²⁷ “Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors^(A) blasphemed^(B) me by being unfaithful to me:^{(C) 28} When I brought them into the land^(D) I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.^{(E) 29} Then I said to them: What is this high place^(F) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah^[a] to this day.)

Rebellious Israel Renewed

³⁰ “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves^(G) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?^{(H) 31} When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children^(I) in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.^(J)

³² “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. ³³ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm^(K) and with outpoured wrath.^{(L) 34} I will bring you from the nations^(M) and gather^(N) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand^(O) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.^{(P) 35} I will bring you into the wilderness^(Q) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment^(R) upon you. ³⁶ As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(S) 37} I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,^(T) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.^{(U) 38} I will purge^(V) you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(W)

³⁹ “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,^(X) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name^(Y) with your gifts and idols.^{(Z) 40} For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,^(AA) declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings^(AB) and your choice gifts,^[b] along with all your holy sacrifices.^{(AC) 41} I will accept you as fragrant incense^(AD) when I bring you out from the nations and gather^(AE) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy^(AF) through you in the sight of the nations.^{(AG) 42} Then you will know that I am the Lord,^(AH) when I bring you into the land of Israel,^(AI) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.^{(AJ) 43} There you will remember your conduct^(AK) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves^(AL) for all the evil you have done.^{(AM) 44} You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake^(AN) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AO)’”

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you^(A) was not without results.^{(B) 2} We had previously suffered^(C) and been treated outrageously in Philippi,^(D) as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.^{(E) 3} For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,^(F) nor are we trying to trick you.^{(G) 4} On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.^(H) We are not trying to please people^(I) but God, who tests our hearts.^{(J) 5} You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed^(K)—God is our witness.^{(L) 6} We were not looking for praise from people,^(M) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles^(N) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.^{(O) 7} Instead, we were like young children^[a] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^{(P) 8} so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God^(Q) but our lives as well.^{(R) 9} Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^(S) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^(T) while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰ You are witnesses,^(U) and so is God,^(V) of how holy,^(W) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,^{(X) 12} encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^(Y) of God, who calls^(Z) you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³ And we also thank God continually^(AA) because, when you received the word of God,^(AB) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators^(AC) of God’s churches in Judea,^(AD) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people^(AE) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus^(AF) and the prophets^(AG) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles^(AH) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.^(AI) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.^[b]

²³ Again the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’^{(A) 25} There is a conspiracy^(B) of her princes^[a] within her like a roaring lion^(C) tearing its prey; they devour people,^(D) take treasures and precious things and make many widows^(E) within her. ²⁶ Her priests do violence to my law^(F) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;^(G) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;^(H) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned^(I) among them.^{(J) 27} Her officials^(K) within her are like wolves^(L) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people^(M) to make unjust gain.^{(N) 28} Her prophets whitewash^(O) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.^(P) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.^{(Q) 29} The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;^(R) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,^(S) denying them justice.^(T)

³⁰ “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall^(U) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.^{(V) 31} So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,^(W) bringing down^(X) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(Y)”

³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation,^(A) and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses^(B) during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.^{(C) 33} But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced^(D) Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.^{(E) 35} The man who saw it^(F) has given testimony, and his testimony is true.^(G) He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled:^(H) “Not one of his bones will be broken,”^{[a](I) 37} and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”^[b](J)

The Burial of Jesus^(K)

³⁸ Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.^(L) With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹ He was accompanied by Nicodemus,^(M) the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.^{[c] 40} Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen.^(N) This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.^{(O) 41} At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴² Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation^(P) and since the tomb was nearby,^(Q) they laid Jesus there.