I will walk around stripped and naked. I will cry out like a jackal and mourn like a company of ostriches.


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For Samaria's injury is fatal, reaching all the way to Judah, extending even to the gate of my people-to Jerusalem."


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Run away, you residents of Shaphir, displaying your shameful nakedness. Don't come out, you residents of Zaanan! Your firm standing will disappear as Beth-ezel mourns.


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Even though the inhabitants of Maroth long for success, nevertheless evil descended from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.


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"You inhabitants of Lachish, harness your chariot to your swiftest steed-the daughter of Zion has begun to sin-because within you the transgressions of Israel were revealed.


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Therefore give your gifts to Moresheth-gath; that is, the houses of Achzib as a deceitful symbol to the kings of Israel.


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Nevertheless, I will deliver an heir to you, inhabitants of Mareshah-to Adullam the glory of Israel will come.


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"Shave your head and cut off your locks as you mourn your beloved children. Make yourself bald as an eagle, because they will go from you into exile!"


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"Woe to those who are crafting iniquity, planning evil well into the night! When morning's light comes, they carry out their plans because they have the power to do so.


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They covet fields and seize them; they covet houses, and grab them, too. They harass the valiant man, along with his household, an individual and his estate."


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Therefore this is what the LORD says, "I'm crafting evil against this family, from which you can't escape. You won't strut around arrogantly, because the times are evil.


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When this happens, someone will compose a proverb about you, lamenting sorrowfully, 'We are completely ruined! He has given my people's heritage to others. How he has removed it from me, dividing up our fields!'


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This is why there will not be left even a single person to settle boundary disputes in the LORD's community.


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To those who speak out, they will declare, 'Don't prophesy to anyone!' so their shame won't go away.


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"It is said, house of Jacob, 'The Spirit of the LORD is limited, if he acts this way, is he not?' But my words benefit those who live righteously, do they not?


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Lately my people have acted like an enemy-you strip travelers who thought they were as secure as those who return from war.


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You have evicted the wives of my people from their dream homes; you have removed my majesty from their children permanently.


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"Get up and go, for there's no rest for you here! Since everything is polluted, it can only cause destruction, even heavy destruction.


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Suppose a man who keeps company with a deceiving spirit prophesies like this: 'Drink wine and strong drink!' Won't the people accept him as a prophet?"


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"Jacob, how I will surely gather all of you! How I will gather the survivors of Israel! I will gather them together like sheep in a pen, like the flock in the midst of the sheepfold. There will be a great commotion because of all the people.


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God will stand up and break through in their presence. Then they will pass through the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass in front of them with the LORD at their head.


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He will say, 'Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you officials of the house of Israel! You should know justice, should you not?-


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you who despise good and love evil, who tear off the skin of my people, along with the flesh from their bones.


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You eat the flesh of my people, flaying their skin from them. You break their bones, chopping them in pieces like meat for a pot, like meat destined for a soup kettle.'"


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Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not listen to them. In fact, he will hide his face from them at that time, because they were so wicked in what they were doing.


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This is what the LORD says about the prophets who are causing my people to go astray, who are calling out "Peace" when they're being fed, but who declare war against those who won't feed them:


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"You will have nights without visions, and darkness without prophecy. The sun will set on the prophets, and the day will darken for them.


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Those who see visions will be put to shame, and the diviners will be disgraced-every one of them-they will cover their faces, because there will be no answer from God."


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"As for me, I am truly filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, filled with judgment and power to announce to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.


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Please listen to this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you officials of the house of Israel, you who hate administering justice, who pervert the very meaning of equity,


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Her leaders judge for the money, her priests teach only when they're paid , and her prophets prophesy for cash. Even so, don't they all rely on the LORD as they ask, 'The LORD is among us, is he not? Nothing bad can possibly happen to us!'


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Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed up like a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps of rubble, and the Temple Mount like a forest high place."


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"But in the last days it will come about that the Temple Mount of the LORD will be firmly set as the leading mountain. It will be exalted above its surrounding hills, and people will stream toward it.


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Many nations will approach and say, 'Come, let's go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the Temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk according to his directions.' Indeed, the Law will proceed from Zion, and the message of the LORD from Jerusalem.


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And he will judge among many people, rebuking strong nations far away; and they will reshape their swords as plowshares and their spears as pruning hooks. No nation will threaten another, nor will they train for war anymore.


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Instead, each man will sit in the shade of his grape vines and beneath the shade of his fig tree," since the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has spoken.


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Because all of the people will walk, each person in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.


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"At that time," declares the LORD, "I will assemble the lame; and I will gather those whom I have scattered, along with those whom I have afflicted.


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I will transform the lame into survivors, and those who were scattered into a strong nation; and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion, now and forever."


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"And you, watchtower of the flock, you stronghold of the daughter of Zion, it will happen even to you: The former dominion, even the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem, will come.


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Why are you crying so loud now? There's no king among you, is there? Perhaps your advisor has died? For pain has overtaken you like a woman in labor.


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Be in pain! Be in labor, you daughter of Zion, like a woman about to give birth, because now you will depart from the city, living in the open fields. To Babylon you will go. There you will be delivered, there the LORD will rescue you from the power of your enemies."


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"Now many nations have gathered against you, saying, 'Let her be defiled,' and 'Let's look down on Zion.'


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But they don't know the thoughts of the LORD, and they don't understand his tactics, for he will gather them like harvested grain to his threshing floor.


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Get up and smash them to pieces, daughter of Zion, because I will make your horn like iron and your hooves like bronze! And you will beat many people to pieces, and I will consecrate their dishonest gain to the LORD and their assets to the Lord of the entire earth.


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Now marshal yourselves as troops. He has laid siege to us. They will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek with a rod.


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"As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity.


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Therefore that ruler will abandon them until the woman in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his countrymen will return to the Israelis."


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"Then he will take his stand, shepherding by means of the strength of the LORD, by the power of the name of the LORD his God. And they will be firmly established; indeed, from then on he will become great-to the ends of the earth.


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The shepherds will devastate the land of Assyria with the sword, along with the entrances to the land of Nimrod. This is how he will vanquish Assyria when he invades our land, trampling within our borders:


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The survivors of Jacob will live among many peoples, as dew from the LORD, as showers upon the grass. They will look to no one, and will place no hope in human beings.


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The survivors of Jacob will live among the nations; they will live among many peoples, like a lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, will trample and tear down with no one to deliver.


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"It will come about at that time," declares the LORD, "I will tear away your horses from you, and I will destroy your chariots.


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I will separate you from your carved images and sacred pillars, and you no longer will worship what you've made with your hands.


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Please hear what the LORD says: "Get up and make your case before the mountains, and let the hills listen to your voice.


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Listen, you mountains, to the LORD's argument! Listen, you strong foundations of the earth, because the LORD has a dispute with his people, and he will set out his case before Israel.


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For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and ransomed you from the house of slavery, sending Moses, Aaron, and Miriam into your presence.


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"My people, recall how king Balak of Moab deliberated, and how Beor's son Balaam counseled him from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may know the righteousness of the LORD."


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How am I to present myself in the LORD's presence and bow in the presence of the High God? Should I present myself with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?


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Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with endless rivers of oil? Am I to give my firstborn to pay for my rebellion, the fruit of my body in exchange for my soul?


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He has made it clear to you, mortal man, what is good and what the LORD is requiring from you-to act with justice, to treasure the LORD's gracious love, and to walk humbly in the company of your God.


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The voice of the LORD cries out to the city-wisdom fears your name. "Heed the rod, and the one who prepared it!


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Are there still wicked treasures in the house of the wicked, along with deceitful and abominable measuring standards?


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Will I tolerate those who maintain deceptive standards and who use deceitful weights in their business?


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Her rich people are filled with violence, and her inhabitants tell lies-their tongues speak deceitfully!


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"Therefore I will make you ill when I attack you; I will bring you to ruin because of your offenses.


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You'll eat, but you won't have enough; and hunger will be common among you. You'll horde things, but you won't save them, and what you preserve I'll give over to the sword.


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You'll plant, but you won't reap. You'll crush the olive harvest, but you'll have no oil to anoint yourself. You'll tread out the grapes, but you'll never drink wine.


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You keep Omri's statutes and observe the customs of the house of Ahab. Because you live according to their advice, I'll make you desolate and turn your inhabitants into an object of scorn. Therefore you will bear the shame of my people."


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Poor me! I feel like those who harvest summer fruit, or like those who pick grapes-there are no clusters to eat or any fresh fruit that I want.


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The faithful have died off, and there is not one upright human being in the land. They all stalk one another with lethal intent, a man will even hunt his own brother with a net.


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And speaking of evil, they practice it eagerly-with both hands! Both leader and judge demand a bribe, the famous confess their perverted desires, and they scheme together.


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The best of them is like a thorn, and their most upright like a hedge of thorns. The day announced by your watchmen-and by your own calculations-approaches. Now it's your time to be confused!


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The son disrespects his father, the daughter rebels against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies are the people of his own house.


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But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God who will deliver me. My God will hear me.


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Don't be glad on my account, my enemy. When I fall, I'll get up. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.


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I will endure the LORD's anger-since I have sinned against him-until he takes over my defense, administers justice on my behalf, and brings me out to the light, where I will gaze on his righteousness.


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Then my enemy will observe it, and shame will engulf the ones who asked me, 'Where is the LORD your God?' My own eyes will see them, they will be trampled on like mud in the streets.


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At that time armies will invade you from Assyria, from Egyptian cities to the Euphrates River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.


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Use your rod to shepherd your people, the flock that belongs to you, that lives alone in the forest of Carmel. Let them find pasture in Bashan and Gilead, as they did long ago.


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The nations will look on and will be ashamed in spite of all their power; they will cup their hands over their mouths, and their ears will be deaf.


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They will lick the dust like a serpent; they will crawl from their strongholds like snakes. They will fear the LORD our God. They will be terrified because of you.


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Is there any God like you, forgiving iniquity, passing over transgressions by the survivors who are your heritage? He is not angry forever, because he delights in gracious love.


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He will again show us compassion; he will subdue our iniquities. You will hurl all their sins into the deepest sea.


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A jealous God, the LORD avenges. The LORD avenges; The Lord is an angry husband. The LORD takes vengeance on his enemies, reserving anger for his adversaries.


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The LORD is slow to anger and powerful, and he will never let the guilty go unpunished. The LORD's path is in the windstorm and hurricane; thunderclouds are dust beneath his feet.


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He rebukes the sea, and it evaporates; he dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, while the flowers of Lebanon languish.


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Mountains shake because of him, and the hills melt. The earth goes into upheaval at his presence, as does the world with all of its inhabitants.


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Who can stand before his fury? And who can endure his fierce anger? His displeasure pours out like fire, and rocks are broken to pieces because of him.


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But with an overwhelming deluge he will bring utter desolation to Nineveh, and his enemies he will pursue with darkness.


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What are you scheming against the LORD? He will bring about utter desolation-adversity will not strike twice!


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Indeed, while tangled as by a thorn bush, while drunken as by a strong drink, the Ninevites will be burned like dry straw.


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This is what the LORD says: "No matter how strong they are, and no matter how numerous, they will surely be annihilated and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will do so no more.


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Now this is what the Lord has decreed about you, Nineveh: "There will be no more children born to carry on your name. I will cut out the graven and molten images from the temples of your gods. I myself will dig your grave, because you are vile."


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Look! There on the mountains! The feet of the one who brings good news, who broadcasts a message of peace. Judah, celebrate your solemn feasts and keep your vows, because the wicked will never again invade you. Nineveh will be completely eliminated!


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You are being attacked by advancing forces! Guard your rampart! Watch your roads! Prepare yourselves! Marshall your defenses!


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For the LORD will restore the glory of Jacob, just as he will restore the glory of Israel, although plunderers have devastated them, vandalizing their vine branches.


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The shields deployed by Israel's elite forces are scarlet, their valiant men are clothed in crimson. When they are prepared, the polished armament on their chariots will shine, and lances will be brandished about ferociously.


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Their chariots storm through the streets, jostling each other along broad avenues. They look like torches, as they dart around like lightning.


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He will remember to summon his finest troops. They will stumble on their way, hurrying over to Nineveh's wall. Their defensive shield is in place.


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It has been determined: The woman is unveiled and sent away, her servant girls mourn. Beating their breasts, they whimper like doves.


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Nineveh is a reservoir whose water is draining away. "Wait! Wait!" they cry, yet not even one person looks back.


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Take the silver! Take the gold! There is no end to the treasure-fabulous riches of every imagination.


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Nineveh is devastated, deserted, and desolate. Her heart melts, her knees knock. Every stomach is upset, every face grows pale.


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Where is this lion's den? Where is the place where the young lions fed, where the lion and its mate walked with their young, the place where they feared nothing?


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This lion renders its prey to pieces to feed its whelps, and strangles enough prey for its mate, filling its lairs with prey and its dens with rendered flesh.


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"I am against you," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and I will send your chariots up in smoke. A sword will devour your young lions, I will eliminate your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard."


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Woe to this city, contaminated with shed blood, all full of lies and robberies-it is never without victims!


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The cavalry attacks-the flashing sword and the glittering spear! Many are the slain-so many casualties!-No end to bodies, and the soldiers trip over the corpses.


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Innumerable are the harlotries of this well-favored whore, this mistress of witchcraft, who enslaves nations through her fornication and families through her sorcery.


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"Look, I am against you," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "so I will pull up your dress over your face. I will show your nakedness to the nations, and your disgrace to the kingdoms.


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It will be that everyone who looks at you will run away, saying, 'Nineveh has been violently overthrown! Who will mourn for her? Where will I find anyone to comfort you?'"


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"Are you any better than Thebes, which sits by the upper Nile, surrounded by water? The sea was her defense, the waters her wall of protection.


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Sudan was her source of strength, along with Egypt-there were no limits. Put and the Libyans were her allies.


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But she, too, was exiled-she went into captivity! Her young children were dashed to pieces at every crossroad of their streets, and her famous citizens were sold by lottery, while all of her aristocrats were put in chains.


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All your defenses are like fig trees with ripe early fruit-when shaken, it falls right into the devourer's mouth."


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"Look at your people-they are women! Your borders stand wide open to your enemies, while fire consumes the bars of your gates.


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Draw water, because a siege is coming! Strengthen your fortresses! Make the clay good and strong! Mix the mortar! Go get your brick molds!


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In that place fire will consume you, the sword will cut you down, consuming you as locusts do. Multiply yourself like locusts, increase like swarming grasshoppers.


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You added to your inventory of businessmen-they number more than the stars of heaven. The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away.


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Your imperial guards are like the swarming grasshopper; your marshals are like hordes of grasshoppers, settling in the stone walls on a chilly day. The sun rises, and they flee away; no one knows where they went.


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Hey king of Assyria! Your shepherds are asleep and your nobles are lying down! Your people lie scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them together.


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There is no healing for your injury-your wound is fatal. Everyone who hears about you will applaud, because who hasn't escaped your endless evil?


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"How long, LORD, must I cry out for help, but you won't listen? I'm crying out to you, 'Oppression!' but you aren't providing deliverance.


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Why are you forcing me to look at iniquity and to stare at wickedness? Social havoc and oppression are all around me; there are legal conflicts, and disputes abound.


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Therefore, the Law has become paralyzed, and justice never comes about. Because criminals outnumber the righteous, whenever judgments are issued, they come out crooked."


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"Look out at the nations and pay attention! Be astounded! Be really astounded! Because something is happening in your lifetime that you won't believe, even if it were described down to the smallest detail.


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Watch out! For I am bringing in the Chaldeans, that cruel and impetuous people, who sweep across the earth dispossessing people from homes not their own.


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They are terrible and fearsome; their brand of justice and sense of honor derive only from themselves!


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Their horses are swifter than leopards, and more cunning than wolves that attack at night. Their horsemen are galloping as they approach from far away. They swoop in like ravenous vultures.


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"They all come to oppress-hordes of them, their faces pressing onward-they take prisoners as numerous as the desert sand!


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They make fun of kings, deriding those who rule. They laugh at all of the fortified places, constructing ramps to seize them.


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Then like the wind sweeping by they will pass through-they're guilty because they say their power is their god."


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"Haven't you existed forever, LORD my God, my Holy One? We won't die! LORD, you've prepared them for judgment; Rock, you've sentenced them to correction.


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Your eyes are too pure to gaze upon evil; and you cannot tolerate wickedness. So why do you tolerate the treacherous? And why do you stay silent while the wicked devour those who are more righteous than they are?


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"The adversary captures them with a hook, gathering them up in a fishing net. He collects them with a dragnet, rejoicing and gloating over his catch.


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Therefore he sacrifices to his fishing net, and burns incense in the presence of his dragnet, because by them his assets increase and he gets plenty of food.


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Is he to continue to empty his fishing net? Will he ever stop killing entire nations without mercy?"


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"I will stand at my guard post and station myself on a tower. I will wait and see what the LORD will say about me and what I will answer when he reprimands me."


