¹² For this is what the Lord says:

¹⁷ “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,^(Z) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,^(AA) rats^(AB) and other unclean things—they will meet their end^(AC) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

¹⁸ “And I, because of what they have planned and done,^(AD) am about to come^[a] and gather the people of all nations^(AE) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.^(AF)

¹⁹ “I will set a sign^(AG) among them, and I will send some of those who survive^(AH) to the nations—to Tarshish,^(AI) to the Libyans^[b] and Lydians^(AJ) (famous as archers), to Tubal^(AK) and Greece,^(AL) and to the distant islands^(AM) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.^(AN) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. ²⁰ And they will bring^(AO) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain^(AP) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”^(AQ) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.^{(AR) 21} And I will select some of them also to be priests^(AS) and Levites,” says the Lord.

²² “As the new heavens and the new earth^(AT) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.^{(AU) 23} From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath^(AV) to another, all mankind will come and bow down^(AW) before me,” says the Lord. ²⁴ “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies^(AX) of those who rebelled^(AY) against me; the worms^(AZ) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,^(BA) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Jesus Begins to Preach

¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,^(A) he withdrew to Galilee.^{(B) 13} Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,^(C) which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴ to fulfill^(D) what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven^(F) has come near.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples^(G)

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,^(H) he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter^(I) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,”^(J) Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.^(K)

²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.^(L) They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.^(M)

Jesus Heals the Sick

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee,^(N) teaching in their synagogues,^(O) proclaiming the good news^(P) of the kingdom,^(Q) and healing every disease and sickness among the people.^{(R) 24} News about him spread all over Syria,^(S) and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,^(T) those having seizures,^(U) and the paralyzed;^(V) and he healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,^[b] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.^(W)

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes^(X)

He said:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you,^(AJ) persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.^{(AK) 12} Rejoice and be glad,^(AL) because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.^(AM)

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.^(AN)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.^(AO) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.^{(AP) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others,^(AQ) that they may see your good deeds^(AR) and glorify^(AS) your Father in heaven.

The Glory of Zion

⁸ For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews^[a](A) on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises^(B) made to the patriarchs might be confirmed ⁹ and, moreover, that the Gentiles^(C) might glorify God^(D) for his mercy. As it is written:

¹⁰ Again, it says,

¹¹ And again,

¹² And again, Isaiah says,

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace^(J) as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.^(K)

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

¹⁴ I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness,^(L) filled with knowledge^(M) and competent to instruct one another. ¹⁵ Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me^{(N) 16} to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.^(O) He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God,^(P) so that the Gentiles might become an offering^(Q) acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷ Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus^(R) in my service to God.^{(S) 18} I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles^(T) to obey God^(U) by what I have said and done— ¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders,^(V) through the power of the Spirit of God.^(W) So from Jerusalem^(X) all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.^{(Y) 20} It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel^(Z) where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.^{(AA) 21} Rather, as it is written: