Confession, Cleansing, and the Kingdom's Power

1. Now when these things were done, the princes came near to me, saying, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, following their abominations, even those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.” 3. When I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled the hair out of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded. 4. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel were assembled to me, because of their trespass of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening offering. 5. At the evening offering I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God; 6. and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens. 7. Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 8. Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and revived us a little in our bondage. 9. For we are bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. 10. “Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11. which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land, to which you go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness. 12. Now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons. Don’t take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13. “After all that has come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant, 14. shall we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations? Wouldn’t you be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15. Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for no one can stand before you because of this.” 1. Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before God’s house, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very bitterly. 2. Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. 3. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and those who as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law. 4. Arise; for the matter belongs to you, and we are with you. Be courageous, and do it.” 5. Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore. 6. Then Ezra rose up from before God’s house, and went into the room of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. When he came there, he ate no bread, nor drank water; for he mourned because of their trespass of the captivity. 7. They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together to Jerusalem; 8. and that whoever didn’t come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity. 9. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the wide place in front of God’s house, trembling because of this matter, and because of the great rain. 10. Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel. 11. Now therefore make confession to Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.” 12. Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “As you have said concerning us, so must we do. 13. But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand outside. This is not a work of one day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. 14. Now let our princes be appointed for all the assembly, and let all those who are in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God is turned from us, until this matter is resolved.” 15. Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. 16. The children of the captivity did so. Ezra the priest, with certain heads of fathers’ households, after their fathers’ houses, and all of them by their names, were set apart; and they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. 17. They finished with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month. 18. Among the sons of the priests there were found who had married foreign women: of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brothers, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19. They gave their hand that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their guilt. 20. Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. 21. Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22. Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23. Of the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24. Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. 25. Of Israel: Of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, and Izziah, and Malchijah, and Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. 26. Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah. 27. Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. 28. Of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai. 29. Of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, Jeremoth. 30. Of the sons of Pahathmoab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. 31. Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32. Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah. 33. Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei. 34. Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 35. Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36. Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37. Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu, 38. and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, 39. and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, 40. Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41. Azarel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42. Shallum, Amariah, Joseph. 43. Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, and Joel, Benaiah. 44. All these had taken foreign wives; and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

1. The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2. As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you: 3. the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’” 4. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5. All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. 6. John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7. He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. 8. I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” 9. In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10. Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11. A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 12. Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. 13. He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him. 14. Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, 15. and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.” 16. Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.” 18. Immediately they left their nets, and followed him. 19. Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20. Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him. 21. They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. 22. They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 23. Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24. saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!” 25. Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26. The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27. They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” 28. The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area. 29. Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30. Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31. He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them. 32. At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons. 33. All the city was gathered together at the door. 34. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35. Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. 36. Simon and those who were with him followed after him; 37. and they found him, and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38. He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” 39. He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons. 40. A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.” 41. Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” 42. When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean. 43. He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out, 44. and said to him, “See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.” 45. But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere. 1. When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house. 2. Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. 3. Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. 4. When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. 5. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 6. But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7. “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 9. Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ 10. But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11. “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.” 12. He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” 13. He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them. 14. As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he arose and followed him. 15. He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. 16. The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” 17. When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 18. John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?” 19. Jesus said to them, “Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can’t fast. 20. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day. 21. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made. 22. No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins.” 23. He was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain. 24. The Pharisees said to him, “Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?” 25. He said to them, “Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry—he, and those who were with him? 26. How he entered into God’s house at the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?” 27. He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28. Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” 1. He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had his hand withered. 2. They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. 3. He said to the man who had his hand withered, “Stand up.” 4. He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” But they were silent. 5. When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other. 6. The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. 7. Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea, 8. from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came to him. 9. He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him. 10. For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him. 11. The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, “You are the Son of God!” 12. He sternly warned them that they should not make him known. 13. He went up into the mountain, and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him. 14. He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach, 15. and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16. Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17. James the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder); 18. Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot; 19. and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he came into a house. 20. The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21. When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him: for they said, “He is insane.” 22. The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons.” 23. He summoned them, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24. If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26. If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he can’t stand, but has an end. 27. But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder, unless he first binds the strong man; and then he will plunder his house. 28. Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme; 29. but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.” 30. —because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” 31. His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him. 32. A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.” 33. He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34. Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 35. For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” 1. Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea. 2. He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching, 3. “Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow, 4. and as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it. 5. Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil. 6. When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8. Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.” 9. He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10. When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11. He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables, 12. that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’” 13. He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables? 14. The farmer sows the word. 15. The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16. These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17. They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. 18. Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, 19. and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20. Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.” 21. He said to them, “Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand? 22. For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 23. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24. He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear. 25. For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.” 26. He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, 27. and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how. 28. For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29. But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30. He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? 31. It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, 32. yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.” 33. With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34. Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. 35. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 36. Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him. 37. A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. 38. He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?” 39. He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” 41. They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” 1. They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2. When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs. 3. He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains, 4. because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him. 5. Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones. 6. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him, 7. and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don’t torment me.” 8. For he said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9. He asked him, “What is your name?” He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10. He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11. Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding. 12. All the demons begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them.” 13. At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea. 14. Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came to see what it was that had happened. 15. They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid. 16. Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs. 17. They began to beg him to depart from their region. 18. As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19. He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.” 20. He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled. 21. When Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea. 22. Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, 23. and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.” 24. He went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides. 25. A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years, 26. and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, 27. having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes. 28. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29. Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31. His disciples said to him, “You see the multitude pressing against you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32. He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.” 35. While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s house saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?” 36. But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” 37. He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38. He came to the synagogue ruler’s house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing. 39. When he had entered in, he said to them, “Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.” 40. They ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was lying. 41. Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi!” which means, being interpreted, “Girl, I tell you, get up!” 42. Immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were amazed with great amazement. 43. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to her to eat.

1. Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? 2. The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying, 3. “Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us.” 4. He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision. 5. Then he will speak to them in his anger, and terrify them in his wrath: 6. “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.” 7. I will tell of the decree. Yahweh said to me, “You are my son. Today I have become your father. 8. Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. 9. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 10. Now therefore be wise, you kings. Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11. Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12. Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish on the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.