Idolatry Forbidden

¹⁵ You saw no form^(A) of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb^(B) out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,^{(C) 16} so that you do not become corrupt^(D) and make for yourselves an idol,^(E) an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, ¹⁷ or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,^{(F) 18} or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. ¹⁹ And when you look up to the sky and see the sun,^(G) the moon and the stars^(H)—all the heavenly array^(I)—do not be enticed^(J) into bowing down to them and worshiping^(K) things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. ²⁰ But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace,^(L) out of Egypt,^(M) to be the people of his inheritance,^(N) as you now are.

²¹ The Lord was angry with me^(O) because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. ²² I will die in this land;^(P) I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.^{(Q) 23} Be careful not to forget the covenant^(R) of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol^(S) in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. ²⁴ For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,^(T) a jealous God.^(U)

²⁵ After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt^(V) and make any kind of idol,^(W) doing evil^(X) in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, ²⁶ I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses^(Y) against you^(Z) this day that you will quickly perish^(AA) from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. ²⁷ The Lord will scatter^(AB) you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive^(AC) among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. ²⁸ There you will worship man-made gods^(AD) of wood and stone,^(AE) which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.^{(AF) 29} But if from there you seek^(AG) the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart^(AH) and with all your soul.^{(AI) 30} When you are in distress^(AJ) and all these things have happened to you, then in later days^(AK) you will return^(AL) to the Lord your God and obey him. ³¹ For the Lord your God is a merciful^(AM) God; he will not abandon^(AN) or destroy^(AO) you or forget^(AP) the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

The Lord Is God

³² Ask^(AQ) now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth;^(AR) ask from one end of the heavens to the other.^(AS) Has anything so great^(AT) as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? ³³ Has any other people heard the voice of God^[a] speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?^{(AU) 34} Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation,^(AV) by testings,^(AW) by signs^(AX) and wonders,^(AY) by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,^(AZ) or by great and awesome deeds,^(BA) like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

³⁵ You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.^{(BB) 36} From heaven he made you hear his voice^(BC) to discipline^(BD) you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. ³⁷ Because he loved^(BE) your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength,^{(BF) 38} to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance,^(BG) as it is today.

³⁹ Acknowledge^(BH) and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.^{(BI) 40} Keep^(BJ) his decrees and commands,^(BK) which I am giving you today, so that it may go well^(BL) with you and your children after you and that you may live long^(BM) in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.

²⁰ King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer^(A) to heaven about this. ²¹ And the Lord sent an angel,^(B) who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.^(C)

²² So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them^[a] on every side. ²³ Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts^(D) for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Pride, Success and Death^(E)

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.^{(F) 25} But Hezekiah’s heart was proud^(G) and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath^(H) was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶ Then Hezekiah repented^(I) of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.^(J)

²⁷ Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor,^(K) and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. ²⁸ He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. ²⁹ He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.^(L)

³⁰ It was Hezekiah who blocked^(M) the upper outlet of the Gihon^(N) spring and channeled^(O) the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. ³¹ But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon^(P) to ask him about the miraculous sign^(Q) that had occurred in the land, God left him to test^(R) him and to know everything that was in his heart.

³² The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ³³ Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

⁴ This is what the Lord says:

Judgment on Israel

⁶ This is what the Lord says:

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

²¹ Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die^(A) in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”^(B)

²² This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

²³ But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.^{(C) 24} I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,^(D) you will indeed die in your sins.”

²⁵ “Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶ “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy,^(E) and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”^(F)

²⁷ They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up^[a] the Son of Man,^(G) then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.^{(H) 29} The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,^(I) for I always do what pleases him.”^{(J) 30} Even as he spoke, many believed in him.^(K)

Widows, Elders and Slaves

5 Do not rebuke an older man^(A) harshly,^(B) but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men^(C) as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.^{(D) 4} But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents,^(E) for this is pleasing to God.^{(F) 5} The widow who is really in need^(G) and left all alone puts her hope in God^(H) and continues night and day to pray^(I) and to ask God for help. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.^{(J) 7} Give the people these instructions,^(K) so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸ Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied^(L) the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, ¹⁰ and is well known for her good deeds,^(M) such as bringing up children, showing hospitality,^(N) washing the feet^(O) of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble^(P) and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

¹¹ As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. ¹² Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. ¹³ Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies^(Q) who talk nonsense,^(R) saying things they ought not to. ¹⁴ So I counsel younger widows to marry,^(S) to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.^{(T) 15} Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.^(U)

¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.^(V)