Principles of Separation^(A)

13 On that day ^(B)they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written ^(C)that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, ² because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but ^(D)hired Balaam against them to curse them. ^(E)However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. ³ So it was, when they had heard the Law, ^(F)that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

The Reforms of Nehemiah

⁴ Now before this, ^(G)Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with ^(H)Tobiah. ⁵ And he had prepared for him a large room, ^(I)where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, ^(J)which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests. ⁶ But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, ^(K)for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, ⁷ and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in ^(L)preparing a room for him in the courts of the ^[a]house of God. ⁸ And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. ⁹ Then I commanded them to ^(M)cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

¹⁰ I also realized that the portions for the Levites had ^(N)not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to ^(O)his field. ¹¹ So ^(P)I contended with the rulers, and said, ^(Q)“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place. ^12 (R)Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse. ^13 (S)And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered ^(T)faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.

^14 (U)Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!

¹⁵ In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses ^(V)on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, ^(W)which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. ¹⁶ Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

¹⁷ Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? ^18 (X)Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

¹⁹ So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it ^(Y)began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. ^(Z)Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of ^[b]wares ^[c]lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

²¹ Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night ^[d]around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. ²² And I commanded the Levites that ^(AA)they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!

²³ In those days I also saw Jews who ^(AB)had married women of ^(AC)Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. ²⁴ And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

²⁵ So I ^(AD)contended with them and ^[e]cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them ^(AE)swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. ^26 (AF)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, ^(AG)who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. ^(AH)Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. ²⁷ Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, ^(AI)transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”

²⁸ And one of the sons ^(AJ)of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of ^(AK)Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.

^29 (AL)Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and ^(AM)the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

^30 (AN)Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also ^(AO)assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, ³¹ and to bringing ^(AP)the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.

^(AQ)Remember me, O my God, for good!

Preach the Word

4 I ^(A)charge you ^[a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(B)who will judge the living and the dead ^[b]at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. ^(C)Convince, ^(D)rebuke, ^(E)exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ^3 (F)For the time will come when they will not endure ^(G)sound doctrine, ^(H)but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and ^(I)be turned aside to fables. ⁵ But you be watchful in all things, ^(J)endure afflictions, do the work of ^(K)an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Paul’s Valedictory

⁶ For ^(L)I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of ^(M)my departure is at hand. ^7 (N)I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me ^(O)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous ^(P)Judge, will give to me ^(Q)on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

The Abandoned Apostle

⁹ Be diligent to come to me quickly; ¹⁰ for ^(R)Demas has forsaken me, ^(S)having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. ¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Get ^(T)Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. ¹² And ^(U)Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³ Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.

^14 (V)Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. ¹⁵ You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.

¹⁶ At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. ^(W)May it not be charged against them.

The Lord Is Faithful

^17 (X)But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, ^(Y)so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered ^(Z)out of the mouth of the lion. ^18 (AA)And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. ^(AB)To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

Come Before Winter

¹⁹ Greet ^(AC)Prisca and Aquila, and the household of ^(AD)Onesiphorus. ^20 (AE)Erastus stayed in Corinth, but ^(AF)Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.

²¹ Do your utmost to come before winter.

Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.

Farewell

²² The Lord ^[c]Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

Daniel and His Friends Obey God^(A)

1 In the third year of the reign of ^(B)Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ² And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with ^(C)some of the articles of ^[a]the house of God, which he carried ^(D)into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; ^(E)and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.

³ Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring ^(F)some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, ⁴ young men ^(G)in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and ^(H)whom they might teach the language and ^[b]literature of the Chaldeans. ⁵ And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might ^(I)serve before the king. ⁶ Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ^7 (J)To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: ^(K)he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

⁸ But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself ^(L)with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. ⁹ Now ^(M)God had brought Daniel into the favor and ^[c]goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. ¹⁰ And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.”

¹¹ So Daniel said to ^[d]the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” ¹⁴ So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.

¹⁵ And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. ¹⁶ Thus ^[e]the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

¹⁷ As for these four young men, ^(N)God gave them ^(O)knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had ^(P)understanding in all visions and dreams.

¹⁸ Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ Then the king ^[f]interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore ^(Q)they served before the king. ^20 (R)And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. ^21 (S)Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

Concluding Moral Directions

13 Let ^(A)brotherly love continue. ^2 (B)Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing ^(C)some have unwittingly entertained angels. ^3 (D)Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

^4 (E)Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; ^(F)but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ^(G)“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we may boldly say:

Concluding Religious Directions

⁷ Remember those who ^[a]rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. ⁸ Jesus Christ is ^(I)the same yesterday, today, and forever. ⁹ Do not be carried ^[b]about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. ¹² Therefore Jesus also, that He might ^[c]sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. ¹³ Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing ^(J)His reproach. ¹⁴ For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. ^15 (K)Therefore by Him let us continually offer ^(L)the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(M)the fruit of our lips, ^[d]giving thanks to His name. ^16 (N)But do not forget to do good and to share, for ^(O)with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

^17 (P)Obey those who ^[e]rule over you, and be submissive, for ^(Q)they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Prayer Requested

^18 (R)Pray for us; for we are confident that we have ^(S)a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ¹⁹ But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell

²⁰ Now may ^(T)the God of peace ^(U)who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, ^(V)that great Shepherd of the sheep, ^(W)through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹ make you ^[f]complete in every good work to do His will, ^(X)working in ^[g]you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

²² And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. ²³ Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.

²⁴ Greet all those who ^[h]rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

²⁵ Grace be with you all. Amen.