Various Laws

19 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel^(A) and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God,^(B) am holy.^(C)

³ “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father,^(D) and you must observe my Sabbaths.^(E) I am the Lord your God.^(F)

⁴ “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves.^(G) I am the Lord your God.^(H)

⁵ “‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. ⁶ It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.^{(I) 7} If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted.^{(J) 8} Whoever eats it will be held responsible^(K) because they have desecrated what is holy^(L) to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people.^(M)

⁹ “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges^(N) of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.^{(O) 10} Do not go over your vineyard a second time^(P) or pick up the grapes that have fallen.^(Q) Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.^(R) I am the Lord your God.

¹¹ “‘Do not steal.^(S)

“‘Do not lie.^(T)

“‘Do not deceive one another.^(U)

¹² “‘Do not swear falsely^(V) by my name^(W) and so profane^(X) the name of your God. I am the Lord.

¹³ “‘Do not defraud or rob^(Y) your neighbor.^(Z)

“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker^(AA) overnight.^(AB)

¹⁴ “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,^(AC) but fear your God.^(AD) I am the Lord.

Ahab’s Family Killed

10 Now there were in Samaria^(A) seventy sons^(B) of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel,^[a](C) to the elders and to the guardians^(D) of Ahab’s children. He said, ² “You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, ³ choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”

⁴ But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”

⁵ So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants^(E) and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”

⁶ Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. ⁷ When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy^(F) of them. They put their heads^(G) in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. ⁸ When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”

Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

⁹ The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? ¹⁰ Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced^(H) through his servant Elijah.”^{(I) 11} So Jehu^(J) killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.^(K)

¹² Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, ¹³ he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah,^(L) and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.^(M)”

¹⁴ “Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.^(N)

¹⁵ After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab^(O) son of Rekab,^(P) who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”

“I am,” Jehonadab answered.

“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.”^(Q) So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. ¹⁶ Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal^(R) for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.

¹⁷ When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family;^(S) he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.

Idolaters Condemned

14 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.^{(A) 2} Then the word of the Lord came to me: ³ “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts^(B) and put wicked stumbling blocks^(C) before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?^{(D) 4} Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. ⁵ I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted^(E) me for their idols.’^(F)

⁶ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent!^(G) Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!^(H)

⁷ “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner^(I) residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block^(J) before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire^(K) of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. ⁸ I will set my face against^(L) them and make them an example^(M) and a byword.^(N) I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(O)

⁹ “‘And if the prophet^(P) is enticed^(Q) to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.^{(R) 10} They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. ¹¹ Then the people of Israel will no longer stray^(S) from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people,^(T) and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(U)’”

Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable

¹² The word of the Lord came to me: ¹³ “Son of man, if a country sins^(V) against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply^(W) and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,^{(X) 14} even if these three men—Noah,^(Y) Daniel^[a](Z) and Job^(AA)—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,^(AB) declares the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁵ “Or if I send wild beasts^(AC) through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,^{(AD) 16} as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.^(AE)

¹⁷ “Or if I bring a sword^(AF) against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals,^{(AG) 18} as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

¹⁹ “Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath^(AH) on it through bloodshed,^(AI) killing its people and their animals,^{(AJ) 20} as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.^(AK)

²¹ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments^(AL)—sword^(AM) and famine^(AN) and wild beasts and plague^(AO)—to kill its men and their animals!^{(AP) 22} Yet there will be some survivors^(AQ)—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it.^(AR) They will come to you, and when you see their conduct^(AS) and their actions, you will be consoled^(AT) regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. ²³ You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AU)”

Psalm 102^[a]

A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man^(A)(B)

²⁶ They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,^[a] which is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,^(C) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?^(D) I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.^(E)

³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. ³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake^(F) and was drowned.

³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, ³⁵ and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet,^(G) dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed^(H) man had been cured. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them,^(I) because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves^(A) again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation^(B) to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.^{(C) 3} You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,^(D) not on tablets of stone^(E) but on tablets of human hearts.^(F)

⁴ Such confidence^(G) we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves^(H) to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.^{(I) 6} He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant^(J)—not of the letter^(K) but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.^(L)

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death,^(M) which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory,^(N) transitory though it was, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹ If the ministry that brought condemnation^(O) was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!^{(P) 10} For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope,^(Q) we are very bold.^{(R) 13} We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face^(S) to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were made dull,^(T) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant^(U) is read.^(V) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶ But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,^(W) the veil is taken away.^{(X) 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit,^(Y) and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.^{(Z) 18} And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a](AA) the Lord’s glory,^(AB) are being transformed into his image^(AC) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.