Daniel and the Lions’ Den
1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 psatraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an qexcellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him rover the whole kingdom. 4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement1 to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, slive forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, tthe prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, uso that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, vhe went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open wtoward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees xthree times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! yDid you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, zwho is one of the exiles from Judah, apays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
The Word Became Flesh
1 aIn the beginning bwas cthe Word, and the Word was dwith God, and ethe Word was God. 2 fHe was in the beginning with God. 3 gAll things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 hIn him was life,1 and the life was the ilight of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 jThere was a man ksent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a lwitness, mto bear witness about the light, nthat all might believe through him. 8 oHe was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true plight, which gives light qto everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,2 and rhis own people3 did not sreceive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, twho believed uin his name, he gave the right to become vchildren of God, 13 who were wborn, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word xbecame flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his yglory, glory as of the only zSon4 from the Father, full of agrace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, b‘He who comes after me ranks cbefore me, because he was dbefore me.’”) 16 For from his efullness we have all received, grace upon grace.5 17 For the law was given fthrough Moses; ggrace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 hNo one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who6 is iat the Father’s side,7 jhe has made him known.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19 kAnd this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, l“I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? mAre you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you nthe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am othe voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight8 the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Behold, the Lamb of God
29 pThe next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, qthe Lamb of God, who rtakes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks sbefore me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John tbore witness: u“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize vwith water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes wwith the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the xSon9 of God.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
35 yThe next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, z“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.10 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus11 was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the aMessiah” (which means bChrist). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. cYou shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter12).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, d“Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found eNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom fMoses in the Law and also the gprophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, hthe son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, i“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, jin whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see kgreater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,13 you will see lheaven opened, and mthe angels of God ascending and descending on the nSon of Man.”
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12 gWhile he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of hleprosy.1 And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus2 stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” iAnd immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to jtell no one, but “go and kshow yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, las Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 15 mBut now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17 nOn one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was owith him pto heal.3 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, qyour sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks rblasphemies? sWho can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the tSon of Man has uauthority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they vglorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
