Ezra Reads the Law

And all the people gathered as one man into the square before (A)the Water Gate. And they told (B)Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest (C)brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, (D)on the first day of the seventh month. (E)And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, (F)“Amen, Amen,” (G)lifting up their hands. (H)And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. (I)Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,[a] (J)helped the people to understand the Law, (K)while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,[b] and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

This Day Is Holy

And Nehemiah, who was (L)the governor, and Ezra (M)the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, (N)“This day is holy to the Lord your God; (O)do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and (P)send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because (Q)they had understood the words that were declared to them.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:7 Vulgate; Hebrew and the Levites
  2. Nehemiah 8:8 Or with interpretation, or paragraph by paragraph

The Law of the Lord Is Perfect

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

19 (A)The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
(B)Their (C)voice[b] goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for (D)the sun,
    (E)which comes out like (F)a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

(G)The law of the Lord is perfect,[c]
    (H)reviving the soul;
(I)the testimony of the Lord is (J)sure,
    (K)making wise (L)the simple;
(M)the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is (N)pure,
    (O)enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules[d] of the Lord are (P)true,
    and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than (Q)gold,
    even much (R)fine gold;
(S)sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of (T)the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    (U)in keeping them there is great reward.

12 (V)Who can discern his errors?
    (W)Declare me innocent from (X)hidden faults.
13 (Y)Keep back your servant also from (Z)presumptuous sins;
    let them not have (AA)dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O Lord, my (AB)rock and my (AC)redeemer.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 19:1 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6–8
  2. Psalm 19:4 Or Their measuring line
  3. Psalm 19:7 Or blameless
  4. Psalm 19:9 Or just decrees

One Body with Many Members

12 For just as (A)the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, (B)so it is with Christ. 13 For (C)in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—(D)Jews or Greeks, slaves[a] or free—and (E)all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, (F)God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, (G)as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts,[b] yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, (H)all rejoice together.

27 Now (I)you are the body of Christ and individually (J)members of it. 28 And (K)God has appointed in the church first (L)apostles, second (M)prophets, third teachers, then (N)miracles, then (O)gifts of healing, (P)helping, (Q)administrating, and (R)various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But (S)earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
  2. 1 Corinthians 12:20 Or members; also verse 22

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 (A)And Jesus returned (B)in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and (C)a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And (D)he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

16 (E)And he came to (F)Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And (G)as was his custom, (H)he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up (I)to read. 17 And (J)the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 (K)“The Spirit of the Lord (L)is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to (M)proclaim good news to the poor.
(N)He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and (O)recovering of sight to the blind,
    (P)to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 (Q)to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and (R)sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were (S)fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today (T)this Scripture (U)has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

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