Month: March 2022

Driving Out the Nations

7 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess^(A) and drives out before you many nations^(B)—the Hittites,^(C) Girgashites,^(D) Amorites,^(E) Canaanites, Perizzites,^(F) Hivites^(G) and Jebusites,^(H) seven nations larger and stronger than you— ² and when the Lord your God has delivered^(I) them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy^(J) them totally.^[a](K) Make no treaty^(L) with them, and show them no mercy.^{(M) 3} Do not intermarry with them.^(N) Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, ⁴ for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods,^(O) and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy^(P) you. ⁵ This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles^[b](Q) and burn their idols in the fire.^{(R) 6} For you are a people holy^(S) to the Lord your God.^(T) The Lord your God has chosen^(U) you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.^(V)

⁷ The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous^(W) than other peoples, for you were the fewest^(X) of all peoples.^{(Y) 8} But it was because the Lord loved^(Z) you and kept the oath he swore^(AA) to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand^(AB) and redeemed^(AC) you from the land of slavery,^(AD) from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God;^(AE) he is the faithful God,^(AF) keeping his covenant of love^(AG) to a thousand generations^(AH) of those who love him and keep his commandments.^{(AI) 10} But

¹¹ Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

¹² If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors.^{(AK) 13} He will love you and bless you^(AL) and increase your numbers.^(AM) He will bless the fruit of your womb,^(AN) the crops of your land—your grain, new wine^(AO) and olive oil^(AP)—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.^{(AQ) 14} You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young.^{(AR) 15} The Lord will keep you free from every disease.^(AS) He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt,^(AT) but he will inflict them on all who hate you.^{(AU) 16} You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you.^(AV) Do not look on them with pity^(AW) and do not serve their gods,^(AX) for that will be a snare^(AY) to you.

¹⁷ You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?^(AZ)” ¹⁸ But do not be afraid^(BA) of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.^{(BB) 19} You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand^(BC) and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.^{(BD) 20} Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet^(BE) among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. ²¹ Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you,^(BF) is a great and awesome God.^{(BG) 22} The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.^(BH) You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. ²³ But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed.^{(BI) 24} He will give their kings^(BJ) into your hand,^(BK) and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you;^(BL) you will destroy them.^{(BM) 25} The images of their gods you are to burn^(BN) in the fire. Do not covet^(BO) the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared^(BP) by it, for it is detestable^(BQ) to the Lord your God. ²⁶ Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction.^(BR) Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

Do Not Forget the Lord

8 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live^(BS) and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors.^{(BT) 2} Remember how the Lord your God led^(BU) you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test^(BV) you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled^(BW) you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna,^(BX) which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach^(BY) you that man does not live on bread^(BZ) alone but on every word that comes from the mouth^(CA) of the Lord.^{(CB) 4} Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.^{(CC) 5} Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.^(CD)

⁶ Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him^(CE) and revering him.^{(CF) 7} For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land^(CG)—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills;^{(CH) 8} a land with wheat and barley,^(CI) vines^(CJ) and fig trees,^(CK) pomegranates, olive oil and honey;^{(CL) 9} a land where bread^(CM) will not be scarce and you will lack nothing;^(CN) a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.^(CO)

¹⁰ When you have eaten and are satisfied,^(CP) praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. ¹¹ Be careful that you do not forget^(CQ) the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. ¹² Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,^{(CR) 13} and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget^(CS) the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ¹⁵ He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness,^(CT) that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes^(CU) and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.^{(CV) 16} He gave you manna^(CW) to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known,^(CX) to humble and test^(CY) you so that in the end it might go well with you. ¹⁷ You may say to yourself,^(CZ) “My power and the strength of my hands^(DA) have produced this wealth for me.” ¹⁸ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,^(DB) and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

¹⁹ If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods^(DC) and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.^{(DD) 20} Like the nations^(DE) the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.^(DF)

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman^(A)(B)

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,^(C) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[a] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,^(D) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss,^(E) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head,^(F) but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”^(G)

⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you;^(H) go in peace.”^(I)

The Parable of the Sower^(J)

8 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.^(K) The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene)^(L) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s^(M) household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Psalm 69^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

The Ten Commandments^(A)

5 Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Israel, listen to the laws and rules I’m telling you today. Learn them and faithfully obey them.

² The Lord our God made a promise ^[a] to us at Mount Horeb. ³ He didn’t make this promise to our ancestors, but to all of us who are alive here today. ⁴ The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain. ⁵ I stood between the Lord and you to tell you the Lord’s word, because you were afraid of the fire and didn’t go up on the mountain. The Lord said:

⁶ “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.

