1Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God.2And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods.3Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac;4and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.5Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out.6When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.7When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Afterwards you lived in the wilderness a long time.8Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I handed them over to you, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you.9Then King Balak son of Zippor of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam son of Beor to curse you,10but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I rescued you out of his hand.11When you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I handed them over to you.12I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove out before you the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow.13I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you did not plant.14"Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
23After they had set a day to meet with him, they came to him at his lodgings in great numbers. From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.24Some were convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe.25So they disagreed with each other; and as they were leaving, Paul made one further statement: "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah,26'Go to this people and say, You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive.27For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.'28Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen."
30He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him,31proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
23One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?"25And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food?26He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions."27Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath;28so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."
16Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods;17for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed;18and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God."19But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.20If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good."21And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve the Lord!"22Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."23He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel."24The people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey."25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.26Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord.27Joshua said to all the people, "See, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness against you, if you deal falsely with your God."28So Joshua sent the people away to their inheritances.
29After these things Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred ten years old.30They buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.31Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.32The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the portion of ground that Jacob had bought from the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of money; it became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.33Eleazar son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of his son Phinehas, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.
16I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae,2so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.3Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus,4and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.5Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ.6Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you.7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.9Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.11Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.12Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also.14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them.15Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
24So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."25Then the people as a whole answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"
26So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him.28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,29and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"30They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.31After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
2Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, "I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you.2For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done!3So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you."4When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.5So they named that place Bochim, and there they sacrificed to the Lord.11Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped the Baals;12and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.13They abandoned the Lord, and worshipped Baal and the Astartes.14So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.15Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them; and they were in great distress.16Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them.17Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord; they did not follow their example.18Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them.19But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.20So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and he said, "Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors, and have not obeyed my voice,21I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died."22In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did,23the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.
17I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offenses, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them.18For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.19For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise in what is good and guileless in what is evil.20The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21Timothy, my co-worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.22I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.23Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.
25Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages26but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
32As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.
33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.35And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;36then they sat down there and kept watch over him.37Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."38Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.39Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads40and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying,42"He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, 'I am God's Son.'"44The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
12The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.13In alliance with the Ammonites and the Amalekites, he went and defeated Israel; and they took possession of the city of palms.14So the Israelites served King Eglon of Moab eighteen years.15But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent tribute by him to King Eglon of Moab.16Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he fastened it on his right thigh under his clothes.17Then he presented the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.18When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent the people who carried the tribute on their way.19But he himself turned back at the sculptured stones near Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." So the king said, "Silence!" and all his attendants went out from his presence.20Ehud came to him, while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber, and said, "I have a message from God for you." So he rose from his seat.21Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon's belly;22the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the dirt came out.23Then Ehud went out into the vestibule, and closed the doors of the roof chamber on him, and locked them.24After he had gone, the servants came. When they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "He must be relieving himself in the cool chamber."25So they waited until they were embarrassed. When he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them. There was their lord lying dead on the floor.26Ehud escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the sculptured stones, and escaped to Seirah.27When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites went down with him from the hill country, having him at their head.28He said to them, "Follow after me; for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand." So they went down after him, and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and allowed no one to cross over.29At that time they killed about ten thousand of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; no one escaped.30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.
1In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning2until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.3After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.4While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me;5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
6So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"7He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.10While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.11They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away.13When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.14All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
45From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.46And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"47When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah."48At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.49But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him."
50Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.52The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.53After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.54Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"
4At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel.5She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.6She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, 'Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun.7I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.'"8Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go."9And she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ten thousand warriors went up behind him; and Deborah went up with him.11Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the other Kenites, that is, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had encamped as far away as Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh.12When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,13Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the troops who were with him, from Harosheth-ha-goiim to the Wadi Kishon.14Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you." So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him.15And the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and all his army into a panic before Barak; Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot,16while Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-ha-goiim. All the army of Sisera fell by the sword; no one was left.
17Now Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite.18Jael came out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear." So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.19Then he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty." So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.20He said to her, "Stand at the entrance of the tent, and if anybody comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say, 'No.'"21But Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, until it went down into the ground—he was lying fast asleep from weariness—and he died.22Then, as Barak came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him, and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." So he went into her tent; and there was Sisera lying dead, with the tent peg in his temple.23So on that day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites.
15In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said,16"Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus—17for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry."18(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.19This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)20"For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his homestead become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it'; and 'Let another take his position of overseer.'21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection."23So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.24Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
55Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him.56Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus.58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.59So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away.61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.62The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate63and said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.'64Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first."65Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can."66So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
5Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:2"When locks are long in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly— bless the Lord!3"Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the Lord I will sing, I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.4"Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens poured, the clouds indeed poured water.5The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
6"In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, caravans ceased and travelers kept to the byways.7The peasantry prospered in Israel, they grew fat on plunder, because you arose, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.8When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?9My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord.10"Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way.11To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the triumphs of the Lord, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. "Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.
12"Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam.13Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the Lord marched down for him against the mighty.14From Ephraim they set out into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kin; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the marshal's staff;15the chiefs of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed out at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.16Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds, to hear the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.17Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he abide with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, settling down by his landings.18Zebulun is a people that scorned death; Naphtali too, on the heights of the field.
2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.7Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"13But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning.16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:17'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.18Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.19And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.20The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.21Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
28After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.2And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.4For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.5But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.6He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you."8So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.9Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
19"The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver.20The stars fought from heaven, from their courses they fought against Sisera.21The torrent Kishon swept them away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might!22"Then loud beat the horses' hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds.23"Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord, curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
24"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.25He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.26She put her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sisera a blow, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.27He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet; at her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell dead.28"Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera gazed through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?'29Her wisest ladies make answer, indeed, she answers the question herself:30'Are they not finding and dividing the spoil?— A girl or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sisera, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?'31"So perish all your enemies, O Lord! But may your friends be like the sun as it rises in its might." And the land had rest forty years.
22"You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—23this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.24But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.25For David says concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope.27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption.28You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'29"Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.30Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.31Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, 'He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.'32This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,35until I make your enemies your footstool."'36Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."
11While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened.12After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers,13telling them, "You must say, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.'14If this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."15So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.
16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.18And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."