The Tabernacle Erected

40 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “On the (A)first day of the first month you shall (B)erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall (C)screen the ark with the veil. And (D)you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and (E)you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. (F)And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. (G)You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, (H)and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.

“Then you shall take the (I)anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint (J)the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, (K)so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 (L)Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 (M)and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a (N)perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”

16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.

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Setting Up the Tabernacle

40 Then the Lord said to Moses: “Set up(A) the tabernacle, the tent of meeting,(B) on the first day of the first month.(C) Place the ark(D) of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table(E) and set out what belongs on it.(F) Then bring in the lampstand(G) and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar(H) of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

“Place the altar(I) of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; place the basin(J) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. Set up the courtyard(K) around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

“Take the anointing oil and anoint(L) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings,(M) and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate(N) the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting(O) and wash them with water.(P) 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments,(Q) anoint him and consecrate(R) him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.(S) 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.(T) 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded(U) him.

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The Queen of Sheba

10 (A)Now when (B)the queen of (C)Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came (D)to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels (E)bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.

And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. (F)Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! (G)Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! (H)Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, (I)that you may execute justice and righteousness.” 10 (J)Then she gave the king 120 talents[a] of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 Moreover, (K)the fleet of Hiram, which brought (L)gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones. 12 And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.

13 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.

Solomon's Great Wealth

14 (M)Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 15 besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels[b] of gold went into each shield. 17 And he made 300 (N)shields of beaten gold; three minas[c] of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in (O)the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and the throne had a round top,[d] and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, 20 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom. 21 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of (P)the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had (Q)a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[e]

23 (R)Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 25 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh,[f] spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

26 (S)And Solomon gathered together (T)chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the (U)chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as (V)the sycamore of the Shephelah. 28 And Solomon's (W)import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders received them from Kue at a price. 29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150, and so through the king's traders they were exported to all the kings of (X)the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:10 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  2. 1 Kings 10:16 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  3. 1 Kings 10:17 A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram
  4. 1 Kings 10:19 Or and at the back of the throne was a calf's head
  5. 1 Kings 10:22 Or baboons
  6. 1 Kings 10:25 Or armor

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(A)

10 When the queen of Sheba(B) heard about the fame(C) of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.(D) Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan(E)—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table,(F) the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe(G) these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth(H) you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear(I) your wisdom! Praise(J) be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love(K) for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice(L) and righteousness.”

10 And she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold,(M) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 (Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir;(N) and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood[c] and precious stones. 12 The king used the almugwood to make supports[d] for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.)

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

Solomon’s Splendor(O)

14 The weight of the gold(P) that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,[e] 15 not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories.

16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields(Q) of hammered gold; six hundred shekels[f] of gold went into each shield. 17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas[g] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.(R)

18 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 21 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.(S) Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days. 22 The king had a fleet of trading ships[h](T) at sea along with the ships(U) of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

23 King Solomon was greater in riches(V) and wisdom(W) than all the other kings of the earth. 24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom(X) God had put in his heart. 25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift(Y)—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses;(Z) he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common(AA) in Jerusalem as stones,(AB) and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig(AC) trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue[j]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. 29 They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.[k] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites(AD) and of the Arameans.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:5 Or the ascent by which he went up to
  2. 1 Kings 10:10 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
  3. 1 Kings 10:11 Probably a variant of algumwood; also in verse 12
  4. 1 Kings 10:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. 1 Kings 10:14 That is, about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons
  6. 1 Kings 10:16 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms; also in verse 29
  7. 1 Kings 10:17 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms; or perhaps reference is to double minas, that is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms.
  8. 1 Kings 10:22 Hebrew of ships of Tarshish
  9. 1 Kings 10:26 Or charioteers
  10. 1 Kings 10:28 Probably Cilicia
  11. 1 Kings 10:29 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms

28 “A voice! They (A)flee and escape from the land of Babylon, (B)to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, vengeance for (C)his temple.

29 (D)“Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. (E)Encamp around her; let no one escape. (F)Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done. For she has (G)proudly defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 30 (H)Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed on that day, declares the Lord.

31 “Behold, I am against you, O (I)proud one,
    declares the Lord God of hosts,
(J)for your day has come,
    the time when I will punish you.
32 (K)The proud one shall stumble and fall,
    with none to raise him up,
(L)and I will kindle a fire in his cities,
    and it will devour all that is around him.

33 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: (M)The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah with them. All who took them captive have held them fast; (N)they refuse to let them go. 34 (O)Their Redeemer is strong; (P)the Lord of hosts is his name. (Q)He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.