⁷ “Never have any other gods. ⁸ Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. ⁹ Never worship them or serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a God who does not tolerate rivals. I punish children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. ¹⁰ But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.

¹¹ “Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who uses his name carelessly will be punished.

¹² “Observe the day of rest as a holy day. This is what the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹³ You have six days to do all your work. ¹⁴ The seventh day is the day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your male and female slaves, your oxen, your donkeys—all of your animals—even the foreigners living in your city must never do any work ⌞on that day⌟. In this way your male and female slaves can rest as you do. ¹⁵ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God used his mighty hand and powerful arm to bring you out of there. This is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the day of rest as a holy day.

¹⁶ “Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has commanded you. Then you will live for a long time, and things will go well for you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹⁷ “Never murder.

¹⁸ “Never commit adultery.

¹⁹ “Never steal.

²⁰ “Never avoid the truth when you testify about your neighbor.^[b]

²¹ “Never desire to take your neighbor’s wife away from him.

“Never long for your neighbor’s household, his field, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to him.”

²² These are the commandments the Lord spoke to your whole assembly on the mountain. He spoke in a loud voice from the fire, the cloud, and the gloomy darkness. Then he stopped speaking. He wrote the commandments on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

²³ But when you heard the voice coming from the darkness and saw the mountain blazing with fire, all the leaders and heads of your tribes came to me. ²⁴ You said, “The Lord our God has let us see how great and glorious he is. We’ve heard his voice come from the fire. Today we’ve seen that people can live even if God speaks to them. ²⁵ Why should we die? This great fire will consume us! If we continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God, we’ll die! ²⁶ Who has ever heard the voice of the living God speak from a fire, as we did, and lived? ²⁷ ⌞Moses,⌟ go and listen to everything that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We’ll listen and obey.”

²⁸ When the Lord heard the words that you spoke to me, he said, “I have heard what these people said to you. Everything they said was good. ²⁹ If only they would fear me and obey all my commandments as long as they live! Then things would go well for them and their children forever.

³⁰ “Tell the people to go back to their tents. ³¹ But you stay here with me. I will give you all the commands, laws, and rules that you must teach them to obey in the land which I’m giving them to possess.”

³² So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you. Never stop living this way. ³³ Follow all the directions the Lord your God has given you. Then you will continue to live, life will go well for you, and you will live for a long time in the land that you are going to possess.

Love the Lord

6 These are the commands, laws, and rules the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. Obey them after you enter the land and take possession of it. ² As long as you live, you, your children, and your grandchildren must fear the Lord your God. All of you must obey all his laws and commands that I’m giving you, and you will live a long time. ³ Listen, Israel, and be careful to obey these laws. Then things will go well for you and your population will increase in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord God of your ancestors promised you.

⁴ Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God. The Lord is the only God. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ Take to heart these words that I give you today. ⁷ Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. ⁸ ⌞Write them down, and⌟ tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

¹⁰ The Lord your God will bring you into the land and give it to you, as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This land will have large, prosperous cities that you didn’t build. ¹¹ Your houses will be filled with all kinds of things that you didn’t put there. You will have cisterns that you didn’t dig and vineyards and olive trees that you didn’t plant. After you have eaten all that you want, ¹² be careful that you don’t forget the Lord, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt. ¹³ You must fear the Lord your God, serve him, and take your oaths only in his name. ¹⁴ Never worship any of the gods worshiped by the people around you. ¹⁵ If you do, the Lord your God will become very angry with you and will wipe you off the face of the earth, because the Lord your God, who is with you, is a God who does not tolerate rivals.

¹⁶ Never test the Lord your God as you did at Massah. ¹⁷ Be sure to obey the commands of the Lord your God and the regulations and laws he has given you. ¹⁸ Do what the Lord considers right and good. Then things will go well for you, and you will enter and take possession of that good land which the Lord promised to your ancestors with an oath. ¹⁹ You will see the Lord expel your enemies as he said he would.

²⁰ In the future your children will ask you, “What do these regulations, laws, and rules which the Lord our God commanded you mean to you?” ²¹ Tell them, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of there. ²² Right before our eyes the Lord did miraculous signs and amazing things that were spectacular but terrible for Egypt, Pharaoh, and his whole family. ²³ The Lord led us out of there to bring us here and give us this land he promised to our ancestors with an oath. ²⁴ The Lord our God commanded us to obey all these laws and to fear him. These laws are for our own good as long as we live so that he will preserve our lives. It’s still true today. ²⁵ This is how we’ll have the Lord’s approval: If we faithfully obey all these laws in the presence of the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.”

