9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come^(A) with power.”^(B)

The Transfiguration^(C)(D)

² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John^(E) with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white,^(F) whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

⁵ Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,^(G) it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud:^(H) “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”^(I)

⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone^(J) what they had seen until the Son of Man^(K) had risen from the dead. ¹⁰ They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

Jesus and Beelzebul^(A)(B)

¹⁴ Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.^{(C) 15} But some of them said, “By Beelzebul,^(D) the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.”^{(E) 16} Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.^(F)

¹⁷ Jesus knew their thoughts^(G) and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. ¹⁸ If Satan^(H) is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I drive out demons by the finger of God,^(I) then the kingdom of God^(J) has come upon you.

³⁵ “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’^(A) He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ He led them out of Egypt^(B) and performed wonders and signs^(C) in Egypt, at the Red Sea^(D) and for forty years in the wilderness.^(E)

³⁷ “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’^{[a](F) 38} He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel^(G) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;^(H) and he received living words^(I) to pass on to us.^(J)

³⁹ “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.^{(K) 40} They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’^{[b](L) 41} That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.^{(M) 42} But God turned away from them^(N) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.^(O) This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

⁴⁴ “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law^(Q) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.^{(R) 45} After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.^(S) It remained in the land until the time of David,^{(T) 46} who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.^{[d](U) 47} But it was Solomon who built a house for him.^(V)

⁴⁸ “However, the Most High^(W) does not live in houses made by human hands.^(X) As the prophet says:

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(AA) Your hearts^(AB) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?^(AC) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him^(AD)— ⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels^(AE) but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious^(AF) and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,^(AG) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.^{(AH) 56} “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open^(AI) and the Son of Man^(AJ) standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸ dragged him out of the city^(AK) and began to stone him.^(AL) Meanwhile, the witnesses^(AM) laid their coats^(AN) at the feet of a young man named Saul.^(AO)

⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”^{(AP) 60} Then he fell on his knees^(AQ) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”^(AR) When he had said this, he fell asleep.^(AS)

8 And Saul^(AT) approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered^(AU) throughout Judea and Samaria.^(AV)

Warnings From Israel’s History

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant^(A) of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud^(B) and that they all passed through the sea.^{(C) 2} They were all baptized into^(D) Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food^{(E) 4} and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock^(F) that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.^(G)

⁶ Now these things occurred as examples^(H) to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. ⁷ Do not be idolaters,^(I) as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”^{[a](J) 8} We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.^{(K) 9} We should not test Christ,^[b](L) as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.^{(M) 10} And do not grumble, as some of them did^(N)—and were killed^(O) by the destroying angel.^(P)

¹¹ These things happened to them as examples^(Q) and were written down as warnings for us,^(R) on whom the culmination of the ages has come.^{(S) 12} So, if you think you are standing firm,^(T) be careful that you don’t fall! ¹³ No temptation^[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful;^(U) he will not let you be tempted^[d] beyond what you can bear.^(V) But when you are tempted,^[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves^(A) again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation^(B) to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.^{(C) 3} You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,^(D) not on tablets of stone^(E) but on tablets of human hearts.^(F)

⁴ Such confidence^(G) we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves^(H) to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.^{(I) 6} He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant^(J)—not of the letter^(K) but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.^(L)

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death,^(M) which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory,^(N) transitory though it was, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹ If the ministry that brought condemnation^(O) was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!^{(P) 10} For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope,^(Q) we are very bold.^{(R) 13} We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face^(S) to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were made dull,^(T) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant^(U) is read.^(V) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶ But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,^(W) the veil is taken away.^{(X) 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit,^(Y) and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.^{(Z) 18} And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a](AA) the Lord’s glory,^(AB) are being transformed into his image^(AC) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(A) so that by it you may grow up^(B) in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^(C)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(D)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(E) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(F) into a spiritual house^[a](G) to be a holy priesthood,^(H) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(I) 6} For in Scripture it says:

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(L)

⁸ and,

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^(P)

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(Q) a royal priesthood,^(R) a holy nation,^(S) God’s special possession,^(T) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{(U) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(V) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins^(A) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.^(B) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.^(C)

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are.^(D) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.^{(E) 18} Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.^(F)