Sunday, June 11

9All the nations are gathered together, and the rulers shall be assembled from among them. Who will declare these things or tell us things from the beginning? Let them bring forth their witnesses, and be proven right; and let them speak the truth.

10'You are My witnesses, and I am a witness,' says the Lord God, 'and My Servant whom I chose, that you may know and believe, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no other God, nor shall there be after Me.

11I am God, and besides Me there is no one who saves.

12I proclaimed, and I saved. I denounced foreign gods so there were none among you. You are My witnesses, and I am a witness,' says the Lord God.

13'Even from the beginning, there is no one who can deliver out of My hands; I will work, and who will reverse it?'

14Thus says the Lord God who redeems you, the Holy One of Israel: 'For your sake I will send to Babylon and arouse all who flee, and the Chaldeans shall be bound in ships.

1But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, And no torture will ever touch them.

2In the eyes of the undiscerning they seemed to have died, And their departure was considered to be misfortune,

3And their passage from us to be their destruction; But they are at peace.

4For though in man's view they were punished, Their hope is full of immortality.

5Though chastened in a few things, Great kindness will be shown them, For God tested them and found them worthy of Himself.

6He tested them like gold in a furnace And accepted them as a whole burnt offering.

7In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, And they will run about like sparks through straw.

8They will judge nations and rule over peoples, And the Lord shall reign over them unto the ages.

9Those who trust in Him will understand truth, And the faithful shall continue with Him in love, Because grace and mercy are upon His elect.

15But the righteous live forever, And their reward is with the Lord; And their care is by the Most High.

16Therefore they shall receive a kingly dwelling of dignity And a crown of beauty from the hand of the Lord, Because He will shelter them with His right hand And protect them with His arm.

17He will take His zeal as His full armor And will turn His creation into weapons against His enemies.

18He will wear righteousness as a breastplate And put on impartial judgment as a helmet.

19He will take holiness as an unconquerable shield

20And sharpen His relentless wrath for a sword; And creation will fight with Him against the senseless.

21Well-aimed flashes of lightning will strike And leap to their object as from a well-drawn bow of clouds;

22And hailstones full of anger will be hurled As from an engine of war. The water of the sea will be vexed with them, And the rivers will wash over them severely.

23A powerful wind will oppose them, And like a storm it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste all the earth, And wrongdoing will overturn the thrones of rulers.

1Listen therefore, O kings, and understand; Learn, O judges of the ends of the earth.

2Give ear, you that rule over multitudes, And take pride in yourself over a multitude of nations.

3For power was given to you from the Lord, And your lordship from the Most High, Who will make a careful search of your works And examine closely your plans.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

7that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

8whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

9receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

13Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

16because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'

17And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

18knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

19but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

11Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

12having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,

14or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

16as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.

17Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

18Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.

19For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

20For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22'Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth';

23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.

17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen.

33who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35Women received their dead raised to life again.

36Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.

37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—

38of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

39And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

40God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

1Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

19Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.

20But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

22Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.

23When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

24For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

25Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.

26And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

27And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

29Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.

30This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

32'Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

34'Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

35For I have come to ' set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law';

36and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'

37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

40'He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

41He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.'

1Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

2And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

3and said to Him, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'

4Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

5The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.'

7As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

8But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

9But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

10For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'

11'Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

14And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.

15He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

16'But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,

17and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.'

18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children.'

20Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:

21'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

23And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

24But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.'

25At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

26Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

27All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'

1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

2And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, 'Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!'

3But He said to them, 'Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

4how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

5Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

6Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.

7But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.

8For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.'

9Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

10And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'—that they might accuse Him.

11Then He said to them, 'What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

12Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.'

13Then He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

14Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

15But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

16Yet He warned them not to make Him known,

17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

18'Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!

19I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

16He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.'

17Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.'

18And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

19Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.'

21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, 'I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.