The Priestly Blessing

²² The Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless^(A) the Israelites. Say to them:

²⁷ “So they will put my name^(H) on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Levi

6 ^[a]The sons of Levi:^(A)

Egypt’s Descent Into the Realm of the Dead

¹⁷ In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(A) 18} “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign^(B) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.^{(C) 19} Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’^{(D) 20} They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged^(E) off with all her hordes.^{(F) 21} From within the realm of the dead^(G) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,^(H) with those killed by the sword.’

²² “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. ²³ Their graves are in the depths of the pit^(I) and her army lies around her grave.^(J) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.

²⁴ “Elam^(K) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.^(L) All who had spread terror in the land of the living^(M) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.^{(N) 25} A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,^(O) killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.

²⁶ “Meshek and Tubal^(P) are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. ²⁷ But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old,^[a](Q) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields^[b] resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.

²⁸ “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.

²⁹ “Edom^(R) is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.^(S)

³⁰ “All the princes of the north^(T) and all the Sidonians^(U) are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised^(V) with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.^(W)

³¹ “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled^(X) for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. ³² Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh^(Y) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”^(Z)

מ Mem

נ Nun

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.^{(A) 20} At his gate was laid a beggar^(B) named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.^(C) Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,^(D) have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’^(E)

²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,^(F) but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.^{(G) 26} And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them,^(H) so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses^(I) and the Prophets;^(J) let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’^(K) he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly^(A) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^(B)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(C) to the covenants of the promise,^(D) without hope^(E) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once^(F) were far away have been brought near^(G) by the blood of Christ.^(H)

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace,^(I) who has made the two groups one^(J) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh^(K) the law with its commands and regulations.^(L) His purpose was to create in himself one^(M) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^(N) by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace^(O) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{(P) 18} For through him we both have access^(Q) to the Father^(R) by one Spirit.^(S)

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,^(T) but fellow citizens^(U) with God’s people and also members of his household,^{(V) 20} built^(W) on the foundation^(X) of the apostles and prophets,^(Y) with Christ Jesus himself^(Z) as the chief cornerstone.^{(AA) 21} In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^(AB) in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^(AC)