¹⁶ “‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.^{(A) 17} Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁹ The avenger of blood^(B) shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.^{(C) 20} If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally^(D) so that they die ²¹ or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death;^(E) that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood^(F) shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

²² “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally^{(G) 23} or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, ²⁴ the assembly^(H) must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵ The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest,^(I) who was anointed^(J) with the holy oil.^(K)

²⁶ “‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled ²⁷ and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. ²⁸ The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

²⁹ “‘This is to have the force of law^(L) for you throughout the generations to come,^(M) wherever you live.^(N)

³⁰ “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.^(O)

³¹ “‘Do not accept a ransom^(P) for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

³² “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

³³ “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land,^(Q) and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴ Do not defile the land^(R) where you live and where I dwell,^(S) for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

²³ At the turn of the year,^[a] the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people.^(A) They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. ²⁴ Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men,^(B) the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army.^(C) Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. ²⁵ When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried^(D) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

²⁶ Those who conspired against him were Zabad,^[b] son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith^[c](E) a Moabite woman.^{(F) 27} The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Amaziah King of Judah^(G)(H)(I)

25 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.^{(J) 3} After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. ⁴ Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses,^(K) where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”^[d](L)

⁵ Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered^(M) those twenty years old^(N) or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service,^(O) able to handle the spear and shield. ⁶ He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents^[e] of silver.

⁷ But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel^(P) must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. ⁸ Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”^(Q)

⁹ Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”^(R)

¹⁰ So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.^(S)

¹¹ Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. ¹² The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.^(T)

¹³ Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

¹⁴ When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods,^(U) bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. ¹⁵ The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save^(V) their own people from your hand?”

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am^(A) the bread of life.^(B) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(C) in me will never be thirsty.^{(D) 36} But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me^(E) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven^(F) not to do my will but to do the will^(G) of him who sent me.^{(H) 39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,^(I) but raise them up at the last day.^{(J) 40} For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son^(K) and believes in him shall have eternal life,^(L) and I will raise them up at the last day.”

⁴¹ At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph,^(M) whose father and mother we know?^(N) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”^(O)

⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,^(P) and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[a](Q) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.

Warning and Encouragement

¹⁴ Make every effort to live in peace with everyone^(A) and to be holy;^(B) without holiness no one will see the Lord.^{(C) 15} See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God^(D) and that no bitter root^(E) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ¹⁶ See that no one is sexually immoral,^(F) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.^{(G) 17} Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears,^(H) he could not change what he had done.

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

¹⁸ You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;^{(I) 19} to a trumpet blast^(J) or to such a voice speaking words^(K) that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,^{(L) 20} because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”^{[a](M) 21} The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”^[b](N)

²² But you have come to Mount Zion,^(O) to the city^(P) of the living God,^(Q) the heavenly Jerusalem.^(R) You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, ²³ to the church of the firstborn,^(S) whose names are written in heaven.^(T) You have come to God, the Judge of all,^(U) to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,^{(V) 24} to Jesus the mediator^(W) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood^(X) that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.^(Y)

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse^(Z) him who speaks.^(AA) If they did not escape when they refused him who warned^(AB) them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?^{(AC) 26} At that time his voice shook the earth,^(AD) but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”^{[c](AE) 27} The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken^(AF)—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,^(AG) let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,^{(AH) 29} for our “God is a consuming fire.”^[d](AI)