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8 But God remembered^(A) Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth,^(B) and the waters receded. ² Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens^(C) had been closed, and the rain^(D) had stopped falling from the sky. ³ The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days^(E) the water had gone down, ⁴ and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month^(F) the ark came to rest on the mountains^(G) of Ararat.^{(H) 5} The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.

⁶ After forty days^(I) Noah opened a window he had made in the ark ⁷ and sent out a raven,^(J) and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.^{(K) 8} Then he sent out a dove^(L) to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. ⁹ But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. ¹⁰ He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. ¹¹ When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.^{(M) 12} He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

¹³ By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year,^(N) the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. ¹⁴ By the twenty-seventh day of the second month^(O) the earth was completely dry.

¹⁵ Then God said to Noah, ¹⁶ “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.^{(P) 17} Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”^(Q)

¹⁸ So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.^{(R) 19} All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.

²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to the Lord^(S) and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean^(T) birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings^(U) on it. ²¹ The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma^(V) and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground^(W) because of humans, even though^[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.^(X) And never again will I destroy^(Y) all living creatures,^(Z) as I have done.

God’s Covenant With Noah

9 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.^{(AD) 2} The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.^{(AE) 3} Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you.^(AF) Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.^(AG)

⁴ “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.^{(AH) 5} And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.^(AI) I will demand an accounting from every animal.^(AJ) And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.^(AK)

⁷ As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”^(AN)

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ “I now establish my covenant with you^(AO) and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant^(AP) with you:^(AQ) Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.^(AR)”

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant^(AS) I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:^{(AT) 13} I have set my rainbow^(AU) in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow^(AV) appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant^(AW) between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.^{(AX) 16} Whenever the rainbow^(AY) appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant^(AZ) between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

¹⁷ So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant^(BA) I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

The Sons of Noah

¹⁸ The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth.^(BB) (Ham was the father of Canaan.)^{(BC) 19} These were the three sons of Noah,^(BD) and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.^(BE)

²⁰ Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded^[b] to plant a vineyard. ²¹ When he drank some of its wine,^(BF) he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. ²² Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked^(BG) and told his two brothers outside. ²³ But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

²⁴ When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵ he said,

²⁶ He also said,

²⁸ After the flood Noah lived 350 years. ²⁹ Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.^(BO)

The Table of Nations

10 This is the account^(BP) of Shem, Ham and Japheth,^(BQ) Noah’s sons,^(BR) who themselves had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites^(BS)

The Hamites^(CE)

⁸ Cush was the father^[f] of Nimrod,^(CN) who became a mighty warrior on the earth. ⁹ He was a mighty^(CO) hunter^(CP) before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” ¹⁰ The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon,^(CQ) Uruk,^(CR) Akkad and Kalneh,^(CS) in^[g] Shinar.^{[h](CT) 11} From that land he went to Assyria,^(CU) where he built Nineveh,^(CV) Rehoboth Ir,^[i] Calah ¹² and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

Later the Canaanite^(DI) clans scattered ¹⁹ and the borders of Canaan^(DJ) reached from Sidon^(DK) toward Gerar^(DL) as far as Gaza,^(DM) and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim,^(DN) as far as Lasha.

²⁰ These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

The Semites^(DO)

²¹ Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was^[k] Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.^(DP)

³⁰ The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.

³¹ These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

³² These are the clans of Noah’s sons,^(DZ) according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth^(EA) after the flood.

Jesus Begins to Preach

¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,^(A) he withdrew to Galilee.^{(B) 13} Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,^(C) which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴ to fulfill^(D) what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven^(F) has come near.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples^(G)

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,^(H) he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter^(I) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,”^(J) Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.^(K)

²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.^(L) They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.^(M)

Jesus Heals the Sick

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee,^(N) teaching in their synagogues,^(O) proclaiming the good news^(P) of the kingdom,^(Q) and healing every disease and sickness among the people.^{(R) 24} News about him spread all over Syria,^(S) and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,^(T) those having seizures,^(U) and the paralyzed;^(V) and he healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,^[b] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.^(W)

Psalm 4^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

Wisdom’s Rebuke

From Adam to Noah

5 This is the written account^(A) of Adam’s family line.^(B)

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.^{(C) 2} He created them^(D) male and female^(E) and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”^[a] when they were created.

