Joshua Renews the Covenant

^30 [a]Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel,^{(A) 31} just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, “an altar of unhewn^[b] stones, on which no iron tool has been used,” and they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed offerings of well-being.^{(B) 32} And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua^[c] wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses that he had written.^{(C) 33} All Israel, alien as well as native-born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark in front of the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded earlier, that they should bless the people of Israel.^{(D) 34} And afterward he read all the words of the law, blessings and curses, according to all that is written in the book of the law.^{(E) 35} There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the aliens who resided among them.^(F)

Do Not Make Another Stumble

¹³ Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister.^{(A) 14} I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who considers it unclean.^{(B) 15} If your brother or sister is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ So do not let your good be slandered. ¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.^{(C) 18} The one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and has human approval.^{(D) 19} Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.^{(E) 20} Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong to make someone stumble by what you eat; ²¹ it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.^{[a](F) 22} Hold the conviction that you have as your own before God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves because of what they approve. ²³ But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat because they do not act from faith,^[b] for whatever does not proceed from faith^[c] is sin.^[d]

Jesus before the High Priest

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end.^{(A) 59} Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰ but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward^{(B) 61} and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”^{(C) 62} The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God.”^{(D) 64} Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.^{(F) 66} What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death.”^{(G) 67} Then they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped him,^{(H) 68} saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah!^[b] Who is it that struck you?”