²³ At that time I pleaded^(A) with the Lord: ²⁴ “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness^(B) and your strong hand. For what god^(C) is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works^(D) you do?^{(E) 25} Let me go over and see the good land^(F) beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.^(G)”

²⁶ But because of you the Lord was angry^(H) with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. ²⁷ Go up to the top of Pisgah^(I) and look west and north and south and east.^(J) Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross^(K) this Jordan.^{(L) 28} But commission^(M) Joshua, and encourage^(N) and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across^(O) and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” ²⁹ So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.^(P)

31 When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down^(A) the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.

Contributions for Worship^(B)

² Hezekiah^(C) assigned the priests and Levites to divisions^(D)—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister,^(E) to give thanks and to sing praises^(F) at the gates of the Lord’s dwelling.^{(G) 3} The king contributed^(H) from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals as written in the Law of the Lord.^{(I) 4} He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion^(J) due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. ⁵ As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits^(K) of their grain, new wine,^(L) olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. ⁶ The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe^(M) of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps.^{(N) 7} They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.^{(O) 8} When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed^(P) his people Israel.

⁹ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; ¹⁰ and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok,^(Q) answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”^(R)

¹¹ Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done. ¹² Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Konaniah,^(S) a Levite, was the overseer in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank. ¹³ Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad,^(T) Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were assistants of Konaniah and Shimei his brother. All these served by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God.

¹⁴ Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the Lord and also the consecrated gifts. ¹⁵ Eden,^(U) Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns^(V) of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike.

¹⁶ In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records^(W)—all who would enter the temple of the Lord to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. ¹⁷ And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. ¹⁸ They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.

¹⁹ As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farmlands around their towns or in any other towns,^(X) men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites.

²⁰ This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful^(Y) before the Lord his God. ²¹ In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.^(Z)

The Nations Judged

⁴ “Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon^(I) and all you regions of Philistia?^(J) Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.^{(K) 5} For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.^{[c](L) 6} You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,^(M) that you might send them far from their homeland.

⁷ “See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,^(N) and I will return^(O) on your own heads what you have done. ⁸ I will sell your sons^(P) and daughters to the people of Judah,^(Q) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,^(R) a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.^(S)

Blessings for God’s People

8 ¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.^(A)

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.^{(B) 3} The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.^(C) Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap,^(D) in order to have a basis for accusing him.^(E)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone^(F) at her.”^{(G) 8} Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”^(H) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”^(I)

Reasons for Paul’s Instructions

¹⁴ Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, ¹⁵ if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church^(A) of the living God,^(B) the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ Beyond all question, the mystery^(C) from which true godliness^(D) springs is great:

4 The Spirit^(H) clearly says that in later times^(I) some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits^(J) and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.^{(K) 3} They forbid people to marry^(L) and order them to abstain from certain foods,^(M) which God created^(N) to be received with thanksgiving^(O) by those who believe and who know the truth. ⁴ For everything God created is good,^(P) and nothing is to be rejected^(Q) if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ because it is consecrated by the word of God^(R) and prayer.