The Beginning

²² And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us,^(A) knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life^(B) and eat, and live forever.”

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[a](A)

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,^(A) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,^(B)

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,^(A) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.^{(B) 55} Though you do not know him,^(C) I know him.^(D) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.^{(E) 56} Your father Abraham^(F) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it^(G) and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born,^(H) I am!”^{(I) 59} At this, they picked up stones to stone him,^(J) but Jesus hid himself,^(K) slipping away from the temple grounds.

² who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge^(A) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,^(B) to be obedient^(C) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:^(D)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.^(E)