³ So they brought in the vessels of gold that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.^(A)

The Writing on the Wall

⁵ Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as it wrote.^(B)

³ For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,^{(A) 4} for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.^(B)

Healings at Simon’s House

³⁸ After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. ³⁹ Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.^(A)

⁴⁰ As the sun was setting, all those caring for any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them.^{(B) 41} Moreover, demons also came out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.^[a](C)

Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues

⁴² At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds began looking for him, and when they reached him they tried to keep him from leaving them.^{(D) 43} But he said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” ⁴⁴ So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.^[b](E)