³ When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image;^(F) and he named him Seth.^{(G) 4} After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁵ Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.^(H)

⁶ When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father^[b] of Enosh.^{(I) 7} After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁸ Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

⁹ When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.^{(J) 10} After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹¹ Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

¹² When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.^{(K) 13} After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

¹⁵ When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared.^{(L) 16} After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

¹⁸ When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.^{(M) 19} After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰ Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.^{(N) 22} After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God^(O) 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God;^(P) then he was no more, because God took him away.^(Q)

²⁵ When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech.^{(R) 26} After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁷ Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

²⁸ When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. ²⁹ He named him Noah^[c](S) and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.^(T)” ³⁰ After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. ³¹ Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

³² After Noah was 500 years old,^(U) he became the father of Shem,^(V) Ham and Japheth.^(W)

Wickedness in the World

6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth^(X) and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God^(Y) saw that the daughters^(Z) of humans were beautiful,^(AA) and they married^(AB) any of them they chose. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit^(AC) will not contend with^[d] humans forever,^(AD) for they are mortal^[e];^(AE) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

⁴ The Nephilim^(AF) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans^(AG) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.^(AH)

⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,^(AI) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.^{(AJ) 6} The Lord regretted^(AK) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth^(AL) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.^(AM)” ⁸ But Noah^(AN) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.^(AO)

Noah and the Flood

⁹ This is the account^(AP) of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless^(AQ) among the people of his time,^(AR) and he walked faithfully with God.^{(AS) 10} Noah had three sons: Shem,^(AT) Ham and Japheth.^(AU)

¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt^(AV) in God’s sight and was full of violence.^{(AW) 12} God saw how corrupt^(AX) the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.^{(AY) 13} So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy^(AZ) both them and the earth.^{(BA) 14} So make yourself an ark of cypress^[f] wood;^(BB) make rooms in it and coat it with pitch^(BC) inside and out. ¹⁵ This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.^{[g] 16} Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit^[h] high all around.^[i] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. ¹⁷ I am going to bring floodwaters^(BD) on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.^{(BE) 18} But I will establish my covenant with you,^(BF) and you will enter the ark^(BG)—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.^{(BH) 20} Two^(BI) of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind^(BJ) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.^{(BK) 21} You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

²² Noah did everything just as God commanded him.^(BL)

7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family,^(BM) because I have found you righteous^(BN) in this generation. ² Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean^(BO) animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, ³ and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive^(BP) throughout the earth. ⁴ Seven days from now I will send rain^(BQ) on the earth^(BR) for forty days^(BS) and forty nights,^(BT) and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.^(BU)”

⁵ And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.^(BV)

⁶ Noah was six hundred years old^(BW) when the floodwaters came on the earth. ⁷ And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark^(BX) to escape the waters of the flood. ⁸ Pairs of clean and unclean^(BY) animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, ⁹ male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.^{(BZ) 10} And after the seven days^(CA) the floodwaters came on the earth.

¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life,^(CB) on the seventeenth day of the second month^(CC)—on that day all the springs of the great deep^(CD) burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens^(CE) were opened. ¹² And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.^(CF)

¹³ On that very day Noah and his sons,^(CG) Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.^{(CH) 14} They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind,^(CI) everything with wings. ¹⁵ Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.^{(CJ) 16} The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah.^(CK) Then the Lord shut him in.

¹⁷ For forty days^(CL) the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. ¹⁹ They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.^{(CM) 20} The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.^{[j][k] (CN) 21} Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.^{(CO) 22} Everything on dry land that had the breath of life^(CP) in its nostrils died. ²³ Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth.^(CQ) Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.^(CR)

²⁴ The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.^(CS)

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!^(A) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(B) 8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.^{(C) 9} And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(D) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(E)

¹¹ “I baptize you with^[a] water for repentance.^(F) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with^[b] the Holy Spirit^(G) and fire.^{(H) 12} His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^(I)

The Baptism of Jesus^(J)

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.^{(K) 14} But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,^(L) and he saw the Spirit of God^(M) descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven^(N) said, “This is my Son,^(O) whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”^(P)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness^(Q)

