The Festival of Tabernacles^(A)

¹² “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh^(B) month,^(C) hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days. ¹³ Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord^(D) a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.^{(E) 14} With each of the thirteen bulls offer a grain offering^(F) of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with each of the two rams, two-tenths; ¹⁵ and with each of the fourteen lambs, one-tenth.^{(G) 16} Include one male goat as a sin offering,^(H) in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.^(I)

¹⁷ “‘On the second day^(J) offer twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.^{(K) 18} With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings^(L) and drink offerings^(M) according to the number specified.^{(N) 19} Include one male goat as a sin offering,^(O) in addition to the regular burnt offering^(P) with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.^(Q)

²⁰ “‘On the third day offer eleven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.^{(R) 21} With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.^{(S) 22} Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

²³ “‘On the fourth day offer ten bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.

Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam^(A)

10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. ² When Jeroboam^(B) son of Nebat heard this (he was in Egypt, where he had fled^(C) from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. ³ So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel^(D) went to Rehoboam and said to him: ⁴ “Your father put a heavy yoke on us,^(E) but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵ Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders^(F) who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

⁷ They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer,^(G) they will always be your servants.”

⁸ But Rehoboam rejected^(H) the advice the elders^(I) gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. ⁹ He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him replied, “The people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. ¹¹ My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

¹² Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” ¹³ The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders, ¹⁴ he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God,^(J) to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.^(K)

¹⁶ When all Israel^(L) saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

So all the Israelites went home. ¹⁷ But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

¹⁸ King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram,^[a](N) who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

The Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵ While I, Daniel, was watching the vision^(A) and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.^{(B) 16} And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai^(C) calling, “Gabriel,^(D) tell this man the meaning of the vision.”^(E)

¹⁷ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.^(F) “Son of man,”^[a] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”^(G)

¹⁸ While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.^(H) Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.^(I)

¹⁹ He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath,^(J) because the vision concerns the appointed time^(K) of the end.^{[b](L) 20} The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.^{(M) 21} The shaggy goat is the king of Greece,^(N) and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.^{(O) 22} The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

²³ “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.^{(P) 25} He will cause deceit^(Q) to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes.^(R) Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.^(S)

²⁶ “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true,^(T) but seal^(U) up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”^(V)

²⁷ I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted^(W) for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business.^(X) I was appalled^(Y) by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,”^(A) said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,^(B) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.^{(C) 12} I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven^(D) except the one who came from heaven^(E)—the Son of Man.^{[a](F) 14} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(G) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[b](H) 15} that everyone who believes^(I) may have eternal life in him.”^[c](J)

¹⁶ For God so loved^(K) the world that he gave^(L) his one and only Son,^(M) that whoever believes^(N) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^{(O) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world^(P) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^{(Q) 18} Whoever believes in him is not condemned,^(R) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.^{(S) 19} This is the verdict: Light^(T) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.^{(U) 20} Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.^{(V) 21} But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

6 Therefore let us move beyond^(A) the elementary teachings^(B) about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,^[a](C) and of faith in God, ² instruction about cleansing rites,^[b](D) the laying on of hands,^(E) the resurrection of the dead,^(F) and eternal judgment. ³ And God permitting,^(G) we will do so.

⁴ It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,^(H) who have tasted the heavenly gift,^(I) who have shared in the Holy Spirit,^{(J) 5} who have tasted the goodness^(K) of the word of God^(L) and the powers of the coming age ⁶ and who have fallen^[c] away, to be brought back to repentance.^(M) To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God^(N) all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. ⁷ Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.^(O) In the end it will be burned.

⁹ Even though we speak like this, dear friends,^(P) we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.^{(Q) 11} We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope^(R) for may be fully realized. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate^(S) those who through faith and patience^(T) inherit what has been promised.^(U)