Jesus Brings a Widow’s Son Back to Life

¹¹ Soon afterward, Jesus went to a city called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd went with him. ¹² As he came near the entrance to the city, he met a funeral procession. The dead man was a widow’s only child. A large crowd from the city was with her.

¹³ When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. He said to her, “Don’t cry.”

¹⁴ He went up to the open coffin, took hold of it, and the men who were carrying it stopped. He said, “Young man, I’m telling you to come back to life!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶ Everyone was struck with fear and praised God. They said, “A great prophet has appeared among us,” and “God has taken care of his people.” ¹⁷ This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding region.

John Sends Two Disciples^(A)

¹⁸ John’s disciples told him about all these things. Then John called two of his disciples ¹⁹ and sent them to ask the Lord, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?”

²⁰ The men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?’ ”

²¹ At that time Jesus was curing many people who had diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits. Also, he was giving back sight to many who were blind.

²² Jesus answered John’s disciples, “Go back, and tell John what you have seen and heard: Blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin diseases are made clean,^[a] deaf people hear again, dead people are brought back to life, and poor people hear the Good News. ²³ Whoever doesn’t lose his faith in me is indeed blessed.”

Jesus Speaks about John^(B)

²⁴ When John’s messengers had left, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John. “What did you go into the desert to see? Tall grass swaying in the wind? ²⁵ Really, what did you go to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Those who wear splendid clothes and live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶ Really, what did you go to see? A prophet? Let me tell you that he is far more than a prophet. ²⁷ John is the one about whom Scripture says,

²⁸ I can guarantee that of all the people ever born, no one is greater than John. Yet, the least important person in God’s kingdom is greater than John.

²⁹ “All the people, including tax collectors, heard John. They admitted that God was right by letting John baptize them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the experts in Moses’ Teachings rejected God’s plan for them. They refused to be baptized.

³¹ “How can I describe the people who are living now? What are they like? ³² They are like children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other,

³³ John the Baptizer has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘There’s a demon in him!’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! He’s a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

³⁵ “Yet, wisdom is proved right by all its results.”

Moses Reminds Israel to Be Loyal to the Lord

4 Israel, listen to the laws and rules I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you will live and be able to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord God of your ancestors is giving you. ² Never add anything to what I command you, or take anything away from it. Then you will be able to obey the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.

³ With your own eyes you saw what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed everyone among you who worshiped the god Baal while you were at Peor. ⁴ But you were loyal to the Lord your God and are still alive today.

⁵ I have taught you laws and rules as the Lord my God commanded me. You must obey them when you’ve entered the land and taken possession of it. ⁶ Faithfully obey these laws. This will show the people of the world your wisdom and insight. When they hear about all these laws, they will say, “What wise and insightful people there are in this great nation!”

⁷ What great nation ever had their gods as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we pray to him? ⁸ Or what other great nation has such fair laws and rules as all these teachings I am giving you today?

⁹ However, be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you don’t forget the things which you have seen with your own eyes. Don’t let them fade from your memory as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren. ¹⁰ Never forget the day you stood in front of the Lord your God at Mount Horeb. The Lord had said to me, “Assemble the people in front of me, and I will let them hear my words. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live on earth, and they will teach their children the same thing.”

¹¹ So you came and stood at the foot of the mountain, which was on fire with flames shooting into the sky. It was dark, cloudy, and gloomy. ¹² The Lord spoke to you from the fire. You heard a voice speaking but saw no one. There was only a voice. ¹³ The Lord told you about the terms of his promise, the ten commandments, which he commanded you to do. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets. ¹⁴ The Lord also commanded me to teach you the laws and rules you must obey after you cross ⌞the Jordan River⌟ and take possession of the land.

¹⁵ You didn’t see the Lord the day he spoke to you from the fire at Mount Horeb. So be very careful ¹⁶ that you don’t become corrupt and make your own carved idols. Don’t make statues that represent men or women, ¹⁷ any animal on earth, any creature with wings that flies, ¹⁸ any creature that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the water. ¹⁹ Don’t let yourselves be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky—the sun, the moon, the stars, or anything else. The Lord your God has given them to all people everywhere. ²⁰ But you are the people the Lord brought out of Egypt, the iron smelter, in order to make you his own people as you still are today.

²¹ The Lord was angry with me because of you. So the Lord your God took an oath that I wouldn’t cross the Jordan River and enter the good land he is giving you as your property. ²² I’m going to die in this land and not cross the Jordan River, but you’re going to go across and take possession of that good land. ²³ Be careful that you don’t forget the promise ^[a] that the Lord your God made to you. Don’t make your own carved idols or statues that represent anything the Lord your God has forbidden. ²⁴ The Lord your God is a raging fire, a God who does not tolerate rivals.

