The Preeminence of Christ
15 He is the zimage of the ainvisible God, bthe firstborn of all creation. 16 For cby1 him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether dthrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is ebefore all things, and in him all things fhold together. 18 And he is the ghead of the body, the church. He is hthe beginning, ithe firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be jpreeminent. 19 For in him all the kfullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him lto reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, mmaking peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, nwho once were oalienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now preconciled qin his body of flesh by his death, rin order to present you sholy and blameless and tabove reproach before him, 23 uif indeed you continue in the faith, vstable and wsteadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation2 under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a xminister.
The Twelve Apostles
12 nIn these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them otwelve, whom he named apostles: 14 pSimon, whom he qnamed Peter, and rAndrew his brother, and sJames and John, and tPhilip, and uBartholomew, 15 and vMatthew, and wThomas, and xJames the son of Alphaeus, and ySimon who was called the Zealot, 16 and zJudas the son of James, and aJudas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude
17 bAnd he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and chealed them all.
The Beatitudes
20 dAnd he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you who are epoor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be fsatisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and gleap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the hprophets.
Jesus Pronounces Woes
24 “But iwoe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now, for jyou shall be hungry.
“Woe to you who klaugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for lso their fathers did to the false prophets.
