Blessing of the Children.^* 13^f Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, 14^g but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

The Rich Young Man.^* 16^h Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”^* 17He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.^* If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18^{* i} He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; 19honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20^* The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” 21^j Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect,^* go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23^* Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24^k Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25^* When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” 26^l Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

Conquest of Southern Canaan. 28^h Makkedah, too, Joshua captured and put to the sword at that time. He put the city, its king, and every person in it under the ban, leaving no survivors. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah what he had done to the king of Jericho. 29Joshua then passed on with all Israel from Makkedah to Libnah, and attacked it, 30and the LORD delivered it, with its king, into the power of Israel. He put it to the sword with every person there, leaving no survivors. Thus he did to its king what he had done to the king of Jericho. 31Joshua next passed on with all Israel from Libnah to Lachish, where they set up a camp during the attack. 32The LORD delivered Lachish into the power of Israel, so that on the second day Joshua captured it and put it to the sword with every person in it, just as he had done to Libnah. 33At that time Horam, king of Gezer, came up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his people, leaving him no survivors. 34From Lachish, Joshua passed on with all Israel to Eglon; encamping near it, they attacked it 35and captured it the same day, putting it to the sword. On that day he put under the ban every person in it, just as he had done at Lachish. 36From Eglon, Joshua went up with all Israel to Hebron, which they attacked 37and captured. They put it to the sword with its king, all its cities, and every person there, leaving no survivors, just as Joshua had done to Eglon. He put it under the ban and every person in it. 38Then Joshua and all Israel turned back to Debir and attacked it, 39capturing it with its king and all its cities. They put them to the sword and put under the ban every person in it, leaving no survivors. Thus he did to Debir and its king what he had done to Hebron, as well as to Libnah and its king.

22Yet you did not call upon me, Jacob,^*

for you grew weary of me, Israel.

23You did not bring me sheep for your burnt offerings,

nor honor me with your sacrifices.

I did not exact from you the service of offerings,

nor weary you for frankincense.^f

24You did not buy me sweet cane,^*

nor did you fill me with the fat of your sacrifices;

Instead, you burdened me with your sins,

wearied me with your crimes.

25It is I, I, who wipe out,

for my own sake, your offenses;

your sins I remember no more.

26Would you have me remember, have us come to trial?

Speak up, prove your innocence!

27Your first father^* sinned;

your spokesmen rebelled against me

28Till I repudiated the holy princes,

put Jacob under the ban,

exposed Israel to scorn.

6^d Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast^* leavens all the dough? 7^* Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.^e 8Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.^f

9^* I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people, 10not at all referring to the immoral of this world or the greedy and robbers or idolaters; for you would then have to leave the world.^g 11But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person.^h 12For why should I be judging outsiders? Is it not your business to judge those within? 13God will judge those outside. “Purge the evil person from your midst.”ⁱ

The Commissioning of the Disciples.^* 16^f The eleven^* disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. 17^* When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. 18^{* g} Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19^h Go, therefore,^* and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, 20ⁱ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.^* And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

1To keep the law is to make many offerings;^a

2whoever observes the commandments sacrifices a peace offering.

3By works of charity one offers fine flour,^*

4and one who gives alms presents a sacrifice of praise.

5To refrain from evil pleases the Lord,

and to avoid injustice is atonement.

6Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed,

7for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.^b

8The offering of the just enriches the altar:

a sweet odor before the Most High.

9The sacrifice of the just is accepted,

never to be forgotten.

10With a generous spirit pay homage to the Lord,

and do not spare your freewill gifts.^c

11With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,

and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.^d

12Give to the Most High as he has given to you,

generously, according to your means.

13For he is a God who always repays

and will give back to you sevenfold.^e

8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” 9^* And he replied: Go and say to this people:

Listen carefully, but do not understand!

Look intently, but do not perceive!^f

10Make the heart of this people sluggish,

dull their ears and close their eyes;

Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,

and their heart understand,

and they turn and be healed.^g

11“How long, O Lord?” I asked. And he replied:

^* Until the cities are desolate,

without inhabitants,

Houses, without people,

and the land is a desolate waste.

12Until the LORD sends the people far away,

and great is the desolation in the midst of the land.

13If there remain a tenth part in it,

then this in turn shall be laid waste;

As with a terebinth or an oak

whose trunk remains when its leaves have fallen.^{* h}

Holy offspring is the trunk.

14^* But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?^m 15And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written,ⁿ “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring [the] good news!”^* 16But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?”^o 17Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.^p 18But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for

“Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.”^q

19But I ask, did not Israel understand?^r First Moses says:

“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;

with a senseless nation I will make you angry.”

20^s Then Isaiah speaks boldly and says:

“I was found [by] those who were not seeking me;

I revealed myself to those who were not asking for me.”