Report from Jerusalem

1 The words of ^(A)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month of ^(B)Chislev, ^(C)in the twentieth year, as I was in ^(D)Susa the citadel, ² that ^(E)Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. ³ And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and ^(F)shame. ^(G)The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, ^(H)and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

Nehemiah's Prayer

⁴ As soon as I heard these words I ^(I)sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the ^(J)God of heaven. ⁵ And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, ^(K)the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ^6 (L)let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, ^(M)confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even ^(N)I and my father's house have sinned. ^7 (O)We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules ^(P)that you commanded your servant Moses. ⁸ Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, ^(Q)I will scatter you among the peoples, ^9 (R)but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, ^(S)though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them ^(T)to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ ^10 (U)They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. ¹¹ O Lord, ^(V)let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Now I was ^(W)cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

2 In the month of Nisan, ^(X)in the twentieth year of King ^(Y)Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, ^(Z)I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. ² And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but ^(AA)sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. ³ I said to the king, ^(AB)“Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, ^(AC)when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” ⁴ Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed ^(AD)to the God of heaven. ⁵ And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” ⁶ And the king said to me (^(AE)the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me ^(AF)when I had given him a time. ⁷ And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me ^(AG)to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, ⁸ and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of ^(AH)the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, ^(AI)for the good hand of my God was upon me.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem's Walls

⁹ Then I came to ^(AJ)the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. ¹⁰ But when ^(AK)Sanballat the Horonite and ^(AL)Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.

^11 (AM)So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. ¹² Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. ¹³ I went out by night by ^(AN)the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to ^(AO)the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem ^(AP)that were broken down ^(AQ)and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴ Then I went on to ^(AR)the Fountain Gate and to ^(AS)the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. ¹⁵ Then I went up in the night ^(AT)by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. ¹⁶ And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, ^(AU)how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer ^(AV)suffer derision.” ¹⁸ And I told them ^(AW)of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” ^(AX)So they strengthened their hands for the good work. ¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and ^(AY)Geshem the Arab heard of it, ^(AZ)they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? ^(BA)Are you rebelling against the king?” ²⁰ Then I replied to them, ^(BB)“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim^[a] in Jerusalem.”

When Brothers Dwell in Unity

A Song of ^(A)Ascents. Of David.

Come, Bless the Lord

A Song of ^(J)Ascents.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

22 ^(A)Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called ^(B)the Passover. ² And the chief priests and the scribes ^(C)were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

^3 (D)Then ^(E)Satan entered into ^(F)Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. ⁴ He went away and conferred with the chief priests and ^(G)officers how he might betray him to them. ⁵ And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. ⁶ So he consented and sought an opportunity to ^(H)betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

The Passover with the Disciples

^7 (I)Then came ^(J)the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ⁸ So Jesus^[a] sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” ⁹ They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” ¹⁰ He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters ¹¹ and tell the master of the house, ^(K)‘The Teacher says to you, Where is ^(L)the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹² And he will show you ^(M)a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” ¹³ And they went and found it ^(N)just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Institution of the Lord's Supper

^14 (O)And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you I will not eat it^{[b] (P)}until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And he took a cup, and ^(Q)when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. ^18 (R)For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine ^(S)until the kingdom of God comes.” ^19 (T)And he took bread, and ^(U)when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ^(V)“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ^(W)“This cup that is poured out for you is ^(X)the new ^(Y)covenant in my blood.^{[c] 21 (Z)}But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is ^(AA)with me on the table. ²² For the Son of Man goes ^(AB)as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” ²³ And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

^24 (AC)A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ^25 (AD)And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles ^(AE)exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ^26 (AF)But not so with you. Rather, let ^(AG)the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. ²⁷ For who is the greater, ^(AH)one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But ^(AI)I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸ “You are those who have stayed with me ^(AJ)in my trials, ²⁹ and ^(AK)I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, ^30 (AL)that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and ^(AM)sit on thrones judging ^(AN)the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial

³¹ “Simon, Simon, behold, ^(AO)Satan demanded to have you,^{[d] (AP)}that he might sift you like wheat, ³² but ^(AQ)I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, ^(AR)strengthen your brothers.” ³³ Peter^[e] said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both ^(AS)to prison and ^(AT)to death.” ^34 (AU)Jesus^[f] said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

³⁵ And he said to them, ^(AV)“When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” ³⁶ He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that ^(AW)this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ^(AX)‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For ^(AY)what is written about me has its fulfillment.” ³⁸ And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two ^(AZ)swords.” And he said to them, ^(BA)“It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

^39 (BB)And he came out and went, ^(BC)as was his custom, to ^(BD)the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. ^40 (BE)And when he came to ^(BF)the place, he said to them, ^(BG)“Pray that you may not ^(BH)enter into temptation.” ⁴¹ And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and ^(BI)knelt down and prayed, ⁴² saying, ^(BJ)“Father, if you are willing, remove ^(BK)this cup from me. ^(BL)Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” ⁴³ And there appeared to him ^(BM)an angel from heaven, strengthening him. ⁴⁴ And ^(BN)being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.^{[g] 45} And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, ⁴⁶ and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and ^(BO)pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

^47 (BP)While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called ^(BQ)Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸ but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” ⁴⁹ And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike ^(BR)with the sword?” ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the servant^[h] of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹ But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. ⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests and ^(BS)officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? ⁵³ When ^(BT)I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is ^(BU)your hour, and ^(BV)the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus

^54 (BW)Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, ^(BX)and Peter was following at a distance. ^55 (BY)And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of ^(BZ)the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. ⁵⁶ Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” ⁵⁷ But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” ⁵⁸ And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” ⁵⁹ And after an interval of about an hour still another ^(CA)insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” ⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned and ^(CB)looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ^(CC)“Before the rooster crows today, you will ^(CD)deny me three times.” ⁶² And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

^63 (CE)Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. ^64 (CF)They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ^(CG)“Prophesy! ^(CH)Who is it that struck you?” ⁶⁵ And they said many other things against him, ^(CI)blaspheming him.

Jesus Before the Council

^66 (CJ)When day came, ^(CK)the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their ^(CL)council, and they ^(CM)said, ^67 (CN)“If you are ^(CO)the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, ⁶⁸ and if I ask you, you will not answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated ^(CP)at the right hand of the power of God.” ⁷⁰ So they all said, “Are you ^(CQ)the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, ^(CR)“You say that I am.” ⁷¹ Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”