²¹ “Brothers will ·give [betray; hand over] their own brothers to ·be killed [death], and fathers will give their own children to ·be killed [death]. Children will ·fight [rebel; rise up] against their own parents and have them put to death. ²² All people will hate you because ·you follow me [^Lof my name], but those people who ·keep their faith [endure; stand firm; persevere] until the end will be saved. ²³ When you are ·treated badly [persecuted] in one city, ·run [flee] to ·another city [the next]. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes [Dan. 7:13–14].

²⁴ “A ·student [disciple; follower] is not ·better than [superior to; ^Labove] his teacher, and a ·servant [slave] is not ·better than [superior to; ^Labove] his ·master [lord]. ²⁵ ·A student should be satisfied [^LIt is enough for a student/disciple/follower] to become like his teacher; ·a servant should be satisfied to become [^Land a servant/slave] like his master. If the head of the family [^Chere referring to Jesus] is called Beelzebul [^Canother name for Satan], ·then the other members of the family will be called worse names [^Lhow much more the members of his household]!

Fear God, Not People^(A)

²⁶ “So don’t be afraid of those people, because everything that is ·hidden [concealed; covered up] will be ·shown [revealed; uncovered; disclosed]. Everything that is ·secret [hidden] will be made ·known [clear]. ²⁷ I tell you these things in the dark, but I want you to tell them in the ·light [daylight]. What you hear whispered in your ear you should ·shout [proclaim] from the housetops. ²⁸ Don’t be afraid of people, who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can destroy [^Lboth] the soul and the body in ·hell [^LGehenna; 5:22]. ²⁹ Two sparrows are sold [^LAre not two sparrows sold…?] for only a penny [^CGreek: assarion; a copper coin of very low value], but not even one of them can ·die [^Lfall to the ground] ·without your Father’s knowing it [or apart from your Father’s will]. ³⁰ God even ·knows [numbers; counts] how many hairs are on your head. ³¹ So don’t be afraid. You are ·worth much more [more valuable] than many sparrows.

³² “All those who ·stand before others and say they believe in me [^Lconfess/acknowledge me before people], I will ·say before my Father in heaven that they belong to me [^Lconfess/acknowledge them before my Father in heaven]. ³³ But all who ·stand before others and say they do not believe in me [^Ldeny/disown me before people] I will ·say before my Father in heaven that they do not belong to me [^Lalso deny/disown them before my Father in heaven].

Divisions Within Households^(B)

³⁴ “Don’t ·think [suppose] that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ [^LFor] I have come ·so that

Conditions and Rewards of Discipleship^(C)

³⁷ “·Those who love [^LThe one who loves…] their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy ·to be my followers [^Lof me]. Those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy ·to be my followers [^Lof me]. ³⁸ Whoever ·is not willing to carry the [^Ldoes not take up his] cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Be Ruled by the Spirit

8 So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not ·judged guilty^[a] [condemned; punished for their sins]. ² [^LFor] ·Through [or In] Christ Jesus the ·law [principle; or power] of the Spirit that brings life set you^[b] free from the ·law [principle; or power] that brings sin and death. ³ The law [^Cof Moses] was without power, because the law was made weak by our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh]. But God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son to earth ·with the same human life that others use for sin [or in a body like ours, prone to sin; ^Lin the likeness of sinful flesh]. By sending his Son ·to be an offering for sin [^Lconcerning sin], God ·used a human life to destroy sin [^Lcondemned sin in the flesh]. ⁴ He did this so that ·we could be the kind of people that the law demands that we be [^Lthe law’s righteous/just requirements would be fulfilled in us]. Now we do not ·live [walk; ^Clife’s journey] following our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], but following the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live following their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh] ·think only about [have their minds set on; or have their outlook shaped by] things that their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh] want. But those who live following the Spirit ·are thinking about [have their minds set on; or have their outlook shaped by] the things ·the Spirit wants them to do [^Lof the Spirit]. ⁶ If people’s ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the ·sinful self [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], ·there is [the result is] death. But if their ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the Spirit, ·there is [the result is] life and peace. ⁷ When people’s ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the ·sinful self [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], they are ·against [hostile to] God, because they refuse to ·obey [submit to] God’s law and really are not even able to ·obey [submit to] God’s law. ⁸ Those people who are ·ruled by [or under the control of; ^Lin] ·their sinful selves [their sinful nature; ^Tthe flesh] cannot please God.

God and the Jewish People

9 I am telling you the truth ·as a follower of Christ [or with Christ as my witness; ^Lin Christ]; I do not lie. My conscience is ·ruled by [or guided by] the Holy Spirit, and it ·tells [testifies to] me I am not lying. ² I have great sorrow and ·always feel much sadness [unceasing/constant anguish]. ³ [^LFor] I would even wish that I were cursed and cut off from ·Christ [or the Messiah] ·if that would help [for the sake of] my Jewish brothers and sisters, my ·people [countrymen; ^Lrelatives according to the flesh]. ⁴ They are the people of Israel, God’s ·chosen [^Ladopted] children. They ·have seen [or have] the glory of God, and they have the ·agreements that God made between himself and his people [^Lcovenants]. God gave them the law of Moses and the ·right way of worship [or temple worship] and his promises. ⁵ ·They are the descendants of our great ancestors [^LThey have the fathers/patriarchs], and ·they are the earthly family into which Christ was born [or from their descendants the Messiah came], ·who is God over all. Praise him forever [or May God, who is over all, be praised forever]! Amen.

