John 8
English Standard Version
8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 (A)Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and (B)he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now (C)in the Law, Moses commanded us (D)to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said (E)to test him, (F)that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, (G)“Let him who is without sin among you (H)be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, (I)“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on (J)sin no more.”]]
I Am the Light of the World
12 (K)Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, (L)“I am the light of the world. Whoever (M)follows me will not (N)walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, (O)“You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, (P)my testimony is true, for I know (Q)where I came from and (R)where I am going, but (S)you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 (T)You judge according to the flesh; (U)I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, (V)my judgment is true, for (W)it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father[a] who sent me. 17 (X)In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and (Y)the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, (Z)“You know neither me nor my Father. (AA)If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in (AB)the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but (AC)no one arrested him, because (AD)his hour had not yet come.
21 So he said to them again, (AE)“I am going away, and (AF)you will seek me, and (AG)you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, (AH)“Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, (AI)“You are from below; I am from above. (AJ)You are of this world; (AK)I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you (AL)would die in your sins, for (AM)unless you believe that (AN)I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, (AO)“Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but (AP)he who sent me is true, and I declare (AQ)to the world (AR)what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that (AS)he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have (AT)lifted up the Son of Man, (AU)then you will know that (AV)I am he, and that (AW)I do nothing on my own authority, but (AX)speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And (AY)he who sent me is with me. (AZ)He has not left me alone, for (BA)I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, (BB)many believed in him.
The Truth Will Set You Free
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, (BC)“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will (BD)know the truth, and the truth (BE)will set you free.” 33 They answered him, (BF)“We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (BG)everyone who practices sin is a slave[b] to sin. 35 (BH)The slave does not remain in the house forever; (BI)the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet (BJ)you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 (BK)I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard (BL)from your father.”
You Are of Your Father the Devil
39 They answered him, (BM)“Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, (BN)“If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now (BO)you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth (BP)that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, (BQ)“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have (BR)one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, (BS)“If God were your Father, you would love me, for (BT)I came from God and (BU)I am here. (BV)I came not of my own accord, but (BW)he sent me. 43 (BX)Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot (BY)bear to hear my word. 44 (BZ)You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. (CA)He was a murderer from the beginning, and (CB)does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. (CC)When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 (CD)Whoever is of God hears the words of God. (CE)The reason why you do not hear them is that (CF)you are not of God.”
Before Abraham Was, I Am
48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and (CG)have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but (CH)I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet (CI)I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, (CJ)I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never (CK)see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! (CL)Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet (CM)you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never (CN)taste death.’ 53 (CO)Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, (CP)“If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. (CQ)It is my Father who glorifies me, (CR)of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’[c] 55 But (CS)you have not known him. (CT)I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be (CU)a liar (CV)like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 (CW)Your father Abraham (CX)rejoiced (CY)that he would see my day. (CZ)He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”[d] 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, (DA)I am.” 59 So (DB)they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Nahum 1-3
English Standard Version
1 (A)An oracle concerning (B)Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
God's Wrath Against Nineveh
2 (C)The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
(D)the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and (E)keeps wrath for his enemies.
3 (F)The Lord is slow to anger and (G)great in power,
and (H)the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
(I)His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 (J)He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers;
(K)Bashan and (L)Carmel wither;
the bloom of (M)Lebanon withers.
5 (N)The mountains quake before him;
(O)the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
(P)the world and all who dwell in it.
6 (Q)Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath (R)is poured out like fire,
and (S)the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
7 (T)The Lord is good,
(U)a stronghold in the day of trouble;
(V)he knows those who take refuge in him.
8 But (W)with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,[a]
and (X)will pursue his enemies into darkness.
9 What (Y)do you plot against the Lord?
(Z)He will make a complete end;
trouble will not rise up a second time.
10 For they are (AA)like entangled thorns,
like drunkards as they drink;
(AB)they are consumed like stubble fully dried.
11 From you came one
(AC)who plotted evil against the Lord,
a worthless counselor.
12 Thus says the Lord,
“Though they are at full strength and many,
(AD)they will be cut down and pass away.
(AE)Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.
13 And now (AF)I will break his yoke from off you
and will burst your bonds apart.”
14 The Lord has given commandment about you:
(AG)“No more shall your name be perpetuated;
from (AH)the house of your gods I will cut off
the carved image and the metal image.
(AI)I will make your grave, (AJ)for you are vile.”
15 [b] (AK)Behold, upon the mountains, (AL)the feet of him
who brings good news,
who publishes peace!
(AM)Keep your feasts, O Judah;
(AN)fulfill your vows,
(AO)for never again shall the worthless pass through you;
he is utterly cut off.
The Destruction of Nineveh
2 (AP)The scatterer has come up against you.
(AQ)Man the ramparts;
watch the road;
dress for battle;[c]
collect all your strength.
2 For (AR)the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob
as the majesty of Israel,
for plunderers have plundered them
and (AS)ruined their branches.
3 The shield of his mighty men is red;
(AT)his soldiers are clothed in scarlet.
The chariots come with flashing metal
on the day he musters them;
the cypress spears are brandished.
4 (AU)The chariots race madly through the streets;
they rush to and fro through the squares;
they gleam like torches;
they dart like lightning.
5 He remembers (AV)his officers;
(AW)they stumble as they go,
they hasten to the wall;
the siege tower[d] is set up.
