The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

2 The angel of the Lord^(A) went up from Gilgal^(B) to Bokim^(C) and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt^(D) and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors.^(E) I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,^{(F) 2} and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land,^(G) but you shall break down their altars.^(H)’ Yet you have disobeyed^(I) me. Why have you done this? ³ And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you;^(J) they will become traps^(K) for you, and their gods will become snares^(L) to you.’”

⁴ When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud,^{(M) 5} and they called that place Bokim.^[a](N) There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

¹¹ Then the Israelites did evil^(A) in the eyes of the Lord^(B) and served the Baals.^{(C) 12} They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods^(D) of the peoples around them.^(E) They aroused^(F) the Lord’s anger^{(G) 13} because they forsook^(H) him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.^{(I) 14} In his anger^(J) against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands^(K) of raiders who plundered^(L) them. He sold them^(M) into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.^{(N) 15} Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them^(O) to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.^(P)

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges,^[a](Q) who saved^(R) them out of the hands of these raiders. ¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted^(S) themselves to other gods^(T) and worshiped them.^(U) They quickly turned^(V) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.^{(W) 18} Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved^(X) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented^(Y) because of their groaning^(Z) under those who oppressed and afflicted^(AA) them. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt^(AB) than those of their ancestors,^(AC) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.^(AD) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn^(AE) ways.

²⁰ Therefore the Lord was very angry^(AF) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant^(AG) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, ²¹ I will no longer drive out^(AH) before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. ²² I will use them to test^(AI) Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” ²³ The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.^(AJ)

¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.^(A) Keep away from them.^{(B) 18} For such people are not serving our Lord Christ,^(C) but their own appetites.^(D) By smooth talk and flattery they deceive^(E) the minds of naive people. ¹⁹ Everyone has heard^(F) about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.^(G)

²⁰ The God of peace^(H) will soon crush^(I) Satan^(J) under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.^(K)

²¹ Timothy,^(L) my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius,^(M) Jason^(N) and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.^(O)

²² I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³ Gaius,^(P) whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.

Erastus,^(Q) who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. ^[24] [a]

²⁵ Now to him who is able^(R) to establish you in accordance with my gospel,^(S) the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery^(T) hidden for long ages past, ²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings^(U) by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^[b] faith^(V)— ²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.^(W)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

³² As they were going out,^(B) they met a man from Cyrene,^(C) named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{(D) 33} They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).^{(E) 34} There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;^(F) but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^{(G) 36} And sitting down, they kept watch^(H) over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him,^(I) one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads^{(J) 40} and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,^(K) save yourself!^(L) Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”^{(M) 41} In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!^(N) Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe^(O) in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him^(P) now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.