²⁵ Even when you have children and grandchildren and have grown old in that land, don’t become corrupt and make carved idols or statues that represent anything. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today: ^[b] If you do this thing that the Lord your God considers evil, making him furious, ²⁶ you will quickly disappear from the land you’re going to possess on the other side of the Jordan River. You won’t live very long there. You’ll be completely wiped out. ²⁷ The Lord will scatter you among the people of the world, and only a few of you will be left among the nations where the Lord will force you to live. ²⁸ There you will worship wooden and stone gods made by human hands. These gods can’t see, hear, eat, or smell.

²⁹ But if you look for the Lord your God when you are among those nations, you will find him whenever you search for him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰ When you’re in distress and all these things happen to you, then you will finally come back to the Lord your God and obey him. ³¹ The Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not abandon you, destroy you, or forget the promise to your ancestors that he swore he would keep.

³² Search the distant past, long before your time. Start from the very day God created people on earth. Search from one end of heaven to the other. Has anything as great as this ever happened before, or has anything like it ever been heard of? ³³ Have any ⌞other⌟ people ever heard God speak from a fire and lived? You did! ³⁴ Or has any god ever tried to come and take one nation away from another for himself? The Lord your God used his mighty hand and powerful arm to do this for you in Egypt. He did this using plagues, miraculous signs, amazing things, and war. He did his great and awe-inspiring deeds in front of you.

³⁵ You were shown these things so that you would know that the Lord is God. There is no other god. ³⁶ He let you hear his voice from heaven so that he could instruct you. He showed you his great fire on earth, and you heard him speak from the column of fire. ³⁷ Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants, he was with you as he brought you out of Egypt by his great power. ³⁸ He forced nations greater and stronger than you out of your way to bring you into their land and give it to you. This land is your own possession today.

³⁹ Remember today, and never forget that the Lord is God in heaven above and here on earth. There is no other god. ⁴⁰ Obey his laws and commands which I’m giving you today. Then things will go well for you and your descendants. You will live for a long time in the land. The Lord your God is giving you the land for as long as you live.

Three Cities of Refuge East of the Jordan River

⁴¹ Then Moses set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan River. ⁴² Those who unintentionally killed someone whom they had never hated could flee to one of these cities and save their lives. ⁴³ The cities were Bezer on the desert plateau for the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh.

Introduction to Moses’ Teachings

⁴⁴ This is what Moses taught the people of Israel. ⁴⁵ These are the commandments, laws, and rules Moses gave the Israelites after they had left Egypt. ⁴⁶ He gave these to the people when they were east of the Jordan River in the valley near Beth Peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. Moses and Israel defeated him after they left Egypt. ⁴⁷ They took possession of his land and the land of King Og of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites who were east of the Jordan River. ⁴⁸ This land went from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley to Mount Siyon (that is, Mount Hermon). ⁴⁹ It included all the plains on the east side of the Jordan River as far as the Dead Sea at the foot of the slopes of Mount Pisgah.

³⁹ Jesus also gave them this illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t both fall into the same pit? ⁴⁰ A student is no better than his teacher. But everyone who is well-trained will be like his teacher.

⁴¹ “Why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer’s eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to another believer, ‘Friend, let me take the piece of sawdust 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. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer’s eye.

Evil People^(A)

⁴³ “A good tree doesn’t produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree doesn’t produce good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is known by its fruit. You don’t pick figs from thorny plants or grapes from a thornbush. ⁴⁵ Good people do the good that is in them. But evil people do the evil that is in them. The things people say come from inside them.

Build on the Rock^(B)

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me Lord but don’t do what I tell you?

⁴⁷ “I will show you what everyone who comes to me, hears what I say, and obeys it is like. ⁴⁸ He is like a person who dug down to bedrock to lay the foundation of his home. When a flood came, the floodwaters pushed against that house. But the house couldn’t be washed away because it had a good foundation. ⁴⁹ The person who hears ⌞what I say⌟ but doesn’t obey it is like someone who built a house on the ground without any foundation. The floodwaters pushed against it, and that house quickly collapsed and was destroyed.”

A Believing Army Officer^(C)

7 When Jesus had finished everything he wanted to say to the people, he went to Capernaum. ² There a Roman army officer’s valuable slave was sick and near death. ³ The officer had heard about Jesus and sent some Jewish leaders to him. They were to ask Jesus to come and save the servant’s life. ⁴ They came to Jesus and begged, “He deserves your help. ⁵ He loves our people and built our synagogue at his own expense.”