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[c](R) by the devil.^{(S) 2} After fasting forty days and forty nights,^(T) he was hungry. ³ The tempter^(U) came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,^(V) tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[d]”^(W)

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city^(X) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,”^(Y) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[f]”^(AA)

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!^(AB) For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[g]”^(AC)

¹¹ Then the devil left him,^(AD) and angels came and attended him.^(AE)

Psalm 3^[a]

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.^(A)

The Fall

3 Now the serpent^(A) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?^(B)”

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,^{(C) 3} but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”^(D)

⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.^{(E) 5} “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,^(F) knowing good and evil.”

⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable^(G) for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,^(H) who was with her, and he ate it.^{(I) 7} Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;^(J) so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.^(K)

⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking^(L) in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid^(M) from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”^(N)

¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid^(O) because I was naked;^(P) so I hid.”

¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked?^(Q) Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?^(R)”

¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me^(S)—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me,^(T) and I ate.”

¹⁴ So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

¹⁶ To the woman he said,

¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’^(AB)

²⁰ Adam^[c] named his wife Eve,^[d](AL) because she would become the mother of all the living.

²¹ The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.^{(AM) 22} And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us,^(AN) knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life^(AO) and eat, and live forever.” ²³ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden^(AP) to work the ground^(AQ) from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side^[e] of the Garden of Eden^(AR) cherubim^(AS) and a flaming sword^(AT) flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.^(AU)

Cain and Abel

4 Adam^[f] made love to his wife^(AV) Eve,^(AW) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.^[g](AX) She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth^[h] a man.” ² Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.^(AY)

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.^{(AZ) 3} In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering^(BA) to the Lord.^{(BB) 4} And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions^(BC) from some of the firstborn of his flock.^(BD) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,^{(BE) 5} but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?^(BF) Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;^(BG) it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.^(BH)”

⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^[i] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^(BI)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”^(BJ)

“I don’t know,^(BK)” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.^{(BL) 11} Now you are under a curse^(BM) and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.^(BN) You will be a restless wanderer^(BO) on the earth.^(BP)”

¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. ¹⁴ Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence;^(BQ) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,^(BR) and whoever finds me will kill me.”^(BS)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Not so^[j]; anyone who kills Cain^(BT) will suffer vengeance^(BU) seven times over.^(BV)” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. ¹⁶ So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence^(BW) and lived in the land of Nod,^[k] east of Eden.^(BX)

¹⁷ Cain made love to his wife,^(BY) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city,^(BZ) and he named it after his son^(CA) Enoch. ¹⁸ To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

¹⁹ Lamech married^(CB) two women,^(CC) one named Adah and the other Zillah. ²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments^(CD) and pipes.^{(CE) 22} Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged^(CF) all kinds of tools out of^[l] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives,

²⁵ Adam made love to his wife^(CK) again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,^[m](CL) saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”^{(CM) 26} Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.^(CN)

At that time people began to call on^[n] the name of the Lord.^(CO)

The Escape to Egypt

¹³ When they had gone, an angel^(A) of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.^(B) “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”^(C)

¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled^(D) what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”^[a](E)

¹⁶ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. ¹⁷ Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:^(F)

The Return to Nazareth

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel^(I) of the Lord appeared in a dream^(J) to Joseph in Egypt ²⁰ and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”^(K)

²¹ So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream,^(L) he withdrew to the district of Galilee,^{(M) 23} and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.^(N) So was fulfilled^(O) what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.^(P)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(Q)

3 In those days John the Baptist^(R) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven^(S) has come near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

⁴ John’s^(U) clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.^(V) His food was locusts^(W) and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized^(X) by him in the Jordan River.

