22 ^[a] “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and ^(A)four sheep for a sheep. ^2 [b] If a thief is found ^(B)breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, ³ but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He^[c] shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then ^(C)he shall be sold for his theft. ⁴ If the stolen beast ^(D)is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, ^(E)he shall pay double.

⁵ “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.

⁶ “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.

⁷ “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, ^(F)he shall pay double. ⁸ If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. ⁹ For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.

¹⁰ “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, ^11 (G)an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. ¹² But if ^(H)it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. ¹³ If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn.

¹⁴ “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. ¹⁵ If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.^[d]

²⁵ Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. ^(A)From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. ²⁶ And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he ^(B)cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels^[a] by the king's weight. ²⁷ There were born ^(C)to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

²⁸ So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king's presence. ²⁹ Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come. ³⁰ Then he said to his servants, “See, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.^{[b] 31} Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” ³² Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from ^(D)Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, ^(E)and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’” ³³ Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

⁷ Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. ^8 (A)The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. ^9 (B)As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the ^(C)yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. ¹¹ And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, ^(D)“Thus says the Lord: ^(E)Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of ^(F)all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

¹² Sometime after the prophet ^(G)Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³ “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations ^(H)an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, ^(I)and they shall serve him, ^(J)for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’” ¹⁵ And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, ^(K)the Lord has not sent you, ^(L)and you have made this people trust in a lie. ¹⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, ^(M)because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’”

¹⁷ In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.

Your Throne, O God, Is Forever

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil^[a] of ^(A)the Sons of Korah; a love song.

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

²² And they came ^(A)to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. ²³ And ^(B)he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when ^(C)he had ^(D)spit on his eyes and ^(E)laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” ²⁴ And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” ²⁵ Then Jesus^[a] laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ And he sent him to his home, saying, ^(F)“Do not even enter the village.”

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹ But now ^(A)the righteousness of God ^(B)has been manifested apart from the law, although ^(C)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God ^(D)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. ^(E)For there is no distinction: ²³ for ^(F)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ^24 (G)and are justified ^(H)by his grace as a gift, ^(I)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God ^(J)put forward as ^(K)a propitiation ^(L)by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in ^(M)his divine forbearance he had passed over ^(N)former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

^27 (O)Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith ^(P)apart from works of the law. ²⁹ Or ^(Q)is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since ^(R)God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and ^(S)the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹ Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.