Psalm 7^[a]

A shiggaion^[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

2 The angel of the Lord^(A) went up from Gilgal^(B) to Bokim^(C) and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt^(D) and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors.^(E) I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,^{(F) 2} and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land,^(G) but you shall break down their altars.^(H)’ Yet you have disobeyed^(I) me. Why have you done this? ³ And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you;^(J) they will become traps^(K) for you, and their gods will become snares^(L) to you.’”

⁴ When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud,^{(M) 5} and they called that place Bokim.^[a](N) There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

Disobedience and Defeat^(O)

⁶ After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. ⁷ The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.^(P)

⁸ Joshua son of Nun,^(Q) the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. ⁹ And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres^[b](R) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

¹⁰ After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.^{(S) 11} Then the Israelites did evil^(T) in the eyes of the Lord^(U) and served the Baals.^{(V) 12} They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods^(W) of the peoples around them.^(X) They aroused^(Y) the Lord’s anger^{(Z) 13} because they forsook^(AA) him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.^{(AB) 14} In his anger^(AC) against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands^(AD) of raiders who plundered^(AE) them. He sold them^(AF) into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.^{(AG) 15} Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them^(AH) to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.^(AI)

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges,^[c](AJ) who saved^(AK) them out of the hands of these raiders. ¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted^(AL) themselves to other gods^(AM) and worshiped them.^(AN) They quickly turned^(AO) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.^{(AP) 18} Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved^(AQ) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented^(AR) because of their groaning^(AS) under those who oppressed and afflicted^(AT) them. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt^(AU) than those of their ancestors,^(AV) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.^(AW) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn^(AX) ways.

²⁰ Therefore the Lord was very angry^(AY) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant^(AZ) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, ²¹ I will no longer drive out^(BA) before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. ²² I will use them to test^(BB) Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” ²³ The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.^(BC)

¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.^(A) Keep away from them.^{(B) 18} For such people are not serving our Lord Christ,^(C) but their own appetites.^(D) By smooth talk and flattery they deceive^(E) the minds of naive people. ¹⁹ Everyone has heard^(F) about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.^(G)

²⁰ The God of peace^(H) will soon crush^(I) Satan^(J) under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.^(K)

²¹ Timothy,^(L) my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius,^(M) Jason^(N) and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.^(O)

²² I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³ Gaius,^(P) whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.

Erastus,^(Q) who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. ^[24] [a]

²⁵ Now to him who is able^(R) to establish you in accordance with my gospel,^(S) the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery^(T) hidden for long ages past, ²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings^(U) by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^[b] faith^(V)— ²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.^(W)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

³² As they were going out,^(B) they met a man from Cyrene,^(C) named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{(D) 33} They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).^{(E) 34} There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;^(F) but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^{(G) 36} And sitting down, they kept watch^(H) over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him,^(I) one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads^{(J) 40} and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,^(K) save yourself!^(L) Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”^{(M) 41} In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!^(N) Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe^(O) in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him^(P) now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.