1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel ^cto Shechem and ^dsummoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And ^ethey presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, ^fyour fathers lived beyond the Euphrates,¹ Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and ^gthey served other gods.

14 ^g“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. ^hPut away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 ⁱAnd if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, ^jchoose this day whom you will serve, whether ^hthe gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or ^kthe gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. ^lBut as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, 17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

6 ^wLet no one ^xdeceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^ythe wrath of God comes upon ^zthe sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore ^ado not become partners with them; 8 for ^bat one time you were ^cdarkness, but now you are light in the Lord. ^dWalk as children of light 9 (for ^ethe fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and ^ftry to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 ^gTake no part in the ^hunfruitful ⁱworks of darkness, but instead ^jexpose them. 12 For ^kit is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when ^lanything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

15 ^pLook carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 ^pmaking the best use of the time, because ^qthe days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^rthe will of the Lord is. 18 And ^sdo not get drunk with wine, for that is ^tdebauchery, but ^ube filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in ^vpsalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 ^wgiving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^xin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 ^ysubmitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

51 I am the living bread ^ethat came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give ^ffor the life of the world is ^gmy flesh.”

52 The Jews then ^hdisputed among themselves, saying, ⁱ“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of ^jthe Son of Man and drink his blood, you ^khave no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ^lhas eternal life, and ^mI will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ⁿabides in me, and I in him. 57 As ^othe living Father ^psent me, and ^qI live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 ^rThis is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread¹ the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus² said these things in the synagogue, as he taught ^sat Capernaum.

60 ^tWhen many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, ^vknowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see ^wthe Son of Man ^xascending to ^ywhere he was before? 63 ^zIt is the Spirit who gives life; ^athe flesh is no help at all. ^bThe words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But ^cthere are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus ^vknew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and ^dwho it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you ^ethat no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

66 ^fAfter this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to ^gthe twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have ^hthe words of eternal life, 69 and ⁱwe have believed, and have come to know, that ^jyou are ^kthe Holy One of God.”