¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the ^(A)fountains of the great deep burst forth, and ^(B)the windows of the heavens were opened. ¹² And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. ¹³ On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, ¹⁴ they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. ¹⁵ They ^(C)went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. ¹⁶ And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in ^(D)as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

¹⁷ The flood ^(E)continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. ¹⁹ And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. ²⁰ The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits^[a] deep. ²¹ And ^(F)all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. ²² Everything on the dry land ^(G)in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. ²³ He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only ^(H)Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. ²⁴ And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

The Gibeonite Deception

9 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan ^(A)in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast ^(B)of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, ^(C)the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, ² they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

³ But when the inhabitants of ^(D)Gibeon heard what Joshua had done ^(E)to Jericho and ^(F)to Ai, ⁴ they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, ⁵ with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. ⁶ And they went to Joshua in ^(G)the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” ⁷ But the men of Israel said to ^(H)the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then ^(I)how can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸ They said to Joshua, ^(J)“We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” ⁹ They said to him, ^(K)“From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. ^(L)For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ^10 (M)and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in ^(N)Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ ¹² Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” ¹⁴ So the men took some of their provisions, but ^(O)did not ask counsel from the Lord. ¹⁵ And Joshua ^(P)made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

¹⁶ At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors ^(Q)and that they lived among them. ¹⁷ And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. ^(R)Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. ¹⁸ But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. ¹⁹ But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. ²⁰ This we will do to them: let them live, lest ^(S)wrath be upon us, ^(T)because of the oath that we swore to them.” ²¹ And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became ^(U)cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders ^(V)had said of them.

²² Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ^(W)‘We are very far from you,’ when ^(X)you dwell among us? ²³ Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, ^(Y)cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” ²⁴ They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had ^(Z)commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so ^(AA)we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. ²⁵ And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” ²⁶ So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. ²⁷ But Joshua made them that day ^(AB)cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, ^(AC)in the place that he should choose.

The Coming Assyrian Invasion

8 Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet ^(A)and write on it in common characters,^[a] ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’^{[b] 2} And ^(B)I will get reliable witnesses, ^(C)Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.”

³ And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, ^(D)“Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; ^4 (E)for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the ^(F)wealth of ^(G)Damascus and the spoil of ^(H)Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

⁵ The Lord spoke to me again: ⁶ “Because this people has refused the waters of ^(I)Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over ^(J)Rezin and the son of Remaliah, ⁷ therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them ^(K)the waters of ^(L)the River,^[c] mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it ^(M)will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, ⁸ and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, ^(N)reaching even to the neck, and its ^(O)outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, ^(P)O Immanuel.”

Fear God, Wait for the Lord

¹¹ For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and ^(T)warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: ¹² “Do not call ^(U)conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and ^(V)do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. ¹³ But the Lord of hosts, ^(W)him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ¹⁴ And he will become a ^(X)sanctuary and ^(Y)a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁵ And many ^(Z)shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, ^(A)but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

^14 (B)“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ^15 (C)Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so ^(D)that^[a] they may see your good works and ^(E)give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

^17 (F)“Do not think that I have come to abolish ^(G)the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but ^(H)to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, ^(I)until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ^19 (J)Therefore whoever relaxes ^(K)one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least ^(L)in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great ^(M)in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds ^(N)that of the scribes and Pharisees, you ^(O)will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

^21 (P)“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ^(Q)‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable ^(R)to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that ^(S)everyone who is angry with his brother^[b] will be liable ^(T)to judgment; whoever insults^[c] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to ^(U)the hell^[d] of fire. ^23 (V)So if ^(W)you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ^25 (X)Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, ^(Y)you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.^[e]

^11 (A)This Jesus^[a] is the stone that was ^(B)rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.^{[b] 12} And there is ^(C)salvation ^(D)in no one else, for ^(E)there is no other ^(F)name under heaven given among men^[c] by which we must be saved.”

^13 (G)Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But seeing the man who was healed ^(H)standing beside them, ^(I)they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, ¹⁶ saying, ^(J)“What shall we do with these men? For that ^(K)a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them ^(L)to speak no more to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, ^(M)“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, ²⁰ for ^(N)we cannot but speak of what ^(O)we have seen and heard.” ²¹ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, ^(P)because of the people, for all were praising God ^(Q)for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.