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When he answered, the LORD told me: "Write out the revelation, engraving it clearly on the tablets, so that a courier may run with it.


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For the revelation pertains to an appointed time-it speaks truthfully about the end. Though it delays, wait for it, because it will surely come about-it will not be late!


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Moreover, just as wine leads astray the proud and powerful man, he remains restless; he has expanded his appetite-like the afterlife or death itself, he is never satisfied. He gathers to himself all of the nations, taking captive all of the people for himself."


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"Will not all of these ridicule him with mocking scorn? They will say, 'Woe to the one who hordes for himself what isn't his. How long will you enrich yourself by extortion?'


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Won't your creditors revolt unexpectedly? Won't those who make you tremble wake up? As a result, you'll become their prey!


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Because you plundered many nations, all of their remnants will plunder you. Human blood has been shed, and violence has been done to the land, to the city, and to all who live in it."


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"Woe to the one who amasses profit upon unjust profit in order to establish his household, so he can establish a secure place on the heights and escape from the power of evil.


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Is it not because of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies that people grow tired putting out fires, and nations weary themselves over nothing?


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"Woe to the one who supplies his neighbor with a drink! You are forcing your bottle on him, making him drunk so you can see them naked.


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You are filled with dishonor instead of glory. So go ahead, drink and be naked! The LORD will turn against you, and utter disgrace will debase your reputation.


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Indeed, the violence done to Lebanon will overtake you, and the destruction of the beasts will terrorize you-because you shed human blood and did violence to the land, to the city, and to all who live in it.


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"Where is the benefit in owning a carved image, that motivates its maker to carve it? It is only a cast image-a teacher that lies-because the engraver entrusts himself to his carving, crafting speechless idols.


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"Woe to the one who says to a tree, 'Wake up!' or 'Arise!' to a speechless stone. Idols like this can't teach, can they? Look, even though it is overlaid with gold and silver, there's no breath in it at all.


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LORD, as I listen to what has been said about you, I am afraid. LORD, revive your work throughout all of our lives-reveal yourself throughout all of our lives-when you are angry, remember compassion.


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God comes from Teman-the Holy One from Mount Paran. Interlude His glory spreads throughout the heavens, and praises about him fill the earth.


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He stood up and shook the land; with his stare he startled the nations. The age-old mountains were shattered, and the ancient hilltops bowed down. His ways are eternal.


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Was the LORD displeased with the rivers? Was your anger directed against the watercourses or your wrath against the sea? Indeed, you rode upon your horses, upon your chariots of deliverance.


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Your bow was exposed, and your arrows targeted by command. Interlude You split the earth with rivers.


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When the mountains looked upon you, they trembled; the overflowing water passed by, the ocean shouted, and its waves surged upward.


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The sun and moon stand still in their orbits; at the glint of your arrows they speed along, even at the gleam of your flashing spear.


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You marched out to deliver your people, to deliver with your anointed. You struck the head of the house of the wicked; you stripped him naked from head to foot. Interlude.


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With his own lances you pierced the heads of his warriors, who came out like a windstorm to scatter us-their joy is to devour the afflicted who are in hiding.


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I heard and I trembled within. My lips quivered at the noise. My legs gave way beneath me, and I trembled. Nevertheless, I await the day of distress that will dawn on our invaders.


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Even though the fig tree does not blossom, and there are no grapes on the vines; even if the olive harvest fails, and the fields produce nothing edible; even if the flock is snatched from the sheepfold, and there is no herd in the stalls-


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The LORD God is my strength-he will make my feet like those of a deer, equipping me to tread on my mountain heights.


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This message from the LORD came to Cushi's son Zephaniah, the grandson of Gedaliah and great-grandson of Hezekiah's son Amariah, during the reign of Amon's son Josiah, king of Judah:


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" I'll consume both human beings and animals-I'll consume the birds of the sky, the fish in the sea, and the wicked along with their sin, when I eliminate human beings from the land," declares the LORD.


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"I will also stretch out my hand against Judah, and upon all inhabitants of Jerusalem. I'll wipe out every trace of Baal from this place, and the name of the pagan priests, along with my own priests.


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I'll wipe out those who worship the stars that they view from their housetops, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and who also swear by Milcom,


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Remain silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, because the Day of the LORD approaches, and because the LORD has prepared a sacrifice for those whom he has invited to be consecrated.


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"It will come about during the LORD's sacrifice that I'll punish the officials, the royal descendants, and all who wear foreign clothing.


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At the same time, I'll punish every idol worshipper, especially those who are filling their master's temple with violence and deceit.


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When all of this happens," declares the LORD, "a loud shriek will come from the Fish Gate, and howling from the Mishneh Quarter, along with great destruction from the hills."


text:
"Wail, you who live in the market district, because all of the merchants will be crushed and all of their customers will be eliminated.


text:
And it will come about that I will search Jerusalem with candles, punishing the self-satisfied and complacent, who say to themselves, 'The LORD will do neither good nor evil.'


text:
"Therefore their possessions will be seized as plunder and their homes left in ruins. They may build houses, but they won't live in them. They may plant vineyards, but they won't drink their wine."


text:
"The great Day of the LORD approaches-How it comes, hurrying faster and faster! The sound of the Day of the LORD there includes the bitter cry of the mighty soldier.


text:
That day will be filled with wrath, a day of trouble and tribulation; a day of desolation and devastation, a day of doom and gloom, a day of clouds and shadows.


text:
"And I'll bring so much distress to people that they will walk around like the blind. Because they have sinned against the LORD, their blood will be poured out like dust and their intestines will spill out like manure.


text:
Neither their silver nor their gold will deliver them in the Day of the LORD's wrath; but the entire land will be consumed by the fire of his jealousy, for he will bring the inhabitants of the land to a sudden end."


text:
Before the decree is carried out, before the day flies away like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD visits you, before the Day of the LORD's wrath surprises you


text:
seek the LORD, all you humble people of the land, who do what he commands. Seek righteousness! Seek humility! Maybe you will be protected in the Day of the LORD's anger."


text:
"For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon deserted-Ashdod will be emptied at high noon; even Ekron will be uprooted.


text:
Woe to those who live along the coast, the people of Philistia! This message from the LORD is being spoken against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines: 'I'll destroy you until no one lives there!'


text:
The survivors of Judah will find pasture on it; at twilight they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon, for the LORD their God will visit them, restoring their prosperity."


text:
"I've heard Moab's insults and the curses from those Ammonites by which they defame my people and boast about their territory.


text:
Therefore as I'm alive and living," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, "Moab will surely become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a place overrun by weeds and salty marshes, unpopulated forever. The survivors of my people will confiscate their property, and those who remain of my nation will inherit what was theirs.


text:
This they will have in lieu of their pride, because they have insulted and mocked the people of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
The LORD will incite them to terror, because he will cause all the gods of the earth to waste away. They will worship him, every person in his own home, including even the coastlands of the nations."


text:
"And the LORD will attack the north, destroying Assyria. He will turn Nineveh into a desolate ruin, as dry as a desert wilderness.


text:
Flocks will lie down in her midst, along with animals of every kind. Desert owls and screeching owls will nest at the top of the pillars, hooting through the vacant windows 'Ruin sits at these doorsills,' for he will expose even the cedar framework.


text:
This is that carefree city that lived irresponsibly, that told herself, 'Me first!' and 'There will be no one else!' How ruined she has become-a habitat for wild animals! Everyone who passes by her will sneer at her and make obscene gestures!"


text:
It won't obey anyone. It won't accept discipline. It does not trust in the LORD. It does not approach God.


text:
Its national officials are roaring lions; its judges are like wolves of the night that don't leave the bones for the morning.


text:
Its prophets are arrogant and treacherous. Its priests have contaminated the sanctuary. They give perverse interpretations of the Law.


text:
The righteous LORD who lives within her will do no wrong; he will bring justice to light morning by morning. He never fails, but the unjust are shameless.


text:
"I have destroyed nations-their fortifications are deserted. I have turned their main thoroughfares into wastelands where no one will travel. Their cities are desolate; as a result, not one man remains-no, not even a single resident.


text:
I have said, 'If only you would fear me, if only you would take my instructions to heart.' Then their houses would not have been torn down. I have chastened them, but they were eager to corrupt everything they were doing."


text:
"Just you wait!" declares the LORD. "The day will come when I stand up as a prosecutor, for I am determined to assemble the nations and to gather the kingdoms, in order to pour out my indignation upon them-all of my fierce anger. All the earth will be consumed by the fire of my jealousy.


text:
Indeed, then I will return my people to a pure language so that they all may call upon the name of the LORD, serving him with a united will."


text:
"From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers-including my dispersed people-will present offerings to me.


text:
When this happens, you will not be ashamed of your actions by which you sinned against me, because I will remove from among you those who revel in pride. Arrogance will have no place in my holy mountain.


text:
The survivors of Israel will not practice lawlessness nor tell lies, nor will a deceitful message be found in their mouths, because they will eat and rest, with no one to cause fear."


text:
"Sing aloud, daughter of Zion! Shout out, Israel! Rejoice with all of your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!


text:
The LORD has acquitted you; turning back your adversaries. Israel's king, the LORD, is among you; you will not fear disaster anymore.


text:
"When all of this happens, it will be told Jerusalem, 'Don't be afraid!" and to Zion, 'Don't lose courage!"


text:
"The LORD your God among you is powerful-he will save and he will take joyful delight in you. In his love he will renew you with his love; he will celebrate with singing because of you.


text:
I will gather the afflicted from the solemn assembly; those who were with you, who were bearing a burden of disgrace.


text:
"Watch how I deal with everyone who oppresses you! At that time I will rescue the one who is lame, and I will draw to me the one who has been driven away. I will honor them with praise and with a good reputation in every land where they have been put to shame.


text:
At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. Indeed, I will give you a good reputation, making you praiseworthy among all of the people of the world, when I restore your prosperity before your eyes," says the LORD.


text:
On the first day of the sixth month of the second year of the reign of King Darius, this message from the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and to Jehozadak's son Joshua, the high priest:


text:
"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: 'These people keep saying, "No, the right time for rebuilding the LORD's Temple has not yet come."'"


text:
"Is it the right time for all of you to live in your own paneled houses while this house remains in ruins?"


text:
You have sowed much but have reaped little. You have eaten but don't have enough to become satisfied. You have drunk but don't have enough to become intoxicated. You have clothed yourself but don't have enough to keep warm. And the hired laborer deposits his salary in a bag full of holes!'"


text:
Go up into the mountains, bring timber, and reconstruct my house. Then I will be pleased with it and I will be honored,' says the LORD.


text:
'You turned away in pursuit of abundance, but look at how little you found! What you did manage to bring home, I blew away! And why?' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. 'It's because of my house! It lies in ruins while each of you runs off to his own house!


text:
I sent a drought on the land, on the mountains, on your grain, on your new wines, on your oil-on everything the ground produces-on men, on livestock, and on everything you do!'"


text:
Then Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel, Jehozadak's son Joshua the high priest, and all the rest of the people obeyed the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.


text:
Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with a special commission from the LORD: "'I am with you,' declares the LORD."


text:
Then the LORD revitalized the spirit of Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, the spirit of Jehozadak's son Joshua the high priest, and the spirit of all the rest of the people, so they came and began to work on the house of their God, the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
This took place on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year of the reign of King Darius.


text:
On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this message from the LORD came by Haggai the prophet:


text:
"Speak to Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, to Jehozadak's son Joshua, the high priest, and to the rest of the people, asking,


text:
'Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And what does it look like now? From what you can see, it seems like nothing, doesn't it?


text:
Now be strong, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD. 'Go to work, because I am with you,' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
'My Spirit continues to dwell among you, according to the covenant I established when you came out from Egypt. Don't be afraid!


text:
'For this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Once more, in a little while, I will make the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land to shake.


text:
I will shake all nations, and the One desired by all nations will come. Then I will fill this house with glory," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
"The glory of this present house will be greater than was the former," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "And in this place I will grant peace," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.'


text:
On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year of the reign of King Darius, this message from the LORD came to Haggai the prophet:


text:
If a man carries consecrated meat in the folds of his garment, and if his garment touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other edible thing, will these things become consecrated?'" The priests answered, "No."


text:
So Haggai responded, "If someone who is unclean because of contact with a dead body were to touch any of these things, would they become unclean?" The priests responded, "They would be unclean."


text:
Then Haggai answered, "'That's how I look at this people and this nation,' declares the LORD. 'And that's how it is with everything they undertake and with what they offer there-it is unclean.


text:
"'Pay attention from now on to how things used to be before one stone had been laid upon another in the Temple of the LORD.


text:
When someone came to a pile of grain to get twenty bushels, there were only ten. Or when someone approached the wine press to siphon out 50 measures, there were only twenty.


text:
I punished you and everything that you undertook-with scorching wind, with mildew, and with hail, and you still did not return to me,' declares the LORD.


text:
"'Pay attention from now on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, when the foundation of the LORD's Temple was laid. Pay attention!


text:
Is there seed left in the granary? Up until now, neither the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, nor the olive tree has borne fruit, but from this very day I will bless you.'"


text:
I will overthrow royal thrones. I will annihilate the strength of national governments. I will overthrow chariots along with those who drive them. Both horses and their riders will fall, each one by means of his comrade's weapon.


text:
On that day,' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will set you in place like a signet ring. For I have chosen you,' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies."


text:
In the eighth month of the second year of the reign of Darius, this message from the LORD came to Berechiah's son Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo the prophet:


text:
So tell them, 'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Return to me," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and I will return to you."


text:
" Don't be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed: 'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "It's time to turn from your evil lifestyles and from your evil actions,"' but they would neither listen nor pay attention to me," declares the LORD.'


text:
But my words and my statutes that I gave as commands to my servants the prophets-did they not overwhelm your ancestors? And they returned to me: 'The LORD of the Heavenly Armies acted toward us just as he planned to do-in keeping with our lifestyles and in keeping with our actions.'"


text:
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month Shebat) in the second year of the reign of Darius, this message from the LORD came to Berechiah's son Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo the prophet:


text:
"I stared into the night, and there was a man mounted on a red horse! The horse was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him there were red, brown, and white horses.


text:
Then I asked, "Who are these, sir?" The messenger who was talking to me answered, "I will tell you who these are."


text:
The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, "These are the ones whom the LORD sent out to wander throughout the earth."


text:
Then they reported to the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees, "We have wandered throughout the earth-and look!-the entire earth is at rest. Everything is quiet and peaceful."


text:
And the angel of the LORD replied, "LORD of the Heavenly Armies, how long will it be until you show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, with whom you have been angry for these past seventy years?"


text:
Then the angel who was speaking to me told me, "Announce this: "'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "I have a deep concern for Jerusalem, a great concern for Zion.


text:
I am deeply angry with the nations who are complacent, with whom I was only a little displeased-but they made things worse!"


text:
"'Therefore this is what the LORD says: "I have returned to Jerusalem with compassionate intentions. My Temple will be rebuilt there," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem."


text:
"Also announce the following: "'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "My cities will again overflow with prosperity. The LORD will comfort Zion once more and will choose Jerusalem again."'"


text:
I asked the angel who was talking to me, "What are those?" So he answered me, "Those are the forces that have dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."


text:
Then I asked, "What have they come to do?" He answered, "Those horns that dispersed Judah-so that no one could lift up his head-those artisans are coming to disrupt the power of nations, tearing them down now that they've come to power and dispersed the land of Judah.


text:
I asked, "Where are you going?" He responded, "To measure Jerusalem in order to determine its width and length."


text:
That other angel told him, "Run and tell that young man: 'Jerusalem will be an inhabited city without walls due to the number of people and livestock within it.


text:
I myself will be an encircling rampart of fire,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be the glory in her midst.'


text:
"'Come now! Come now! Flee from the land of the north,' declares the LORD, 'for I have dispersed you like the four winds of heaven ,' declares the LORD.


text:
For this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "In pursuit of glory I was sent to the nations who plundered you, because whoever injures you injures the pupil of my eye.


text:
And look, I will shake my fist over them, and they will become plunder for their former slaves. And you will know that the LORD of the Heavenly Armies sent me."'"


text:
"Sing and rejoice, daughter of Zion! Take note! I am coming to live in your midst," declares the LORD.


text:
"Many nations will cling to the LORD at that time and will become my people. I will live in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has sent me to you.


text:
The LORD will take possession of Judah as his own property in the Holy Land-and he will choose Jerusalem again.


text:
"Be silent, every living thing, in the presence of the LORD, because he is emerging from his Holy Place."


text:
Then I saw Joshua the High Priest standing in the presence of the angel of the LORD, with Satan standing at his right to oppose him.


text:
The LORD told Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan-in fact, may the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! This man is a burning brand plucked from the fire, is he not?"


text:
So the angel continued to tell those who were standing in his presence, "Remove his filthy clothes." And he told Joshua, "Look how I've removed your iniquity. Now I'm clothing you with fine garments."


