The Tent Outside the Camp

33 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go up from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your offspring.^{(A) 2} I will send an angel ahead of you and will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hethites, Perizzites,^[a] Hivites, and Jebusites.^{(B) 3} Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”^{(C) 4} When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and didn’t put on their jewelry.^(D)

⁵ For the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.” ⁶ So the Israelites remained stripped of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.

⁷ Now Moses took a tent and pitched it outside the camp, at a distance from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone who wanted to consult the Lord would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.^{(E) 8} Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand up, each one at the door of his tent, and they would watch Moses until he entered the tent. ⁹ When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.^{(F) 10} As all the people saw the pillar of cloud remaining at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up, then bow in worship, each one at the door of his tent. ¹¹ The Lord would speak with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend, then Moses would return to the camp. His assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent.^(G)

The Lord’s Glory

¹² Moses said to the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name,^(H) and you have also found favor with me.’ ¹³ Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways,^(I) and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people.”^(J)

¹⁴ And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”^(K)

¹⁵ “If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to him, “don’t make us go up from here. ¹⁶ How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.”^(L)

¹⁷ The Lord answered Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.”^(M)

¹⁹ He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”^{(N) 20} But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see^(O) me and live.” ²¹ The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, ²² and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.^{(P) 23} Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”

The Anointing at Bethany

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany^(A) where Lazarus^[a] was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead.^{(B) 2} So^(C) they gave a dinner for him there; Martha^(D) was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair.^(E) So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴ Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot^(F) (who was about to betray him), said, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii^[b](G) and given to the poor?” ⁶ He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief.^(H) He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

⁷ Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial.^{(I) 8} For you always have the poor with you,^(J) but you do not always have me.”

The Decision to Kill Lazarus

⁹ Then a large crowd of the Jews learned he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead.^{(K) 10} But the chief priests had decided to kill Lazarus also, ¹¹ because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them^[c] and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

¹² The^(L) next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ¹³ they took palm branches^(M) and went out to meet him. They kept shouting:

¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey^(Q) and sat on it, just as it is written:

¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him^(T) and that they had done these things to him.

¹⁷ Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb^(U) and raised him from the dead, continued to testify.^{[f] 18} This is also why the crowd met him, because they heard he had done this sign. ¹⁹ Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!” ^(V)

Jesus Predicts His Crucifixion

²⁰ Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹ So they came to Philip,^(W) who was from Bethsaida^(X) in Galilee,^(Y) and requested of him, “Sir,^(Z) we want to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew;^(AA) then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

²³ Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man^(AB) to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat^(AC) falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.^{(AD) 25} The one who loves his life will lose it,^(AE) and the one who hates^(AF) his life^(AG) in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant^(AH) also will be.^(AI) If anyone serves me, the Father will honor^(AJ) him.

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me^(AK) from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.”^[g](AL)

Then a voice^(AM) came from heaven: ^(AN) “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”^(AO)

²⁹ The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

³⁰ Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for me, but for you.^{(AP) 31} Now is the judgment of this world.^(AQ) Now the ruler of this world^(AR) will be cast out.^{(AS) 32} As for me, if I am lifted up^[h] from the earth I will draw all people to myself.”^{(AT) 33} He said this to indicate what kind of death he was about to die.^(AU)

³⁴ Then the crowd replied to him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah will remain forever.^(AV) So how can you say, ‘The Son of Man^(AW) must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

³⁵ Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer.^(AX) Walk while you have the light^(AY) so that darkness doesn’t overtake you.^(AZ) The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going.^{(BA) 36} While you have the light,^(BB) believe in the light so that you may become children of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them.^(BC)

Isaiah’s Prophecies Fulfilled

³⁷ Even though he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to fulfill^(BD) the word of Isaiah^(BE) the prophet, who said:^[i]

³⁹ This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said:

⁴¹ Isaiah said these things because^[l] he saw his glory^(BL) and spoke about him.

⁴² Nevertheless, many did believe in him even among the rulers,^(BM) but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. ⁴³ For they loved human praise^(BN) more than praise from God.^(BO)

A Summary of Jesus’s Mission

⁴⁴ Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in me^(BP) believes not in me, but in him who sent me. ⁴⁵ And the one who sees me sees him^(BQ) who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. ⁴⁷ If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep^(BR) them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world^(BS) but to save the world.^{(BT) 48} The one who rejects me^(BU) and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: ^[m] The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day.^{(BV) 49} For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father^(BW) himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said. ⁵⁰ I know that his command is eternal life.^(BX) So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”^(BY)

Wisdom versus Foolishness

From Death to Life

2 And you were dead^(A) in your trespasses and sins ² in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world,^(B) according to the ruler of the power of the air,^(C) the spirit^(D) now working in the disobedient.^{[a] 3} We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly^(E) desires, carrying out the inclinations^(F) of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath^(G) as the others were also. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy,^(H) because of his great love^(I) that he had for us,^{[b] 5} made us alive^(J) with Christ even though we were dead^(K) in trespasses. You are saved by grace! ⁶ He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,^{(L) 7} so that in the coming ages^(M) he might display the immeasurable riches^(N) of his grace through his kindness^(O) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For you are saved by grace^(P) through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— ⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created^(Q) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time^(R) for us to do.

Unity in Christ

¹¹ So, then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,”^(S) which is done in the flesh by human hands.^{(T) 12} At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise,^(U) without hope^(V) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood^(W) of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, who made both groups one^(X) and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, ¹⁵ he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create^(Y) in himself one^(Z) new man from the two, resulting in peace. ¹⁶ He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body^(AA) through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.^{[c] 17} He came and proclaimed the good news^(AB) of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{(AC) 18} For through him we both have access^(AD) in one Spirit to the Father.^{(AE) 19} So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,^(AF) with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building, being put together,^(AG) grows into a holy temple in the Lord.^{(AH) 22} In him you are also being built together^(AI) for God’s dwelling^(AJ) in the Spirit.