Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

Answer Me When I Call

To the ^(A)choirmaster: with ^(B)stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

¹² And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? ^13 (A)The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, ^(B)the God of our fathers, ^(C)glorified his servant^[a] Jesus, whom ^(D)you delivered over and ^(E)denied in the presence of Pilate, ^(F)when he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you denied ^(G)the Holy and ^(H)Righteous One, and ^(I)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and you killed ^(J)the Author of life, ^(K)whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And ^(L)his name—by ^(M)faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is ^(N)through Jesus^[b] has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers, I know that ^(O)you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But what God ^(P)foretold ^(Q)by the mouth of all the prophets, that ^(R)his Christ would ^(S)suffer, he thus fulfilled. ^19 (T)Repent therefore, and ^(U)turn back, that ^(V)your sins may be blotted out,

3 See ^(A)what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called ^(B)children of God; and so we are. The reason why ^(C)the world does not know us is that ^(D)it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are ^(E)God's children ^(F)now, and what we will be ^(G)has not yet appeared; but we know that ^(H)when he appears^{[a] (I)}we shall be like him, because ^(J)we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who ^(K)thus hopes in him ^(L)purifies himself as he is pure.

⁴ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; ^(M)sin is lawlessness. ⁵ You know that ^(N)he appeared in order to ^(O)take away sins, and ^(P)in him there is no sin. ⁶ No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; ^(Q)no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. ⁷ Little children, ^(R)let no one deceive you. ^(S)Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

Life in the Spirit

8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.^[a]

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

¹⁷ On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and ^(A)teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And ^(B)the power of the Lord was with him to heal.^{[a] 18 (C)}And behold, some men were bringing ^(D)on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, ¹⁹ but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on ^(E)the roof and let him down with his bed ^(F)through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. ²⁰ And ^(G)when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, ^(H)your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks ^(I)blasphemies? ^(J)Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ²² When Jesus ^(K)perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ²⁴ But that you may know that ^(L)the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ²⁵ And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, ^(M)glorifying God. ²⁶ And amazement seized them all, and they ^(N)glorified God and were filled ^(O)with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”