text:
Then I said, "Let them place a pure diadem on his head." So they placed the pure diadem on his head and clothed him with fine garments while the angel of the LORD was standing beside them.


text:
"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: 'If you will live according to my ways, and if you will keep what I have entrusted to you, then you will also administer my Temple, and you will also guard my courtyards. And I will give you access to these who serve here.


text:
"'Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and those companions of yours who sit with you, for these men are a sign that I am presenting my servant, the Branch.


text:
Look, the stone that I put in place in Joshua's presence-on that one stone are seven eyes. And look, I will do the engraving myself,' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, 'and I will remove the perversity of that land in a single day.


text:
At that time,' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, 'you will invite each of your neighbors to join you under the vine and fig tree.'"


text:
Then he asked me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I have been watching-and look!-there is a menorah made completely of gold with a bowl on top of it. And there are seven lights on it, along with seven feeder channels to the lamps, which are also on top of it.


text:
The angel who had been speaking with me answered by asking, "You don't know what these mean, do you?" So I responded, "No, sir."


text:
Then he replied to me, "This is this message from the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by valor nor by strength, but only by my Spirit,' says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
'Who are you, great mountain? You will become a plain in Zerubbabel's presence, and he will position the capstone, exulting over it, "How beautiful! How beautiful!"'"


text:
"Zerubbabel's hands have laid the foundation of this Temple, and his hands will finish it, so that you will know that the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has sent me to all of you.


text:
For who has despised the time of insignificant things? They will rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven lights represent the eyes of the LORD, which are looking throughout all of the earth."


text:
Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees, one on the right of the menorah and one on the left?"


text:
I also asked him a second question: "What are these two olive branches on either side of the two golden feeder channels that carry the golden oil to the seven lights?"


text:
He said, "These are the two anointed ones, who continually stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."


text:
And the angel asked me, "What do you see?" I answered him, "I'm looking at a flying scroll. It's 30 feet long and fifteen feet wide."


text:
He responded to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the surface of the whole earth, because, according to this side of the scroll, all thieves will be ejected, and according to the other side of the scroll, all liars will be ejected."


text:
"I am bringing this about," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "The curse will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who lies in my name. The curse will remain in his house until that house has been completely destroyed, right down to its timber and stones."


text:
Then the angel who had been talking with me stepped forward and told me, "Please look up and see what's going out."


text:
So I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "This is a basket making its appearance." He also said, "This is what it appears to be in the entire land."


text:
And the angel said, "This is evil!" So he shoved her back into the basket and snapped the round, lead cover over the opening.


text:
Then I looked up to see two women coming forward with the wind filling their wings. (They had wings like those of a stork.) They took up the basket, holding it between the earth and sky.


text:
He answered me, "To the land of Shinar, so they can build a temple to the woman in the basket. Then when its preparations are complete, the basket will be set there in its place."


text:
Then I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains! And the mountains were made of brass!


text:
Attached to the third chariot were white horses. Attached to the fourth chariot were speckled horses and gray horses.


text:
The angel told me, "These are four heavenly spirits that are going out on patrol after having presented themselves to the Lord of the whole earth.


text:
The black horses are headed into the north country, and the white ones are headed out after them. The speckled horses are headed toward the south country."


text:
Then the gray horses went out. They were eager to go out on patrol throughout the earth, so the angel said, "Go patrol the earth." So they went out on patrol throughout the earth.


text:
Then he called to me, "Look! The horses that went north have caused my spirit to rest in the north country."


text:
"Go take up an offering from those who came out of the Babylonian exile, that is, from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah. Go along with them today into the house of Zephaniah's son Josiah, who returned from Babylon.


text:
Take silver and gold and fashion crowns to set upon the head of Joshua son of Johozadak, the High Priest.


text:
Then tell him, 'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Here is the man whose name is The Branch. He will branch out from where he is and will rebuild the Temple of the LORD.


text:
Yes, he will indeed rebuild the Temple of the LORD, and he will exalt its majesty by sitting and ruling on his throne. He will serve as priest on his throne, and no contention will exist between them.


text:
The crowns will go to Helem, to Tobijah, to Jedaiah, and to Zephaniah's son Hen, as a memorial in the Temple of the LORD.


text:
Those who are now far away will come and do reconstruction work in the Temple of the LORD. Then you will know that the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has sent me to you. This will come about if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."'"


text:
During the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, a message from the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month Kislev.


text:
The people of Bethel were sending Sharezer, Regem-melech, and their men to pray in the LORD's presence


text:
and to speak to the priests assigned to the Temple of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies along with the prophets, asking, "Am I to go about mourning, denying myself throughout the fifth month, as I have these many years?"


text:
" Talk to everyone in the land, as well as to the priests. Ask them, 'When you were fasting and mourning during the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, were you really fasting for me?


text:
Isn't this what the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets, when a prosperous Jerusalem was inhabited, as were its surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah?'"


text:
"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: 'Administer true justice, and show gracious love and mercy toward each other.


text:
You are not to wrong the widow, orphans, the foreigner, or the poor, and you are not to plan evil against each other.


text:
They made their hearts hard like a diamond, to keep from obeying the Law and the messages that the LORD of the Heavenly Armies sent by his Spirit through the former prophets.


text:
Therefore, just as when I cried out and they would not listen, so also they will cry out, and I will not listen,' says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
'I will scatter them to all of the nations, which they have not known.' Now the earth was left desolate after them. As a result, no one came or went because they had turned a pleasant land into a desert.


text:
"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: 'I'm greatly jealous about Zion, and that makes me furious about her.'


text:
"This is what the LORD says: 'I will return to Zion and I will live in the midst of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem will be called "The City of Truth" and the mountain of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will be called "The Holy Mountain".'


text:
"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: 'There will yet be old men and old women sitting in the parks of Jerusalem, each one of them holding canes in their hands due to their old age!


text:
"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: 'It may seem impossible to the survivors of this people, but is it impossible for me?' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: 'Look! After having saved my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west,


text:
I will also bring them back to live in the midst of Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will truly be their righteous God."


text:
"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: 'Be strong so the Temple can be built, you who are now listening to this message spoken by the prophets when the foundation was laid to the Temple of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
Before then, everyone was unemployed-even the draft animals-and no one was safe coming or going because of the enemy, because I caused everyone to oppose each other.


text:
"'But now I will not treat the survivors of this people as I did formerly," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


text:
"For there will be a sowing of peace: the vine will produce its fruit, the earth will produce its full yield, the sky will produce its dew, and I will make the survivors of this people inherit all these things.


text:
Furthermore, house of Judah and house of Israel, even though you used to be a curse among the nations, now I will surely save you, and you will be a blessing. Stop being afraid. Instead, grow stronger.'"


text:
This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Just as I intended to bring harm to you when your ancestors angered me," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and I did not relent,


text:
so I have decided at this time to do good things for Jerusalem and for the house of Judah. So stop being afraid.


text:
Here's what you must do: tell the truth to your neighbors, administer true and peaceful justice in your courtrooms,


text:
don't plot evil in your heart against a neighbor, and don't tolerate false testimonies, because I hate all these things," declares the LORD.


text:
This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "The fasts that occur in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will be joyful and glad times for the house of Judah, replete with cheerful feasts. Therefore, love truth and peace."


text:
This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "In the future, people will come, including residents of many cities,


text:
and they will travel from one place to another place and say, 'Let's go quickly to pray in the presence of the LORD and to inquire of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.' And I will go, too.


text:
Many people and powerful nations will come to inquire of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies in Jerusalem, and to pray in the presence of the LORD."


text:
This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "In the future, ten men speaking all the languages of the nations will grab hold of one Jewish person by the hem of his garment and say, 'Let us go up to Jerusalem with you, because we heard that God is with you.'"


text:
A declaration: this message from the LORD in the land of Hadrach, with Damascus its confederate, because the eyes of humanity will look to the LORD, along with those of all the tribes of Israel.


text:
Ashkelon will see it happen and will be terrified; Gaza will tremble greatly. Ekron will be ashamed of her expectations, Gaza's king will perish, and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.


text:
I will remove the blood from its mouth, along with its abominations from between its teeth. Its survivors will be dedicated to our God; It will be like a clan of Judah, and Ekron will be as a Jebusite.


text:
I will set a garrison around my Temple, to hinder those who might come and go, and to guard against oppressors who intend to invade; for I have taken note of this with my eyes."


text:
"Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; cry out, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you. He is righteous, and he is able to save. He is humble, and is riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.


text:
I will banish chariots from Ephraim and horses from Jerusalem. War weapons will be banished, and your king will speak peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, and from the River to the farthest portion of the earth.


text:
Now concerning you and my blood covenant with you, I have liberated your prisoners from a waterless pit.


text:
Return to your fortress, you prisoners who have hope. Even today I am telling you: In return I will repay you double.


text:
For I have bent Judah as if it were my bow, loading it with Ephraim. I raised up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, wielding you like a mighty warrior's sword.


text:
The LORD will appear over them-his arrow will shoot like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and go out with the southern windstorm.


text:
The LORD of the Heavenly Armies will defend them; they will devour and conquer those who sling stones. They will drink and be boisterous like those who are drunk. They will be filled to the brim with blood, like the corners of the altar.


text:
The LORD their God will save them at that time as his very own flock of people, because they are his crown jewels, exalted throughout his land.


text:
For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the virgins.


text:
"Ask the LORD for rain in the spring-the LORD who fashions lightning thunderstorms, giving rain showers to mankind along with grain in the fields.


text:
Truly the family idols talk nonsense and the diviners discern lies, describing delusional dreams. Since their comfort is vacuous, they wander off on their own like sheep, because there is no shepherd.


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"Against the shepherds my anger rises-I am punishing the leaders also, because the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, appointing them as his royal war horse for battle.


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From them arises the cornerstone and tent peg, from them the battle bow, from them arise all sorts of oppressive rulers.


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They will be like mighty soldiers who trample mud in the streets during battle. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and the opposing horsemen will be confused.


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"I will fortify the house of Judah, and the house of Joseph I will save. I will surely bring them back, because I care about them. They will be as if I had never cast them away. Since I am the LORD their God, I will answer them.


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"The people of Ephraim will become like mighty soldiers; they will be glad, like those who have wine. Their children will see this and rejoice; their hearts will find joy in the Lord.


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I will whistle for them, gathering them together, because I have redeemed them, and they will multiply as they were before.


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I will scatter them among the nations, and so they will remember me in distant countries. They will rear their children, and they will return.


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I will bring them once again out of the land of Egypt, gathering them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, but there will not be enough space for them.


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They will pass through the sea of affliction, and they will strike the waves in that sea. All of the depths of the Nile will evaporate, Assyria's arrogance will be brought down low, and the ruling power of Egypt will disappear.


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"I will strengthen them in the LORD, and they will march here and there in his name," declares the LORD.


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Wail, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen while the stately trees are destroyed. Wail, oak trees of Bashan, for the old growth forest has been cut down.


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Hear the wailing of the shepherds, for the magnificence of the forest is ruined! Hear the roar of the lions, for the Jordan's arrogance is ruined!


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Their buyers slaughter them without being punished, continuing to sell them as they say, 'Bless the LORD!' and 'I'm rich!' Meanwhile, their shepherds show them no compassion.


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Therefore I will no longer show compassion upon those who live in the land," declares the LORD. Look, I will deliver every single person into the control of his neighbor and into the control of the king. Even though they assault the land, I will not deliver it from their control."


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So I became shepherd of the flock marked for slaughter, paying attention to the oppressed of the flock. I took two staffs-naming one "Pleasant" and the other one "Union"-and then I pastured the flock.


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So I said, "I will no longer be your shepherd. Let those who are about to die perish, and let what is about to be destroyed be destroyed. As for the survivors, let them devour each other."


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Then I took the staff that I had named "Pleasant" and broke it, showing I was breaking my covenant that I had made with all of the people.


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It was broken at that time so the oppressed of the flock who were observing me would know that it had been a message from the LORD.


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I told them, "If it's alright with you, pay me what I've earned. But if it isn't, don't." So they paid out what I had earned-30 shekels of silver.


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Then the LORD told me, "Throw the money into the treasury-that magnificent value they placed on me!" So I took the 30 shekels of silver and threw them into the treasury of the Temple of the LORD.


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Then I broke my second staff-the one I had named "Union"-breaking the union between the house of Judah and the house of Israel.


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for I am now raising up a shepherd in the land who will neither search for the lost, nor care for the young, nor fix the broken, nor sustain the healthy. Instead, he will devour the meat of the best of the sheep, tearing off their hoofs."


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"Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye. May his arm wither and his right eye be completely blind."


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A declaration: a message from the LORD to Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who frames the spirit of man within himself, declares,


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" Look, I am making Jerusalem an unstable cup toward all of its surrounding armies when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.


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It will come about at that time that I will make Jerusalem a heavy weight; so everyone who burdens themselves with it will be crushed, even though all of the nations of the earth gather themselves against it.


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At that time," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with panic and every rider with insanity. I will keep my eyes on the house of Judah, but I will blind every horse of the invading armies.


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"The leaders of Judah will say to themselves, 'Those who live in Jerusalem are my strength through the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, their God.


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At that time, I will make the leaders of Judah like a brazier filled with blazing wood, or like a torch setting fire to harvested grain. They will devour all the invading armies, both on the right hand and on the left. As a result, Jerusalem will again be inhabited in its rightful place-as the real Jerusalem.


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"The LORD will deliver the tents of Judah first, so that neither the glory of the house of David nor the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem overshadows Judah.


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At that time, the LORD will defend those who live in Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them at that time will be like David. The entire house of David will be like God-indeed, like the angel of the LORD in their midst!


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I will pour out on the house of David and on the residents of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and of supplications, and they will look to me-the one whom they pierced."


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At that time, Jerusalem will mourn deeply, like the mourning about Hadad-rimmon that took place in the plain of Megiddo.


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And so the land will mourn, families by families alone by themselves-the family of the house of David by itself with their wives by themselves, the family of the house of Nathan by itself with their wives by themselves,


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the family of the house of Levi by itself with their wives by themselves, the family of Shimei by itself with their wives by themselves-


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At that time, a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for those who live in Jerusalem so they can be cleansed from sin and ceremonial impurity.


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"At that time," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "I will eliminate the names of the idols from the land, and they will not be remembered anymore. I will also force both prophet and demon to leave the land.


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"It will also come about that if any man would dare to prophesy, then his father and his mother who bore him will respond to him, 'You will not live, because you are speaking lies in the name of the LORD.' Then his father and mother who bore him will stab him for prophesying.


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"Furthermore, it will come about at that time that every prophet will become ashamed of his vision as he prophesies. They will wear no rough garments intended to deceive others."


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"He will say, 'I am no mere prophet. A servant of mankind am I, because a man dedicated to this have I been from my youth.'


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"Someone will say to him, 'What are these injuries to your hands?' "He will reply, 'They're what I received at my friend's house.'


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"Arise, sword, against my shepherd, against the mighty one who is related to me," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "Strike the shepherd, the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the insignificant ones.


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It will come about in all of the land," declares the LORD, "that two thirds of the people living there will die, but a third will survive who live there.


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And I will bring that surviving third through, testing them as if through fire, purifying them like silver, assaying them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is my people,' and they will say, "The LORD is my God.'"


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I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem, to lay siege against it. The city will be captured, the houses will be ransacked, the women raped, and half of the city will go into exile, but the remaining people will not be cut off from the city.


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His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a very large valley, with half of the mountain moving toward the north and half toward the south.


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"You will run away through my mountain valley, because the valley of the mountains will extend as far as Azal. You will flee, as you fled from the earthquake during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah. And so the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones will be accompanying you."


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It will be a unique day, known only to the LORD-neither daytime nor nighttime-and it will come about at twilight there will be light!


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At that time, flowing waters will run perennially from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half to the Mediterranean Sea.


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The LORD will be king over all the earth at that time. There will be one LORD, and his name the only one.


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The entire land will become like the Arabah plain from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem. It will be raised up and inhabited where it is, from the Gate of Benjamin to the First Gate, then to the Corner Gate, to the Hananel Tower, and to the king's winepresses.


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"This will be the plague with which the LORD inflicts all of the people who have attacked Jerusalem: he will cause their flesh to rot away, even while they're standing on their feet. He will cause their eyes to rot away in their sockets, and their tongues to rot away in their mouths.


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At that time, they will be stricken with a terrible panic from the LORD. Everyone will attack each other.


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Judah, too, will fight at Jerusalem. Then the wealth of the surrounding nations will be gathered up: gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance.


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


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"It will come about that all of the survivors of the nations who came against Jerusalem will come there from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, and to observe the Feast of Tents.


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If anyone from the families of the earth will not come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, there will be no rain for them.


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"If the people of Egypt do not come to Jerusalem to take part, they will have no annual Nile overflow. A plague will come from the LORD to strike the nations who do not come to observe the Feast of Tents.


