The Would-be Followers of Jesus.* 18h When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side.* 19i A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher,* I will follow you wherever you go.” 20Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man* has nowhere to rest his head.” 21Another of [his] disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” 22* But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”
Collection of Materials. 1The LORD spoke to Moses:a 2Speak to the Israelites: Let them receive contributions for me. From each you shall receive the contribution that their hearts prompt them to give me. 3These are the contributions you shall accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze;b 4violet, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; 5rams’ skins dyed red, and tahash* skins; acacia wood; 6oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7onyx stones and other gems for mounting on the ephod and the breastpiece. 8They are to make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst.c 9According to all that I show you regarding the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of its furnishings, so you are to make it.d
27Why, O Jacob, do you say,*
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is God from of old,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
29He gives power to the faint,
abundant strength to the weak.
30Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
31They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar on eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
1Samaria* has become guilty,
for she has rebelled against her God.
They shall fall by the sword,
their infants shall be dashed to pieces,a
their pregnant women shall be ripped open.b
2Return, Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
3Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and take what is good.
Let us offer the fruit of our lips.c
4* Assyria will not save us,
nor will we mount horses;d
We will never again say, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”e
5I will heal their apostasy,
I will love them freely;
for my anger is turned away from them.
6I will be like the dew for Israel:f
he will blossom like the lily;
He will strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
7and his shoots will go forth.g
His splendor will be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like Lebanon cedar.h
8Again they will live in his shade;
they will raise grain,
They will blossom like the vine,
and his renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
9Ephraim! What more have I to do with idols?i
I have humbled him, but I will take note of him.
I am like a verdant cypress tree.*
From me fruit will be found for you!
Saul’s Baptism. 10i There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying,j 12and [in a vision] he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay [his] hands on him, that he may regain his sight.” 13But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones* in Jerusalem.k 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.”l 15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,m 16and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” 17So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.” 18Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, 19and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.*
Call to Holiness. 14* Do not be yoked with those who are different, with unbelievers.* For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15What accord has Christ with Beliar? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16l What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said:
“I will live with them and move among them,*
and I will be their God
and they shall be my people.
17Therefore, come forth from them
and be separate,” says the Lord,
“and touch nothing unclean;
then I will receive youm
18and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”n
The Would-be Followers of Jesus.* 57d As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 59And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “[Lord,] let me go first and bury my father.” 60But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.* But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61e And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” 62[To him] Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”