Deborah and Barak

4 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died. ² So the Lord sold them to King Jabin^(A) of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.^(B) The commander of his army was Sisera^(C) who lived in Harosheth of the Nations.^{[a] 3} Then the Israelites cried out^(D) to the Lord, because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them twenty years.

⁴ Deborah, a prophetess^(E) and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵ She would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to settle disputes.^(F)

⁶ She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel,^(G) commanded you, ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor,^(H) and take with you ten thousand men from the Naphtalites^(I) and Zebulunites?^{(J) 7} Then I will lure Sisera commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his infantry at the Wadi Kishon^(K) to fight against you, and I will hand him over to you.’”^(L)

⁸ Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

⁹ “I will gladly go with you,” she said, “but you will receive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera to a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. ¹⁰ Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the sons of Hobab,^(M) Moses’s father-in-law,^(N) and pitched his tent beside the oak tree of Zaanannim,^(O) which was near Kedesh.

¹² It was reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor. ¹³ Sisera summoned all his nine hundred iron chariots and all the troops who were with him from Harosheth of the Nations to the Wadi Kishon. ¹⁴ Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has handed Sisera over to you. Hasn’t the Lord gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.

¹⁵ The Lord threw Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army into a panic^(P) before Barak’s assault. Sisera left his chariot and fled on foot. ¹⁶ Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth of the Nations, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.

¹⁷ Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸ Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. ¹⁹ He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink for I am thirsty.” She opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again. ²⁰ Then he said to her, “Stand at the entrance to the tent. If a man comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’” ²¹ While he was sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife, Jael, took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She hammered the peg into his temple and drove it into the ground, and he died.

²² When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he went in with her, and there was Sisera lying dead with a tent peg through his temple!

²³ That day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. ²⁴ The power of the Israelites continued to increase against King Jabin of Canaan until they destroyed him.

Saul the Persecutor

8 Saul agreed with putting him to death.

On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.^{(A) 2} Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. ³ Saul,^(B) however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.^(C)

Philip in Samaria

⁴ So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. ⁵ Philip went down to a^[a] city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.^{(D) 6} The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.^{(E) 8} So there was great joy in that city.

The Response of Simon

⁹ A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.^{(F) 10} They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”^{[b](G) 11} They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. ¹² But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.^{(H) 13} Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles^(I) that were being performed.

Simon’s Sin

¹⁴ When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.^{(J) 15} After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. ¹⁶ (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.^(K)) ¹⁷ Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit^[c] was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰ But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!^{(L) 21} You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.^{(M) 22} Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. ²³ For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”^(N)

²⁴ “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”^(O)

²⁵ So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

The Conversion of the Ethiopian Official

²⁶ An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.^[d](P)) ²⁷ So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch^(Q) and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem^{(R) 28} and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.

²⁹ The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”^(S)

³⁰ When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:

³⁴ The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” ³⁵ Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.^(U)

³⁶ As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” ^{[f] 38} So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord^(V) carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Philip appeared in^[g] Azotus,^[h] and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.^(W)

The Persistent Sin of Judah

Curse and Blessing

⁵ This is what the Lord says:

The Deceitful Heart

Jeremiah’s Plea

Observing the Sabbath

¹⁹ This is what the Lord said to me, “Go and stand at the People’s Gate, through which the kings of Judah enter and leave, as well as at all the gates of Jerusalem. ²⁰ Announce to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, kings of Judah, all Judah, and all the residents of Jerusalem who enter through these gates. ²¹ This is what the Lord says: Watch yourselves; do not pick up a load and bring it in through Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day.^{(AD) 22} Do not carry a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day or do any work,^(AE) but keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I commanded your ancestors.^{(AF) 23} They wouldn’t listen or pay attention but became obstinate,^(AG) not listening or accepting discipline.

²⁴ “‘However, if you listen to me—this is the Lord’s declaration—and do not bring loads through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, ²⁵ kings and princes will enter through the gates of this city. They will sit on the throne of David;^(AH) they will ride in chariots and on horses^(AI) with their officials, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem. This city will be inhabited forever. ²⁶ Then people will come from the cities of Judah and from the area around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and from the Judean foothills, from the hill country and from the Negev^(AJ) bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and thanksgiving sacrifices to the house of the Lord. ²⁷ But if you do not listen to me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load while entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, I will set fire to its gates,^(AK) and it will consume the citadels^(AL) of Jerusalem^(AM) and not be extinguished.’”^(AN)

3 Jesus^(A) entered the synagogue^(B) again, and a man was there who had a shriveled^(C) hand. ² In order to accuse^(D) him, they were watching him closely^(E) to see whether he would heal^(F) him on the Sabbath.^{(G) 3} He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” ⁴ Then he said to them, “Is it lawful^(H) to do good^(I) on the Sabbath or to do evil,^(J) to save life^(K) or to kill?”^(L) But they were silent.^{(M) 5} After looking around at them with anger,^(N) he was grieved at the hardness^(O) of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.^{(P) 6} Immediately the Pharisees^(Q) went out and started plotting^(R) with the Herodians^(S) against him, how they might kill^(T) him.

Ministering to the Multitude

⁷ Jesus^(U) departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,^(V) and a large crowd followed from Judea,^{(W) 8} Jerusalem,^(X) Idumea, beyond the Jordan,^(Y) and around Tyre^(Z) and Sidon.^(AA) The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. ⁹ Then he told his disciples to have a small boat^(AB) ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. ¹⁰ Since he had healed^(AC) many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch^(AD) him. ¹¹ Whenever the unclean^(AE) spirits^(AF) saw him, they fell down^(AG) before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” ^{(AH) 12} And he would strongly warn^(AI) them not to make him known.^(AJ)

The Twelve Apostles

¹³ Jesus^(AK) went up the mountain^(AL) and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles,^[a](AM) to be with him, to send them out to preach,^{(AN) 15} and to have authority to^[b] drive out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the Twelve:^[c](AO) To Simon,^(AP) he gave the name Peter;^{(AQ) 17} and to James^(AR) the son of Zebedee,^(AS) and to his brother John,^(AT) he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”^(AU)); ¹⁸ Andrew;^(AV) Philip^(AW) and Bartholomew; Matthew^(AX) and Thomas;^(AY) James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot,^(AZ) who also betrayed him.

A House Divided

²⁰ Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.^{[d] 21} When his family^(BA) heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”^(BB)

²² The scribes^(BC) who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,”^(BD) and, “He drives out^(BE) demons^(BF) by the ruler^(BG) of the demons.”^(BH)

²³ So he summoned^(BI) them and spoke to them in parables:^(BJ) “How can Satan^(BK) drive out Satan?^{(BL) 24} If a kingdom^(BM) is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up^(BN) the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies^(BO) they utter. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes^(BP) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,^(BQ) but is guilty^(BR) of an eternal sin”^[e](BS)— ³⁰ because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”^(BT)

True Relationships

³¹ His^(BU) mother^(BV) and his brothers^(BW) came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers,^(BX) and your sisters^[f] are outside asking for you.”

³³ He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!^{(BY) 35} Whoever does the will of God^(BZ) is my brother and sister and mother.”