The Kingdom Divided

10 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem,^(A) for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. ² When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it—for he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence—Jeroboam returned from Egypt.^{(B) 3} So they summoned him. Then Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: ⁴ “Your father made our yoke harsh. Therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵ Rehoboam replied, “Return to me in three days.” So the people left.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had attended his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to this people?”

⁷ They replied, “If you will be kind to this people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

⁸ But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him, and he consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, the ones attending him. ⁹ He asked them, “What message do you advise we send back to this people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

¹⁰ Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should say to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! ¹¹ Now therefore, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.’”^[a]

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” ¹³ Then the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the elders’ advice ¹⁴ and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy,^[b](C) but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.”

¹⁵ The king did not listen to the people because the turn of events came from God,^(D) in order that the Lord might carry out his word that he had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.^(E)

¹⁶ When^(F) all Israel saw^[c](G) that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king:

So all Israel went to their tents. ¹⁷ But as for the Israelites living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram,^[d](H) who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. However, King Rehoboam managed to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today.

Prologue

1 The revelation of^[a] Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants^(A) what must soon take place.^(B) He made it known by sending his angel^(C) to his servant John,^{(D) 2} who testified to the word of God and to the testimony^[b] of Jesus Christ,^(E) whatever he saw.^{[c] 3} Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,^(F) and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep^[d] what is written in it, because the time is near.

⁴ John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace^(G) to you from^[e] the one who is, who was, and who is to come,^(H) and from the seven spirits^[f](I) before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,^(J) the firstborn from the dead^(K) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.^(L)

To him who loves us and has set us free^[g] from our sins by his blood,^{(M) 6} and made us a kingdom,^[h] priests^[i](N) to his God and Father—to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.^(O)

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^(S) says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John’s Vision of the Risen Lord

⁹ I, John, your brother and partner in the affliction,^(T) kingdom,^(U) and endurance^(V) that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.^{(W) 10} I was in the Spirit^[n](X) on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet^{(Y) 11} saying, “Write^(Z) on a scroll^[o] what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see whose voice^(AA) it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,^{(AB) 13} and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man,^[p](AC) dressed in a robe^(AD) and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest.^{(AE) 14} The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow^(AF)—and his eyes like a fiery flame.^{(AG) 15} His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace,^(AH) and his voice like the sound of cascading^[q] waters.^{(AI) 16} He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth,^(AJ) and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.^(AK)

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.^(AL) He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,^{(AM) 18} and the Living One.^(AN) I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever,^(AO) and I hold the keys^(AP) of death and Hades. ¹⁹ Therefore write what you have seen,^(AQ) what is, and what will take place after this. ²⁰ The mystery^(AR) of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels^[r] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands^[s] are the seven churches.^(AS)

A Call to Repentance

Judgment against the Nations

Resurrection Morning

24 On^(A) the first day of the week,^(B) very early in the morning, they^[a] came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³ They went in but did not find the body^(C) of the Lord Jesus.^{(D) 4} While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling^(E) clothes. ⁵ So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.

“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. ⁶ “He is not here, but he has risen!^(F) Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee,^{(G) 7} saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed^(H) into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise^(I) on the third day’?” ⁸ And they remembered his words.

⁹ Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven^(J) and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James,^(K) and the other women with them were telling the apostles^(L) these things. ¹¹ But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe^(M) the women. ¹² Peter,^(N) however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths.^[b](O) So he went away, amazed^(P) at what had happened.

The Emmaus Disciples

¹³ Now^(Q) that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles^[c](R) from Jerusalem.^{(S) 14} Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. ¹⁵ And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. ¹⁶ But they^[d] were prevented from recognizing him.^{(T) 17} Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having^[e] with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.

¹⁸ The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” ^(U)

¹⁹ “What things?” he asked them.

So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth,^(V) who was a prophet^(W) powerful in action and speech^(X) before God and all the people,^{(Y) 20} and how our chief priests and leaders^(Z) handed him over to be sentenced to death,^(AA) and they crucified him.^{(AB) 21} But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem^(AC) Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day^(AD) since these things happened. ²² Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, ²³ and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”^(AE)

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow^[f] to believe all that the prophets have spoken!^{(AF) 26} Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer^(AG) these things and enter into his glory?”^{(AH) 27} Then beginning with Moses^(AI) and all the Prophets,^(AJ) he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.^(AK)

²⁸ They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther.^{(AL) 29} But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰ It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke^(AM) it, and gave it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened,^(AN) and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight.^{(AO) 32} They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures^(AP) to us?” ³³ That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven^(AQ) and those with them gathered together, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” ^{(AR) 35} Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.^(AS)

The Reality of the Risen Jesus

³⁶ As^(AT) they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace^(AU) to you!” ³⁷ But they were startled and terrified^(AV) and thought they were seeing a ghost.^{(AW) 38} “Why are you troubled?”^(AX) he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself!^(AY) Touch me and see,^(AZ) because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” ⁴⁰ Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish,^{[g] 43} and he took it and ate in their presence.

⁴⁴ He told them, “These are my words^(BA) that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets,^(BB) and the Psalms^(BC) must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds^(BD) to understand^(BE) the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He also said to them, “This is what is written:^[h] The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day,^{(BF) 47} and repentance for^[i] forgiveness of sins^(BG) will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations,^(BH) beginning at Jerusalem.^{(BI) 48} You are witnesses^(BJ) of these things. ⁴⁹ And look, I am sending you^[j] what my Father promised.^(BK) As for you, stay in the city^[k] until you are empowered^[l](BL) from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁵⁰ Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,^(BM) and lifting up his hands^(BN) he blessed them. ⁵¹ And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven.^{(BO) 52} After worshiping him,^(BP) they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.^{(BQ) 53} And they were continually in the temple praising God.^[m](BR)