⁶ It is not that ·God failed to keep his promise to them [^LGod’s word failed]. ·But only some of the people of Israel are truly God’s people [^LBecause not all those (descended) from Israel are Israel], ⁷ ·and only some of Abraham’s descendants are true children of Abraham [^Lnor are all of Abraham’s seed/descendants (true) children]. But God said to Abraham: “·The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac [or Through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name; Gen. 21:12].” ⁸ This means that ·not all of Abraham’s descendants [^Lit is not the children of the flesh who] are God’s true children. [^LBut; Rather] ·Abraham’s true children [^LThose counted as Abraham’s descendants/seed] are ·those who become God’s children because of the promise God made to Abraham [^Lthe children of the promise]. ⁹ God’s promise to Abraham was this: “·At the right time [At the appointed time; or About this time next year] I will return, and Sarah will have a son [Gen. 18:10, 14].” ¹⁰ And that is not all. Rebekah’s sons ·had the same father, [or were conceived at the same time by] our ·father [ancestor; forefather] Isaac. But before the two boys were born, God told Rebekah, “The older will serve the younger [Gen. 25:23].” This was before the boys had done anything good or bad. God said this so that ·the one chosen would be chosen because of God’s own plan [or the plan/purpose God had chosen would continue/prevail]. ·Jacob was chosen [or God’s plan continued] not because of ·anything Jacob did [^Lworks], but because ·he was the one God wanted to call [or of the One who called him]. ¹³ As the Scripture says, “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau [Mal. 1:2–3].”

¹⁴ So what should we say about this? Is God ·unfair [unjust]? ·In no way [Absolutely not!; May it never be!; 7:13]. ¹⁵ [^LFor] God said to Moses, “I will show ·kindness [mercy] to anyone to whom I want to show ·kindness [mercy], and I will show ·compassion [pity] to anyone to whom I want to show ·compassion [pity; Ex. 33:19].” ¹⁶ So God’s choice does not depend on ·what people want [human desire; or human will] or ·try to do [effort; exertion], but on God’s ·mercy [kindness]. ¹⁷ The Scripture says to ·the king of Egypt [^LPharaoh]: “I ·made you king [^Lraised you up] for this reason: to show my power in you so that my name will be ·talked about [proclaimed] in all the earth [Ex. 9:16].” ¹⁸ So God shows mercy where he wants to show mercy, and he ·makes stubborn [hardens] the people he wants to ·make stubborn [harden].

¹⁹ So one of you will ask me: “Then why does God ·blame us for our sins [^Lblame; find fault]? Who can ·fight [resist; oppose] his will?” ²⁰ ·You are only human, and human beings have no right to question God [^LWho are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God?]. ·An object [or A thing molded] should not ask the ·person who made it [molder], “Why did you make me like this? [Is. 29:16; 45:9]” ²¹ ·The potter can make anything he wants to make [^LDoesn’t the potter have authority over the clay?]. He can use the same ·clay [^Llump] to make one ·thing [vessel; pot] for ·special [honorable] use and another thing for ·daily [common; dishonorable] use.

²² ·It is the same way with God. He [^LWhat if he…?] wanted to show his ·anger [wrath] and to let people see his power. But he ·patiently stayed with [endured with great patience] those ·people he was angry with [^Lvessels/objects of wrath]—people who were ·made ready [prepared] to be destroyed. ²³ He waited with patience so that he could make known ·his rich glory [the riches of his glory] to the ·people who receive his [^Lvessels/objects of] mercy. He has prepared these people ·to have his glory [to experience his glory; ^Lfor glory], ²⁴ and we are those people whom God called. He called us not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles. ²⁵ As ·the Scripture [or God] says in Hosea:

²⁷ And Isaiah cries out about Israel:

²⁹ It is as Isaiah said:

³⁰ ·So what does all this mean [^LWhat, then, shall we say]? Those who are Gentiles ·were not trying to make themselves right with God [^Ldid not pursue righteousness], but they ·were made right with God [obtained righteousness] ·because of their faith [^L—that is, a righteousness that is by faith]. ³¹ The people of Israel tried to ·follow [pursue] a law ·to make themselves right with God [^Lof righteousness]. But they did not ·succeed [reach/attain it],

²⁰ It was by faith that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau ·in regard to their future [^Lconcerning things to come; Gen. 27].

¹⁴ ·Try to live in [^LPursue] peace with all people, and ·try to live free from sin [^Lpursue holiness/sanctification]. [^LFor] Anyone whose life is not ·holy [sanctified] will never see the Lord. ¹⁵ ·Be careful [See to it; Take heed] that no one ·fails to receive [falls short of] God’s grace and ·begins to cause trouble among you [^Lthat no bitter root/plant grows up to cause trouble]. ·A person like that [Such a root/plant] can ·ruin [defile; pollute; corrupt] many of you. ¹⁶ ·Be careful [See to it; Take heed] that no one takes part in sexual sin or is like Esau and ·never thinks about God [is godless/profane/worldly-minded]. ·As the oldest son, Esau would have received everything from his father, but he sold all that for a single meal [^L…who sold his own birthright for one meal; Gen. 25:29–34]. ¹⁷ You remember that after Esau did this, he wanted to ·get [^Linherit] his father’s blessing, but ·his father refused [^Lhe was rejected]. Esau could find no way to ·change [or repent of] what he had done, even though he ·wanted [pleaded for; sought] the blessing so much that he cried [Gen. 27:34–41].