35 “A sword against the Chaldeans, declares the Lord,
    and against the inhabitants of Babylon,
    and against (R)her officials and her (S)wise men!
36 A sword against the diviners,
    that they may become fools!
A sword against her (T)warriors,
    that they may be destroyed!
37 A sword against her horses and against her chariots,
    and against all (U)the foreign troops in her midst,
    that (V)they may become women!
(W)A sword against all her treasures,
    that they may be plundered!
38 (X)A drought against her waters,
    that they may be dried up!
(Y)For it is a land of images,
    and they are mad over idols.

39 (Z)“Therefore wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon,[a] and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations. 40 (AA)As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, declares the Lord, (AB)so no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn in her.

41 (AC)“Behold, a people comes from the north;
    a mighty nation and many kings
    are stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.
42 They lay hold of bow and spear;
    they are cruel and have no mercy.
The sound of them is like the roaring of the sea;
    they ride on horses,
arrayed as a man for battle
    against you, O daughter of Babylon!

43 “The king of Babylon heard the report of them,
    and his hands fell helpless;
anguish seized him,
    pain as of a woman in labor.

44 (AD)“Behold, like a lion coming up from the thicket of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make them run away from her, and I will appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd (AE)can stand before me? 45 Therefore hear (AF)the plan that the Lord has made against Babylon, (AG)and the purposes that he has formed against the land of the Chaldeans: (AH)Surely the little ones of their flock shall be dragged away; surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. 46 (AI)At the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth shall tremble, and her cry shall be heard among the nations.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 50:39 Hebrew lacks in Babylon

28 Listen to the fugitives(A) and refugees from Babylon
    declaring in Zion(B)
how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,(C)
    vengeance for his temple.(D)

29 “Summon archers against Babylon,
    all those who draw the bow.(E)
Encamp all around her;
    let no one escape.(F)
Repay(G) her for her deeds;(H)
    do to her as she has done.
For she has defied(I) the Lord,
    the Holy One(J) of Israel.
30 Therefore, her young men(K) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the Lord.
31 “See, I am against(L) you, you arrogant one,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
“for your day(M) has come,
    the time for you to be punished.
32 The arrogant(N) one will stumble and fall(O)
    and no one will help her up;(P)
I will kindle a fire(Q) in her towns
    that will consume all who are around her.”

33 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“The people of Israel are oppressed,(R)
    and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
    refusing to let them go.(S)
34 Yet their Redeemer(T) is strong;
    the Lord Almighty(U) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause(V)
    so that he may bring rest(W) to their land,
    but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

35 “A sword(X) against the Babylonians!”(Y)
    declares the Lord
“against those who live in Babylon
    and against her officials and wise(Z) men!
36 A sword against her false prophets!
    They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!(AA)
    They will be filled with terror.(AB)
37 A sword against her horses and chariots(AC)
    and all the foreigners in her ranks!
    They will become weaklings.(AD)
A sword against her treasures!(AE)
    They will be plundered.
38 A drought on[a] her waters!(AF)
    They will dry(AG) up.
For it is a land of idols,(AH)
    idols that will go mad with terror.

39 “So desert creatures(AI) and hyenas will live there,
    and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
    or lived in from generation to generation.(AJ)
40 As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah(AK)
    along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell in it.(AL)

41 “Look! An army is coming from the north;(AM)
    a great nation and many kings
    are being stirred(AN) up from the ends of the earth.(AO)
42 They are armed with bows(AP) and spears;
    they are cruel(AQ) and without mercy.(AR)
They sound like the roaring sea(AS)
    as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Babylon.(AT)
43 The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
    and his hands hang limp.(AU)
Anguish has gripped him,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(AV)
44 Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets(AW)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen(AX) one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?(AY)
    And what shepherd can stand against me?”

45 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,
    what he has purposed(AZ) against the land of the Babylonians:(BA)
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
46 At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;(BB)
    its cry(BC) will resound among the nations.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 50:38 Or A sword against

God Will Judge with Equity

To the choirmaster: according to (A)Do Not Destroy. (B)A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

75 We give thanks to you, O God;
    we give thanks, for your name is (C)near.
We[a] recount your wondrous deeds.

“At (D)the set time that I appoint
    I will judge (E)with equity.
When the earth (F)totters, and all its inhabitants,
    it is I who keep steady its (G)pillars. Selah
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
    and to the wicked, (H)‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
    or speak with haughty neck.’”

