²⁶ From the Desert of Kedemoth^(A) I sent messengers to Sihon^(B) king of Heshbon offering peace^(C) and saying, ²⁷ “Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left.^{(D) 28} Sell us food to eat^(E) and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot^(F)— ²⁹ as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us—until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.” ³⁰ But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord^(G) your God had made his spirit stubborn^(H) and his heart obstinate^(I) in order to give him into your hands,^(J) as he has now done.

³¹ The Lord said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”^(K)

³² When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle^(L) at Jahaz, ³³ the Lord our God delivered^(M) him over to us and we struck him down,^(N) together with his sons and his whole army. ³⁴ At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed^[a](O) them—men, women and children. We left no survivors. ³⁵ But the livestock^(P) and the plunder^(Q) from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. ³⁶ From Aroer^(R) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead,^(S) not one town was too strong for us. The Lord our God gave^(T) us all of them. ³⁷ But in accordance with the command of the Lord our God,^(U) you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites,^(V) neither the land along the course of the Jabbok^(W) nor that around the towns in the hills.

²⁰ Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the Lord. ²¹ They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats^(A) as a sin offering^[a](B) for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the Lord. ²² So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it against the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and splashed their blood against the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and splashed their blood^(C) against the altar. ²³ The goats^(D) for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands^(E) on them. ²⁴ The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone^(F) for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.^(G)

²⁵ He stationed the Levites in the temple of the Lord with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David^(H) and Gad^(I) the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the Lord through his prophets. ²⁶ So the Levites stood ready with David’s instruments,^(J) and the priests with their trumpets.^(K)

²⁷ Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the Lord began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments^(L) of David king of Israel. ²⁸ The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering^(M) was completed.

²⁹ When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped.^{(N) 30} King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.

³¹ Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices^(O) and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing^(P) brought burnt offerings.

³² The number of burnt offerings^(Q) the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred male lambs—all of them for burnt offerings to the Lord. ³³ The animals consecrated as sacrifices amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats. ³⁴ The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings;^(R) so their relatives the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated,^(S) for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. ³⁵ There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat^(T) of the fellowship offerings^(U) and the drink offerings^(V) that accompanied the burnt offerings.

So the service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished. ³⁶ Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.^(W)

An Army of Locusts

Rend Your Heart

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

³³ Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time,^(A) and then I am going to the one who sent me.^{(B) 34} You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”^(C)

³⁵ The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered^(D) among the Greeks,^(E) and teach the Greeks? ³⁶ What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”^(F)

³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival,^(G) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.^{(H) 38} Whoever believes^(I) in me, as Scripture has said,^(J) rivers of living water^(K) will flow from within them.”^{[a](L) 39} By this he meant the Spirit,^(M) whom those who believed in him were later to receive.^(N) Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.^(O)

⁴⁰ On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”^(P)

⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?^{(Q) 42} Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants^(R) and from Bethlehem,^(S) the town where David lived?” ⁴³ Thus the people were divided^(T) because of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.^(U)

Instructions on Worship

2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,^(A) intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority,^(B) that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness^(C) and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases^(D) God our Savior,^{(E) 4} who wants^(F) all people^(G) to be saved^(H) and to come to a knowledge of the truth.^{(I) 5} For there is one God^(J) and one mediator^(K) between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,^{(L) 6} who gave himself as a ransom^(M) for all people. This has now been witnessed to^(N) at the proper time.^{(O) 7} And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying^(P)—and a true and faithful teacher^(Q) of the Gentiles.^(R)

⁸ Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands^(S) without anger or disputing. ⁹ I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,^{(T) 10} but with good deeds,^(U) appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

¹¹ A woman^[a] should learn in quietness and full submission.^{(V) 12} I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;^[b] she must be quiet.^{(W) 13} For Adam was formed first, then Eve.^{(X) 14} And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.^{(Y) 15} But women^[c] will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love^(Z) and holiness with propriety.