39 ¹ In the ninth year of Zedekiah^(A) king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege^(C) to it. ² And on the ninth day of the fourth^(D) month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall^(E) was broken through.^{(F) 3} Then all the officials^(G) of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls,^(H) and headed toward the Arabah.^[a](I)

⁵ But the Babylonian^[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(J) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(K) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(L) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. ⁶ There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles^(M) of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes^(N) and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(O)

⁸ The Babylonians^[c] set fire^(P) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls^(Q) of Jerusalem. ⁹ Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,^(R) and the rest of the people.^{(S) 10} But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: ¹² “Take him and look after him; don’t harm^(T) him but do for him whatever he asks.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers^(U) of the king of Babylon ¹⁴ sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.^(V) They turned him over to Gedaliah^(W) son of Ahikam,^(X) the son of Shaphan,^(Y) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.^(Z)

¹⁵ While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: ¹⁶ “Go and tell Ebed-Melek^(AA) the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words^(AB) against this city—words concerning disaster,^(AC) not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. ¹⁷ But I will rescue^(AD) you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. ¹⁸ I will save^(AE) you; you will not fall by the sword^(AF) but will escape with your life,^(AG) because you trust^(AH) in me, declares the Lord.’”

Jeremiah Freed

40 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah.^(A) He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives^(B) from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. ² When the commander^(C) of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed^(D) this disaster^(E) for this place.^{(F) 3} And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned^(G) against the Lord and did not obey^(H) him. ⁴ But today I am freeing^(I) you from the chains^(J) on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”^{(K) 5} However, before Jeremiah turned to go,^[a] Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah^(L) son of Ahikam,^(M) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed^(N) over the towns^(O) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”^(P)

Then the commander gave him provisions and a present^(Q) and let him go. ⁶ So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah^(R) and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

Gedaliah Assassinated^(S)

⁷ When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor^(T) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest^(U) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, ⁸ they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^(V)—Ishmael^(W) son of Nethaniah, Johanan^(X) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,^(Y) and Jaazaniah^[b] the son of the Maakathite,^(Z) and their men. ⁹ Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve^(AA) the Babylonians,^[c](AB)” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.^{(AC) 10} I myself will stay at Mizpah^(AD) to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,^(AE) summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,^(AF) and live in the towns you have taken over.”^(AG)

¹¹ When all the Jews in Moab,^(AH) Ammon, Edom^(AI) and all the other countries^(AJ) heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, ¹² they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered.^(AK) And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

¹³ Johanan^(AL) son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^{(AM) 14} and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites^(AN) has sent Ishmael^(AO) son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

¹⁵ Then Johanan^(AP) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill^(AQ) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered^(AR) and the remnant^(AS) of Judah to perish?”

¹⁶ But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan^(AT) son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

Psalm 84^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Warnings Against Folly

Warning Against Adultery

1 Paul, an apostle^(A)—sent not from men nor by a man,^(B) but by Jesus Christ^(C) and God the Father,^(D) who raised him from the dead^(E)— ² and all the brothers and sisters^[a] with me,^(F)

To the churches in Galatia:^(G)

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,^{(H) 4} who gave himself for our sins^(I) to rescue us from the present evil age,^(J) according to the will of our God and Father,^{(K) 5} to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(L)

No Other Gospel

⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called^(M) you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel^(N)— ⁷ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion^(O) and are trying to pervert^(P) the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,^(Q) let them be under God’s curse!^{(R) 9} As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted,^(S) let them be under God’s curse!

¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?^(T) If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul Called by God

¹¹ I want you to know, brothers and sisters,^(U) that the gospel I preached^(V) is not of human origin. ¹² I did not receive it from any man,^(W) nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation^(X) from Jesus Christ.^(Y)

¹³ For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism,^(Z) how intensely I persecuted the church of God^(AA) and tried to destroy it.^{(AB) 14} I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous^(AC) for the traditions of my fathers.^{(AD) 15} But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb^(AE) and called me^(AF) by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,^(AG) my immediate response was not to consult any human being.^{(AH) 17} I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.^(AI)

¹⁸ Then after three years,^(AJ) I went up to Jerusalem^(AK) to get acquainted with Cephas^[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ I saw none of the other apostles—only James,^(AL) the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I assure you before God^(AM) that what I am writing you is no lie.^(AN)

²¹ Then I went to Syria^(AO) and Cilicia.^{(AP) 22} I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea^(AQ) that are in Christ.^{(AR) 23} They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith^(AS) he once tried to destroy.”^{(AT) 24} And they praised God^(AU) because of me.

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,^(A) this time with Barnabas.^(B) I took Titus^(C) along also. ² I went in response to a revelation^(D) and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.^(E) I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race^(F) in vain. ³ Yet not even Titus,^(G) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.^{(H) 4} This matter arose because some false believers^(I) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on^(J) the freedom^(K) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵ We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel^(L) might be preserved for you.

⁶ As for those who were held in high esteem^(M)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism^(N)—they added nothing to my message.^{(O) 7} On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task^(P) of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,^[a](Q) just as Peter^(R) had been to the circumcised.^{[b] 8} For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle^(S) to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle^(T) to the Gentiles. ⁹ James,^(U) Cephas^[c](V) and John, those esteemed as pillars,^(W) gave me and Barnabas^(X) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.^(Y) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,^(Z) and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,^(AA) the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹ When Cephas^(AB) came to Antioch,^(AC) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James,^(AD) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(AE) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.^{(AF) 13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(AG) was led astray.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,^(AH) I said to Cephas^(AI) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.^(AJ) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?^(AK)

¹⁵ “We who are Jews by birth^(AL) and not sinful Gentiles^{(AM) 16} know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,^(AN) but by faith in Jesus Christ.^(AO) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in^[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.^(AP)

¹⁷ “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners,^(AQ) doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!^{(AR) 18} If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

¹⁹ “For through the law I died to the law^(AS) so that I might live for God.^{(AT) 20} I have been crucified with Christ^(AU) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.^(AV) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,^(AW) who loved me^(AX) and gave himself for me.^{(AY) 21} I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,^(AZ) Christ died for nothing!”^[e]