Psalm 2

⁷ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

The Beginning

Adam and Eve

⁴ This is the account^(CR) of the heavens and the earth when they were created,^(CS) when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

⁵ Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth^[b] and no plant had yet sprung up,^(CT) for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth^(CU) and there was no one to work the ground, ⁶ but streams^[c] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. ⁷ Then the Lord God formed^(CV) a man^[d](CW) from the dust^(CX) of the ground^(CY) and breathed into his nostrils the breath^(CZ) of life,^(DA) and the man became a living being.^(DB)

⁸ Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden;^(DC) and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹ The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees^(DD) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life^(DE) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.^(DF)

¹⁰ A river^(DG) watering the garden flowed from Eden;^(DH) from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah,^(DI) where there is gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin^[e](DJ) and onyx are also there.) ¹³ The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.^{[f] 14} The name of the third river is the Tigris;^(DK) it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.^(DL)

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden^(DM) to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;^{(DN) 17} but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,^(DO) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”^(DP)

¹⁸ The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”^(DQ)

¹⁹ Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals^(DR) and all the birds in the sky.^(DS) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called^(DT) each living creature,^(DU) that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam^[g] no suitable helper^(DV) was found. ²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;^(DW) and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs^[h] and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib^[i](DX) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³ The man said,

²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united^(EB) to his wife, and they become one flesh.^(EC)

²⁵ Adam and his wife were both naked,^(ED) and they felt no shame.

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah^(A)(B)(C)

1 This is the genealogy^[a] of Jesus the Messiah^[b] the son of David,^(D) the son of Abraham:^(E)

¹⁷ Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about^[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.^{(S) 19} Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet^[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce^(T) her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel^(U) of the Lord appeared to him in a dream^(V) and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[f](W) because he will save his people from their sins.”^(X)

²² All this took place to fulfill^(Y) what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[g](Z) (which means “God with us”).

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel^(AA) of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.^(AB)

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,^(AC) during the time of King Herod,^(AD) Magi^[h] from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?^(AE) We saw his star^(AF) when it rose and have come to worship him.”

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem^(AG) in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.^(AI) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts^(AJ) of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned^(AK) in a dream^(AL) not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

BOOK I

Psalms 1–41

Psalm 1

Purpose and Theme

1 The proverbs^(A) of Solomon^(B) son of David, king of Israel:^(C)

3 “I will send my messenger,^(A) who will prepare the way before me.^(B) Then suddenly the Lord^(C) you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,^(D) whom you desire,^(E) will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

² But who can endure^(F) the day of his coming?^(G) Who can stand^(H) when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire^(I) or a launderer’s soap.^{(J) 3} He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;^(K) he will purify^(L) the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.^(M) Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,^{(N) 4} and the offerings^(O) of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.^(P)

⁵ “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,^(Q) adulterers^(R) and perjurers,^(S) against those who defraud laborers of their wages,^(T) who oppress the widows^(U) and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners^(V) among you of justice, but do not fear^(W) me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

⁶ “I the Lord do not change.^(X) So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.^{(Y) 7} Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away^(Z) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return^(AA) to me, and I will return to you,”^(AB) says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask,^(AC) ‘How are we to return?’

⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob^(AD) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes^(AE) and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse^(AF)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe^(AG) into the storehouse,^(AH) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates^(AI) of heaven and pour out^(AJ) so much blessing^(AK) that there will not be room enough to store it.^{(AL) 11} I will prevent pests from devouring^(AM) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,^(AN)” says the Lord Almighty. ¹² “Then all the nations will call you blessed,^(AO) for yours will be a delightful land,”^(AP) says the Lord Almighty.^(AQ)

Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God

¹³ “You have spoken arrogantly^(AR) against me,” says the Lord.

“Yet you ask,^(AS) ‘What have we said against you?’

¹⁴ “You have said, ‘It is futile^(AT) to serve^(AU) God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements^(AV) and going about like mourners^(AW) before the Lord Almighty? ¹⁵ But now we call the arrogant^(AX) blessed. Certainly evildoers^(AY) prosper,^(AZ) and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

The Faithful Remnant

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.^(BA) A scroll^(BB) of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared^(BC) the Lord and honored his name.