⁶ Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the officer sent friends to tell Jesus, “Sir, don’t bother. I don’t deserve to have you come into my house. ⁷ That’s why I didn’t come to you. But just give a command, and let my servant be cured. ⁸ As you know, I’m in a chain of command and have soldiers at my command. I tell one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I tell my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

⁹ Jesus was amazed at the officer when he heard these words. He turned to the crowd following him and said, “I can guarantee that I haven’t found faith as great as this in Israel.”

¹⁰ When the men who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant healthy again.

For the choir director; a psalm by David; a song.

Moses Reminds Israel of the Events at Mount Seir

2 We went back into the desert, following the road that goes to the Red Sea as the Lord had told me. For a long time we traveled around the region of Mount Seir.

² The Lord said to me, ³ “You’ve traveled around this region long enough. Now go north. ⁴ Give the people these instructions: ‘You’re going to pass through the territory of your relatives, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They’ll be afraid of you, but be very careful. ⁵ Don’t start a fight with them, because I’m not giving you any of their land—not even enough to stand on. I’ve given Esau’s descendants the region of Mount Seir as their property. ⁶ You must pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’ ”

⁷ The Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched over you as you traveled through this vast desert. For 40 years now the Lord your God has been with you, and you haven’t needed a thing.

⁸ So we passed by our relatives, the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir. We turned off the road that goes through the plains to Elath and Ezion Geber and took the road that goes through the desert of Moab.

⁹ The Lord said to me, “Don’t bother the people of Moab or start a war with them. I’m not giving you any of Ar as your property. I have given it to the descendants of Lot.”

¹⁰ The Emites used to live there. These people were as strong, as numerous, and as tall as the people of Anak. ¹¹ They were thought to be Rephaim, like the people of Anak, but the Moabites called them Emites. ¹² The Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau claimed their land, wiped them out, and took their place, as Israel did in the land that the Lord gave them.

¹³ Then the Lord said, “Now cross the Zered River.”

So we crossed the Zered River. ¹⁴ Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered River. During that time all our soldiers from that generation died, as the Lord had sworn they would. ¹⁵ In fact, it was the Lord himself who got rid of all of them until none were left in the camp.

Moses Reminds Israel about Ammon

¹⁶ When the last of these soldiers had died, ¹⁷ the Lord said to me, ¹⁸ “Today you are going to pass by the border of Moab at Ar. ¹⁹ When you come near the Ammonites, don’t bother them or start a fight with them. I’m not giving you any of the land that I have already given to the descendants of Lot as their property.”

²⁰ This land was thought of as the land of the Rephaim who used to live there, but the Ammonites called them Zamzummim. ²¹ These people were as strong, as numerous, and as tall as the people of Anak. But the Lord wiped them out before the Ammonites came so that the Ammonites claimed their land and took their place. ²² The Lord did the same thing for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir. Before the descendants of Esau came, he wiped out the Horites so that Esau’s descendants claimed their land and took their place. Esau’s descendants are still there today. ²³ The same thing happened to the Avvites who lived in villages as far away as Gaza. The Caphtorites, who came from Crete, wiped them out and took their place.

Moses Reminds Israel about King Og and King Sihon

²⁴ ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Now break camp. Cross the Arnon Valley. I’m going to hand King Sihon of Heshbon, the Amorite, over to you. Fight him, and take possession of his country. ²⁵ Today I will start to make all the people under heaven terrified of you. When they hear about you, they will tremble and shake because of you.”

²⁶ From the desert of Kedemoth, I sent messengers to King Sihon of Heshbon with the following offer of peace: ²⁷ “If you allow us to travel through your country, we’ll go straight through and won’t ever leave the road. ²⁸ We’ll pay you in silver for the food we eat and the water we drink. Please let us go through, ²⁹ as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us. We’ll keep going until we cross the Jordan River into the land the Lord our God is giving us.”

³⁰ But King Sihon of Heshbon wouldn’t allow us to pass through. The Lord your God made him stubborn and overconfident in order to hand him over to you, as he has now done. ³¹ The Lord said to me, “I have begun to give you Sihon and his country. Go ahead! Take possession of his land.”

³² Sihon and all his troops came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz. ³³ The Lord our God gave Sihon to us, and we defeated him, his sons, and all his troops. ³⁴ At that time we captured all his cities and claimed them for God by destroying men, women, and children. There were no survivors. ³⁵ However, we did loot the cities that we captured, taking the cattle and goods. ³⁶ From Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley and the city in that valley as far as Gilead, no city had walls that could keep us out. The Lord our God gave us all of them. ³⁷ But the Lord our God had forbidden you to go anywhere near the land of the Ammonites. So you didn’t enter the land along the bank of the Jabbok River or capture the cities in the mountains.