For not from the east or from the west
    and not from the wilderness comes (I)lifting up,
but it is (J)God who executes judgment,
    (K)putting down one and lifting up another.
(L)For in the hand of the Lord there is (M)a cup
    with foaming wine, (N)well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
    and all the wicked of the earth
    shall (O)drain it down to the dregs.

But I will declare it forever;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 (P)All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
    (Q)but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 75:1 Hebrew They

Psalm 75[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.

We praise you, God,
    we praise you, for your Name is near;(A)
    people tell of your wonderful deeds.(B)

You say, “I choose the appointed time;(C)
    it is I who judge with equity.(D)
When the earth and all its people quake,(E)
    it is I who hold its pillars(F) firm.[b]
To the arrogant(G) I say, ‘Boast no more,’(H)
    and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.[c](I)
Do not lift your horns against heaven;
    do not speak so defiantly.(J)’”

No one from the east or the west
    or from the desert can exalt themselves.
It is God who judges:(K)
    He brings one down, he exalts another.(L)
In the hand of the Lord is a cup
    full of foaming wine mixed(M) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
    drink it down to its very dregs.(N)

As for me, I will declare(O) this forever;
    I will sing(P) praise to the God of Jacob,(Q)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
    but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 75:1 In Hebrew texts 75:1-10 is numbered 75:2-11.
  2. Psalm 75:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 75:4 Horns here symbolize strength; also in verses 5 and 10.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, (A)the Son of God.[a]

(B)As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,[b]

(C)“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
(D)the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    (E)‘Prepare[c] the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

(F)John appeared, baptizing in (G)the wilderness and proclaiming (H)a baptism of (I)repentance (J)for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, (K)confessing their sins. Now John was (L)clothed with camel's hair and (M)wore a leather belt around his waist and ate (N)locusts and (O)wild honey. And he preached, saying, (P)“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. (Q)I have baptized you with water, but (R)he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

(S)In those days Jesus (T)came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he (U)saw (V)the heavens being torn open (W)and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And (X)a voice came from heaven, (Y)“You are my beloved Son;[d] with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

12 (Z)The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 (AA)And he was in the wilderness forty days, being (AB)tempted by (AC)Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and (AD)the angels were ministering to him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 (AE)Now after John was arrested, Jesus (AF)came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 1:1 Some manuscripts omit the Son of God
  2. Mark 1:2 Some manuscripts in the prophets
  3. Mark 1:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness
  4. Mark 1:11 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved

John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b](B) as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”[c](C)
“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[d](D)

And so John the Baptist(E) appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance(F) for the forgiveness of sins.(G) The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist,(H) and he ate locusts(I) and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.(J) I baptize you with[e] water, but he will baptize you with[f] the Holy Spirit.”(K)

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus(L)(M)

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth(N) in Galilee and was baptized by John(O) in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.(P) 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,(Q) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”(R)

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days,(S) being tempted[g] by Satan.(T) He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus Announces the Good News(U)

14 After John(V) was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,(W) proclaiming the good news of God.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 1:1 Or Jesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean Anointed One.
  2. Mark 1:1 Some manuscripts do not have the Son of God.
  3. Mark 1:2 Mal. 3:1
  4. Mark 1:3 Isaiah 40:3
  5. Mark 1:8 Or in
  6. Mark 1:8 Or in
  7. Mark 1:13 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.

The Ministry of Apostles

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and (A)stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. (B)For I am not aware of anything against myself, (C)but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore (D)do not pronounce judgment before the time, (E)before the Lord comes, (F)who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. (G)Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,[a] that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may (H)be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? (I)What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, (J)like men sentenced to death, because we (K)have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 (L)We are fools for Christ's sake, but (M)you are wise in Christ. (N)We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour (O)we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and (P)buffeted and (Q)homeless, 12 and we (R)labor, working with our own hands. (S)When reviled, we bless; (T)when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. (U)We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, (V)the refuse of all things.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 4:6 Or brothers and sisters

The Nature of True Apostleship

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants(A) of Christ and as those entrusted(B) with the mysteries(C) God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience(D) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.(E) It is the Lord who judges me.(F) Therefore judge nothing(G) before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.(H) He will bring to light(I) what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.(J)

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”(K) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.(L) For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?(M) And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!(N) You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die(O) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle(P) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ,(Q) but you are so wise in Christ!(R) We are weak, but you are strong!(S) You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.(T) 12 We work hard with our own hands.(U) When we are cursed, we bless;(V) when we are persecuted,(W) we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage(X) of the world—right up to this moment.

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