The Lord Calls Samuel

3 The boy Samuel ministered^(A) before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare;^(B) there were not many visions.^(C)

² One night Eli, whose eyes^(D) were becoming so weak that he could barely see,^(E) was lying down in his usual place. ³ The lamp^(F) of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house^(G) of the Lord, where the ark^(H) of God was. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.^(I)” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know^(J) the Lord: The word^(K) of the Lord had not yet been revealed^(L) to him.

⁸ A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!^(M)”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

¹¹ And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.^{(N) 12} At that time I will carry out against Eli everything^(O) I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. ¹³ For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,^[a] and he failed to restrain^(P) them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned^(Q) for by sacrifice or offering.’”

¹⁵ Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, ¹⁶ but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

¹⁷ “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide^(R) it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely,^(S) if you hide from me anything he told you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”^(T)

¹⁹ The Lord was with^(U) Samuel as he grew^(V) up, and he let none^(W) of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba^(X) recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.^{(Y) 21} The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed^(Z) himself to Samuel through his word.

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, confront^(A) Jerusalem with her detestable practices^{(B) 3} and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry^(C) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father^(D) was an Amorite^(E) and your mother a Hittite.^{(F) 4} On the day you were born^(G) your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ⁵ No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

⁶ “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”^{[a](H) 7} I made you grow^(I) like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.^(J)

⁸ “‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment^(K) over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant^(L) with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.^(M)

⁹ “‘I bathed you with water and washed^(N) the blood from you and put ointments on you. ¹⁰ I clothed you with an embroidered^(O) dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen^(P) and covered you with costly garments.^{(Q) 11} I adorned you with jewelry:^(R) I put bracelets^(S) on your arms and a necklace^(T) around your neck, ¹² and I put a ring on your nose,^(U) earrings^(V) on your ears and a beautiful crown^(W) on your head.^{(X) 13} So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes^(Y) were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil^(Z) and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.^{(AA) 14} And your fame^(AB) spread among the nations on account of your beauty,^(AC) because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AD)

¹⁵ “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by^(AE) and your beauty became his.^{(AF) 16} You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,^(AG) where you carried on your prostitution.^(AH) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.^{[b] 17} You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.^{(AI) 18} And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense^(AJ) before them. ¹⁹ Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AK)

²⁰ “‘And you took your sons and daughters^(AL) whom you bore to me^(AM) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?^{(AN) 21} You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.^{(AO) 22} In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,^(AP) when you were naked and bare,^(AQ) kicking about in your blood.^(AR)

²³ “‘Woe!^(AS) Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, ²⁴ you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine^(AT) in every public square.^{(AU) 25} At every street corner^(AV) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.^{(AW) 26} You engaged in prostitution^(AX) with the Egyptians,^(AY) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger^(AZ) with your increasing promiscuity.^{(BA) 27} So I stretched out my hand^(BB) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over^(BC) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,^(BD) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. ²⁸ You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians^(BE) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.^{(BF) 29} Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,^[c](BG) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.^(BH)

³⁰ “‘I am filled with fury against you,^[d] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!^{(BI) 31} When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines^(BJ) in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

³² “‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! ³³ All prostitutes receive gifts,^(BK) but you give gifts^(BL) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.^{(BM) 34} So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

³⁵ “‘Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! ³⁶ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,^{(BN) 37} therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip^(BO) you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.^{(BP) 38} I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood;^(BQ) I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.^{(BR) 39} Then I will deliver you into the hands^(BS) of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.^{(BT) 40} They will bring a mob against you, who will stone^(BU) you and hack you to pieces with their swords. ⁴¹ They will burn down^(BV) your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women.^(BW) I will put a stop^(BX) to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. ⁴² Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.^(BY)

⁴³ “‘Because you did not remember^(BZ) the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down^(CA) on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?^(CB)

⁴⁴ “‘Everyone who quotes proverbs^(CC) will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” ⁴⁵ You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised^(CD) her husband^(CE) and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.^{(CF) 46} Your older sister^(CG) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.^{(CH) 47} You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.^{(CI) 48} As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign^(CJ) Lord, your sister Sodom^(CK) and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.^(CL)

⁴⁹ “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:^(CM) She and her daughters were arrogant,^(CN) overfed and unconcerned;^(CO) they did not help the poor and needy.^{(CP) 50} They were haughty^(CQ) and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.^{(CR) 51} Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.^{(CS) 52} Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous^(CT) than you. So then, be ashamed and bear^(CU) your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

⁵³ “‘However, I will restore^(CV) the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,^{(CW) 54} so that you may bear your disgrace^(CX) and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. ⁵⁵ And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.^{(CY) 56} You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, ⁵⁷ before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned^(CZ) by the daughters of Edom^[e](DA) and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. ⁵⁸ You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.^(DB)

⁵⁹ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.^{(DC) 60} Yet I will remember the covenant^(DD) I made with you in the days of your youth,^(DE) and I will establish an everlasting covenant^(DF) with you. ⁶¹ Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed^(DG) when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters,^(DH) but not on the basis of my covenant with you. ⁶² So I will establish my covenant^(DI) with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.^{(DJ) 63} Then, when I make atonement^(DK) for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed^(DL) and never again open your mouth^(DM) because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(DN)’”

God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner^(A) of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me^(B) for you, ³ that is, the mystery^(C) made known to me by revelation,^(D) as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight^(E) into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.^{(F) 6} This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs^(G) together with Israel, members together of one body,^(H) and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.^(I)

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel^(J) by the gift of God’s grace given me^(K) through the working of his power.^{(L) 8} Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,^(M) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles^(N) the boundless riches of Christ,^{(O) 9} and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,^(P) which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God^(Q) should be made known^(R) to the rulers and authorities^(S) in the heavenly realms,^{(T) 11} according to his eternal purpose^(U) that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God^(V) with freedom and confidence.^{(W) 13} I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel^(X) before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches^(Y) he may strengthen you with power^(Z) through his Spirit in your inner being,^{(AA) 17} so that Christ may dwell in your hearts^(AB) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted^(AC) and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,^(AD) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep^(AE) is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge^(AF)—that you may be filled^(AG) to the measure of all the fullness of God.^(AH)

²⁰ Now to him who is able^(AI) to do immeasurably more than all we ask^(AJ) or imagine, according to his power^(AK) that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^(AL)