Moses Reminds Israel of How They Defeated King Og of Bashan

3 Next we turned and followed the road that goes to Bashan. King Og of Bashan and all his troops came to fight us at Edrei. ² The Lord said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him. I’ll hand him, all his troops, and his land over to you. Do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.”

³ So the Lord our God also handed King Og of Bashan and all his troops over to us. We defeated him, leaving no survivors. ⁴ At that time we captured all of his cities. There wasn’t a city we didn’t take. We captured a total of 60 cities—the whole territory of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. ⁵ All of these cities were fortified with high walls and double-door gates with bars across the gates. We also captured a large number of unwalled villages. ⁶ We claimed them all for God, destroying every city, including men, women, and children—as we did to King Sihon of Heshbon. ⁷ However, we did loot the cities, taking all of the cattle and goods.

⁸ We took the land of the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon. ⁹ (The Sidonians call Mount Hermon by the name Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.) ¹⁰ We took all of the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of Og’s kingdom in Bashan. ¹¹ (Of the Rephaim only King Og of Bashan was left. His bed was made of iron and was more than 13 feet long and 6 feet wide. It is still in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)

¹² At that time we took possession of this land. I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad the land north of Aroer near the Arnon Valley and half of the mountain region of Gilead with its cities. ¹³ I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan ruled by Og to half of the tribe of Manasseh. (The whole territory of Argob in Bashan used to be called the land of the Rephaim. ¹⁴ Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole territory of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites. The settlements in Bashan he named Havvoth Jair after himself. This is still their name today.) ¹⁵ I gave Gilead to Machir. ¹⁶ I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad some of Gilead from the Arnon Valley (the middle of the valley is the border) to the Jabbok River, which is the border of Ammon. ¹⁷ Their land included the plains around the Jordan River. The western border was the river, from the Sea of Galilee to the Sea of the Plains (the Dead Sea), which is near Mount Pisgah on the east.

¹⁸ I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh this command: “The Lord your God has given you this land so that you can take possession of it. All your soldiers must be ready for battle when they cross ⌞the Jordan River⌟ ahead of the other Israelites. ¹⁹ I know you have a lot of livestock. Your wives, children, and livestock must stay here in the cities that I gave you. ²⁰ Your soldiers will go with the other Israelites until they take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them on the other side of the Jordan River. Then they will have a place to rest as you have. After that each of you may go back to the land I gave you.”

²¹ I also gave Joshua this command: “You have seen with your own eyes everything that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all of the kingdoms on the other side ⌞of the Jordan River⌟ where you’re going. ²² Don’t be afraid of them, because the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

Moses Reminds Israel Why He Will Not Enter Canaan

²³ Then I pleaded with the Lord: ²⁴ “Almighty Lord, you have ⌞only⌟ begun to show me how great and powerful you are. What kind of god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and the mighty acts you have done? ²⁵ Please let me go over and see the beautiful land on the other side of the Jordan River—those beautiful mountains in Lebanon.”

²⁶ The Lord was angry with me because of you, so he wouldn’t listen to me. He said, “That’s enough out of you! Don’t talk to me anymore about this. ²⁷ Go to the top of Mount Pisgah, and look west, north, south, and east. You may look at the land, but you will never cross the Jordan River. ²⁸ Give instructions to Joshua. Encourage and strengthen him, because he will lead these people across ⌞the Jordan River⌟, and he will help them take possession of the land you see.”

²⁹ So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.

Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles^(A)

¹² At that time Jesus went to a mountain to pray. He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

¹³ When it was day, he called his disciples. He chose twelve of them and called them apostles. ¹⁴ They were Simon (whom Jesus named Peter) and Simon’s brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the Zealot), ¹⁶ Judas (son of James), and Judas Iscariot (who became a traitor).

Many People Are Cured^(B)

¹⁷ Jesus came down from the mountain with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples and many other people were there. They had come from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸ They wanted to hear him and be cured of their diseases. Those who were tormented by evil spirits were cured. ¹⁹ The entire crowd was trying to touch him because power was coming from him and curing all of them.

Jesus Teaches His Disciples

²⁰ Jesus looked at his disciples and said,

Love Your Enemies^(C)

²⁷ “But I tell everyone who is listening: Love your enemies. Be kind to those who hate you. ²⁸ Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who insult you. ²⁹ If someone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other cheek as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t stop him from taking your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you for something. If someone takes what is yours, don’t insist on getting it back.

³¹ “Do for other people everything you want them to do for you.