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This will be the punishment for Egypt and all nations who do not come to observe the Feast of Tents."


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"At that time, there will be written on the bells of the horses: HOLINESS TO THE LORD and the pots in the Temple of the LORD will be like the bowls in front of the altar-


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every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be consecrated to the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. Everyone who offers sacrifices will come, will take them, and will cook in them. Furthermore, at that time, there will no longer be a Canaanite in the Temple of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies."


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


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Even though Edom may claim, 'We were crushed, but we will return and rebuild the ruins,' this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "They may rebuild, but I'll demolish. People will call them 'The Wicked Land,' and 'The People With Whom the LORD is Forever Angry.'


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Your own eyes will see this, and you will say 'Great is the LORD even beyond the borders of Israel!'"


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"A son honors his father and a servant his master. So if I'm a father, where is my honor? And if I'm a master, where is my respect?" says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies to you priests who are despising my name. "But you ask, 'How have we despised your name?'


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By presenting defiled food on my altar. And you ask 'How have we defiled you?' By saying 'The Table of the LORD is contemptible.'


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When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Offer that to your governor-would he be pleased with you or receive you favorably?" asks the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"And now, go ahead and implore God by saying, 'Be gracious to us.' Will he receive you favorably and accept offerings like that from your hand?" asks the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"Oh, that one of you would shut the Temple doors and not light useless fires on the altar! I'm not pleased with you," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and I'll accept no offerings from you.


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Even so, from where the sun rises to where it sets my name will be great among the Gentiles. Incense will be brought to me everywhere, along with pure offerings, because my name will be great among the Gentiles," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"But you are profaning my name by saying that the Table of the LORD is defiled and that its fruit and its food are contemptible.


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"And you say 'What a burden!' and sniff contemptuously at it," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "when you present maimed, crippled, and diseased animals, and when you bring the offering. Should I accept this from your hand?" asks the LORD.


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"Cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock, and vows to give it, but sacrifices a mutilated one to the LORD. Indeed, I am a great king," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and my name is feared among the Gentiles."


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"If you don't listen, and if you don't choose to give honor to my name," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "then I'll curse both you and your blessings. I've even cursed them already, because none of you are taking it to heart.


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Look! I'm rebuking your descendants because of you, and I'll spread waste on your faces, the waste of your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.


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"You will know that I sent this commandment to you in order to continue my covenant with Levi," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"My covenant with him was for life and peace, and I gave the commandments to him so he would fear me. He did fear me as he stood in my presence.


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True teachings were in his mouth, and falsehood was not found on his lips. He walked with me peacefully and righteously, and he turned many from sin.


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For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he's the messenger of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"But you priests turned aside from the way, and by your teaching you caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"So I also made you despised, humiliating you before all of the people, because you aren't following my ways and are showing partiality when you teach."


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Do we not have one father? Has not one God created us? Why does each of us act deceitfully, each man against his own brother, to profane the covenant of our ancestors?


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Judah has become unfaithful, and a detestable thing was committed in Israel and Jerusalem. Indeed, Judah profaned the Holy Place of the LORD, which he loves, and married a daughter of a foreign god.


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May the LORD exclude from the community of Jacob any man who does this, whoever he may be, even though he brings offerings to the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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" This is another thing you do: you flood the altar of the LORD with tears, weeping and wailing because he no longer pays attention to your offering nor takes pleasure in it from your hand.


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Yet you ask, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD acts as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you were unfaithful to her, your partner, the wife of your covenant.


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Did he not make them one? And the vestige of the spirit remains in him. And why did he make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don't be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.


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"Indeed, the LORD God of Israel says that he hates divorce, along with the one who conceals his violence by outward appearances," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "So guard yourselves carefully, and don't be unfaithful."


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


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"Watch out! I'm sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the LORD you are looking for will come to his Temple. He is the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Watch out! He is coming!" says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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But who will survive the day when he comes? Or who can stand when he appears? For he's like a refiner's fire and a launderer's soap.


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He will sit refining and purifying silver, purifying the descendants of Levi, refining them like gold and silver. Then they'll bring a righteous offering to the LORD.


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Then the offering to the LORD by Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable as it was in the past, even as in former years.


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"I'll come near to you for judgment. I'll be a witness, quick to speak against sorcerers, against adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who defraud the laborer of his wage, against those who defraud the widow and the orphan, against those who deprive the alien of justice, and against those who don't fear me," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"Even since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and haven't kept them. Return to me and I'll return to you," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "But you ask, 'How will we return?'


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Will a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you ask, 'How are we robbing you?' By the tithe and the offering.


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"Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. So, put me to the test in this right now," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and see if I won't throw open the windows of heaven for you and pour out on you blessing without measure.


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And I'll prevent the devourer from harming you, so that he does not destroy the crops of your land. Nor will the vines in your fields drop their fruit," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"You have spoken arrogant words against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, 'What did we say against you?'


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You said, 'It is futile to serve God,' and 'What did we get out of it when we carried out his requirements and went about like mourners in the presence of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies?'


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and 'Now we call the arrogant one blessed. Those who do evil prosper and those who challenge God escape the consequences.'"


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Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other. The LORD listened and took note, and a scroll of remembrance was written in his presence about those who fear the LORD and honor His name.


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"They'll be mine," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "in the day when I prepare my treasured possession. I'll spare them, just as a man spares his own son who serves him.


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When you return, you will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not."


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"Truly, the coming day is burning like a furnace. All the arrogant and all who practice evil will be stubble. The coming day will set them on fire," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.


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But the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in its light for those who fear my name. You will go out and leap like calves released from their stalls


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and trample down the wicked. Indeed, they will become ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I do this," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.


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"Remember the Law of Moses my servant that I gave him at Horeb for all Israel-both the decrees and laws.


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Pay attention! I'm sending Elijah the prophet to you before the great and dreadful Day of the LORD comes,


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and he will turn the hearts of fathers to children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I'll come, strike the land, and utterly destroy it."


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So all the generations from Abraham to David totaled fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon totaled fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah there were fourteen generations.


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Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah happened in this way. When his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they lived together she was discovered to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.


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Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to disgrace her, decided to divorce her secretly.


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After he had thought about it, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," he said, "don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.


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She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he is the one who will save his people from their sins."


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"See, a virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel," which means, "God with us."


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When Joseph got up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary as his wife.


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He did not have marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.


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After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem


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and asked, "Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."


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He called together all the high priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah was to be born.


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'O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"


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Then Herod secretly called together the wise men, found out from them the time the star had appeared,


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and sent them to Bethlehem. He told them, "As you go, search carefully for the child. When you find him, tell me so that I, too, may go and worship him."


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After listening to the king, they set out, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.


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After they went into the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, they fell down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure sacks and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.


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Having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they left for their own country by a different road.


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


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He stayed there until Herod's death in order to fulfill what was declared by the Lord through the prophet when he said, "Out of Egypt I called my Son."


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Herod flew into a rage when he learned that he had been tricked by the wise men, so he ordered the execution of all the male children in Bethlehem and all its neighboring regions, who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had determined from the wise men.


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"A voice was heard in Ramah: wailing and great mourning. Rachel was crying for her children. She refused to be comforted, because they no longer existed."


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"Get up," he said. "Take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead."


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But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After having been warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee


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and came and settled in a town called Nazareth in order to fulfill what was said by the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."


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He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said, "He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!'"


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John had clothing made of camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.


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Then the people of Jerusalem, all Judea, and the entire region along the Jordan began flocking to him,


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But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?


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Don't think you can say to yourselves, 'We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!


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The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn't producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.


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I am baptizing you with water as a token of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.


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His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire."


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But Jesus answered him, "Let it be this way for now, because this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness."At this, he permitted him to be baptized.


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When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.


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Then the tempter came. "Since you are the Son of God," he said, "tell these stones to become loaves of bread."


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But he answered, "It is written, 'One must not live on bread alone, but on every word coming out of the mouth of God.'"


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He told Jesus, "Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written, 'God will put his angels in charge of you,' and 'With their hands they will hold you up, so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.'"


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Once more the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, along with their splendor.


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Then Jesus told him, "Go away, Satan! Because it is written, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"


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He left Nazareth and went and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,


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"O Land of Zebulun and Land of Naphtali, on the road to the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles!


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The people living in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land and shadow of death, a light has risen."


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While Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers-Simon (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen.


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


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Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people.


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His fame spread throughout Syria, and people brought to him everyone who was sick-those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed-and he healed them.


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Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan followed him.


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When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the hill. After taking his seat, his disciples came to him,


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"How blessed are those who are destitute in spirit, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!


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"How blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because it is they who will be satisfied!


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"How blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!


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"How blessed are you whenever people insult you, persecute you, and say all sorts of evil things against you falsely because of me!


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Rejoice and be extremely glad, because your reward in heaven is great! That's how they persecuted the prophets who came before you."


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"You are the salt of the world. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty again? It's good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled on by people.


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People don't light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.


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In the same way, let your light shine before people in such a way that they will see your good actions and glorify your Father in heaven."


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"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn't come to destroy them, but to fulfill them,


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because I tell you with certainty that until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter or one stroke of a letter will disappear from the Law until everything has been accomplished.


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So whoever sets aside one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom from heaven. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom from heaven


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because I tell you, unless your righteousness greatly exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom from heaven!"


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"You have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, 'You must not murder,' and 'Whoever murders will be subject to punishment.'


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But I say to you, anyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be subject to punishment. And whoever says to his brother 'Raka!' will be subject to the Council. And whoever says 'You fool!' will be subject to hell fire.


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"So if you are presenting your gift at the altar and remember there that your brother has something against you,


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leave your gift there before the altar and first go and be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift.


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Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court, or your opponent may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.


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But I say to you, anyone who stares at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.


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So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than to have your whole body thrown into hell.


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And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than to have your whole body go into hell."


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But I say to you, any man who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."


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"Again, you have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, 'You must not swear an oath falsely,' but 'You must fulfill your oaths to the Lord.'


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nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King.


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Instead, let your message be 'Yes' for 'Yes' and 'No' for 'No.' Anything more than that comes from the evil one."


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But I tell you not to resist an evildoer. On the contrary, whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.


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Give to the person who asks you for something, and do not turn away from the person who wants to borrow something from you."


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so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on both evil and good people, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.


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If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they?


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And if you greet only your relatives, that's no great thing you're doing, is it? Even the gentiles do the same, don't they?


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"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people in order to be noticed by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.


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So whenever you give to the poor, don't blow a trumpet before you like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they will be praised by people. I tell you with certainty, they have their full reward!


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"And whenever you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. I tell you with certainty, they have their full reward!


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But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees from the hidden place will reward you.


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"When you are praying, don't say meaningless things like the gentiles do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy.


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"Whenever you fast, don't be gloomy like the hypocrites, because they put on sad faces to show others they are fasting. I tell you with certainty, they have their full reward!


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so that your fasting will not be noticed by others but by your Father who is in the hidden place. And your Father who watches from the hidden place will reward you."


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"Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.


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But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal,


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But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light within you has turned into darkness, how great is that darkness!"


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"No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!"


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"That's why I'm telling you to stop worrying about your life-what you will eat or what you will drink-or about your body-what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn't it, and the body more than clothing?


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Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren't you?


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And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don't work or spin yarn,


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Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won't he clothe you much better-you who have little faith?


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"So don't ever worry by saying, 'What are we going to eat?' or 'What are we going to drink?' or 'What are we going to wear?'


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because it is the gentiles who are eager for all those things. Surely your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them!


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But first be concerned about God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well.


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So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."


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because the way that you judge others will be the way that you will be judged, and you will be evaluated by the standard with which you evaluate others.


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Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when the beam is in your own eye?


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You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye."


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"Never give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them with their feet and then turn around and attack you."


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"Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you.


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Because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened.


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So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who keep on asking him!


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Therefore, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, because this summarizes the Law and the Prophets."


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"Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it.


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How narrow is the gate and how constricted is the road that leads to life, and there aren't many people who find it!"


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You will know them by their fruit. Grapes aren't gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles, are they?


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"Not everyone who keeps saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will get into the kingdom from heaven, but only the person who keeps doing the will of my Father in heaven.


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Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name, drove out demons in your name, and performed many miracles in your name, didn't we?'


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"Therefore, everyone who listens to these messages of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.


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The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation was on the rock.


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"Everyone who keeps on hearing these messages of mine and never puts them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.


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The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and battered that house, and it collapsed, and its collapse was total."


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Suddenly a leper came up to him, fell down before him, and said, "Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean."


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So Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do want to. Be clean!" And instantly his leprosy was made clean.


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Then Jesus told him, "See to it that you don't speak to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded as proof to the authorities."


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


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because I, too, am a man under authority and I have soldiers under me. I say to one of them 'Go' and he goes, to another 'Come' and he comes, and to my servant 'Do this' and he does it."


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When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and told those who were following him, "I tell you with certainty, not even in Israel have I found this kind of faith!


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I tell you, many will come from east and west and will feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom from heaven.


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But the unfaithful heirs of that kingdom will be thrown into the darkness outside. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."


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"Go," Jesus told the centurion, "and it will be done for you, just as you have believed." And his servant was healed that very hour.


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When evening came, people brought to him many who were possessed by demons. He drove out the spirits by speaking a command and healed everyone who was sick.


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This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "It was he who took our illnesses away and removed our diseases."


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When Jesus saw the large crowds around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.


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Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat began to be swamped by the waves. Yet Jesus kept sleeping.


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He asked them, "Why are you afraid, you who have little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.


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When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gerasenes, two demon-possessed men met him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could travel on that road.


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Suddenly they screamed, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before the proper time?"


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So the demons began to plead with Jesus, saying, "If you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs."


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He told them, "Go," and they came out and went into the pigs. Suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the cliff into the sea and drowned in the water.


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Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs ran away, they came into the city and reported everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.


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Then the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and as soon as they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.


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All at once some people brought him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he told the paralyzed man, "Be courageous, son! Your sins are forgiven."


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But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking, replied, "Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts?


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But so you will know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." he told the paralyzed man, "Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!"


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When the crowds saw this, they became frightened and glorified God for giving such authority to humans.


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


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While he was having dinner at Matthew's home, many tax collectors and sinners arrived and began eating with Jesus and his disciples.


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


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Go and learn what this means: 'I want mercy and not sacrifice,' because I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners."


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Then John's disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"


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Jesus asked them, "The wedding guests can't mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."


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"No one patches an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.


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Nor do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."


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While Jesus was telling them these things, an official came up and fell down before him. "My daughter has just died," he said. "But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."


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Just then a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel of his garment,


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When Jesus turned and saw her, he said, "Be courageous, daughter! Your faith has made you well." And from that very hour the woman was well.


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he said, "Go away! The young lady hasn't died but is sleeping." But they ridiculed him with laughter.


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When the crowd had been driven outside, he went in, took her by the hand, and the young lady got up.


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As Jesus was traveling on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"


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When he had gone into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus asked them, "Do you believe I can do this?"They told him, "Yes, Lord!"


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As the men were going out, a man who couldn't talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him.


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As soon as the demon had been driven out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!"


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Then Jesus began traveling throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness.


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When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.


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Then Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and every illness.


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


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Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;


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These were the Twelve whom Jesus sent out after he had given them these instructions: "Don't turn on to the road that leads to the gentiles, and don't enter Samaritan towns.


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Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. You have received without payment, so give without payment.


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or a traveling bag for the trip, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or a walking stick, because a worker deserves his food.


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"Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is receptive in it and stay there until you leave.


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If the household is receptive, let your blessing of peace come on it. But if it isn't receptive, let your blessing of peace return to you.


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If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet.


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I tell you with certainty, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!"


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"See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves.


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You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, to testify to them and to the gentiles.


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When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, because in that hour what you are to say will be given to you.


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"Brother will hand brother over for execution, and a father his child. Children will rebel against parents and have them put to death.


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You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.


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So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, because I tell you with certainty that you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.


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It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they do the same to those of his household!"


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"So never be afraid of them, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be made known.


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What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whispered in your ear you must shout from the housetops.


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Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.


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"Two sparrows are sold for a penny, aren't they? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's permission.


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"Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.


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I came to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.


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"The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn't worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me.


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The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it."


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The one who receives a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.


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I tell you with certainty, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple will never lose his reward."


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When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he left there to teach and preach in their home towns.


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Now when John in prison heard about the activities of the Messiah, he sent a message by his disciples


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the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news.


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As they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?


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Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? See, those who wear fancy clothes live in kings' houses.


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This is the man about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'


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I tell you with certainty, among those born of women no one has appeared who is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least important person in the kingdom from heaven is greater than he.


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"From the days of John the Baptist until the present, the kingdom from heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people have been attacking it,


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"To what can I compare the people living today? They're like little children who sit in the marketplaces and shout to each other,


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'A wedding song we played for you, the dance you simply scorned. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you would not mourn.'