¹⁷ “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my^(BD) treasured possession.^(BE) I will spare^(BF) them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son^(BG) who serves him. ¹⁸ And you will again see the distinction between the righteous^(BH) and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.^(BI)

Judgment and Covenant Renewal

4 ^[a]“Surely the day is coming;^(BJ) it will burn like a furnace.^(BK) All the arrogant^(BL) and every evildoer will be stubble,^(BM) and the day that is coming will set them on fire,^(BN)” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch^(BO) will be left to them. ² But for you who revere my name,^(BP) the sun of righteousness^(BQ) will rise with healing^(BR) in its rays. And you will go out and frolic^(BS) like well-fed calves. ³ Then you will trample^(BT) on the wicked; they will be ashes^(BU) under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

⁴ “Remember the law^(BV) of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb^(BW) for all Israel.^(BX)

⁵ “See, I will send the prophet Elijah^(BY) to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.^{(BZ) 6} He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,^(CA) and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike^(CB) the land with total destruction.”^(CC)

Eden Restored

22 Then the angel showed me the river^(A) of the water of life,^(B) as clear as crystal,^(C) flowing^(D) from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,^(E) bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.^{(F) 3} No longer will there be any curse.^(G) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.^{(H) 4} They will see his face,^(I) and his name will be on their foreheads.^{(J) 5} There will be no more night.^(K) They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.^(L) And they will reign for ever and ever.^(M)

John and the Angel

⁶ The angel said to me,^(N) “These words are trustworthy and true.^(O) The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,^(P) sent his angel^(Q) to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look, I am coming soon!^(R) Blessed^(S) is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”^(T)

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.^(U) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet^(V) of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.^(W) Worship God!”^(X)

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up^(Y) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,^(Z) because the time is near.^{(AA) 11} Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”^(AB)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹² “Look, I am coming soon!^(AC) My reward is with me,^(AD) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.^{(AE) 13} I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(AF) the First and the Last,^(AG) the Beginning and the End.^(AH)

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes,^(AI) that they may have the right to the tree of life^(AJ) and may go through the gates^(AK) into the city.^{(AL) 15} Outside^(AM) are the dogs,^(AN) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus,^(AO) have sent my angel^(AP) to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches.^(AQ) I am the Root^(AR) and the Offspring of David,^(AS) and the bright Morning Star.”^(AT)

¹⁷ The Spirit^(AU) and the bride^(AV) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.^(AW)

¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:^(AX) If anyone adds anything to them,^(AY) God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.^{(AZ) 19} And if anyone takes words away^(BA) from this scroll of prophecy,^(BB) God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life^(BC) and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things^(BD) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”^(BE)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.^(BF)

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.^(BG) Amen.

Psalm 150

“I Loved Jacob, but Esau I Hated”

1 This is a divine revelation. The Lord spoke his word to Israel through Malachi.

² “I loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How did you love us?’

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “I loved Jacob, ³ but Esau I hated. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the jackals in the desert.

⁴ “The descendants of Esau may say, ‘We have been beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins.’

“Yet, this is what the Lord of Armies says: They may rebuild, but I will tear it down. They will be called ‘the Wicked Land’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is always angry.’ ⁵ You will see these things with your own eyes and say, ‘Even outside the borders of Israel the Lord is great.’

The Priests Offer Unacceptable Sacrifices to the Lord

⁶ “This is what the Lord of Armies says: A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is my respect? You priests despise my name.

“But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’

⁷ “You offer contaminated food on my altar.

“But you ask, ‘Then how have we contaminated you?’

“When you say that the Lord’s table may be despised. ⁸ When you bring a blind animal to sacrifice, isn’t that wrong? When you bring a lame or a sick animal, isn’t that wrong? Try offering it to your governor. Would he accept it from you? Would he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.

⁹ “Now try asking God to be kind to you. This is what you are doing! Will he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.

¹⁰ “I wish one of you would shut the doors to my house so that you could not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I won’t accept your offerings.

¹¹ “From the nations where the sun rises to the nations where the sun sets, my name will be great. Incense and pure offerings will be offered everywhere in my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of Armies. ¹² “But you dishonor it when you say that the Lord’s table may be contaminated and that its food may be despised.

¹³ “You say, ‘Oh what a nuisance it is,’ and you sniff at it in disgust,” says the Lord of Armies. “You bring stolen, lame, and sick animals. When you bring such offerings, should I accept them from you?” asks the Lord.

¹⁴ “Cheaters are under a curse. They have male animals in their flocks that they vow to give as a sacrifice. But they sacrifice second-rate ones to the Lord instead. I am a great king,” says the Lord of Armies. “Among the nations my name is respected.