6 (AX)The river gates are opened;
the palace (AY)melts away;
7 its mistress[e] is (AZ)stripped;[f] she is carried off,
her slave girls (BA)lamenting,
moaning like doves
and beating their breasts.
8 (BB)Nineveh is like a pool
whose waters run away.[g]
“Halt! Halt!” they cry,
but (BC)none turns back.
9 Plunder the silver,
plunder the gold!
There is no end of the treasure
or of the wealth of all precious things.
10 (BD)Desolate! Desolation and ruin!
(BE)Hearts melt and (BF)knees tremble;
(BG)anguish is in all loins;
(BH)all faces grow pale!
11 Where is the lions' den,
the feeding place of (BI)the young lions,
where the lion and lioness went,
where his cubs were, with (BJ)none to disturb?
12 (BK)The lion tore enough for his cubs
and (BL)strangled prey for his lionesses;
he filled his caves with prey
and his dens with torn flesh.
13 (BM)Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and (BN)I will burn your[h] chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and (BO)the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.
Woe to Nineveh
3 Woe to (BP)the bloody city,
all full of lies and plunder—
(BQ)no end to the prey!
2 The crack of the whip, and (BR)rumble of the wheel,
(BS)galloping horse and (BT)bounding chariot!
3 Horsemen charging,
flashing sword and (BU)glittering spear,
(BV)hosts of slain,
heaps of corpses,
dead bodies without end—
they stumble over the bodies!
4 And all for the countless whorings of the (BW)prostitute,
(BX)graceful and of deadly charms,
who betrays nations with her whorings,
and peoples with her charms.
5 (BY)Behold, I am against you,
declares the Lord of hosts,
and (BZ)will lift up your skirts over your face;
and I will make nations look at (CA)your nakedness
and kingdoms at your shame.
6 I will throw filth at you
and (CB)treat you with contempt
and make you (CC)a spectacle.
7 And all who look at you (CD)will shrink from you and say,
“Wasted is (CE)Nineveh; (CF)who will grieve for her?”
(CG)Where shall I seek comforters for you?
8 (CH)Are you better than (CI)Thebes[i]
that sat (CJ)by the Nile,
with water around her,
her rampart a sea,
and water her wall?
9 (CK)Cush was her strength;
Egypt too, and that without limit;
(CL)Put and the (CM)Libyans were her[j] helpers.
10 (CN)Yet she became an exile;
she went into captivity;
(CO)her infants were dashed in pieces
at the head of every street;
for her honored men (CP)lots were cast,
(CQ)and all her great men were bound in chains.
11 (CR)You also will be drunken;
you will go into hiding;
(CS)you will seek a refuge from the enemy.
12 All your fortresses are (CT)like fig trees
with first-ripe figs—
if shaken they fall
into the mouth of the eater.
13 Behold, your troops
(CU)are women in your midst.
The gates of your land
are wide open to your enemies;
fire has devoured your bars.
14 (CV)Draw water for the siege;
(CW)strengthen your forts;
go into the clay;
tread the mortar;
take hold of the brick mold!
15 There will the fire devour you;
the sword will cut you off.
It will (CX)devour you (CY)like the locust.
Multiply yourselves (CZ)like the locust;
multiply (DA)like the grasshopper!
16 You increased (DB)your merchants
more than the stars of the heavens.
(DC)The locust spreads its wings and flies away.
17 Your (DD)princes are (DE)like grasshoppers,
(DF)your scribes[k] like clouds of locusts
settling on the fences
in a day of cold—
when the sun rises, they fly away;
no one knows where they are.
18 Your shepherds (DG)are asleep,
O king of Assyria;
(DH)your nobles slumber.
Your people (DI)are scattered on the mountains
with none to gather them.
19 There is no easing your hurt;
(DJ)your wound is grievous.
All who hear the news about you
(DK)clap their hands over you.
For (DL)upon whom has not come
your unceasing evil?
Footnotes
- Nahum 1:8 Hebrew of her place
- Nahum 1:15 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
- Nahum 2:1 Hebrew gird your loins
- Nahum 2:5 Or the mantelet
- Nahum 2:7 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered its mistress is uncertain
- Nahum 2:7 Or exiled
- Nahum 2:8 Compare Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Nahum 2:13 Hebrew her
- Nahum 3:8 Hebrew No-amon
- Nahum 3:9 Hebrew your
- Nahum 3:17 Or marshals
Ecclesiastes 12
English Standard Version
Remember Your Creator in Your Youth
12 Remember also your Creator in (A)the days of your youth, before (B)the evil days come and the years draw near of which (C)you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before (D)the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and (E)those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and (F)the doors on the street are shut—when (G)the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all (H)the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and (I)terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,[a] and desire fails, because man is going to his (J)eternal (K)home, and the (L)mourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or (M)the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is (N)shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and (O)the dust returns to the earth as it was, and (P)the spirit returns to God (Q)who gave it. 8 (R)Vanity[b] of vanities, says (S)the Preacher; all is vanity.
Fear God and Keep His Commandments
9 Besides being wise, (T)the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging (U)many proverbs with great care. 10 (V)The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.
11 (W)The words of the wise are like goads, and like (X)nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are (Y)given by (Z)one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making (AA)many books there is no end, and (AB)much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. (AC)Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.[c] 14 For (AD)God will bring every deed into judgment, with[d] every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or is a burden
- Ecclesiastes 12:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (three times in this verse); see note on 1:2
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 Or the duty of all mankind
- Ecclesiastes 12:14 Or into the judgment on
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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