³² “If you love those who love you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ If you help those who help you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Sinners do that too. ³⁴ If you lend anything to those from whom you expect to get something back, do you deserve any thanks for that? Sinners also lend to sinners to get back what they lend. ³⁵ Rather, love your enemies, help them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward. You will be the children of the Most High God. After all, he is kind to unthankful and evil people. ³⁶ Be merciful as your Father is merciful.

Stop Judging^(D)

³⁷ “Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and you will receive. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your pocket. The standards you use for others will be applied to you.”

For the choir director; on stringed instruments; a psalm; a song.

The Rights of Women to Inherit Land

36 The heads of the households whose families were descended from Gilead, son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh, (families of Joseph’s descendants) came and spoke to Moses and the leaders of the other Israelite households. ² They said, “Sir, the Lord commanded you to give the Israelites their land by drawing lots. The Lord also commanded you to give the land of our relative Zelophehad to his daughters. ³ Suppose they marry men from the other tribes of Israel. Their land will be taken away from that of our ancestors and added to the land of the tribe they marry into. Then we will have lost part of our land. ⁴ When the Israelites’ jubilee year comes, their land will be added to that of the tribe they married into. Then part of the land of our ancestors’ tribe will be gone.”

⁵ So Moses gave the Israelites a command from the Lord. “The tribe of Joseph’s descendants is right. ⁶ This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they want to, but only within a family of their ancestor’s tribe. ⁷ In this way no land of the Israelites will pass from one tribe to another. Every Israelite must keep the tribal land inherited from his ancestors. ⁸ A woman who inherits land in any of the tribes of Israel may marry a man from any family in her ancestor’s tribe. In this way every Israelite keeps the land inherited from his ancestors. ⁹ No land may pass from one tribe to another. Each Israelite tribe must keep the land it inherits.”

¹⁰ Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹¹ Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah married their cousins on their father’s side of the family. ¹² They married within the families of the descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph. So their land stayed in the tribe of their father’s family.

¹³ These are the commands and rules the Lord gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho.

Moses Speaks to the People 40 Years after Leaving Egypt

1 This is the speech Moses gave in the desert east of the Jordan River, on the plains, near Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and near Laban, Hazeroth, and Di Zahab. He spoke to all the Israelites. ² (It takes 11 days to go from Mount Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir.)

³ On the first day of the eleventh month in the fortieth year ⌞after they had left Egypt⌟, Moses told the Israelites everything the Lord had commanded him to tell them. ⁴ This was after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and ^[a] in Edrei. ⁵ The Israelites were east of the Jordan River in Moab when Moses began to review God’s teachings.

Moses Reminds Israel of the Events at Mount Horeb

This is what he said:

⁶ At Mount Horeb the Lord our God said to us, “You have stayed at this mountain long enough. ⁷ Break camp, and get ready! Go to the mountain region of the Amorites, and go to everyone living on the plains, in the mountains, in the foothills, in the Negev, on the whole Mediterranean coast (the land of the Canaanites), and into Lebanon as far as the Euphrates River. ⁸ I’m giving you this land. Enter, and take possession of the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to you, their descendants.”

⁹ At that time I said to you, “I’m not able to take care of you by myself. ¹⁰ The Lord your God has made your population increase so that you are now as numerous as the stars in the sky. ¹¹ May the Lord God of your ancestors make you a thousand times more numerous, and may he bless you as he has promised. ¹² How can I take care of your problems, your troubles, and your disagreements all by myself? ¹³ From each of your tribes, choose some men who are wise, intelligent, and experienced, and I’ll appoint them to be your leaders.”

¹⁴ You agreed that this was a good idea.

¹⁵ So I took the heads of your tribes who were wise and experienced men and made them officers for each of your tribes. I put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people. ¹⁶ Also at that time I gave these instructions to your judges: “Hear the cases that your people bring. Judge each case fairly, no matter whether it is ⌞a dispute⌟ between two Israelites or ⌞a dispute⌟ between an Israelite and a non-Israelite. ¹⁷ Be impartial in your decisions. Listen to the least important people the same way you listen to the most important people. Never be afraid of anyone, since your decisions come from God. You may bring me any case that’s too hard for you, and I will hear it.” ¹⁸ So I told you how to handle these situations.

Moses Reminds Israel of the Events at Kadesh Barnea

¹⁹ So we left Mount Horeb, as the Lord our God had commanded. We traveled through all that vast and dangerous desert you saw on the way to the mountain region of the Amorites. At last we came to Kadesh Barnea. ²⁰ Then I said to you, “We have come to the mountain region of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. ²¹ The Lord your God is giving you this land. Go ahead! Take possession of it, as the Lord God of your ancestors told you. Don’t be afraid or terrified.”

