The New Stone Tablets

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones,^(A) and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets,^(B) which you broke.^{(C) 2} Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai.^(D) Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. ³ No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain;^(E) not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”

⁴ So Moses chiseled^(F) out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.^{(G) 5} Then the Lord came down in the cloud^(H) and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord.^{(I) 6} And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate^(J) and gracious God, slow to anger,^(K) abounding in love^(L) and faithfulness,^{(M) 7} maintaining love to thousands,^(N) and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.^(O) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;^(P) he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”^(Q)

⁸ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. ⁹ “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor^(R) in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us.^(S) Although this is a stiff-necked^(T) people, forgive our wickedness and our sin,^(U) and take us as your inheritance.”^(V)

¹⁰ Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant^(W) with you. Before all your people I will do wonders^(X) never before done in any nation in all the world.^(Y) The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.

³⁶ When Balak^(A) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon^(B) border, at the edge of his territory. ³⁷ Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”

³⁸ “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”^(C)

³⁹ Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. ⁴⁰ Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep,^(D) and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. ⁴¹ The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,^(E) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.^(F)

Balaam’s First Message

23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams^(G) for me.” ² Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(H)

³ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.^(I) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.

⁴ God met with him,^(J) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

⁵ The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth^(K) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”^(L)

⁶ So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.^{(M) 7} Then Balaam^(N) spoke his message:^(O)

¹¹ Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,^(Z) but you have done nothing but bless them!”^(AA)

¹² He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”^(AB)

Suffering for Doing Good

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded,^(A) be sympathetic, love one another,^(B) be compassionate and humble.^{(C) 9} Do not repay evil with evil^(D) or insult with insult.^(E) On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,^(F) because to this^(G) you were called^(H) so that you may inherit a blessing.^{(I) 10} For,

¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?^{(K) 14} But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.^(L) “Do not fear their threats^[b]; do not be frightened.”^{[c](M) 15} But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer^(N) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope^(O) that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience,^(P) so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.^{(Q) 17} For it is better, if it is God’s will,^(R) to suffer for doing good^(S) than for doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once^(T) for sins,^(U) the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.^(V) He was put to death in the body^(W) but made alive in the Spirit.^{(X) 19} After being made alive,^[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits^(Y)— ²⁰ to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently^(Z) in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.^(AA) In it only a few people, eight in all,^(AB) were saved^(AC) through water, ²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you^(AD) also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience^(AE) toward God.^[e] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,^{(AF) 22} who has gone into heaven^(AG) and is at God’s right hand^(AH)—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.^(AI)

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany,^(A) the village of Mary and her sister Martha.^{(B) 2} (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)^{(C) 3} So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love^(D) is sick.”

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory^(E) so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”^(F)

⁸ “But Rabbi,”^(G) they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you,^(H) and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.^{(I) 10} It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend^(J) Lazarus has fallen asleep;^(K) but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.^(L)

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas^(M) (also known as Didymus^[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.^{(N) 18} Now Bethany^(O) was less than two miles^[b] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.^{(P) 20} When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.^(Q)

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.^{(R) 22} But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”^(S)

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection^(T) at the last day.”^(U)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am^(V) the resurrection and the life.^(W) The one who believes^(X) in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing^(Y) in me will never die.^(Z) Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah,^(AA) the Son of God,^(AB) who is to come into the world.”^(AC)

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher^(AD) is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.^{(AE) 31} When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her,^(AF) noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”^(AG)

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved^(AH) in spirit and troubled.^{(AI) 34} “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.^(AJ)

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”^(AK)

³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man^(AL) have kept this man from dying?”^(AM)

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved,^(AN) came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.^{(AO) 39} “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”^(AP)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe,^(AQ) you will see the glory of God?”^(AR)

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up^(AS) and said, “Father,^(AT) I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here,^(AU) that they may believe that you sent me.”^(AV)

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”^{(AW) 44} The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen,^(AX) and a cloth around his face.^(AY)

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”