The Death of Moses

34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo^(A) from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah,^(B) across from Jericho.^(C) There the Lord showed^(D) him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan,^{(E) 2} all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea,^{(F) 3} the Negev^(G) and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms,^(H) as far as Zoar.^{(I) 4} Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath^(J) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(K) when I said, ‘I will give it^(L) to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross^(M) over into it.”

⁵ And Moses the servant of the Lord^(N) died^(O) there in Moab, as the Lord had said. ⁶ He buried him^[a] in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor,^(P) but to this day no one knows where his grave is.^{(Q) 7} Moses was a hundred and twenty years old^(R) when he died, yet his eyes were not weak^(S) nor his strength gone.^{(T) 8} The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab^(U) thirty days,^(V) until the time of weeping and mourning^(W) was over.

⁹ Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit^[b] of wisdom^(X) because Moses had laid his hands on him.^(Y) So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Since then, no prophet^(Z) has risen in Israel like Moses,^(AA) whom the Lord knew face to face,^{(AB) 11} who did all those signs and wonders^(AC) the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials^(AD) and to his whole land. ¹² For no one has^(AE) ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds^(AF) that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

¹⁸ The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

¹⁹ That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar^(A) as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.^(B)

Purim Established

²⁰ Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, ²¹ to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar ²² as the time when the Jews got relief^(C) from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration.^(D) He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food^(E) to one another and gifts to the poor.^(F)

²³ So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. ²⁴ For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,^(G) the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur^(H) (that is, the lot^(I)) for their ruin and destruction.^{(J) 25} But when the plot came to the king’s attention,^[a] he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head,^(K) and that he and his sons should be impaled^(L) on poles.^{(M) 26} (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.^(N)) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, ²⁷ the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. ²⁸ These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.

²⁹ So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail,^(O) along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. ³⁰ And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces^(P) of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance— ³¹ to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting^(Q) and lamentation.^{(R) 32} Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

The Greatness of Mordecai

10 King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores.^{(S) 2} And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai,^(T) whom the king had promoted,^(U) are they not written in the book of the annals^(V) of the kings of Media and Persia? ³ Mordecai the Jew was second^(W) in rank^(X) to King Xerxes,^(Y) preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.^(Z)

⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob^(A) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes^(B) and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse^(C)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe^(D) into the storehouse,^(E) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates^(F) of heaven and pour out^(G) so much blessing^(H) that there will not be room enough to store it.^{(I) 11} I will prevent pests from devouring^(J) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,^(K)” says the Lord Almighty. ¹² “Then all the nations will call you blessed,^(L) for yours will be a delightful land,”^(M) says the Lord Almighty.^(N)

Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God

¹³ “You have spoken arrogantly^(O) against me,” says the Lord.

“Yet you ask,^(P) ‘What have we said against you?’

¹⁴ “You have said, ‘It is futile^(Q) to serve^(R) God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements^(S) and going about like mourners^(T) before the Lord Almighty? ¹⁵ But now we call the arrogant^(U) blessed. Certainly evildoers^(V) prosper,^(W) and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

The Faithful Remnant

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.^(X) A scroll^(Y) of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared^(Z) the Lord and honored his name.

¹⁷ “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my^(AA) treasured possession.^(AB) I will spare^(AC) them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son^(AD) who serves him. ¹⁸ And you will again see the distinction between the righteous^(AE) and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.^(AF)

Judgment and Covenant Renewal

4 ^[a]“Surely the day is coming;^(AG) it will burn like a furnace.^(AH) All the arrogant^(AI) and every evildoer will be stubble,^(AJ) and the day that is coming will set them on fire,^(AK)” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch^(AL) will be left to them. ² But for you who revere my name,^(AM) the sun of righteousness^(AN) will rise with healing^(AO) in its rays. And you will go out and frolic^(AP) like well-fed calves. ³ Then you will trample^(AQ) on the wicked; they will be ashes^(AR) under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

⁴ “Remember the law^(AS) of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb^(AT) for all Israel.^(AU)

⁵ “See, I will send the prophet Elijah^(AV) to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.^{(AW) 6} He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,^(AX) and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike^(AY) the land with total destruction.”^(AZ)

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Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”^(A)

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”^(B)

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”^(C)

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”^(D) He said, “Lord, you know all things;^(E) you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.^{(F) 18} Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death^(G) by which Peter would glorify God.^(H) Then he said to him, “Follow me!”^(I)

²⁰ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved^(J) was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)^{(K) 21} When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return,^(L) what is that to you? You must follow me.”^{(M) 23} Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers^(N) that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things^(O) and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.^(P)

²⁵ Jesus did many other things as well.^(Q) If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.^(A) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet^(B) of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.^(C) Worship God!”^(D)

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up^(E) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,^(F) because the time is near.^{(G) 11} Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”^(H)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹² “Look, I am coming soon!^(I) My reward is with me,^(J) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.^{(K) 13} I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(L) the First and the Last,^(M) the Beginning and the End.^(N)

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes,^(O) that they may have the right to the tree of life^(P) and may go through the gates^(Q) into the city.^{(R) 15} Outside^(S) are the dogs,^(T) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus,^(U) have sent my angel^(V) to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches.^(W) I am the Root^(X) and the Offspring of David,^(Y) and the bright Morning Star.”^(Z)

¹⁷ The Spirit^(AA) and the bride^(AB) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.^(AC)

¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:^(AD) If anyone adds anything to them,^(AE) God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.^{(AF) 19} And if anyone takes words away^(AG) from this scroll of prophecy,^(AH) God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life^(AI) and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things^(AJ) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”^(AK)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.^(AL)

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.^(AM) Amen.