For I desire (A)mercy[a] and (B)not sacrifice,
And the (C)knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:6 Or faithfulness or loyalty

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,(A)
    and acknowledgment(B) of God rather than burnt offerings.(C)

Read full chapter

22 So Samuel said:

(A)“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, (B)to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of [a]witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
(C)He also has rejected you from being king.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 15:23 divination

22 But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,(A)
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,(B)
    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected(C) the word of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”

Read full chapter

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I (A)anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! (B)Why have you (C)despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? (D)You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, (E)the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will (F)take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, (G)but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ”

13 (H)So David said to Nathan, (I)“I have sinned against the Lord.”

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has (J)put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord (K)to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” 15 Then Nathan departed to his house.

The Death of David’s Son

And the (L)Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill.

Read full chapter

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!(A) This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed(B) you(C) king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you,(D) and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise(E) the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down(F) Uriah(G) the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed(H) him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword(I) will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household(J) I am going to bring calamity on you.(K) Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.(L) 12 You did it in secret,(M) but I will do this thing in broad daylight(N) before all Israel.’”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned(O) against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away(P) your sin.(Q) You are not going to die.(R) 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the Lord,(S) the son born to you will die.”

15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck(T) the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 12:14 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text for the enemies of

Lying to the Holy Spirit

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (A)But Peter said, “Ananias, why has (B)Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Then Ananias, hearing these words, (C)fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and (D)wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”

She said, “Yes, for so much.”

Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together (E)to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 (F)Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 (G)So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

Read full chapter

Ananias and Sapphira

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself,(A) but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.(B)

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan(C) has so filled your heart(D) that you have lied to the Holy Spirit(E) and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?(F) Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?(G) What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”(H)

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.(I) And great fear(J) seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body,(K) and carried him out and buried him.

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”(L)

Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?(M) Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died.(N) Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.(O) 11 Great fear(P) seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Read full chapter

The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of (A)prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, (B)so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And (C)though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:3 NU so I may boast

13 If I speak in the tongues[a](A) of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy(B) and can fathom all mysteries(C) and all knowledge,(D) and if I have a faith(E) that can move mountains,(F) but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor(G) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b](H) but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames

With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
(A)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand (B)rivers of oil?
(C)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
[a]The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has (D)shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But (E)to do justly,
To love [b]mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:7 My own child
  2. Micah 6:8 Or lovingkindness

With what shall I come before(A) the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?(B)
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(C)
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(D)
Shall I offer my firstborn(E) for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(F)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(G) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a](H) with your God.(I)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:8 Or prudently