Debts Canceled Every Seven Years^(A)

15 “At the end of ^(B)every seven years you shall grant a ^[a]release of debts. ² And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall ^[b]release it; he shall not ^[c]require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release. ³ Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, ⁴ except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly ^(C)bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— ⁵ only if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. ⁶ For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; ^(D)you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

Generosity to the Poor

⁷ “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the ^[d]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, ^(E)you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, ⁸ but ^(F)you shall ^[e]open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. ⁹ Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your ^(G)eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and ^(H)he cry out to the Lord against you, and ^(I)it become sin among you. ¹⁰ You shall surely give to him, and ^(J)your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because ^(K)for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. ¹¹ For ^(L)the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall ^[f]open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

Those Admitted to the Temple

⁴ Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the ^[a]temple; so I looked, and ^(A)behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; ^(B)and I fell on my face. ⁵ And the Lord said to me, ^(C)“Son of man, ^[b]mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the ^(D)ordinances of the house of the Lord and all its laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.

⁶ “Now say to the ^(E)rebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “O house of Israel, ^(F)let Us have no more of all your abominations. ^7 (G)When you brought in ^(H)foreigners, ^(I)uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it—My house—and when you offered ^(J)My food, ^(K)the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations. ⁸ And you have not ^(L)kept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.”

Peter Defends God’s Grace

11 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. ² And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, ^(A)those of the circumcision contended with him, ³ saying, ^(B)“You went in to uncircumcised men ^(C)and ate with them!”

⁴ But Peter explained it to them ^(D)in order from the beginning, saying: ^5 (E)“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. ⁶ When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. ⁷ And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ ¹⁰ Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² Then ^(F)the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover ^(G)these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ^13 (H)And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, ¹⁴ who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ ¹⁵ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, ^(I)as upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ^(J)‘John indeed baptized with water, but ^(K)you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ^17 (L)If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(M)who was I that I could withstand God?”

¹⁸ When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ^(N)“Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Barnabas and Saul at Antioch

^19 (O)Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. ²⁰ But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to ^(P)the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And ^(Q)the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and ^(R)turned to the Lord.

²² Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out ^(S)Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. ²³ When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and ^(T)encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. ²⁴ For he was a good man, ^(U)full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. ^(V)And a great many people were added to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas departed for ^(W)Tarsus to seek Saul. ²⁶ And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Relief to Judea

²⁷ And in these days ^(X)prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ Then one of them, named ^(Y)Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of ^(Z)Claudius Caesar. ²⁹ Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send ^(AA)relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. ^30 (AB)This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.