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The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Absolved from every act of sin, is wisdom by her kith and kin."


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Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had taken place, because they didn't repent.


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"How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.


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"And you, Capernaum! You won't be lifted up to heaven, will you? You'll go down to Hell! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.


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Indeed I tell you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!"


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At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from wise and intelligent people and have revealed them to infants.


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All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and the person to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.


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Place my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your souls,


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At that time Jesus walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat.


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When the Pharisees saw this, they told him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"


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How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reserved for the priests?


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Or haven't you read in the Law that on every Sabbath the priests in the Temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?


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If you had known what 'I want mercy and not sacrifice' means, you would not have condemned the innocent,


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Suddenly a man with a paralyzed hand appeared. The people asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on Sabbath days, intending to accuse him of doing something wrong.


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But he asked them, "Is there a man among you who, if he had one sheep and it fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't take hold of it and pull it out?


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Then he told the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out and it became normal, as healthy as his other hand.


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When Jesus became aware of this, he left that place. Many crowds followed him, and he healed all of them,


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"Here is my Servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and with whom I am pleased! I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the gentiles.


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He will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick until he has brought justice through to victory.


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Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that the man could speak and see.


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But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."


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He knew what they were thinking and told them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.


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If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers drive them out? That is why they will be your judges!


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How can someone go into a strong man's house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man? Then he can ransack his house.


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"The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who isn't gathering with me is scattering.


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So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.


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Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come."


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"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, because a tree is known by its fruit.


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You children of serpents! How can you say anything good when you are evil? The mouth speaks about what overflows from the heart.


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A good person brings good things out of a good treasure house, and an evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure house.


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I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give an account for every thoughtless word they have uttered,


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But he replied to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah,


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because just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.


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The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look-something greater than Jonah is here!


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The queen of the south will stand up and condemn the people living today, because she came from so far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look! Something greater than Solomon is here!"


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"Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless places looking for a place to rest but finds none.


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Then it says, 'I will go back to my home that I left.' When it arrives, it finds it empty, swept clean, and put in order.


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Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and settle there. And so the final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That's just what will happen to this evil generation!"


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While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.


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Someone told him, "Look! Your mother and your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to you."


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Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the entire crowd stood on the shore.


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Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn't deep.


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But other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop, some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.


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He answered them, "You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom from heaven, but it hasn't been given to them,


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because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn't have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.


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That's why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but don't see, and they listen but don't hear or understand.'


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"With them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says: 'You will listen and listen but never understand. You will look and look but never comprehend,


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for this people's heart has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that they might not see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'


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I tell you with certainty, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but did not see them, and to hear the things you hear but did not hear them."


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When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.


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As for what was sown on the stony ground, this is the person who hears the word and accepts it joyfully at once,


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but since he doesn't have any root in himself, he lasts for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls away.


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As for what was sown among the thorn bushes, this is the person who hears the word, but the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of wealth choke the word so that it can't produce a crop.


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But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word, understands it, and produces a crop that yields 100, 60, or 30 times what was sown."


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He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom from heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.


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The owner's servants came and asked him, 'Master, you sowed good seed in your field, didn't you? Then where did these weeds come from?'


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He told them, 'An enemy did this!' The servants asked him, 'Then do you want us to go and pull them out?'


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Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn."'"


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He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom from heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.


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Although it is the smallest of all seeds, when it is fully grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches."


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He told them another parable: "The kingdom from heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."


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Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.


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This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet when he said, "I will open my mouth to speak in parables. I will declare what has been hidden since the creation of the world."


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Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, "Explain to us the parable about the weeds in the field."


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while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to the evil one.


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The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.


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The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness


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and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.


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Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!"


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"The kingdom from heaven is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found and hid. In his excitement he went and sold everything he had and bought that field."


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"Again, the kingdom from heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea that gathered all kinds of fish.


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When it was full, the fishermen hauled it ashore. Then they sat down, sorted the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away.


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That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, cull out the evil people from among the righteous ones,


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and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."


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Then he told them, "That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest."


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He went to his hometown and began teaching the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were amazed and asked, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles?


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This is the builder's son, isn't it? His mother is named Mary, isn't she? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, aren't they?


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And they were offended by him. But Jesus told them, "A prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home."


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told his servants, "This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and that's why these miracles are being done by him."


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Herod had arrested John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.


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Although Herod wanted to kill him, he was afraid of the crowd, since they regarded John as a prophet.


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But when Herod's birthday celebration was held, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests. She pleased Herod


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When Jesus heard this, he left that place and went by boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of it and followed him on foot from the neighboring towns.


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When he got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them and healed their sick.


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When evening had come, the disciples went to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and it's already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves."


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Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. Then he broke the loaves in pieces and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.


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All of them ate and were filled. Then the disciples picked up what was left of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.


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Jesus immediately had the disciples get into a boat and cross to the other side ahead of him, while he sent the crowds away.


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After dismissing the crowds, he went up on a hillside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.


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By this time the boat was in the middle of the sea and was being battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.


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When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and cried out, "It's a ghost!" And they screamed in terror.


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Jesus said, "Come on!" So Peter got down out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came to Jesus.


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But when he noticed the strong wind, he was frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, "Lord, save me!"


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At once Jesus reached out his hand, caught him, and asked him, "You who have so little faith, why did you doubt?"


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When the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word throughout that region and brought him everyone who was sick.


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They kept begging him to let them touch just the tassel of his garment, and everyone who touched it was completely healed.


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"Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands when they eat."


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Because God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.'


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But you say 'Whoever tells his father or his mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God,"


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does not have to honor his father.' Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God's word.


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It is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean. It is what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean."


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Then the disciples came and asked him, "Do you realize that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"


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Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If one blind person leads another blind person, both will fall into a ditch."


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Don't you know that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and then is expelled as waste?


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But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and it is those things that make a person unclean.


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It is out of the heart that evil thoughts come, as well as murder, adultery, sexual immorality, stealing, false testimony, and slander.


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These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating with unwashed hands doesn't make a person unclean."


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Suddenly a Canaanite woman from that territory came near and began to shout, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!"


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But he didn't answer her at all. Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, "Send her away, because she keeps on screaming as she follows us."


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Then Jesus answered her, "Lady, your faith is great! What you want is granted." That very hour her daughter was healed.


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Large crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to talk, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he healed them.


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As a result, the crowd was amazed to see those who were unable to talk speaking, the crippled healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.


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Then Jesus called his disciples and said, "I have compassion for the crowd because they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away without food, or they may faint on the road."


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he took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks. Then he broke them in pieces and kept giving them to his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.


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All of them ate until they were filled, then the disciples picked up what was left of the broken pieces-seven baskets full.


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When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, in order to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.


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Red sky in the morning, cloudy and storming.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, yet you can't interpret the signs of the times?


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An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away.


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As they began to discuss this among themselves, they kept saying, "We didn't bring along any bread."


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Knowing this, Jesus asked them, "You who have little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you don't have any bread?


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Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected,


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How can you fail to understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"


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Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.


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When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"


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They said, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."


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Then Jesus told him, "How blessed you are, Simon son of Jonah, since flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, though my Father in heaven has.


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I tell you that you are Peter, and it is on this rock that I will build my congregation, and the powers of hell will not conquer it.


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I will give you the keys to the kingdom from heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted in heaven."


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From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer a great deal because of the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised.


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Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God be merciful to you, Lord! This must never happen to you!"


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But Jesus turned and told Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, because you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts!"


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Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continually.


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because what profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?


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The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to what he has done.


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I tell you with certainty, some people standing here will not experience death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."


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Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves.


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His appearance was changed in front of them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.


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Then Peter told Jesus, "Lord, it's good that we're here! If you want, I'll set up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."


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He was still speaking when a bright cloud suddenly overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him. Keep on listening to him!"


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On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."


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But I tell you that Elijah has already come, yet people did not recognize him and treated him just as they pleased. In the same way, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."


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and said, "Sir, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. Often he falls into fire and often into water.


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Jesus replied, "You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!"


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He told them, "Because of your lack of faith. I tell you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.


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While they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.


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When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came up to Peter and asked, "Your teacher pays the temple tax, doesn't he?"


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He answered, "Yes."When Peter went home, Jesus spoke to him first and asked him, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings on the earth collect tolls or tributes? From their own subjects, or from foreigners?"


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However, so that we don't offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, open its mouth, and you will find a coin. Take it and give it to them for me and you."


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At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom from heaven?"


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Then he said, "I tell you with certainty, unless you change and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom from heaven.


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"If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned at the bottom of the sea.


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How terrible it will be for the world due to its temptations to sin! Temptations to sin are bound to happen, but how terrible it will be for that person who causes someone to sin!


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"So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.


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And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell fire.


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"See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you, their angels in heaven always have access to my Father in heaven.


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"What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, he leaves the ninety-nine in the hills and goes to look for the one that has strayed, doesn't he?


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If he finds it, I tell you with certainty that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that haven't strayed.


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In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost."


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"If your brother sins against you, go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.


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But if he doesn't listen, take one or two others with you so that 'every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'


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If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation. If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as a gentile and a tax collector.


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"I tell you with certainty, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted in heaven.


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Furthermore, I tell you with certainty that if two of you agree on earth about anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven,


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Then Peter came up and asked him, "Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? Seven times?"


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"That is why the kingdom from heaven may be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.


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Because he couldn't pay, his master ordered him, his wife, his children, and everything that he owned to be sold so that payment could be made.


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Then the servant fell down and bowed low before him, saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything!'


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"But when that servant went away, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, seized him by the throat, and said, 'Pay what you owe!'


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"When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very disturbed and went and reported to their master everything that had occurred.


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Then his master sent for him and told him, 'You evil servant! I canceled that entire debt for you because you begged me.


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This is how my heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive your brother from your hearts."


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When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan.


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Some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"


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He answered them, "Haven't you read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female'


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and said, 'That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?


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So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate."


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He told them, "It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not this way.


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I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."


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His disciples asked him, "If that is the relationship of a man with his wife, it's not worth getting married!"


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because some men are celibate from birth, while some are celibate because they have been made that way by others. Still others are celibate because they have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom from heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."


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Then some little children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.


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Jesus, however, said, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to people like these."


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Just then a man came up to Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what good deed should I do to have eternal life?"


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Jesus asked him, "Why ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to get into that life, you must keep the commandments."


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The young man asked him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You must not murder, you must not commit adultery, you must not steal, you must not give false testimony,


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Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me."


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Then Jesus told his disciples, "I tell you with certainty, it will be hard for a rich person to get into the kingdom from heaven.


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Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God."


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When the disciples heard this, they were completely astonished. "Who, then, can be saved?" they asked.


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Jesus looked at them intently and said, "For humans this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."


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Jesus told them, "I tell you with certainty, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the renewed creation, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, governing the twelve tribes of Israel.


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In fact, everyone who has left his homes, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.


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"The kingdom from heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.


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About five o'clock he went out and found some others standing around. He asked them, 'Why are you standing here all day long without work?'


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"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his manager, 'Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first.'


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'These last fellows worked only one hour, but you paid them the same as us, and we've been working all day, enduring the scorching heat!'


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"But he told one of them, 'Friend, I'm not treating you unfairly. You did agree with me for a denarius, didn't you?


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I am allowed to do what I want with my own money, am I not? Or are you envious because I'm generous?'


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"In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen."


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When Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and told them as they were walking along,


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"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.


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Then they will hand him over to the gentiles to be mocked, whipped, and crucified, but on the third day he will be raised."


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Then Zebedee's wife came to Jesus with her sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor.


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He asked her, "What do you want?"She told him, "Promise that in your kingdom these two sons of mine will sit on your right and on your left."


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Jesus replied, "You don't realize what you're asking. Can you drink from the cup that I'm going to drink from?"They told him, "We can."


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He told them, "You will indeed drink from my cup. But it's not up to me to grant you a seat at my right hand or at my left. These positions have already been prepared for others by my Father."


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But Jesus called the disciples and said, "You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them and their superiors act like tyrants over them.


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That's not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,


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That's the way it is with the Son of Man. He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people."


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When two blind men who were sitting by the roadside heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!"


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When the crowd told them harshly to be silent, they shouted even louder, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!"


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Then Jesus, deeply moved with compassion, touched their eyes, and at once they could see again. So they followed him.


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When they came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples on ahead and


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told them, "Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied up and a colt with it. Untie them, and bring them to me.


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If anyone says anything to you, tell him, 'The Lord needs them,' and that person will send them at once."


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"Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Look, your king is coming to you! He is humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt of a donkey.'"


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Many people in the crowd spread their own coats on the road, while others began cutting down branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.


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Both the crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed him kept shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"


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When he came into Jerusalem, the whole city was trembling with excitement. The people were asking, "Who is this?"


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Then Jesus went into the Temple, threw out everyone who was selling and buying in the Temple, and overturned the moneychangers' tables and the chairs of those who sold doves.


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He told them, "It is written, 'My house is to be called a house of prayer,' but you are turning it into a hideout for bandits!"


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But when the high priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he had done and the children shouting in the Temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became furious


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and asked him, "Do you hear what these people are saying?" Jesus told them, "Yes! Haven't you ever read, 'From the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have created praise'?"


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Seeing a fig tree by the roadside, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. He told it, "May fruit never come from you again!" And immediately the fig tree dried up.


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When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?" they asked.


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Jesus answered them, "I tell you with certainty, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you be able to do what has been done to the fig tree, but you will also say to this mountain, 'Be removed and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen.


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Then Jesus went into the Temple. While he was teaching, the high priests and the elders of the people came to him and asked, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"


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Jesus answered them, "I, too, will ask you one question. If you answer it for me, I will also tell you by what authority I am doing these things.


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Where did John's authority to baptize come from? From heaven or from humans?"They began discussing this among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'


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But if we say, 'From humans,' we are afraid of the crowd, because everyone regards John as a prophet."


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So they told Jesus, "We don't know." He in turn told them, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things."


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"But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'


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Then the father went to the other son and told him the same thing. He replied, 'I will, sir,' but he didn't go.


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Which of the two did the father's will?"They answered, "The first one." Jesus told them, "I tell you with certainty, tax collectors and prostitutes will get into God's kingdom ahead of you!


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John came to you living a righteous life, and you didn't believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. But even when you saw that, you didn't change your minds at last and believe him."


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"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad.


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Again, he sent other servants to them, a greater number than the first, but the tenant farmers treated them the same way.


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But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they told one another, 'This is the heir. Come on, let's kill him and get his inheritance!'


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They told him, "He will put those horrible men to a horrible death. Then he will lease the vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at harvest time."


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Jesus asked them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes.'?


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That is why I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit for it.


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The person who falls over this stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush anyone on whom it falls."


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When the high priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was talking about them.


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Although they wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.


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So he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Look, I've prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened calves have been slaughtered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!"'


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Then the king became outraged. He sent his troops, and they destroyed those murderers and burned their city.


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Those servants went out into the streets and brought in everyone they found, evil and good alike, and the wedding hall was packed with guests.


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"When the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.


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He asked him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' But the man was speechless.


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Then the king told his servants, 'Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into the darkness outside!' In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,


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They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere and that you teach the way of God truthfully. You don't favor any individual, because you pay no attention to external appearance.


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They told him, "Caesar's." So he told them, "Then give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."


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"Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for his brother.'


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Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his widow to his brother.


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The same thing happened with the second brother, and then the third, and finally with the rest of the brothers.


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because in the resurrection, people neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.


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'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."


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When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they met together in the same place.


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Jesus told him, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'


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So do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don't do what they say.


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They tie up burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on people's shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to remove them.


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"They do everything to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.


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"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' because you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers.


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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom from heaven in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you don't allow those who are trying to enter to go in.


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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation!


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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.


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"How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, 'Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.'


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Again you say, 'Whoever swears an oath by the altar is excused, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it must keep his oath.'


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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.


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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.


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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.


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In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.


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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.


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Then you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would have had no part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'


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Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.


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"That is why I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.


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As a result, you will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.


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"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!


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I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"


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As Jesus left the Temple and was walking away, his disciples came up to him to point out to him the Temple buildings.


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But he told them, "You see all these things, don't you? I tell you with certainty, there isn't a single stone here that will be left standing on top of another. They will all be torn down."


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While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will these things take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"


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You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn't come yet,


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because nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.


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"Then they will hand you over to suffer and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name.


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And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."


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"So when you see the destructive desecration, mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader take note),


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because at that time there will be great suffering, the kind that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly will never happen again.


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If those days had not been limited, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be limited.


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"At that time, if anyone says to you, 'Look! Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!', don't believe it,


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because false messiahs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.


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So if they say to you, 'Look! He's in the wilderness,' don't go out looking for him. And if they say, 'Look! He's in the storeroom,' don't believe it,


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because just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.


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"Immediately after the troubles of those days, 'The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.'


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Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all 'the tribes of the land will mourn' when they see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory.


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He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another."


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"Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is near.


