The Council at Jerusalem

2 Then after an interval of fourteen years I ^(A)went up again to Jerusalem with ^(B)Barnabas, taking ^(C)Titus along also. ^2 [a]It was because of a ^(D)revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the ^(E)gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that somehow I might be ^(F)running, or had run, in vain. ³ But not even ^(G)Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was ^(H)compelled to be circumcised. ⁴ Yet it was a concern because of the ^(I)false brothers secretly brought in, who ^(J)had sneaked in to spy on our ^(K)freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to ^(L)enslave us. ⁵ But we did not yield in subjection to them, even for an hour, so that ^(M)the truth of the gospel would remain with you. ⁶ But from those who ^[b]were of considerable ^(N)repute (what they were makes no difference to me; ^(O)God shows no favoritism)—well, those who were of repute contributed nothing to me. ⁷ But on the contrary, seeing that I had been ^(P)entrusted with the ^(Q)gospel ^[c]to the uncircumcised, just as ^(R)Peter had been ^[d]to the circumcised ⁸ (for He who was at work for Peter in his ^(S)apostleship ^[e]to the circumcised was at work for me also to the Gentiles), ⁹ and recognizing ^(T)the grace that had been given to me, ^[f](U)James and ^[g](V)Cephas and John, who were ^(W)reputed to be ^(X)pillars, gave to me and ^(Y)Barnabas the ^(Z)right ^[h]hand of fellowship, so that we might ^(AA)go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ They only asked us to remember the poor—^(AB)the very thing I also was eager to do.

Peter (Cephas) Opposed by Paul

¹¹ But when ^(AC)Cephas came to ^(AD)Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he ^[i]stood condemned. ¹² For prior to the coming of some men from ^[j](AE)James, he used to ^(AF)eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, ^(AG)fearing those from the circumcision. ¹³ The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even ^(AH)Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they ^(AI)were not ^[k]straightforward about ^(AJ)the truth of the gospel, I said to ^(AK)Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, ^(AL)live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?^[l]

¹⁵ “We are ^(AM)Jews by nature and not ^(AN)sinners from the Gentiles; ¹⁶ nevertheless, knowing that ^(AO)a person is not justified by works of ^[m]the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by ^(AP)faith in Christ and not by works of ^[n]the Law; since ^(AQ)by works of ^[o]the Law no ^[p]flesh will be justified. ¹⁷ But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found ^(AR)sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? ^[q](AS)Far from it! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I ^(AT)prove myself to be a wrongdoer. ¹⁹ For through ^[r]the Law I ^(AU)died to ^[s]the Law, so that I might live for God. ²⁰ I have been ^(AV)crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but ^(AW)Christ lives in me; and ^[t]the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in ^(AX)the Son of God, who ^(AY)loved me and ^(AZ)gave Himself up for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for ^(BA)if righteousness comes through ^[u]the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Kings of Israel: Jehoahaz and Jehoash

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel at Samaria, and he reigned for seventeen years. ² He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, ^(A)into which he misled Israel; he did not turn from them. ^3 (B)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He continually handed them over to ^(C)Hazael king of Aram, and to ^(D)Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael. ⁴ Then ^(E)Jehoahaz appeased the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for ^(F)He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. ⁵ And the Lord gave Israel a ^[a](G)savior, so that they ^[b]escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as previously. ⁶ Nevertheless they did not abandon the sins of the house of Jeroboam, ^(H)into which he misled Israel; rather, they walked in ^[c]them; and ^(I)the ^[d]Asherah also remained standing in Samaria. ⁷ For he left to Jehoahaz no more of the ^[e]army than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry, because the king of Aram had eliminated them and ^(J)made them like the dust at threshing. ⁸ Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ⁹ And Jehoahaz ^[f]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and his son Joash became king in his place.

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, ^[g]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for sixteen years. ¹¹ He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel; rather, he walked in ^[h]them. ^12 (K)Now as for the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ¹³ So Joash ^[i]lay down with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Death of Elisha

¹⁴ When Elisha ^[j]became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over ^[k]him and said, “^(L)My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” ¹⁵ And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he ^[l]took a bow and arrows. ¹⁶ Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Lay your hand on the bow.” And he laid his hand on it, then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. ¹⁷ And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, and the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will ^[m]defeat the Arameans at ^(M)Aphek until you have put an end to them.” ¹⁸ Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and ^[n]stopped. ¹⁹ Then ^(N)the man of God became angry at him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you put an end to it. But now you shall strike Aram ^(O)only three times.”

²⁰ And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now ^(P)the marauding bands of the Moabites would invade the land ^[o]in the spring of the year. ²¹ And as they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they threw the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man ^[p]touched the bones of Elisha he ^(Q)revived and stood up on his feet.

²² Now ^(R)Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. ²³ But the ^(S)Lord was gracious to them and ^(T)had compassion on them and turned to them because of ^(U)His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He was unwilling to eliminate them or cast them away from His presence until now.

²⁴ When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad became king in his place. ²⁵ Then ^(V)Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz again took from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of his father Jehoahaz. ^(W)Three times Joash ^[q]defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.

²⁹ The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him, and *said, “Behold, ^(A)the Lamb of God who ^(B)takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He in behalf of whom I said, ‘^(C)After me is coming a Man who has proved to be ^[a]my superior, ^(D)because He existed before me.’ ³¹ And I did not recognize ^[b]Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing ^[c]in water.” ³² And John ^(E)testified, saying, “^(F)I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. ³³ And I did not recognize ^[d]Him, but He who sent me to baptize ^[e]in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, ^(G)this is the One who baptizes ^[f]in the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is ^(H)the ^[g]Son of God.”

Jesus’ Public Ministry; First Converts

³⁵ Again ^(I)the next day John was standing ^[h]with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, ^(J)the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What are you seeking?” They said to Him, “^(K)Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” ³⁹ He *said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day; it was about the ^[i]tenth hour. ^40 (L)One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first *found his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the ^(M)Messiah” (which translated means ^[j]Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of ^[k](N)John; you shall be called ^(O)Cephas” (which is translated ^[l](P)Peter).

^43 (Q)The next day He ^[m]decided to go to ^(R)Galilee, and He *found ^(S)Philip. And Jesus *said to him, “^(T)Follow Me.” ⁴⁴ Now ^(U)Philip was from ^(V)Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ^45 (W)Philip *found ^(X)Nathanael and *said to him, “We have found Him of whom ^(Y)Moses wrote in the Law, and ^(Z)the prophets also wrote: Jesus ^(AA)the son of Joseph, from ^(AB)Nazareth!” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “^(AC)Can anything good be from Nazareth?” ^(AD)Philip *said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, “Here is truly an ^(AE)Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael *said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before ^(AF)Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered Him, “^(AG)Rabbi, You are ^(AH)the Son of God; You are the ^(AI)King of Israel!” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And He *said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see ^(AJ)heaven opened and ^(AK)the angels of God ascending and descending on ^(AL)the Son of Man.”