The Priests Do Not Teach the Lord’s Word Correctly

2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you. ² If you won’t listen and if you won’t consider giving honor to my name,” says the Lord of Armies, “then I’ll send a curse on you, and I’ll curse the blessings you give. Yes, I’ve already cursed them because you don’t carefully consider this.

³ “I’m going to punish your descendants. I’m going to spread excrement on your faces, the excrement from your festival sacrifices. You will be discarded with it. ⁴ Then you will know that I sent you this warning so that my promise^[a] to Levi will continue,” says the Lord of Armies. ⁵ “I promised Levi life and peace. I gave them to him so that he would respect me. He respected me and stood in awe of my name. ⁶ The teaching that came from his mouth was true. Nothing unjust was found on his lips. He lived with me in peace and honesty and turned many people away from sin.

⁷ “A priest’s lips should preserve knowledge. Then, because he is the messenger for the Lord of Armies, people will seek instruction from his mouth.

⁸ “But you have turned from the correct path and caused many to stumble over my teachings. You have corrupted the promise made to Levi,” says the Lord of Armies. ⁹ “So I have made you disgusting, and I have humiliated you in front of all the people, because you have not followed my ways. You have been unfair when applying my teachings.”

The People Break Their Marriage Vows

¹⁰ Don’t all of us have the same father? Hasn’t the same God created us? Why are we unfaithful to each other? And why do we dishonor the promise given to our ancestors? ¹¹ Judah has been unfaithful! A disgusting thing has been done in Israel and Jerusalem. Judah has dishonored the holy place that the Lord loves and has married a woman who worships a foreign god. ¹² May the Lord exclude anyone who does this, whoever he may be. May he exclude them from Jacob’s tents and from bringing offerings to the Lord of Armies.

¹³ Here is another thing you do: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears. You moan and groan because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them from you.

¹⁴ But you ask, “Why aren’t our offerings accepted?” It is because the Lord is a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been unfaithful. Yet, she is your companion, the wife of your marriage vows. ¹⁵ Didn’t God make you one? Your flesh and spirit belong to him. And what does the same God look for but godly descendants? So be careful not to be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.^[b]

¹⁶ “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel. “I hate the person who covers himself with violence,” says the Lord of Armies. “Be careful not to be unfaithful.”

¹⁷ You have tried the patience of the Lord with your words.

But you ask, “How have we tried his patience?”

When you say, “Everyone who does evil is considered good by the Lord. He is pleased with them,” or “Where is the God of justice?”

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. ² Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband. ³ I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “God lives with humans! God will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.”

⁵ The one sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new.” He said, “Write this: ‘These words are faithful and true.’” ⁶ He said to me, “It has happened! I am the A and the Z,^[a] the beginning and the end. I will give a drink from the fountain filled with the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. It won’t cost anything. ⁷ Everyone who wins the victory will inherit these things. I will be their God, and they will be my children. ⁸ But cowardly, unfaithful, and detestable people, murderers, sexual sinners, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselves in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

A New Jerusalem

⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the last seven plagues came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” ¹⁰ He carried me by his power away to a large, high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. ¹¹ It had the glory of God. Its light was like a valuable gem, like gray quartz, as clear as crystal. ¹² It had a large, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates. The names of the 12 tribes of Israel were written on the gates. ¹³ There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had 12 foundations. The 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb were written on them.

¹⁵ The angel who was talking to me had a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶ The city was square. It was as wide as it was long. He measured the city with the stick. It was 12,000 stadia^[b] long. Its length, width, and height were the same. ¹⁷ He measured its wall. According to human measurement, which the angel was using, it was 144 cubits. ^{[c] 18} Its wall was made of gray quartz. The city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city wall were beautifully decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundation was gray quartz, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth red quartz, the seventh yellow quartz, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth green quartz, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ The 12 gates were 12 pearls. Each gate was made of one pearl. The street of the city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.