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In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that the Son of Man is near, right at the door.


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"No one knows when that day or hour will come-not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,


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In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the ark.


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They were unaware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That's how it will be when the Son of Man comes.


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But be sure of this: if the owner of the house had known when during the night the thief would be coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.


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"Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the others their food at the right time?


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the master of that servant will come on a day when he doesn't expect him and at an hour that he doesn't know.


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Then his master will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."


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"At that time, the kingdom from heaven will be comparable to ten bridesmaids who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the groom.


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But the wise ones replied, 'No! There will never be enough for us and for you. You'd better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'


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"While they were away buying it, the groom arrived. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was closed.


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"Similarly, it is like a man going on a trip who called his servants and turned his money over to them.


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To one man he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, based on their ability. Then he went on his trip.


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But the one who received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and buried his master's money.


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The one who had received five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I've earned five more talents.'


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His master told him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy servant! Since you have been trustworthy with a small amount, I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master's joy!'


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"The one with two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I've earned two more talents.'


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"Then the one who had received one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you haven't planted and gathering where you haven't scattered any seed.


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"His master answered him, 'You evil and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvested where I haven't planted and gathered where I haven't scattered any seed?


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Then you should have invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest.'


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because to everyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the person who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away from him.


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Throw this useless servant into the darkness outside! In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"


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"When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.


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All the nations will be assembled in front of him, and he will cull them out, one from another, like a shepherd separates sheep from goats.


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"Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who have been blessed by my Father! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,


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because I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.


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I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'


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"Then the righteous will say to him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty and give you something to drink?


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The king will answer them, 'I tell you with certainty, since you did it for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.'


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"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Get away from me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!


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Here's why: I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink.


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I was a stranger, and you didn't welcome me. I was naked, and you didn't clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'


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"Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn't help you?'


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Then he will say to them, 'I tell you with certainty, since you didn't do it for one of the least important of these, you didn't do it for me.'


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"You know that the Passover will take place in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."


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Then the high priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.


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But they kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there'll be a riot among the people."


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a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on his head while he sat at the table.


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But knowing this, Jesus asked them, "Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.


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I tell you with certainty, wherever this gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her."


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and inquired, "What are you willing to give me if I betray Jesus to you?" They offered him 30 pieces of silver,


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On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover meal?"


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He said, "Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house."'"


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The Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him. How terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born."


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Then Judas, who was going to betray him, asked, "Rabbi, I'm not the one, am I?" Jesus told him, "You have said so."


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While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and handed it to the disciples, saying, "Take this and eat it. This is my body."


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because this is my blood of the new covenant that is being poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins.


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I tell you, I will never again drink the product of the vine until that day when I drink it with you once again in my Father's kingdom."


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Then Jesus told them, "All of you will turn against me this very night, because it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'


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Jesus told him, "I tell you with certainty, before a rooster crows this very night, you will deny me three times."


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Peter told him, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the disciples said the same thing.


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Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He told the disciples, "Sit down here while I go over there and pray."


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Then he told them, "I'm so deeply grieved that I feel I'm about to die. Wait here and stay awake with me."


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Going on a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, "O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not what I want but what you want."


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When he went back to the disciples, he found them asleep. He told Peter, "So, you men couldn't stay awake with me for one hour, could you?


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All of you must stay awake and pray that you won't be tempted. The spirit is indeed willing, but the body is weak."


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He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if this cup cannot go away unless I drink it, let your will be done."


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Then he came back to the disciples and told them, "You might as well keep on sleeping and resting. Look! The time is near for the Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners.


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Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A large crowd armed with swords and clubs was with him. They were from the high priests and elders of the people.


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Now the betrayer personally had given them a signal, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him."


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Jesus asked him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then the other men surged forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him.


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Suddenly, one of the men with Jesus reached out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.


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Jesus told him, "Put your sword back in its place! Everyone who uses a sword will be killed by a sword.


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Don't you think that I could call on my Father, and he would send me more than twelve legions of angels now?


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At this point, Jesus asked the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a bandit? Day after day I sat teaching in the Temple, yet you didn't arrest me.


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But all of this has happened so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled."Then all the disciples deserted Jesus and ran away.


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Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had assembled.


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Peter, however, followed him at a distance as far as the high priest's courtyard. He went inside and sat down with the servants to see how this would end.


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Meanwhile, the high priests and the whole Council were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order to have him put to death.


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But they couldn't find any, even though many false witnesses had come forward. At last two men came forward


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At this, the high priest stood up and asked Jesus, "Don't you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?"


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But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest told him, "I command you by the living God to tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God!"


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Jesus told him, "You have said so. Nevertheless I tell you, from now on you will see 'the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power' and 'coming on the clouds of heaven.'"


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Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Listen! You yourselves have just heard the blasphemy!


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Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard when a servant girl came up to him and said, "You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean."


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As he went out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, "This man was with Jesus from Nazareth."


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After a little while the people who were standing there came up and told Peter, "Obviously you're also one of them, because your accent gives you away."


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Then he began to curse violently. "I don't know the man!" he swore solemnly. Just then a rooster crowed.


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Peter remembered the words of Jesus when he said, "Before a rooster crows, you will deny me three times." Then he went outside and cried bitterly.


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When morning came, all the high priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put him to death.


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Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders,


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saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they replied, "What do we care? Attend to that yourself."


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Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and went outside. Then he went away and hanged himself.


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The high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put this into the Temple treasury, because it is blood money."


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Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said, "They took the 30 pieces of silver, the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelis,


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Meanwhile, Jesus was made to stand in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so."


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At every festival the governor had a custom of releasing to the crowd any prisoner whom they wanted.


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So when the people had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which man do you want me to release for you-Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"


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While he was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him."


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But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to demand that Jesus be put to death.


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So the governor asked them, "Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?" "Barabbas!" they replied.


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Pilate asked them, "Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!"


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He asked, "What has he done wrong?" But they kept shouting louder and louder, "Let him be crucified!"


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Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Attend to that yourselves."


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Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the imperial headquarters and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.


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Twisting some thorns into a victor's crown, they placed it on his head and put a stick in his right hand. They knelt down in front of him and began making fun of him, saying, "Long live the king of the Jews!"


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When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.


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As they were leaving, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry Jesus' cross.


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and saying, "You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days-save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!"


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In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes and elders, were also making fun of him. They kept saying,


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"He saved others but can't save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.


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He trusts in God. Let God rescue him, if he wants to do so now. After all, he said 'I am the Son of God.'"


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About three o'clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eli, eli, lema sabachthani?", which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"


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So one of the men ran off at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink.


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Suddenly the curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks were split open,


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After his resurrection, they came out of their tombs and went into the Holy City and appeared to many people.


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When the centurion and those guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things that were taking place, they were terrified and said, "This man certainly was the Son of God!"


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Now many women were also there, watching from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to him.


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Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.


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Later that evening, a rich man arrived from Arimathea. His name was Joseph, and he had become a disciple of Jesus.


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Then he placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. After rolling a large stone across the door of the tomb, he left,


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The following day (that is, after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate


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and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will be raised.'


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Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, or his disciples may go and steal him and then tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead.' Then the last deception would be worse than the first one."


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After the Sabbaths, around dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to take a look at the burial site.


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Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake, because an angel of the Lord had come down from heaven, approached the stone, rolled it away, and was sitting on top of it.


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Responding to the women, the angel said, "Stop being frightened! I know you're looking for Jesus, who was crucified.


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Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee, and you will see him there. Remember, I have told you!"


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Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" They went up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.


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Then Jesus told them, "Stop being frightened! Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there."


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While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened.


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So the soldiers took the money, did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.


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Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,


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teaching them to obey everything that I've commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age."


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As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See! I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way.


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He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!'"


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John was baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins.


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People from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, being baptized by him while they confessed their sins.


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Now John was dressed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.


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He kept proclaiming, "The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps.


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Just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.


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He was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted by Satan. He was among wild animals, and angels were ministering to him.


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Now after John had been arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and proclaimed the gospel about the kingdom of God.


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While Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen.


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Going on a little farther he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat repairing their nets.


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He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.


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Then they went to Capernaum. As soon as it was the Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.


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The people were utterly amazed at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one with authority and not like their scribes.


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"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!"


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All the people were so stunned that they kept saying to each other, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He tells even the unclean spirits what to do, and they obey him!"


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After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John.


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Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying in bed, sick with a fever, so they promptly told Jesus about her.


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He went up to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began serving them.


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When evening came, after the sun had set, people started bringing to him everyone who was sick or possessed by demons.


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He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. However, he wouldn't allow the demons to speak because they knew who he was.


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In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went to a deserted place and prayed there.


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"Let's go to the neighboring town," he replied, "so I can preach there, too, because that's why I came."


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Then a leper came to Jesus and began pleading with him. He fell on his knees and told him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."


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Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and told him, "I do want to. Be made clean!"


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saying to him, "Be sure that you don't tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as proof to the authorities."


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But when the man left, he began to proclaim it freely. He spread the news so widely that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but had to stay out in deserted places. Still, people kept coming to him from everywhere.


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Such a large crowd gathered that there wasn't room for them, even in front of the door. Jesus was speaking his message to them


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Since they couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where he was. They dug through it and let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.


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At once, Jesus knew in his spirit what they were saying to themselves. "Why are you arguing about such things among yourselves?" he asked them.


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"Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'?


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But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.Then he told the paralyzed man,


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So the man got up, immediately picked up his mat, and went out in front of all of them. As a result, all of the people were amazed and began to glorify God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"


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As he was walking along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax collector's desk. Jesus told him, "Follow me!" So Levi got up and followed him.


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Later he was having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and sinners were also eating with Jesus and his disciples, because there were many who were following him.


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When the scribes and the Pharisees saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"


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When Jesus heard that, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick ones do. I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners."


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Now John's disciples and the Pharisees would fast regularly. Some people came and asked Jesus, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast, but your disciples don't fast?"


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Jesus replied, "The wedding guests can't fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they can't fast.


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But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day."


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"No one patches an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth. If he does, the patch pulls away from it-the new from the old-and a worse tear is made.


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And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will make the skins burst, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins."


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Jesus happened to be going through the grain fields on a Sabbath. As they made their way, his disciples began picking the heads of grain.


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How was it that he went into the House of God during the lifetime of Abiathar the high priest and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and gave some of it to his companions?"


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The people watched Jesus closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, intending to accuse him of doing something wrong.


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Then he asked them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on Sabbath days, to save a life or to destroy it?" But they remained silent.


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Jesus looked around at them in anger, deeply hurt because of their hard hearts. Then he told the man, "Hold out your hand." The man held it out, and his hand was restored to health.


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Jerusalem, Idumea, from across the Jordan, and from the region around Tyre and Sidon followed him. They came to him because they kept hearing about everything he was doing.


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because he had healed so many people that everyone who had diseases kept crowding up against him in order to touch him.


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Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down in front of him and scream, "You are the Son of God!"


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Then Jesus went up on a hillside and called to himself those whom he had decided on, and they approached him.


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Then he went home. Such a large crowd gathered again that Jesus and his disciples couldn't even eat.


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When his family heard about it, they went to restrain him, because they kept saying, "He's out of his mind!"


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The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem kept repeating, "He has Beelzebul," and "He drives out demons by the ruler of demons."


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So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables. "How can Satan drive out Satan?


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No one can go into a strong man's house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man. Then he can ransack his house.


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But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven, but is guilty of eternal sin."


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Then his mother and his brothers arrived. Milling around outside, they sent for him, continually summoning him.


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A crowd was sitting around him. They told him, "Look! Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you."


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Then Jesus began to teach again beside the sea. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while the entire crowd remained beside the sea on the shore.


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Others fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn't deep.


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Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes came up and choked them out, and they did not produce anything.


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But others fell on good soil and produced a crop. They grew up, increased in size, and produced 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown."


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He told them, "The secret about the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything comes in parables


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so that 'they may see clearly but not perceive, and they may hear clearly but not understand, otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven.'"


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Then he told them, "You don't understand this parable, so how can you understand any of the parables?


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Some people are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. When they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.


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Others are like the seeds sown on the stony ground. When they hear the word, at once they joyfully accept it,


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but since they don't have any roots, they last for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall away.


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Still others are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the people who hear the word,


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but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word so that it can't produce a crop.


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Others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops-30, 60, or 100 times what was sown."


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Then Jesus told them, "A lamp isn't brought indoors to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? It's to be put on a lamp stand, isn't it?


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Nothing is hidden except for the purpose of having it revealed, and nothing is secret except for the purpose of having it come to light.


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He went on to say to them, "Pay attention to what you're hearing! You will be evaluated by the same standard with which you do your evaluating, and still more will be given to you,


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because whoever has something, will have more given to him. But whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away."


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The ground produces grain by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.


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But when the grain is ripe, he immediately starts cutting with his sickle because the harvest time has come."


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He was also saying, "How can we show what the kingdom of God is like, or what parable can we use to describe it?


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It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. Although it is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,


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when it is planted it comes up and becomes larger than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that the birds in the sky can nest in its shade."


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With many other parables like these, Jesus kept speaking his message to them according to their ability to understand.


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He did not tell them anything without using a parable, though he explained everything to his disciples in private.


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So they left the crowd and took him away in a boat without making any special preparations. Other boats were with him.


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A violent windstorm came up, and the waves began breaking into the boat, so that the boat was rapidly becoming swamped.


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But Jesus was in the back of the boat, asleep on a cushion. So they woke him up and asked him, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to die?"


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Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and told the sea, "Calm down! Be still!" Then the wind stopped blowing, and there was a great calm.


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Overcome with fear, they kept saying to one another, "Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!"


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Just as Jesus stepped out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him.


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He had often been restrained with shackles and chains but had snapped the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one could tame him.


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Night and day he kept screaming among the tombs and on the mountainsides and kept cutting himself with stones.


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screaming in a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you in the name of God never to torment me!"


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Then Jesus asked him, "What's your name?" He told him, "My name is Legion, because there are many of us."


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So he let them do this. The unclean spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down the cliff into the sea and drowned there.


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Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs ran away, they reported what had happened in the city and countryside. So the people went to see what had happened.


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When they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there dressed and in his right mind, they were frightened.


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As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging him to let him go with him.


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But Jesus wouldn't let him. Instead, he told him, "Go home to your family, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been to you."


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So the man left and began proclaiming in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was utterly amazed.


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When Jesus again had crossed to the other side in a boat, a large crowd gathered around him by the seashore.


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and begged him urgently, saying, "My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live."


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Although she had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all of her money, she had not been helped at all but rather grew worse.


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Immediately Jesus became aware that power had gone out of him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"


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So the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came forward fearfully, fell down trembling in front of him, and told him the whole truth.


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While he was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue leader's home and said, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?"


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But when Jesus heard what they said, he told the synagogue leader, "Stop being afraid! Just keep on believing."


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When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw mass confusion. People were crying and sobbing loudly.


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He entered the house and asked them, "Why all this confusion and crying? The child isn't dead. She's sleeping."


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They laughed and laughed at him. But when he had driven all of them outside, he took the child's father and mother, along with the men who were with him, and went into the room where the child was.


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He took her by the hand and told her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Young lady, I tell you, get up!"


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The young lady got up at once and started to walk. She was twelve years old. Instantly they were overcome with astonishment.


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But Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give her something to eat.


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When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were utterly amazed. "Where did this man get all these things?" they asked. "What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What great miracles are being done by his hands!


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This is the builder, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, isn't it? His sisters are here with us, aren't they?" And they were offended by him.


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Jesus was telling them, "A prophet is without honor only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own home."


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He called the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.


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He instructed them to take nothing along on the trip except a walking stick-no bread, no traveling bag, nothing in their moneybag.


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If any place will not welcome you and the people refuse to listen to you, when you leave, shake its dust off your feet as a testimony against them."


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King Herod heard about this, because Jesus' name had become well-known. He was saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That's why he is able to do these miracles."


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Others were saying, "He is Elijah." Still others were saying, "He is a prophet like one of the other prophets."


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because Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom Herod had married.


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because Herod was afraid of John. He knew that John was a righteous and holy man, and so he protected him. Whenever he listened to John, he did much of what he said. In fact, he liked listening to him.


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An opportunity came during Herod's birthday celebration, when he gave a banquet for his top officials, military officers, and the most important people of Galilee.


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When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. So the king told the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you."


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So she went out and asked her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."


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Immediately the girl hurried back to the king with her request, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."


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The king was deeply saddened, yet because of his oaths and his guests he was reluctant to refuse her.


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So without delay the king sent a soldier and ordered him to bring John's head. The soldier went and beheaded him in prison.


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Then he brought John's head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.


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He told them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while," because so many people were coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat.


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But when many people saw them leave and recognized them, they hurried on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.


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When he got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.


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When it was quite late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and it's already late.


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Send the crowds away so that they can go to the neighboring farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat."


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But he answered them, "You give them something to eat."They asked him, "Should we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?"


