²² These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness;^(A) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets^(B) and gave them to me.

²³ When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders^(C) came to me. ²⁴ And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us^(D) his glory and his majesty,^(E) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.^{(F) 25} But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.^{(G) 26} For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?^{(H) 27} Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.^(I) Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”^(J)

²⁸ The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good.^{(K) 29} Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me^(L) and keep all my commands^(M) always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!^(N)

³⁰ “Go, tell them to return to their tents. ³¹ But you stay here^(O) with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

³² So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you;^(P) do not turn aside to the right or to the left.^{(Q) 33} Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you,^(R) so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days^(S) in the land that you will possess.

Love the Lord Your God

6 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, ² so that you, your children and their children after them may fear^(T) the Lord your God as long as you live^(U) by keeping all his decrees and commands^(V) that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.^{(W) 3} Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey^(X) so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly^(Y) in a land flowing with milk and honey,^(Z) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised^(AA) you.

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[a](AB) 5} Love^(AC) the Lord your God with all your heart^(AD) and with all your soul and with all your strength.^{(AE) 6} These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.^{(AF) 7} Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.^{(AG) 8} Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.^{(AH) 9} Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.^(AI)

²² Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him^[a] went to speak to the prophet^(A) Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath,^[b] the son of Hasrah,^[c] keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

²³ She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ²⁴ ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster^(B) on this place and its people^(C)—all the curses^(D) written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah. ²⁵ Because they have forsaken me^(E) and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all that their hands have made,^[d] my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.’ ²⁶ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: ²⁷ Because your heart was responsive^(F) and you humbled^(G) yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. ²⁸ Now I will gather you to your ancestors,^(H) and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’”^(I)

So they took her answer back to the king.

²⁹ Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰ He went up to the temple of the Lord^(J) with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. ³¹ The king stood by his pillar^(K) and renewed the covenant^(L) in the presence of the Lord—to follow^(M) the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.

³² Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

³³ Josiah removed all the detestable^(N) idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

A Lament and Call to Repentance

5 Hear this word, Israel, this lament^(A) I take up concerning you:

³ This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:

⁴ This is what the Lord says to Israel:

¹⁶ Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:

⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself;^(A) but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”^(B)

⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!^(C) Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham?^(D) He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,^(E) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.^{(F) 55} Though you do not know him,^(G) I know him.^(H) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.^{(I) 56} Your father Abraham^(J) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it^(K) and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born,^(L) I am!”^{(M) 59} At this, they picked up stones to stone him,^(N) but Jesus hid himself,^(O) slipping away from the temple grounds.

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,^(C)

² To Timothy,^(D) my dear son:^(E)

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Thanksgiving

³ I thank God,^(G) whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience,^(H) as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.^{(I) 4} Recalling your tears,^(J) I long to see you,^(K) so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith,^(L) which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice^(M) and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.^{(N) 7} For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,^(O) but gives us power,^(P) love and self-discipline. ⁸ So do not be ashamed^(Q) of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner.^(R) Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel,^(S) by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved^(T) us and called^(U) us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done^(V) but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,