²² I did not see any temple in it, because the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple. ²³ The city doesn’t need any sun or moon to give it light because the glory of God gave it light. The lamb was its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ Its gates will be open all day. They will never close because there won’t be any night there. ²⁶ They will bring the glory and wealth of the nations into the holy city. ²⁷ Nothing unclean,^[d] no one who does anything detestable, and no liars will ever enter it. Only those whose names are written in the lamb’s Book of Life will enter it.

Psalm 149

A Poem in Hebrew Alphabetical Order

The Lord Will Fight the Nations

14 A day is going to come for the Lord when the loot you have taken will be divided among you. ² I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half of the people in the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people won’t be taken from the city.

³ Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as he does when he fights a battle. ⁴ On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives will be split in two, forming a very large valley from east to west. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half will move toward the south. ⁵ Then you will flee to the valley of my mountains, because this valley between the mountains will go as far as Azel.^[a] You will flee as you did from the earthquake at the time of King Uzziah of Judah. The Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones will be with him.

⁶ On that day there will be neither heat nor freezing cold. ^{[b] 7} There will be one day—a day known to the Lord—with no difference between day and night. It will be light even in the evening.

Living Water from Jerusalem

⁸ On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it to the Dead Sea and the other half to the Mediterranean Sea. It will continue in summer and in winter.

⁹ The Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be the only Lord and his name the only name.

¹⁰ The whole earth will become like the plains from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site, from Benjamin Gate to the place of First Gate, Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. ¹¹ People will live there, and it will never be threatened with destruction. Jerusalem will live securely.

¹² This will be the plague the Lord will use to strike all the people from the nations that have gone to war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot while they are standing on their feet. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

¹³ On that day a large-scale panic from the Lord will spread among them. One person will grab the hand of another, and one will attack the other. ¹⁴ Judah will also fight in Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected, a very large amount of gold, silver, and clothes. ¹⁵ A similar plague will also affect horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all other animals in those camps.

¹⁶ Everyone who is left from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will come every year to worship the king, the Lord of Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths. ¹⁷ If any of the families on the earth won’t go to Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord of Armies, then rain won’t fall on them. ¹⁸ If the people of Egypt won’t go or enter Jerusalem, then rain won’t fall on them. The plague the Lord uses to strike the nations will affect those who won’t come to celebrate the Festival of Booths. ¹⁹ This will be the punishment for Egypt’s sin and for the sin of all the nations that won’t go to celebrate the Festival of Booths.

²⁰ On that day “Holy to the Lord” will be written on the bells of the horses. And the cooking pots in the house of the Lord will be like the bowls in front of the altar. ²¹ Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of Armies. All who come to sacrifice will take some of them and cook in them. On that day there will no longer be any Canaanite^[c] in the house of the Lord of Armies.

An Angel Overpowers the Devil

20 I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the bottomless pit and a large chain in his hand. ² He overpowered the serpent, that ancient snake, named Devil and Satan. The angel chained up the serpent for 1,000 years. ³ He threw it into the bottomless pit. The angel shut and sealed the pit over the serpent to keep it from deceiving the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were over. After that it must be set free for a little while.

⁴ I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were allowed to judge. Then I saw the souls of those whose heads had been cut off because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God’s word. They had not worshiped the beast or its statue and were not branded on their foreheads or hands. They lived and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years. ⁵ The rest of the dead did not live until the 1,000 years ended.

This is the first time that people come back to life. ⁶ Blessed and holy are those who are included the first time that people come back to life. The second death has no power over them. They will continue to be priests of God and Christ. They will rule with him for 1,000 years.

The Final Judgment

⁷ When 1,000 years are over, Satan will be freed from his prison. ⁸ He will go out to deceive Gog and Magog, the nations in the four corners of the earth, and gather them for war. They will be as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. ⁹ I saw that they spread over the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s holy people and the beloved city. Fire came from heaven and burned them up. ¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were also thrown. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.

¹¹ I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, but no place was found for them. ¹² I saw the dead, both important and unimportant people, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, including the Book of Life. The dead were judged on the basis of what they had done, as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up its dead. Death and hell gave up their dead. People were judged based on what they had done. ¹⁴ Death and hell were thrown into the fiery lake. (The fiery lake is the second death.) ¹⁵ Those whose names were not found in the Book of Life were thrown into the fiery lake.

Psalm 148