2015 New Living Translation Updates

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 200132015 by Tyndale House Foundation. All rights reserved.

When the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, is quoted, one of the following credit lines must appear on the copyright page or title page of the work: Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 200132015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 200132015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 200132015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

This second-generation text was completed in 2004, with minor changes subsequently introduced in 2007 and 2013.2007, 2013, and 2015.

The Publishers

JANUARY 2013

This second-edition text was completed in 2004, with minor changes subsequently introduced in 2007 and 2013.2007, 2013, and 2015.

32The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the parcel of groundplot of land Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver.* This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph.

24:32 Hebrew 100 kesitahs; the value or weight of the kesitah is no longer known.

7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”

LepersOutcasts Visit the Enemy Camp

3Now there were four men with leprosy* sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other.

7:3 Or with a contagious skin disease. The Hebrew word used here and throughout this passage can describe various skin diseases.

8When the lepersmen with leprosy arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it.

8“All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us.

21The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their immoral customscorrupt practices to worship the LORD, the God of Israel.

20FollowSo follow the steps of good men instead,the good, / and stay on the paths of the righteous.

3How fragrant your colognepleasing is your fragrance; / your name is like itsthe spreading fragrance of scented oils. / No wonder all the young women love you!

7The leaders of the Judean guerrilla bandsmilitary groups in the countryside heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the poor people who were left behind in Judah—the men, women, and children who hadn’t been exiled to Babylon.

13Soon after this, Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrillamilitary leaders came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.

11But when Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrillamilitary leaders heard about Ishmael’s crimes,

13The people Ishmael had captured shouted for joy when they saw Johanan and the other guerrillamilitary leaders.

16Then Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrillamilitary leaders took all the people they had rescued in Gibeon—the soldiers, women, children, and court officials* whom Ishmael had captured after he killed Gedaliah.

41:16 Or eunuchs.

Then all the guerrillamilitary leaders, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah* son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached

42:1 Greek version reads Azariah; compare 42:2.

8So he called for Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrillamilitary leaders, and for all the people, from the least to the greatest.

4So Johanan and the other guerrillamilitary leaders and all the people refused to obey the Lord’s command to stay in Judah.

58Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case!have come to my defense; / For you have redeemed my life.

3In that day the singing in the Templetemple will turn to wailing. Dead bodies will be scattered everywhere. They will be carried out of the city in silence. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”

19Joseph, her fiancéto whom she was engaged, was a goodrighteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement* quietly.

1:19 Greek to divorce her.

7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize,* he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’sthe coming wrath?

3:7 Or coming to be baptized. Matthew 3:7

7“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religionsthe Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.

22“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is goodhealthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23But when your eye is badunhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and be enslaved to money.

28When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes,* two men who were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemeterycame out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area.

8:28 Other manuscripts read Gerasenes; still others read Gergesenes. Compare Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26.

8Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such greatgiving humans such authority.*

9:8 Greek for giving such authority to human beings.

5the blind see, the lame walk, the lepersthose with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 6And tell himhe added, ‘“God blesses those who do not turnfall away because of me.* ’”

11:6 Or who are not offended by me.

29For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish waysgive up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

9And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father.

Jesus ForetellsSpeaks about the Future

As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings.

23Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil* spirit began shouting,cried out,

1:23 Greek unclean; also in 1:26, 27.

25But Jesus cut him shortreprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered.

27Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

2When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil* spirit came out from a cemeterythe tombs to meet him. 3This man lived amongin the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.

5:2 Greek unclean; also in 5:8, 13.

34Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish waysgive up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

Jesus ForetellsSpeaks about the Future

As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”

3Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a carefulan accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,

28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings,* favored woman! The Lord is with you!*”

1:28a Or Rejoice.

1:28b Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women.

5He took with him Mary, his fiancéeto whom he was engaged, who was now obviously pregnantexpecting a child.

7She gave birth to her first child, afirstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

34Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy toand many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.

7When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’sthe coming wrath?

27And there were many lepersmany in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

33Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon—an evil* spirit—began shouting at Jesus,cried out, shouting,

4:33 Greek unclean; also in 4:36.

35But Jesus cut him shortreprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.

8When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around yousuch a sinful man.”

49But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

22Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepersthose with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 23And tell himhe added, “‘God blesses those who do not turnfall away because of me.*’”

7:23 Or who are not offended by me.

27As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemeterythe tombs outside the town.

23Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish waysgive up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

21For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—

34“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is goodhealthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is badunhealthy, your body is filled with darkness.

20Another said, ‘I now have a wifejust got married, so I can’t come.’

26“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

9Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.*

16:9 Or you will be welcomed into eternal homes.

13“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and be enslaved to money.”

22“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be withsit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet.* The rich man also died and was buried,

16:22 Greek into Abraham’s bosom.

23and his soulhe went to the place of the dead.* There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

16:23 Greek to Hades.

6The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown intobe planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!

12As he entered a village there, ten lepersmen with leprosy stood at a distance,

11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer*: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adulterylike other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!

18:11 Some manuscripts read stood and prayed this prayer to himself.

Jesus ForetellsSpeaks about the Future

5Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said,

19He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to rememberin remembrance of me.”

29It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best manbridegroom's friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.

30When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and releasedgave up his spirit.

13When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. / Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealotzealot), and Judas (son of James).

4But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believersmen who believed now totaled about 5,000. men, not counting women and children.*

4:4 Greek 5,000 adult males.

2One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “DedicateAppoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”

4:4 Greek 5,000 adult males.

39Everyone who believes in him is declared right with Godmade right in God's sight—something the law of Moses could never do.

28“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood*—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as eldersleaders.*

20:28a Or with the blood of his own [Son].

20:28b GreekOr overseers, or bishops.

24Yet God, in his grace, freely and graciously declares that we are righteousmakes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

26for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declaresmakes sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

24and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.* Do this to rememberin remembrance of me.”

11:24 Greek which is for you; other manuscripts read which is broken for you.

25In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to rememberin remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”

8What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declaremake the Gentiles to be righteousright in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”*

3:8 Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18.

9God has now revealed to us his mysterious planwill regarding Christ, a plan—which is to fulfill his own good pleasure plan.

This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elderschurch leaders* and deacons.

1:1 Or overseers;, or bishops.

8Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will killslay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an eldera church leader,* he desires an honorable position.”

3:1 Or an overseer, or a bishop; also in 3:2, 6.

2So an eldera church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife.* He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.

3:2 Or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; Greek reads must be the husband of one wife; also in 3:12.

6An elderA church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall.*

3:6 Or he might fall into the same judgment as the devil.

7An elderA church leader* is a manager of God's household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker,* violent, or dishonest with money.

1:7a Or An overseer, or A bishop.

1:7b Greek must not drink too much wine.

7Because of his grace he declared us righteousmade us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

7Yet for a little while you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.*

2:7 Some manuscripts add You gave them charge of everything you made.

9What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance aboutshows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.