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Psalm 2

God’s Promise to His Anointed

Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?(A)
The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and his anointed, saying,(B)
“Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast their cords from us.”

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord has them in derision.(C)
Then he will speak to them in his wrath
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,(D)
“I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”(E)

I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, “You are my son;
    today I have begotten you.(F)
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage
    and the ends of the earth your possession.(G)
You shall break them with a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”(H)

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear;
with trembling(I) 12     kiss his feet,[a]
or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him.(J)

Footnotes

  1. 2.12 Cn: Meaning of Heb of 2.11b and 12a is uncertain

Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire[a]
    and the peoples plot(A) in vain?
The kings(B) of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed,(C) saying,
“Let us break their chains(D)
    and throw off their shackles.”(E)

The One enthroned(F) in heaven laughs;(G)
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger(H)
    and terrifies them in his wrath,(I) saying,
“I have installed my king(J)
    on Zion,(K) my holy mountain.(L)

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;(M)
    today I have become your father.(N)
Ask me,
    and I will make the nations(O) your inheritance,(P)
    the ends of the earth(Q) your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron[b];(R)
    you will dash them to pieces(S) like pottery.(T)

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;(U)
    be warned, you rulers(V) of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear(W)
    and celebrate his rule(X) with trembling.(Y)
12 Kiss his son,(Z) or he will be angry
    and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath(AA) can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed(AB) are all who take refuge(AC) in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 2:1 Hebrew; Septuagint rage
  2. Psalm 2:9 Or will rule them with an iron scepter (see Septuagint and Syriac)

18 Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.(A) 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him(B) 20 whenever our hearts condemn us, for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God, 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.(C)

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.(D) 24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.(E)

Testing the Spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.(F) By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus[a] is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.(G) Little children, you are from God and have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.(H)

Footnotes

  1. 4.3 Other ancient authorities read does away with Jesus

18 Dear children,(A) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.(B)

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends,(C) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God(D) 22 and receive from him anything we ask,(E) because we keep his commands(F) and do what pleases him.(G) 23 And this is his command: to believe(H) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,(I) and to love one another as he commanded us.(J) 24 The one who keeps God’s commands(K) lives in him,(L) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.(M)

On Denying the Incarnation

Dear friends,(N) do not believe every spirit,(O) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(P) This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(Q) is from God,(R) but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(S) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(T)

You, dear children,(U) are from God and have overcome them,(V) because the one who is in you(W) is greater than the one who is in the world.(X) They are from the world(Y) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.(Z) This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth(AA) and the spirit of falsehood.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 4:6 Or spirit

Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee

12 Now when Jesus[a] heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15 “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
    on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles—(A)
16 the people who sat in darkness
    have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
    light has dawned.”(B)

17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”[b](C)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.12 Gk he
  2. 4.17 Or is at hand

Jesus Begins to Preach

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,(A) he withdrew to Galilee.(B) 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,(C) which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill(D) what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”[a](E)

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(F) has come near.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:16 Isaiah 9:1,2

Jesus Ministers to Crowds of People

23 Jesus[a] went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news[b] of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.(A) 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, people possessed by demons or having epilepsy or afflicted with paralysis, and he cured them.(B) 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.23 Gk He
  2. 4.23 Gk gospel

Jesus Heals the Sick

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee,(A) teaching in their synagogues,(B) proclaiming the good news(C) of the kingdom,(D) and healing every disease and sickness among the people.(E) 24 News about him spread all over Syria,(F) and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,(G) those having seizures,(H) and the paralyzed;(I) and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[a] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:25 That is, the Ten Cities