¹² Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this saying?”

¹³ But He replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Leave them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

¹⁵ Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

¹⁶ “Are you also still lacking understanding?” Yeshua said. ¹⁷ “Don’t you grasp that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and then is ejected into the sewer? ¹⁸ But the things that proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and those things make the man unholy. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander. ^{[a] 20} These are the things that make the man unholy; but to eat with unwashed hands does not make the man unholy.”

¹⁴ Then Yeshua called the crowd again and began saying to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand. ¹⁵ There is nothing outside the man that can make him unholy by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of the man that makes the man unholy.” ^{[a] (16) [b]}

¹⁷ When He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. ¹⁸ And He said to them, “Are you then also lacking understanding? Don’t you grasp that whatever goes into the man cannot make him unholy? ¹⁹ For it does not enter into the heart but into the stomach, and then goes out into the sewer, cleansing all foods.”^[c]

²⁰ And He continued, “It is what comes out of the man that makes the man unholy. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, come evil intentions, sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustfulness, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within and make the man unholy.”

23 Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said, “Brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience for God up to this day.” ² But the kohen gadol Ananias ordered those standing by him to strike him on the mouth.

³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you on the mouth, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the Torah, and yet in violation of the Torah you order me to be struck?”^[a]

⁴ Those standing nearby said, “Do you insult God’s kohen gadol?”

⁵ Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he is the kohen gadol. For it has been written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”^[b]

⁶ But recognizing that one group was Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!”

⁷ When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all. ⁹ Then there was a great uproar. Some of the Torah scholars of the Pharisees’ party stood up and protested sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man! What if a spirit or angel has spoken to him?”

¹⁰ As a big dispute was developing, the commander was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them. So he ordered the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and to bring him into headquarters.

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, “Take courage! For just as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome!”

¹⁵ For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant,^[a] in order that those called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—since a death has taken place that redeems them from violations under the first covenant. ¹⁶ For where there is a covenant, the death of the one who made it must be established. ^{[b] 17} For a covenant is secured upon the basis of dead bodies, since it has no strength as long as the one who made it lives. ¹⁸ That is why not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Torah, he took the blood of the calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people. ²⁰ He said, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” ^{[c] 21} And in the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. ^{[d] 22} And nearly everything is purified in blood according to the Torah, and apart from the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.^[e]

^{[a] 28} Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. ^{[b] 29} How much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has trampled Ben-Elohim underfoot, and has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “Adonai will judge His people.” ^{[c] 31} It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Suffering Perfects Yeshua’s Followers

³² But remember the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings. ³³ Sometimes you were publicly exposed to abuses and afflictions, and other times you became partners with those who were treated this way. ³⁴ For you suffered along with the prisoners and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession. ³⁵ Therefore, do not lose your boldness, which has great reward. ³⁶ For you need perseverance so that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. ³⁷ For yet

³⁹ But we are not among the timid ones on the path to destruction, but among the faithful ones on the path to the preservation of the soul.