Not One Is Upright

¹⁴ Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:

¹⁸ “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy^(AV) you completely. ¹⁹ And when the people ask,^(AW) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods^(AX) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners^(AY) in a land not your own.’

A Man With a Measuring Line

2 ^[a]Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. ² I asked, “Where are you going?”

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”^(A)

³ While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him ⁴ and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls^(B) because of the great number^(C) of people and animals in it.^{(D) 5} And I myself will be a wall^(E) of fire^(F) around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory^(G) within.’^(H)

⁶ “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered^(I) you to the four winds of heaven,”^(J) declares the Lord.^(K)

⁷ “Come, Zion! Escape,^(L) you who live in Daughter Babylon!”^{(M) 8} For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye^(N)— ⁹ I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.^[b](O) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.^(P)

¹⁰ “Shout^(Q) and be glad, Daughter Zion.^(R) For I am coming,^(S) and I will live among you,”^(T) declares the Lord.^{(U) 11} “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.^(V) I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.^{(W) 12} The Lord will inherit^(X) Judah^(Y) as his portion in the holy land and will again choose^(Z) Jerusalem. ¹³ Be still^(AA) before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.^(AB)”

Jesus Heals the Sick

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee,^(A) teaching in their synagogues,^(B) proclaiming the good news^(C) of the kingdom,^(D) and healing every disease and sickness among the people.^{(E) 24} News about him spread all over Syria,^(F) and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,^(G) those having seizures,^(H) and the paralyzed;^(I) and he healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,^[a] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.^(J)

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^(K)

He said:

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

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.^(AA)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.^(AB) 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.^{(AC) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others,^(AD) that they may see your good deeds^(AE) and glorify^(AF) your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.^{(AG) 18} For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.^{(AH) 19} Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands^(AI) and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.^(AJ)

1 Paul, an apostle^(A)—sent not from men nor by a man,^(B) but by Jesus Christ^(C) and God the Father,^(D) who raised him from the dead^(E)— ² and all the brothers and sisters^[a] with me,^(F)

To the churches in Galatia:^(G)

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,^{(H) 4} who gave himself for our sins^(I) to rescue us from the present evil age,^(J) according to the will of our God and Father,^{(K) 5} to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(L)

No Other Gospel

⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called^(M) you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel^(N)— ⁷ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion^(O) and are trying to pervert^(P) the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,^(Q) let them be under God’s curse!^{(R) 9} As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted,^(S) let them be under God’s curse!

¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?^(T) If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul Called by God

¹¹ I want you to know, brothers and sisters,^(U) that the gospel I preached^(V) is not of human origin. ¹² I did not receive it from any man,^(W) nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation^(X) from Jesus Christ.^(Y)

¹³ For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism,^(Z) how intensely I persecuted the church of God^(AA) and tried to destroy it.^{(AB) 14} I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous^(AC) for the traditions of my fathers.^{(AD) 15} But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb^(AE) and called me^(AF) by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,^(AG) my immediate response was not to consult any human being.^{(AH) 17} I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.^(AI)

¹⁸ Then after three years,^(AJ) I went up to Jerusalem^(AK) to get acquainted with Cephas^[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ I saw none of the other apostles—only James,^(AL) the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I assure you before God^(AM) that what I am writing you is no lie.^(AN)

²¹ Then I went to Syria^(AO) and Cilicia.^{(AP) 22} I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea^(AQ) that are in Christ.^{(AR) 23} They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith^(AS) he once tried to destroy.”^{(AT) 24} And they praised God^(AU) because of me.