²² All of you came to me and said, “Let’s send men ahead of us to gather information about the land for us. Have them report to us about the route we should take and the cities we’ll come to.”

²³ It seemed like a good idea to me. So I chose 12 of your men, one from each tribe. ²⁴ They left and went into the mountains. When they came to the Eshcol Valley, they explored it. ²⁵ They took some of the region’s fruit with them and brought it back to us. They reported, “The land that the Lord our God is giving us is good.”

²⁶ But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go. ²⁷ You complained in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us! That’s why he brought us out of Egypt. He wanted to hand us over to the Amorites so that they could destroy us! ²⁸ Where are we going anyway? Our own men have discouraged us by saying, ‘The people there are taller and stronger than we are. The cities are big with sky-high walls! We even saw the people of Anak there.’ ”

²⁹ Then I said to you, “Don’t tremble. Don’t be afraid of them. ³⁰ The Lord your God, who is going ahead of you, will fight for you as you saw him fight for you in Egypt ³¹ and in the desert.” There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as parents carry their children. He carried you wherever you went until you came to this place.

³² In spite of this, you didn’t trust the Lord your God, ³³ who went ahead of you to find places for you to camp. He appeared in a column of fire at night and in a column of smoke during the day to show you which route to take.

³⁴ When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and took this oath: ³⁵ “Not one of these evil people will ever see the good land that I swore to give to your ancestors, ³⁶ except Caleb, son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give the land that he set his feet on to him and his descendants, because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord.”

³⁷ The Lord became angry with me because of you. He said, “You won’t go there either. ³⁸ But your assistant Joshua, son of Nun, will go there. Encourage him, because he will help Israel take possession of the land. ³⁹ Although you thought the little children would be captured in war, your children, who are still too young to know the difference between good and evil, will enter that land. I will give it to them, and they will take possession of it. ⁴⁰ Turn around, go back into the desert, and follow the road that goes to the Red Sea.”

⁴¹ You responded, “We have sinned against the Lord. We’ll go and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us to do.” Each of you armed yourself for war, thinking you could easily invade the mountain region.

⁴² But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Don’t go and fight, because I won’t be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’ ”

⁴³ I told you, but you wouldn’t listen. You defied the Lord’s command and invaded the mountain region. ⁴⁴ The Amorites who lived there came out and attacked you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They defeated you, chasing you from Seir all the way to Hormah. ⁴⁵ When you came back, you cried to the Lord, but the Lord didn’t listen to you or hear you. ⁴⁶ That’s why you stayed in Kadesh as long as you did.

²⁹ Levi held a large reception at his home for Jesus. A huge crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

³⁰ The Pharisees and their experts in Moses’ Teachings complained to Jesus’ disciples. They asked, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do. ³² I’ve come to call sinners to change the way they think and act, not to call people who think they have God’s approval.”

Jesus Is Questioned about Fasting^(A)

³³ They said to him, “John’s disciples frequently fast and say prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. But your disciples eat and drink.”

³⁴ Jesus asked them, “Can you force wedding guests to fast while the groom is still with them? ³⁵ The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. At that time they will fast.”

³⁶ He also used these illustrations: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new coat to patch an old coat. Otherwise, the new cloth will tear the old. Besides, the patch from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the new wine will make the skins burst. The wine will run out, and the skins will be ruined. ³⁸ Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins.

³⁹ “No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine. He says, ‘The old wine is better!’ ”

Jesus Has Authority over the Day of Rest—a Holy Day^(B)

6 Once, on a day of rest—a holy day, Jesus was walking through some grainfields. His disciples were picking the heads of grain, removing the husks, and eating the grain.

² Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are your disciples doing something that is not right to do on the day of rest—a holy day?”

³ Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men were hungry? ⁴ Haven’t you read how he went into the house of God, ate the bread of the presence, and gave some of it to the men who were with him? He had no right to eat those loaves. Only the priests have that right.”

⁵ Then he added, “The Son of Man has authority over the day of rest—a holy day.”

Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest—a Holy Day^(C)

⁶ On another day of rest—a holy day, Jesus went into a synagogue to teach. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there. ⁷ The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely. They wanted to see whether he would heal the man on the day of rest—a holy day, so that they could find a way to accuse him of doing something wrong.

⁸ But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Get up, and stand in the center ⌞of the synagogue⌟!” The man got up and stood there. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you—what is the right thing to do on a day of rest—a holy day: to do good or evil, to give a person his health or to destroy it?” ¹⁰ He looked around at all of them and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did so, and his hand became normal again.

¹¹ The experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees were furious and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus.

For the choir director; a song; a psalm.