29As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant^* while he spoke with the LORD. 30When Aaron, then, and the other Israelites saw Moses and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become, they were afraid to come near him. 31Only after Moses called to them did Aaron and all the leaders of the community come back to him. Moses then spoke to them. 32Later, all the Israelites came up to him, and he enjoined on them all that the LORD had told him on Mount Sinai. 33When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out again.^m On coming out, he would tell the Israelites all that he had been commanded. 35Then the Israelites would see that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant; so he would again put the veil over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.

9So the king of Israel set out, accompanied by the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout journey of seven days the water gave out for the army and for the animals with them. 10The king of Israel exclaimed, “Alas! The LORD has called three kings together only to deliver us into the power of Moab.” 11But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” One of the servants of the king of Israel replied, “Elisha, son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah,^* is here.” 12Jehoshaphat agreed, “He has the word of the LORD.” So the king of Israel, along with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom, went down to Elisha. 13Elisha asked the king of Israel, “What do you want with me? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” The king of Israel replied, “No, the LORD has called these three kings together only to deliver us into the power of Moab.” 14Then Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, whom I serve, were it not that I respect Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I should neither look at you nor notice you at all. 15Now get me a minstrel.” When the minstrel played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha, 16and he announced: “Thus says the LORD: Provide many catch basins in this wadi. 17For the LORD says: Though you will see neither wind nor rain, yet this wadi will be filled with water for you to drink, and for your livestock and pack animals. 18And since the LORD does not consider this enough, he will also deliver Moab into your power. 19You shall destroy every fortified city and every choice city, fell every fruit tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every fertile field with stones.”^c

20In the morning, at the time of the sacrifice, water came from the direction of Edom and filled the land.

Life in the Christian Community.^* 32The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. 33With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. 34^j There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, 35and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.

36^k Thus Joseph, also named by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, 37sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles.

Jesus and Beelzebul.^* 22^k Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute. He cured the mute person so that he could speak and see. 23^{* l} All the crowd was astounded, and said, “Could this perhaps be the Son of David?” 24^{* m} But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” 25ⁿ But he knew what they were thinking and said to them,^* “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 26And if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people^* drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28^{* o} But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29^* How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. 30^{* p} Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31^q Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit^* will not be forgiven. 32And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Abram’s Call and Migration. 1The LORD said to Abram: Go forth^* from your land, your relatives, and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.^a 2^* I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.^b 3^c I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will find blessing in you.^*

4^d Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5^* Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6^* Abram passed through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, by the oak of Moreh. The Canaanites were then in the land.

7The LORD appeared to Abram and said: To your descendants I will give this land. So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.^e 8From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel, pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name. 9Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.^*

1For the leader. Do not destroy! A psalm of Asaph; a song.

2We thank you, God, we give thanks;

we call upon your name,

we declare your wonderful deeds.

[You said:]^*

3“I will choose the time;

I will judge fairly.

False Teachers.^* 1There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.^a 2Many will follow their licentious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled.^b 3In their greed they will exploit you with fabrications, but from of old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction does not sleep.^c

Lessons from the Past. 4^* For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but condemned them to the chains of Tartarus^* and handed them over to be kept for judgment;^d 5^* and if he did not spare the ancient world, even though he preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, together with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the godless world;^e 6and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [to destruction], reducing them to ashes, making them an example for the godless [people] of what is coming;^f 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man oppressed by the licentious conduct of unprincipled people 8(for day after day that righteous man living among them was tormented in his righteous soul at the lawless deeds that he saw and heard), 9then the Lord knows how to rescue the devout from trial and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,^g 10and especially those who follow the flesh with its depraved desire and show contempt for lordship.^h

Appearance to the Disciples.^* 19On the evening of that first day of the week,^j when the doors were locked, where the disciples^* were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.^* The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.^k 21^* [Jesus] said to them again,^l “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22^* And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,^m “Receive the holy Spirit. 23^{* n} Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas. 24Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”^o 26Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”^p 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 28^{* q} Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29^* Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?^r Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”