A Voice in the Wilderness(A)

19 Now this is (B)the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 (C)He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you (D)the Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said: (E)“I am

(F)‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’

as the prophet Isaiah said.”

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John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

19 Now this was John’s(A) testimony when the Jewish leaders[a](B) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”(C)

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”(D)

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”(E)

He answered, “No.”

22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,(F) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[b](G)

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19.
  2. John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3

Joseph Dreams of Greatness

37 Now Jacob dwelt in the land (A)where his father was a [a]stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought (B)a bad report of them to his father.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was (C)the son of his old age. Also he (D)made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they (E)hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: (F)There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, (G)the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and (H)your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And (I)his brothers envied him, but his father (J)kept the matter in mind.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 37:1 sojourner, temporary resident

Joseph’s Dreams

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,(A) the land of Canaan.(B)

This is the account(C) of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph,(D) a young man of seventeen,(E) was tending the flocks(F) with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah(G) and the sons of Zilpah,(H) his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report(I) about them.

Now Israel(J) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,(K) because he had been born to him in his old age;(L) and he made an ornate[a] robe(M) for him.(N) When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him(O) and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream,(P) and when he told it to his brothers,(Q) they hated him all the more.(R) He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves(S) of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”(T)

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”(U) And they hated him all the more(V) because of his dream and what he had said.

Then he had another dream,(W) and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars(X) were bowing down to me.”(Y)

10 When he told his father as well as his brothers,(Z) his father rebuked(AA) him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”(AB) 11 His brothers were jealous of him,(AC) but his father kept the matter in mind.(AD)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32.

The New Jerusalem(A)

Then one of (B)the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came [a]to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you (C)the [b]bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away (D)in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me (E)the [c]great city, the [d]holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 (F)having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with (G)twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 (H)three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and (I)on them were the [e]names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me (J)had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand [f]furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 (K)The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve (L)pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. (M)And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

The Glory of the New Jerusalem

22 (N)But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 (O)The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine [g]in it, for the [h]glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 (P)And the nations [i]of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor [j]into it. 25 (Q)Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (R)(there shall be no night there). 26 (S)And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into [k]it. 27 But (T)there shall by no means enter it anything [l]that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s (U)Book of Life.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:9 NU, M omit to me
  2. Revelation 21:9 M woman, the Lamb’s bride
  3. Revelation 21:10 NU, M omit great
  4. Revelation 21:10 NU, M holy city, Jerusalem
  5. Revelation 21:14 NU, M twelve names
  6. Revelation 21:16 Lit. stadia, about 1,380 miles in all
  7. Revelation 21:23 NU, M omit in it
  8. Revelation 21:23 M very glory
  9. Revelation 21:24 NU, M omit of those who are saved
  10. Revelation 21:24 M of the nations to Him
  11. Revelation 21:26 M adds that they may enter in.
  12. Revelation 21:27 NU, M profane, nor one who causes

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues(A) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,(B) the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away(C) in the Spirit(D) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.(E) 11 It shone with the glory of God,(F) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,(G) clear as crystal.(H) 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,(I) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.(J) 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations,(K) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles(L) of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod(M) of gold to measure the city, its gates(N) and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[a] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human(O) measurement, and it was 144 cubits[b] thick.[c] 18 The wall was made of jasper,(P) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.(Q) 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.(R) The first foundation was jasper,(S) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,(T) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[d] 21 The twelve gates(U) were twelve pearls,(V) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.(W)

22 I did not see a temple(X) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty(Y) and the Lamb(Z) are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God(AA) gives it light,(AB) and the Lamb(AC) is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.(AD) 25 On no day will its gates(AE) ever be shut,(AF) for there will be no night there.(AG) 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.(AH) 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,(AI) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.(AJ)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:16 That is, about 1,400 miles or about 2,200 kilometers
  2. Revelation 21:17 That is, about 200 feet or about 65 meters
  3. Revelation 21:17 Or high
  4. Revelation 21:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.