The Mission of the Twelve.^* 12^h In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer^* to God. 13When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve,^* whom he also named apostles: 14ⁱ Simon, whom he named Peter,^* and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot,^* 16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot,^* who became a traitor.

Ministering to a Great Multitude.^j 17^* And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon 18came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. 19Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

Sermon on the Plain.^k 20^* And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,^*

for the kingdom of God is yours.

21Blessed are you who are now hungry,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who are now weeping,

for you will laugh.^l

22Blessed are you when people hate you,

and when they exclude and insult you,

and denounce your name as evil

on account of the Son of Man.^m

23Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.ⁿ

David King of Israel. 1^a All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, and they said: “Look! We are your bone and your flesh. 2In days past, when Saul was still our king, you were the one who led Israel out in all its battles and brought it back. And the LORD said to you: You shall shepherd my people Israel; you shall be ruler over Israel.”^b 3Then all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron, and at Hebron King David made a covenant with them in the presence of the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel. 4David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years: 5in Hebron he was king over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he was king thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.^c

Capture of Zion.^* 6^d Then the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. They told David, “You shall not enter here: the blind and the lame will drive you away!” which was their way of saying, “David shall not enter here.”^e 7David nevertheless captured the fortress of Zion, which is the City of David. 8On that day David said: “All who wish to strike at the Jebusites must attack through the water shaft. The lame and the blind shall be the personal enemies of David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not enter the palace.”^f 9David took up residence in the fortress which he called the City of David. David built up the city on all sides, from the Millo toward the center.^g 10David became ever more powerful, for the LORD of hosts was with him.^h

26Then King Darius wrote to the nations and peoples of every language, wherever they dwell on the earth: “May your peace abound! 27I decree that throughout my royal domain the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:

“For he is the living God, enduring forever,

whose kingdom shall not be destroyed,

whose dominion shall be without end,

28A savior and deliverer,

working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,

who saved Daniel from the lions’ power.”

One in Christ.^* 11Therefore, remember that at one time you, Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision, which is done in the flesh by human hands, 12were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel^* and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.^j 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.^k

14^* For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,^l 15abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person^* in place of the two, thus establishing peace,^m 16and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it.ⁿ 17He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,^o 18for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.^p

19So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God,^q 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,^r with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.^* 21Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;^s 22in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.^t