Friday, February 9, 2029

^1:1The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those who know the truth, ²for the truth’s sake, which remains in us, and it will be with us forever: ³Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. ⁴I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, even as we have been commanded by the Father.

⁵Now I beg you, dear lady, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. ⁶This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. ⁷For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist. ⁸Watch yourselves, that we don’t lose the things which we have accomplished, but that we receive a full reward.

⁹Whoever transgresses and doesn’t remain in the teaching of Christ doesn’t have God. He who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone comes to you and doesn’t bring this teaching, don’t receive him into your house, and don’t welcome him, ¹¹for he who welcomes him participates in his evil deeds. ¹²Having many things to write to you, I don’t want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and to speak face to face, that our joy may be made full. ¹³The children of your chosen sister greet you. Amen.

^7:7But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives. ⁹We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes, ¹⁰for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him. ¹¹Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

¹²For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law. ¹³For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. ¹⁵This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest, ¹⁶who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life; ¹⁷for it is testified, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

^15:22They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” ²⁵It was the third hour when they crucified him. ³³When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” ³⁶One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.”

³⁷Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. ³⁸The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. ³⁹When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” ⁴⁰There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; ⁴¹who, when he was in Galilee, followed him and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

^2:22When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸then he received him into his arms and blessed God, and said, ²⁹“Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace; ³⁰for my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹which you have prepared before the face of all peoples; ³²a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him. ³⁴Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. ³⁵Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” ³⁶There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, ³⁷and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day.

³⁸Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem. ³⁹When they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. ⁴⁰The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

^10:1“Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber. ²But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”

⁶Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them. ⁷Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. ⁸All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and will find pasture.

^1:1The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those who know the truth, ²for the truth’s sake, which remains in us, and it will be with us forever: ³Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. ⁴I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, even as we have been commanded by the Father.

⁵Now I beg you, dear lady, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. ⁶This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. ⁷For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist. ⁸Watch yourselves, that we don’t lose the things which we have accomplished, but that we receive a full reward.

⁹Whoever transgresses and doesn’t remain in the teaching of Christ doesn’t have God. He who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone comes to you and doesn’t bring this teaching, don’t receive him into your house, and don’t welcome him, ¹¹for he who welcomes him participates in his evil deeds. ¹²Having many things to write to you, I don’t want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and to speak face to face, that our joy may be made full. ¹³The children of your chosen sister greet you. Amen.

^7:26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. ²⁸For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son forever who has been perfected. ^8:1Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ²a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man.

^15:22They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” ²⁵It was the third hour when they crucified him. ³³When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” ³⁶One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.”

³⁷Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. ³⁸The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. ³⁹When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” ⁴⁰There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; ⁴¹who, when he was in Galilee, followed him and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

^10:9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and will find pasture. ¹⁰The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.

¹³The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; ¹⁵even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.