Abram and Lot Separate

13 Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev^(A)—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. ² Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. ³ He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, ⁴ to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.^(B)

⁵ Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. ⁶ But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,^{(C) 7} and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.^(D) (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.)^(E)

⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives. ⁹ Isn’t the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

¹⁰ Lot looked out and saw that the entire plain^[a] of the Jordan^(F) as far as Zoar^(G) was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden^(H) and the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)^{(I) 11} So Lot chose the entire plain of the Jordan for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities on the plain and set up his tent near Sodom. ¹³ (Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning immensely^[b] against the Lord.)^(J)

¹⁴ After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,^{(K) 15} for I will give you and your offspring^[c] forever all the land that you see.^{(L) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth,^(M) so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.”

¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron,^(N) where he built an altar to the Lord.

Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath.^(A) His disciples^(B) were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful^(C) to do on the Sabbath.”

³ He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: ⁴ how he entered the house of God, and they ate^[a] the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?^{(D) 5} Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?^{(E) 6} I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.^{(F) 7} If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice,^[b](G) you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”^(H)

The Man with the Shriveled Hand

⁹ Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue.^{(I) 10} There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” ^(J)

¹¹ He replied to them, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?^{(K) 12} A person is worth far more than a sheep; ^(L) so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”

¹³ Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored,^(M) as good as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might kill him.^(N)

The Servant of the Lord

¹⁵ Jesus was aware of this and withdrew. Large crowds^[c] followed him, and he healed them all.^{(O) 16} He warned them not to make him known,^{(P) 17} so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

A House Divided

²² Then a demon-possessed man^(S) who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. He healed him, so that the man^[f] could both speak and see.^{(T) 23} All the crowds were astounded and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” ^(U)

²⁴ When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”^(V)

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts,^(W) he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶ If Satan^(X) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.^{(Y) 28} If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.^{(Z) 29} How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up^(AA) the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. ³⁰ Anyone who is not with me is against me,^(AB) and anyone who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ Therefore,^(AC) I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy,^(AD) but the blasphemy against^[g] the Spirit will not be forgiven.^{[h] 32} Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man,^(AE) it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.^(AF)

A Tree and Its Fruit

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad^[i] and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.^{(AG) 34} Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow^(AH) of the heart. ³⁵ A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.^{(AI) 36} I tell you that on the day of judgment^(AJ) people will have to account^(AK) for every careless^[j] word they speak.^{[k] 37} For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”^(AL)

³⁹ He answered them,^(AM) “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.^{(AN) 40} For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish^[l](AO) three days and three nights,^(AP) so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it,^(AQ) because they repented at Jonah’s preaching; and look—something greater than Jonah is here.^{(AR) 42} The queen of the south^(AS) will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look—something greater than Solomon is here.

An Unclean Spirit’s Return

⁴³ “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any.^{(AT) 44} Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first.^(AU) That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”

True Relationships

⁴⁶ While he^(AV) was still speaking with the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to him.^{(AW) 47} Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”^[m]

⁴⁸ He replied to the one who was speaking to him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ Stretching out his hand toward his disciples,^(AX) he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”^(AY)

Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem

2 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,^(A) when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, ² so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad,^(B) when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”^(C)

I was overwhelmed with fear ³ and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I^[a] not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” ^(D)

⁴ Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”

So I prayed to the God of the heavens^{(E) 5} and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried,^[b](F) so that I may rebuild it.”^(G)

⁶ The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time,^(H) and it pleased the king to send me.

⁷ I also said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River,^(I) so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.^{(J) 8} And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress,^(K) the city wall, and the home where I will live.”^[c](L) The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.^(M)

⁹ I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters.^(N) The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. ¹⁰ When Sanballat the Horonite^(O) and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.^(P)

Preparing to Rebuild the Walls

¹¹ After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,^{(Q) 12} I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took^[d] was the one I was riding. ¹³ I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s^[e] Well and the Dung Gate,^(R) and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.^{(S) 14} I went on to the Fountain Gate^(T) and the King’s Pool,^(U) but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. ¹⁵ So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate^(V) and returned. ¹⁶ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. ¹⁷ So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned.^(W) Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall,^(X) so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” ¹⁸ I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,^(Y) and what the king had said to me.

They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened^[f] to do this good work.

¹⁹ When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official,^(Z) and Geshem the Arab^(AA) heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰ I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”^(AB)

James Martyred and Peter Jailed

12 About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, ² and he executed James,^(A) John’s brother, with the sword. ³ When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.^{(B) 4} After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him.

Peter Rescued

⁶ When Herod was about to bring him out for trial, that very night Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. ⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord^(C) appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.^{(D) 8} “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.” ⁹ So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what the angel did was really happening, but he thought he was seeing a vision.^{(E) 10} After they passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and suddenly the angel left him.^(F)

¹¹ When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.”^{(G) 12} As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark,^(H) where many had assembled and were praying. ¹³ He knocked at the door of the outer gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ She recognized Peter’s voice, and because of her joy, she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the outer gate.

¹⁵ “You’re out of your mind!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true, and they said, “It’s his angel.”^{(I) 16} Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.

¹⁷ Motioning to them with his hand^(J) to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Tell these things to James^(K) and the brothers,” he said, and he left and went to another place.

¹⁸ At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.^(L)

Herod’s Death

²⁰ Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Together they presented themselves before him. After winning over Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s bedroom, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country.^{(M) 21} On an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a speech to them. ²² The assembled people began to shout, “It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!” ²³ At once an angel of the Lord^(N) struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.^(O)

²⁴ But the word of God spread and multiplied.^{(P) 25} After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to^[a] Jerusalem, taking along John who was called Mark.^(Q)