Isaiah’s Call and Mission

6 In the year that King Uzziah^(A) died, I saw the Lord^(B) seated on a high and lofty^(C) throne,^(D) and the hem of his robe filled the temple. ² Seraphim^[a] were standing above him; they each had six wings:^(E) with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.^{(F) 3} And one called to another:

⁴ The foundations of the doorways shook^(I) at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵ Then I said:

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar^(L) with tongs. ⁷ He touched my mouth^(M) with it and said:

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking:

I said:

⁹ And he replied:

¹¹ Then I said, “Until when, Lord?” ^(Q) And he replied:

Resurrection Essential to the Gospel

15 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand^{(A) 2} and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.^{(B) 3} For I passed on to you^(C) as most important what I also received: that Christ died^(D) for our sins according to the Scriptures,^{(E) 4} that he was buried,^(F) that he was raised on the third day^(G) according to the Scriptures,^{(H) 5} and that he appeared to Cephas,^(I) then to the Twelve.^{(J) 6} Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time;^(K) most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James,^(L) then to all the apostles.^{(M) 8} Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time,^[a](N) he also appeared to me.^(O)

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles,^(P) not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted^(Q) the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.^{(R) 11} Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.

The First Disciples

5 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word,^(A) he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.^{[a](B) 2} He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats,^(C) which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”^(D)

⁵ “Master,”^(E) Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”^[b]

⁶ When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets^[c] began to tear. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” ^{(F) 9} For he and all those with him were amazed^(G) at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,”^(H) Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.”^{(I) 11} Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.^(J)