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He asked them, "How many loaves of bread do you have? Go and see."They found out and told him, "Five loaves and two fish."


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Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. Then he broke the loaves in pieces and kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.


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Jesus immediately had his disciples get into a boat and cross to Bethsaida ahead of him, while he sent the crowd away.


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He saw that his disciples were straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he came to them, walking on the sea. He intended to go up right beside them,


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All of them saw him and were terrified. Immediately he told them, "Have courage! It is I. Stop being afraid!"


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Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped blowing. The disciples were utterly astounded,


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They ran all over the countryside and began carrying the sick on their mats to any place where they heard he was.


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Wherever he went, whether into villages, towns, or farms, people would place their sick in the marketplaces and beg him to let them touch even the tassel of his garment, and everyone who touched it was healed.


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They noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them.


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(The Pharisees-and indeed all the Jewish people-don't eat unless they wash their hands properly, following the tradition of their elders.


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They don't eat anything from the marketplace unless they dip it in water. They also observe many other traditions, such as the proper washing of washing cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.)


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So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with unclean hands."


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He told them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.


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Then he told them, "You have such a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition!


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Because Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses his father or mother must certainly be put to death.'


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But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me is Corban," (that is, an offering to God)


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You are destroying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things like that."


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Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It's what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean.


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He asked them, "Are you so ignorant? Don't you know that nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean?


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Because it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and is expelled as waste." (By this he declared all foods clean.)


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because it's from within, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come, as well as sexual immorality, stealing, murder,


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Jesus left that place and went to the territory of Tyre and Sidon. He went into a house, not wanting anyone to know he was there. However, it couldn't be kept a secret.


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In fact, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell down at his feet.


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Now the woman happened to be a Greek, born in Phoenicia in Syria. She kept asking him to drive the demon out of her daughter.


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But he kept telling her, "First let the children be filled. It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the puppies."


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But she answered him, "Yes, Lord. Yet even the puppies under the table eat some of the children's crumbs."


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Then Jesus left the territory of Tyre and passed through Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the territory of the Decapolis.


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Some people brought him a deaf man who also had a speech impediment. They begged him to lay his hand on him.


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Jesus took him away from the crowd to be alone with him. Putting his fingers into the man's ears, he touched the man's tongue with saliva.


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Jesus ordered the people not to tell anyone, but the more he kept ordering them, the more they kept spreading the news.


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Amazed beyond measure, they kept on saying, "He does everything well! He even makes deaf people hear and mute people talk!"


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At that time, after a large crowd again had gathered together with nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples and told them,


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"I have compassion for the crowd because they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat.


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If I send them away to their homes hungry, they will faint on the road. Some of them have come a long distance."


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His disciples answered him, "Where could anyone get enough bread to feed these people out here in the wilderness?"


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So he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and gave thanks. He broke them in pieces and kept giving them to his disciples to distribute. So they served them to the crowd.


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The people ate and were filled. Then the disciples picked up the leftover pieces-seven large baskets full.


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The Pharisees arrived and began arguing with Jesus. They tested him by demanding from him a sign from heaven.


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He sighed deeply in his spirit and remarked, "Why do those living today demand a sign? I tell you with certainty, no sign will be given to this generation."


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Now the disciples had forgotten to take any bread along, but they had one loaf with them in the boat.


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Jesus had been warning them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!"


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Knowing this, Jesus asked them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you don't have any bread? Don't you understand or perceive yet? Are your hearts hardened?


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When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?"They told him, "Twelve."


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"When I broke the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many large baskets did you fill with the leftover pieces?"They told him, "Seven."


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Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. He spit into his eyes, placed his hands on him, and asked him, "Do you see anything?"


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Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and he saw clearly. His sight was restored, and he saw everything perfectly even from a distance.


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Then Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he was asking his disciples, "Who do people say I am?"


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They answered him, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets."


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Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a great deal and be rejected by the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but after three days he would rise again.


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But turning and looking at his disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind me, Satan, because you're not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts!"


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Then Jesus called the crowd to himself along with his disciples and told them, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continually,


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because whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it.


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If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes with the holy angels in his Father's glory."


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Then he told them, "I tell you with certainty, some people standing here will not experience death until they see the kingdom of God arrive with power."


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Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them,


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Then Peter told Jesus, "Rabbi, it's good that we're here! Let's set up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."


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Then a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my Son, whom I love. Keep on listening to him!"


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On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.


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He told them, "Elijah is indeed coming first and will restore all things. Why, then, is it written that the Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be treated shamefully?


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But I tell you that Elijah has come, yet people treated him just as they pleased, as it is written about him."


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As they approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some scribes arguing with them.


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A man in the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that won't let him talk.


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Whenever it brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes stiff. So I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they didn't have the power."


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Jesus told them, "You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!"


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So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground and kept rolling around and foaming at the mouth.


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Then Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" He said, "Since he was a child.


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The spirit has often thrown him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us!"


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When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You spirit that won't let him talk or hear-I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!"


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The spirit screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy was like a corpse, and many said that he was dead.


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Then they left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to find out about it,


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because he was teaching his disciples, "The Son of Man will be betrayed into human hands. They will kill him, but after being dead for three days he will be raised."


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Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, "What were you arguing about on the road?"


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But they kept silent, because they had argued on the road with one another about who was the greatest.


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So he sat down, called the Twelve, and told them, "If anyone wants to be first he must be last of all and servant of all."


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"Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."


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John told Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he wasn't a follower like us."


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But Jesus said, "Don't stop him, because no one who works a miracle in my name can slander me soon afterwards.


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I tell you with certainty, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to the Messiah will never lose his reward."


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"If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.


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So if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life injured than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out.


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And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.


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And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.


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Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how can you restore its flavor? Keep on having salt among yourselves, and live in peace with one another."


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Then Jesus left that place and went into the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered around him as usual, and he began to teach them again as was his custom.


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Some people were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.


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When Jesus saw this, he became furious and told them, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these.


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I tell you with certainty, whoever doesn't receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."


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As Jesus was setting out again, a man ran up to him, knelt down in front of him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"


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You know the commandments: 'Never murder.' 'Never commit adultery.' 'Never steal.' 'Never give false testimony.' 'Never cheat.' 'Honor your father and mother.'"


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Jesus looked at him and loved him. Then he told him, "You're missing one thing. Go and sell everything you own, give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me."


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Then Jesus looked around and told his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!"


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The disciples were startled by these words, but Jesus told them again, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their wealth to get into the kingdom of God!


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It is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God."


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Jesus looked at them intently and said, "For humans it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."


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Jesus said, "I tell you with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the gospel


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who will not receive a hundred times as much here in this world-homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, along with persecution-as well as eternal life in the age to come.


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Now Jesus and his disciples had been on the road going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus walking ahead of them. They were astonished, and the others who followed were afraid.


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"See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death. Then they will hand him over to the gentiles,


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and they will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him. But after three days he will be raised."


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James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus and told him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you."


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But Jesus told them, "You don't realize what you're asking. Can you drink from the cup that I'm going to drink from or be baptized with the baptism with which I'm going to be baptized?"


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They told him, "We can." Jesus told them, "You will drink from the cup that I'm going to drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I'm going to be baptized.


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But it's not up to me to grant you a seat at my right or my left. Those positions have already been prepared for others."


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Jesus called his disciples and told them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers among the gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors act like tyrants over them.


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That's not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,


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because even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people."


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Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus, his disciples, and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus) was sitting by the road.


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When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"


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Many people sternly told him to be quiet, but he started shouting even louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"


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So Jesus stopped and said, "Call him!"So they called the blind man and told him, "Have courage! Get up. He's calling you."


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Then Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"The blind man told him, "Rabbouni, I want to see again."


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Jesus told him, "Go. Your faith has made you well." At once the man could see again, and he began to follow Jesus down the road.


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When they came near Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples on ahead


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and told them, "Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you go into it, you will find a colt tied up that no one has ever ridden. Untie it, and bring it along.


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If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?,' say, 'The Lord needs it,' and he will send it back here at once."


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So they went and found the colt outside in the street tied up next to a doorway. While they were untying it,


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Many people spread their coats on the road, while others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.


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Those who went ahead and those who followed him were shouting, "Hosanna! How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!


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Then Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the Temple and looked around at everything. Since it was already late, he went out with the Twelve to Bethany.


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Seeing in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing except leaves because it wasn't the season for figs.


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So he told it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" Now his disciples were listening to this.


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When they came to Jerusalem, he went into the Temple and began to throw out those who were selling and those who were buying in the Temple. He overturned the moneychangers' tables and the chairs of those who sold doves.


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Then he began to teach them: "It is written, is it not, 'My house is to be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have turned it into a hideout for bandits!"


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When the high priests and elders heard this, they began to look for a way to kill him, because they were afraid of him, since the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.


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Remembering what Jesus had said, Peter pointed out to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has dried up!"


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I tell you with certainty, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' if he doesn't doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.


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That is why I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.


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"Whenever you stand up to pray, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins.


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Then they went into Jerusalem again. While Jesus was walking in the Temple, the high priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him


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and asked him, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority to do them?"


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Jesus told them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and then I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.


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They began discussing this among themselves. "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'


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But if we say, 'From humans'...?" They were afraid of the crowd, because everyone really thought John was a prophet.


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So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then Jesus told them, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things."


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Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad.


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At the right time he sent a servant to the farmers to collect from them a share of the produce from the vineyard.


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Again, the man sent another servant to them. They beat the servant over the head and treated him shamefully.


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Then the man sent another, and that one they killed. So it was with many other servants. Some of these they beat, and others they killed.


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He still had one more person to send, a son whom he loved. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'


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But those farmers told one another, 'This is the heir. Come on, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!'


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"Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, execute the farmers, and give the vineyard to others.


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Haven't you ever read this Scripture: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.


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They were trying to arrest him but were afraid of the crowd. Realizing that he had spoken this parable against them, they left him alone and went away.


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They came and told him, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere. You don't favor any individual, because you pay no attention to external appearance. Rather, you teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or should we not?"


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Seeing through their hypocrisy, Jesus replied to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it."


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So they brought one. Then he asked them, "Whose face and name are on this?"They told him, "Caesar's."


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So Jesus told them, "Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were utterly amazed at him.


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"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, he should marry the widow and have children for his brother.


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When people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.


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As for the dead being raised, haven't you read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?


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Then one of the scribes came near and heard the Sadducees arguing with one another. He saw how well Jesus answered them, so he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of them all?"


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and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'


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The second is this: 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."


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Then the scribe told him, "Well said, Teacher! You have told the truth that 'God is one, and there is no other besides him.'


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To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices."


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When Jesus saw how wisely the man answered, he told him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one dared to ask him another question.


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While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he asked, "How can the scribes say that the Messiah is David's son?


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David himself said by the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord told my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet."'


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David himself calls him 'Lord,' so how can he be his son?" And the large crowd kept listening to him with delight.


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As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces,


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They devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. They will receive greater condemnation!"


text:
As Jesus sat facing the offering box, he watched how the crowd was dropping their money into it. Many rich people were dropping in large amounts.


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He called his disciples and told them, "I tell you with certainty, this destitute widow has dropped in more than everyone who is contributing to the offering box,


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because all of them contributed out of their surplus, but out of her poverty she has given everything she had to live on."


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As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples told him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what beautiful buildings!"


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"Do you see these large buildings?" Jesus responded. "Not one stone here will be left on another that will not be torn down."


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As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives facing the Temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew were asking him privately,


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"Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign when these things will be put into effect?"


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But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, stop being alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn't come yet,


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because nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes and famines in various places. These things are only the beginning of the birth pains."


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"As for yourselves, be on your guard! People will hand you over to local councils, and you will be beaten in their synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings to testify to them because of me.


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"When they take you away and hand you over for trial, don't worry ahead of time about what you will say. Instead, say whatever is given to you at that time, because it won't be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.


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Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.


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You will be hated continuously by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved."


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"So when you see the destructive desecration standing where it should not be (let the reader take note), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.


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because those days will be a time of suffering, a kind that has not happened from the beginning of God's creation until now, and certainly will never happen again.


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If the Lord had not shortened those days, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days.


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"At that time, if anyone says to you, 'Look! Here is the Messiah!', or, 'Look! There he is!', don't believe it,


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because false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens to deceive, if possible, the elect.


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"But after the suffering of those days, 'The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,


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He will send out his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven."


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In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the Son of Man is near, right at the door.


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"No one knows when that day or hour will come-not the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.


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It's like a man who went on a trip. As he left home, he put his servants in charge, each with his own work, and he ordered the doorkeeper to be alert.


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So keep on watching, because you don't know when the master of the house is coming-whether in the evening, at three o'clock in the morning, or at dawn.


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Now it was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly and to have him put to death,


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because they kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there'll be a riot among the people."


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While Jesus was in Bethany sitting at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head.


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This perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and the money given to the destitute." So they got extremely angry with her.


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because you will always have the destitute with you and can help them whenever you want, but you will not always have me.


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I tell you with certainty, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her."


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After they had listened to him, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he began to look for a good opportunity to betray him.


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On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover meal?"


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He sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him.


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When he goes into a house, say to its owner that the Teacher asks, 'Where is my room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?'


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Then he will show you a large upstairs room that is furnished and ready. Get everything ready for us there."


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So the disciples left and went into the city. They found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.


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While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, "I tell you with certainty, one of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me."


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For the Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him, but how terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born."


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While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and handed it to them, saying, "Take some. This is my body."


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I tell you with certainty, I will never again drink this wine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."


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Then Jesus told them, "All of you will turn against me, because it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'


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Jesus told him, "I tell you with certainty, today, this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."


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But Peter kept saying emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the others kept saying the same thing.


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Then they came to a place called Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, "Sit down here while I pray."


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Going on a little farther, he fell to the ground and kept praying that if it were possible the hour might pass from him.


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He kept repeating, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I want but what you want."


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When he went back, he found his disciples asleep. "Simon, are you asleep?" he asked Peter. "You couldn't stay awake for one hour, could you?


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All of you must stay awake and pray that you won't be tempted. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak."


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Again he came back and found them asleep, because they could not keep their eyes open. They didn't even know what they should say to him.


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He came back a third time. "Are you still sleeping and resting?" he asked. "Enough of that! The time has come. Look! The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.


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Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A crowd armed with swords and clubs was with him. They were from the high priests, the scribes, and the elders.


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Now the betrayer personally had given them a signal, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him, and lead him safely away."


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But one of those standing there drew his sword and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.


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Day after day I was with you in the Temple teaching, yet you didn't arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."


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A certain young man, who was wearing nothing but a linen sheet, was following Jesus. When the men grabbed him,


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Then they took Jesus to the high priest. All the high priests, elders, and scribes had gathered together.


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Peter followed Jesus at a distance as far as the high priest's courtyard. He was sitting with the servants and warming himself at the fire.


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Meanwhile, the high priests and the whole Council were looking for some testimony against Jesus in order to have him put to death, but they couldn't find any.


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"We ourselves heard him say, 'I will destroy this sanctuary made by human hands, and in three days I will build another one not made by human hands.'"


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Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Don't you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?"


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But he kept silent and didn't answer at all. The high priest asked him again, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"


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Jesus said, "I AM, and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.'"


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Some of them began to spit on him. They blindfolded him and kept hitting him with their fists and telling him, "Prophesy!" Even the servants took him and slapped him around.


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When she saw Peter warming himself, she glared at him and said, "You, too, were with Jesus from Nazareth."


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But he denied it, saying, "I don't know-or even understand-what you're talking about!" Then he went out into the entryway. Just then a rooster crowed.


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Again he denied it. After a little while the people who were standing there began to say to Peter again, "Obviously you're one of them, because you are a Galilean!"


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Then he began to invoke a divine curse and to swear with an oath, "I don't know this man you're talking about!"


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Just then a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered that Jesus told him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." Then he broke down and cried.


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As soon as it was morning, the high priests convened a meeting with the elders and scribes and the whole Council. They bound Jesus with chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.


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So Pilate asked him again, "Don't you have any answer? Look how many accusations they're bringing against you!"


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Now there was a man in prison named Barabbas. He had been with the insurgents who had committed murder during the rebellion.


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So Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.


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The soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters) and called out the whole guard.


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They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted some thorns into a victor's crown, and placed it on his head.


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They kept hitting him on the head with a stick, spitting on him, kneeling in front of him, and worshiping him.


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When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.


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They forced a certain passer-by named Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who happened to be coming in from the country, to carry Jesus' cross.


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Then they crucified him. They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice to see what each one would get.


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Those who passed by kept insulting him, shaking their heads, and saying, "Ha! You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days-


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In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes, were also making fun of him among themselves. They kept saying, "He saved others but can't save himself!


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Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, since seeing is believing!" Even the men who were crucified with him kept insulting him.


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At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani?", which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"


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So someone ran and soaked a sponge in some sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink, saying, "Wait! Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down!"


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When the centurion who stood facing Jesus saw how he had cried out and breathed his last, he said, "This man certainly was the Son of God!"


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Now there were women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of young James and Joseph, and Salome.


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They used to accompany him and care for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with him were there, too.


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Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Council, who was waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.


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Pilate was amazed to hear that Jesus had already died, so he summoned the centurion to ask him if he was in fact dead.


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Joseph bought some linen cloth, took the body down, wrapped it in the cloth, laid it in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.


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When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Jesus.


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Very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had just come up, they were going to the tomb.


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They kept saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"


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As they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were utterly astonished.


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But he told them, "Stop being astonished! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. Look at the place where they laid him.


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But go and tell his disciples, especially Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you."


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So they left the tomb and ran away, overwhelmed by shock and astonishment. They didn't say a thing to anyone, because they were afraid.


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After Jesus had risen early on the first day of that week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons.


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After this, Jesus appeared in a different form to two disciples as they were walking into the country.


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Finally he appeared to his eleven disciples while they were eating. He rebuked them for their unbelief and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had risen.


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"These are the signs that will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;


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they will pick up snakes with their hands; even if they drink any deadly poison it will not hurt them; and they will place their hands on the sick, and they will recover."


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So the Lord Jesus, after talking with his disciples, was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.


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Then his disciples went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the signs that accompanied it.


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Since many people have attempted to write an orderly account of the events that have transpired among us,


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just as they were passed down to us by those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning,


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I, too, have carefully investigated everything from the beginning and have decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,


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In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.


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Both of them were righteous before God, having lived blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord.


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he was chosen by lot to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense, according to the custom of the priests.


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But the angel told him, "Stop being afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John.


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because he will be great in the Lord's presence. He will never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.


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He is the one who will go before the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord."


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Then Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this, since I am an old man, and my wife is getting older?"


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The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and to announce this good news to you.


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But because you did not believe my announcement, which will be fulfilled at its proper time, you will become silent and unable to speak until the day this happens."


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Meanwhile, the people kept waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed in the sanctuary so long.


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But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them but remained unable to speak.


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Now in the sixth month of her pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,


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He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.


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The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God.


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And listen! Elizabeth, your relative, has herself conceived a son in her old age, this woman who was told be barren is in her sixth month.


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Then Mary said, "Truly I am the Lord's servant. Let everything you have said happen to me." Then the angel left her.


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When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby jumped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit


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and she loudly exclaimed, "How blessed are you among women, and how blessed is the infant in your womb!


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How blessed is this woman for believing that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled!"


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because he has looked favorably on his humble servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed,


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Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.


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On the eighth day they went to circumcise the child. They were going to name him Zechariah after his father,


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Suddenly, Zechariah could open his mouth, his tongue was set free, and he began to speak and to praise God.


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Fear came over all their neighbors, and throughout the hill country of Judea all these things were being discussed.


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Everyone who heard about it kept thinking what had happened and asked, "What will this child become?" because it was obvious that the hand of the Lord was with him.


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And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, because you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way


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to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death's shadow, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."


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Now the child continued to grow and to become spiritually strong. He lived in the wilderness until the day he appeared in Israel.


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Now in those days an order was published by Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be registered.


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Joseph, too, went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was a descendant of the household and family of David.


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He went there to be registered with Mary, who had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant.


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and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no place for them in the guest quarters.


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An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.


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Then the angel told them, "Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.


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And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough."


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When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about."


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Then the shepherds returned to their flock, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.


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After eight days had passed, the infant was circumcised and named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.


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When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,


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as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn son is to be designated as holy to the Lord."


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They also offered a sacrifice according to what is specified in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."


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Now a man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. This man was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the one who would comfort Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.


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It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah.


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Led by the Spirit, he went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the Law,


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Then Simeon blessed them and told Mary, his mother, "This infant is destined to cause many in Israel to fall and rise. Also, he will be a sign that will be opposed.


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Indeed, a sword will pierce your own soul, too, so that the inner thoughts of many people might be revealed."


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Now Anna, a prophetess, was also there. She was a descendant of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,


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and then as a widow for 84 years. She never left the Temple, but continued to worship there night and day with times of fasting and prayer.


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Just then she came forward and began to thank God and to speak about Jesus to everyone who was waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.


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After doing everything required by the Law of the Lord, Joseph and Mary returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.


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Meanwhile, the child continued to grow and to become strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's favor rested upon him.


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When the days of the festival were over, they left for home. The young man Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.


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They thought that he was in their group of travelers. After traveling for a day, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.


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Three days later they found him in the Temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and posing questions to them.


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When Jesus' parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother asked him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been worried sick looking for you!"


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He asked them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?"


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Then he went back with them, returning to Nazareth and remaining in submission to them. His mother continued to treasure all these things in her heart.


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Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,


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and Annas and Caiaphas high priests, a message from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.


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John went throughout the entire Jordan region, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins,


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as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!


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Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled. The crooked ways will be made straight, and the rough roads will be made smooth.


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John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?


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Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don't begin to say to yourselves, 'We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!


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The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire."


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He answered them, "The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn't have any, and the person who has food must do the same."


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Even some soldiers were asking him, "And what should we do?" He told them, "Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay."


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Now the people were filled with expectation, and all of them were wondering if John was perhaps the Messiah.


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John replied to all of them, "I am baptizing you with water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I'm not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.


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His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He will gather the grain into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire."


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Now Herod the tetrarch had been rebuked by John because he had married his brother's wife Herodias and because of all of the other evil things Herod had done.


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When all the people had been baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened,


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and the Holy Spirit descended on him, appearing in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you!"


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Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry. He was (so it was thought) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,


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the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,


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the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,


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Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,


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where he was being tempted by the devil for 40 days. During that time he ate nothing at all, and when they were over he became hungry.


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He told Jesus, "I will give you all this authority, along with their glory, because it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.


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The devil also took him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. He told Jesus, "Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,


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Then Jesus returned to Galilee by the power of the Spirit. Meanwhile, the news about him spread throughout the surrounding country.


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Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been raised. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. When he stood up to read,


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the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,


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"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has anointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set oppressed people free,


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Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. While the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him,


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All the people began to speak well of him and to wonder at the gracious words that flowed from his mouth. They said, "This is Joseph's son, isn't it?"


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So he told them, "You will probably quote this proverb to me, 'Doctor, heal yourself! Do everything here in your hometown that we hear you did in Capernaum.'"


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I'm telling you the truth-there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when it didn't rain for three years and six months and there was a severe famine everywhere in the land.


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There were also many lepers in Israel in the prophet Elisha's time, yet not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."


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They got up, forced Jesus out of the city, and led him to the edge of the hill on which their city was built, intending to throw him off.


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Then Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and began teaching the people on Sabbath days.


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"Oh, no! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!"


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But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" At this, the demon threw the man down in the middle of the synagogue and came out of him without hurting him.


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Overwhelmed with amazement, they all kept saying to one another, "What kind of statement is this?-because with authority and power he gives orders to unclean spirits, and they come out!"


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Then Jesus got up to leave the synagogue and went into Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, so they asked Jesus about her.


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When the sun was setting, everyone who had any friends suffering from various diseases brought them to him. He placed his hands on each of them and began healing them.


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Even demons came out of many people, screaming, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus rebuked them and ordered them not to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.


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At daybreak he left and went to a deserted place, while the crowds kept looking for him. When they came to him, they tried to keep him from leaving them.


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But he told them, "I have to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God in other cities, because I was sent to do that also."


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One day as the crowd was pressing in on him to listen to God's word, Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.


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He saw two boats lying on the shore, but the fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets.


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So Jesus got into one of the boats (the one that belonged to Simon) and asked him to push out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the crowds from the boat.


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When he had finished speaking, he told Simon, "Push out into deep water, and lower your nets for a catch."


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Simon answered, "Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I'll lower the nets."


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So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats until the boats began to sink.


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When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees and said, "Leave me, Lord! I am a sinful man!"-


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because Simon and all the people who were with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught,


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and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons and Simon's partners. Then Jesus told Simon, "Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching people."


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One day while Jesus was in one of the cities, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus and fell on his face, begging him, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."


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So Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, "I do want to. Be clean!" Instantly the leprosy left him.


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Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities."


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But the news about Jesus spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.


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One day as Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law happened to be sitting nearby. The people had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present to heal them.


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Some men were bringing a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to take him into the house and place him in front of Jesus.


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When they couldn't find a way to get him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on his stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the room, right in front of Jesus.


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The scribes and the Pharisees began to argue among themselves, saying, "Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"


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Because Jesus knew that they were arguing, he asked them, "Why are you arguing about this among yourselves?


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But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Then he told the paralyzed man, "I say to you: Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!"


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So the man immediately stood up in front of them and picked up what he had been lying on. Then he went home, praising God.


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Amazement seized all the people, and they began to praise God. They were filled with fear and declared, "We have seen wonderful things today!"


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After that, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector's desk. He told him, "Follow me!"


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Then Levi gave a large banquet at his home for Jesus. A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.


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The Pharisees and their scribes started complaining to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"


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Then they told him, "John's disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do those of the Pharisees. But your disciples keep right on eating and drinking."


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But Jesus told them, "You can't force the wedding guests to fast while the groom is still with them, can you?


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But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and at that time they will fast."


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Then he told them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old garment. If he does, the new cloth will tear, and the piece from the new will not match the old.


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And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will make the skins burst, the wine will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.


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No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, 'The old wine is good enough!'"


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One time Jesus was walking through some grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.


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How was it that he went into the house of God, took the Bread of the Presence and ate it, which was not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and then gave some of it to his companions?"


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Once, on another Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagogue and began teaching. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there.


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The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong.


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But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue." So he got up and stood there.


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Then Jesus asked them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?"


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He looked around at all of them and then told the man, "Hold out your hand." The man did so, and his hand was restored to health.


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Now it was in those days that Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God.


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Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, along with many of his disciples and a large gathering of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.


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They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were being tormented by unclean spirits were being healed.


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The entire crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing all of them.


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Then Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "How blessed are you who are destitute, because the kingdom of God is yours!


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How blessed are you who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied! How blessed are you who are crying now, because you will laugh!


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"How blessed are you whenever people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because of the Son of Man!


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Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because your reward in heaven is great! That's the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.


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How terrible it will be for you who are full now, because you will be hungry! How terrible it will be for you who are laughing now, because you will mourn and cry!


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"How terrible it will be for you when everyone says nice things about you, because that's the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets!"


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If someone strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one as well, and if someone takes your coat, don't keep back your shirt, either.


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Keep on giving to everyone who asks you for something, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not insist on getting it back.


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"If you love those who love you, what thanks do you deserve? Why, even sinners love those who love them.


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If you lend to those from whom you expect to get something back, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back what they lend.


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Rather, love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind even to ungrateful and evil people.


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"Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.


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Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap, because you will be evaluated by the same standard with which you evaluate others."


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He also told them a parable: "One blind person can't lead another blind person, can he? Both will fall into a ditch, won't they?


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A disciple is not better than his teacher. But everyone who is fully-trained will be like his teacher.


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How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you don't see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you'll see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye."


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because every tree is known by its own fruit. People don't gather figs from thorny plants or pick grapes from a thorn bush.


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A good person produces good from the good treasure of his heart, and an evil person produces evil from an evil treasure, because the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart."


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They are like a person building a house, who dug a deep hole to lay the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the floodwaters pushed against that house but couldn't shake it, because it had been founded on the rock.


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But the person who hears what I say but doesn't act on it is like someone who built a house on the ground without any foundation. When the floodwaters pushed against it, that house quickly collapsed, and the resulting destruction of that house was extensive."


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After Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people who were there listening, he went to Capernaum.


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When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask him to come and save his servant's life.


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So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus, "Sir, stop troubling yourself, because I'm not worthy to have you come under my roof.


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because I, too, am a man under authority and have soldiers under me. I say to one 'Go' and he goes, to another 'Come' and he comes, and to my servant 'Do this' and he does it."


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When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found this kind of faith!"


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Soon afterwards, Jesus went to a city called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were going along with him.


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As he approached the entrance to the city, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her.


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Then he went up and touched the bier, and the men who were carrying it stopped. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"


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Fear gripped everyone, and they began to praise God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us," and "God has helped his people."


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When the men had come to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the Coming One, or should we wait for someone else?'"


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At that time Jesus had healed many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits and had given sight to many who were blind.


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So he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have observed and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear again, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news.


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When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to ask the crowds about John. "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?


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Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? See, those who wear fine clothes and live in luxury are in royal palaces.


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I tell you, no one has ever been born who is greater than John. Yet even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than he."


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By having been baptized with John's baptism, all the people who listened, including the tax collectors, acknowledged God's justice.


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But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law rejected God's plan for themselves by refusing to be baptized by John.


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They are like little children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other, 'A wedding song we played for you, the dance you simply scorned. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you did not mourn.'


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Because John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, yet you say, 'He has a demon!'


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The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look! He's a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'


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Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee's home and took his place at the table.


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There was a woman who was a notorious sinner in that city. When she learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's home, she took an alabaster jar of perfume


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and knelt at his feet behind him. She was crying and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet over and over again, anointing them constantly with the perfume.


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Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and told himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She's a sinner!"


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When they couldn't pay it back, he generously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?"


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Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the larger debt canceled." Jesus told him, "You have answered correctly."


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Then, turning to the woman, he told Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You didn't give me any water for my feet, but this woman has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.


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You didn't give me a kiss, but this woman, from the moment I came in, has not stopped kissing my feet.


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So I'm telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that's why she has shown such great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little."


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Those who were at the table with them began to say among themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?"


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After this, Jesus traveled from one city and village to another, preaching and spreading the good news about God's kingdom. The Twelve were with him,


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as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;


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Joanna, the wife of Herod's household manager Chuza; Susanna; and many others. These women continued to support them out of their personal resources.


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Now while a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from every city, he said in a parable:


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"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, were trampled on, and birds from the sky ate them up.


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Others fell on stony ground, and as soon as they came up, they dried up because they had no moisture.


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But others fell on good soil, and when they came up, they produced a hundred times as much as was planted." As he said this, he called out, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"


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So he said, "You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of God. But to others they are given in parables, so that 'they might look but not see, and they might listen but not understand.'"


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The ones on the path are the people who listen, but then the devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.


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The ones on the stony ground are the people who joyfully welcome the word when they hear it. But since they don't have any roots, they believe for a while, but in a time of testing they fall away.


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The ones that fell among the thorn bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth, and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn't mature.


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But the ones on the good soil are the people who hear the word but also hold on to it with good and honest hearts, producing a crop through endurance."


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"No one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see the light.


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There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and there is nothing secret that will not become known and come to light.


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So pay attention to how you listen, because to the one who has something, more will be given. However, from the one who doesn't have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."


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But he answered those people, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear a message from God and heed it."


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One day Jesus and his disciples got into a boat. He told them, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." So they started out.


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Now as they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A violent storm swept over the lake, and they were taking on water and were in great danger.


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So his disciples went to him, woke him up, and kept telling him, "Master! Master! We're going to die!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. They stopped, and there was calm.


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Then he asked the disciples, "Where's your faith?"Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, "Who is this man? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!"


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When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a man from the city met him. This man was controlled by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house but in the tombs.


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When he saw Jesus, he screamed, fell down in front of him, and cried out in a loud voice, "What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!"


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because Jesus was in the process of ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the man. On many occasions the unclean spirit had seized the man, and though he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon into deserted places.


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Jesus asked the man, "What's your name?"He answered, "Legion," because many demons had gone into him.


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Now a large herd of pigs was grazing there on the hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into those pigs, and he consented to that.


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Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned.


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Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside.


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So the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind, they were frightened.


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Then all the people from the region surrounding the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were terrified. So he got into a boat and started back.


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Now the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Jesus to let him go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,


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"Go home and tell what God has done for you." So the man left and kept proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.


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Just then a synagogue leader by the name of Jairus arrived. He fell at Jesus' feet and kept begging him to come to his home,


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because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. While Jesus was on his way, the crowds continued to press in on him.


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A woman was there who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. Although she had spent all she had on doctors, no one could heal her.


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Jesus asked, "Who touched me?"While everyone was denying it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing in on you."


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When the woman saw that she couldn't hide, she came forward trembling. Bowing down in front of him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched Jesus and how she had been instantly healed.


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While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader's home and told him, "Your daughter is dead. Stop bothering the teacher anymore."


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But when Jesus heard this, he told the synagogue leader, "Stop being afraid! Just believe, and she will get well."


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When he arrived at the man's house, he allowed no one to go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the young girl's father and mother.


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Now everyone was crying and wailing for her. But Jesus said, "Stop crying! She's not dead. She's sleeping."


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So her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then Jesus directed that she be given something to eat.


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Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.


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He told them, "Don't take anything along on your trip-no walking stick, traveling bag, bread, money, or even an extra shirt.


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if people don't welcome you, when you leave that city, shake its dust off your feet as a testimony against them."


