The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.

A Psalm of David, ^[a]when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

Israel Invoked to Praise the Lord.

²⁸ Then ^(A)the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. ²⁹ Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was ^(B)Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. ³⁰ When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s ^[a]wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “^[b]This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. ³¹ And he said, “^(C)Come in, ^(D)blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside, since ^(E)I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” ³² So the man entered the house. Then ^[c](F)Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³ But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have stated my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” ³⁴ So he said, “I am ^(G)Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord has greatly ^(H)blessed my master, so that he has become ^[d]rich; and He has given him ^(I)flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and slave women, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ Now ^(J)my master’s wife Sarah bore a son to my master ^[e]in her old age, and ^(K)he has given him all that he has. ^37 (L)My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; ³⁸ but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’

⁴⁹ So now if you are going to ^[a](A)deal kindly and truthfully with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me now, so that I may turn to the right or the left.”

⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “^(B)The matter has come from the Lord; ^(C)so we cannot speak to you bad or good. ⁵¹ Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

¹² Therefore, ^[a](A)strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, ¹³ and ^(B)make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather ^(C)be healed.

^14 (D)Pursue peace with all people, and the ^(E)holiness without which no one will ^(F)see the Lord. ¹⁵ See to it that no one ^(G)comes short of the grace of God; that no ^(H)root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become ^(I)defiled; ¹⁶ that there be no ^(J)sexually immoral or ^(K)godless person like Esau, ^(L)who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ For you know that even afterward, ^(M)when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Contrast of Sinai and Zion

^18 (N)For you have not come to ^(O)a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, ¹⁹ and to the ^(P)blast of a trumpet and the ^(Q)sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard ^(R)begged that no further word be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they could not ^[b]cope with the command, “^(S)If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” ²¹ And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “^(T)I am terrified and trembling.” ²² But ^(U)you have come to Mount Zion and to ^(V)the city of ^(W)the living God, ^(X)the heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^(Y)myriads of ^[c]angels, ²³ to the general assembly and ^(Z)church of the firstborn who ^(AA)are enrolled in heaven, and to God, ^(AB)the Judge of all, and to the ^(AC)spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the ^(AD)mediator of a new covenant, and to the ^(AE)sprinkled blood, which speaks better than ^(AF)the blood of Abel.

The Unshaken Kingdom

^25 (AG)See to it that you do not refuse Him who is ^(AH)speaking. For ^(AI)if those did not escape when they ^(AJ)refused him who ^(AK)warned them on earth, ^[d]much less will we escape who turn away from Him who ^(AL)warns us from heaven. ²⁶ And ^(AM)His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “^(AN)Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” ²⁷ This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes ^(AO)the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we receive a ^(AP)kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s ^[e]show gratitude, by which we may ^(AQ)offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for ^(AR)our God is a consuming fire.

¹⁴ But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple area, and began to ^(A)teach. ^15 (B)The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man ^(C)become learned, not having been educated?” ¹⁶ So Jesus answered them and said, “^(D)My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me. ^17 (E)If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself. ¹⁸ The one who speaks from himself ^(F)seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

¹⁹ “^(G)Did Moses not give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why are you ^(H)seeking to kill Me?” ²⁰ The crowd answered, “^(I)You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill You?” ²¹ Jesus answered them, “I did ^(J)one ^[a]deed, and you all are astonished. ²² For this reason ^(K)Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from ^(L)the fathers), and even on a Sabbath you circumcise a man. ^23 (M)If a man receives circumcision on a Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry at Me because I made an entire man well on a Sabbath? ²⁴ Do not ^(N)judge by the outward appearance, but judge ^[b]with righteous judgment.”

²⁵ So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this man not the one whom they are seeking to kill? ²⁶ And yet look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. ^(O)The rulers do not really know that this is the ^[c]Christ, do they? ²⁷ However, ^(P)we know where this man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.” ²⁸ Then Jesus cried out in the temple, ^(Q)teaching and saying, “^(R)You both know Me and you know where I am from; and ^(S)I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. ^29 (T)I do know Him, because ^(U)I am from Him, and ^(V)He sent Me.” ³⁰ So they ^(W)were seeking to arrest Him; and yet no one laid a hand on Him, because His ^(X)hour had not yet come. ³¹ But ^(Y)many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, “^(Z)When the ^[d]Christ comes, He will not perform more ^[e](AA)signs than those which this man has done, will He?”

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent ^(AB)officers to ^(AC)arrest Him. ³³ Therefore Jesus said, “^(AD)For a little while longer I am going to be with you, and then ^(AE)I am going to Him who sent Me. ^34 (AF)You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.” ^35 (AG)The Jews then said to one another, “^(AH)Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He does not intend to go to ^(AI)the Dispersion among ^(AJ)the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, does He? ³⁶ What is this statement that He said, ‘^(AK)You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?”