¹⁶ Shimei^(A) son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷ With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba,^(B) the steward of Saul’s household,^(C) and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan, where the king was. ¹⁸ They crossed at the ford to take the king’s household over and to do whatever he wished.

When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king ¹⁹ and said to him, “May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem.^(D) May the king put it out of his mind. ²⁰ For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first from the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.”

²¹ Then Abishai^(E) son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed^(F) the Lord’s anointed.”^(G)

²² David replied, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?^(H) What right do you have to interfere? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today?^(I) Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?” ²³ So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king promised him on oath.^(J)

²⁴ Mephibosheth,^(K) Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. ²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me,^(L) Mephibosheth?”

²⁶ He said, “My lord the king, since I your servant am lame,^(M) I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba^(N) my servant betrayed me. ²⁷ And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel^(O) of God; so do whatever you wish. ²⁸ All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death^(P) from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table.^(Q) So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?”

²⁹ The king said to him, “Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the land.”

³⁰ Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has returned home safely.”

Jeremiah Buys a Field

32 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth^(A) year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth^(B) year of Nebuchadnezzar. ² The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging^(C) Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined^(D) in the courtyard of the guard^(E) in the royal palace of Judah.

³ Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy^(F) as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture^(G) it. ⁴ Zedekiah^(H) king of Judah will not escape^(I) the Babylonians^[a](J) but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. ⁵ He will take^(K) Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,^(L) declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”^(M)

⁶ Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: ⁷ Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth,^(N) because as nearest relative it is your right and duty^(O) to buy it.’

⁸ “Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field^(P) at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’

“I knew that this was the word of the Lord; ⁹ so I bought the field^(Q) at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels^[b] of silver.^{(R) 10} I signed and sealed the deed,^(S) had it witnessed,^(T) and weighed out the silver on the scales. ¹¹ I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— ¹² and I gave this deed to Baruch^(U) son of Neriah,^(V) the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

¹³ “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: ¹⁴ ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed^(W) and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. ¹⁵ For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’^(X)

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin^(A)

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas^(B) the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.^(C) He entered and sat down with the guards^(D) to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(E) were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses^(F) came forward.

Finally two^(G) came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”^(H)

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.^(I)

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath^(J) by the living God:^(K) Tell us if you are the Messiah,^(L) the Son of God.”^(M)

⁶⁴ “You have said so,”^(N) Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One^(O) and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[a](P)

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes^(Q) and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,”^(R) they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.^(S) Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”^(T)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness^(A) and looked down on everyone else,^(B) Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray,^(C) one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself^(D) and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast^(E) twice a week and give a tenth^(F) of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast^(G) and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’^(H)

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”^(I)