Rahab and the Spies

2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies^(A) from Shittim.^(B) “Go, look over^(C) the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.^(D)” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab^(E) and stayed there.

² The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” ³ So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab:^(F) “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

⁴ But the woman had taken the two men^(G) and hidden them.^(H) She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. ⁵ At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate,^(I) they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”^{(J) 6} (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax^(K) she had laid out on the roof.)^{(L) 7} So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan,^(M) and as soon as the pursuers^(N) had gone out, the gate was shut.

⁸ Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof^{(O) 9} and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear^(P) of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. ¹⁰ We have heard how the Lord dried up^(Q) the water of the Red Sea^[a] for you when you came out of Egypt,^(R) and what you did to Sihon and Og,^(S) the two kings of the Amorites^(T) east of the Jordan,^(U) whom you completely destroyed.^{[b](V) 11} When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear^(W) and everyone’s courage failed^(X) because of you,^(Y) for the Lord your God^(Z) is God in heaven above and on the earth^(AA) below.

¹² “Now then, please swear to me^(AB) by the Lord that you will show kindness^(AC) to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign^{(AD) 13} that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them^(AE)—and that you will save us from death.”

¹⁴ “Our lives for your lives!”^(AF) the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully^(AG) when the Lord gives us the land.”

¹⁵ So she let them down by a rope^(AH) through the window,^(AI) for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. ¹⁶ She said to them, “Go to the hills^(AJ) so the pursuers^(AK) will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days^(AL) until they return, and then go on your way.”^(AM)

¹⁷ Now the men had said to her, “This oath^(AN) you made us swear will not be binding on us ¹⁸ unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord^(AO) in the window^(AP) through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family^(AQ) into your house. ¹⁹ If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads;^(AR) we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head^(AS) if a hand is laid on them. ²⁰ But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.^(AT)”

²¹ “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord^(AU) in the window.^(AV)

²² When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days,^(AW) until the pursuers^(AX) had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. ²³ Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. ²⁴ They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands;^(AY) all the people are melting in fear^(AZ) because of us.”

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.^(A) Jesus’ mother^(B) was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman,^[a](C) why do you involve me?”^(D) Jesus replied. “My hour^(E) has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”^(F)

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,^(G) each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.^[b]

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.^(H) He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰ and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs^(I) through which he revealed his glory;^(J) and his disciples believed in him.^(K)

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum^(L) with his mother^(M) and brothers^(N) and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts^(O)

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(P) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.^{(Q) 14} In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,^(R) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.^{(S) 15} So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house^(T) into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”^[c](U)

¹⁸ The Jews^(V) then responded to him, “What sign^(W) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”^(X)

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”^(Y)

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body.^{(Z) 22} After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.^(AA) Then they believed the scripture^(AB) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,^(AC) many people saw the signs^(AD) he was performing and believed^(AE) in his name.^{[d] 24} But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind,^(AF) for he knew what was in each person.^(AG)

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus^(AH) who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.^{(AI) 2} He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi,^(AJ) we know^(AK) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs^(AL) you are doing if God were not with him.”^(AM)

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[e]”^(AN)

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^{(AO) 6} Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[f] gives birth to spirit.^{(AP) 7} You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[g] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[h](AQ)

⁹ “How can this be?”^(AR) Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,”^(AS) said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,^(AT) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.^{(AU) 12} I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven^(AV) except the one who came from heaven^(AW)—the Son of Man.^{[i](AX) 14} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(AY) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[j](AZ) 15} that everyone who believes^(BA) may have eternal life in him.”^[k](BB)

¹⁶ For God so loved^(BC) the world that he gave^(BD) his one and only Son,^(BE) that whoever believes^(BF) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^{(BG) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world^(BH) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^{(BI) 18} Whoever believes in him is not condemned,^(BJ) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.^{(BK) 19} This is the verdict: Light^(BL) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.^{(BM) 20} Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.^{(BN) 21} But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John Testifies Again About Jesus

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.^{(BO) 23} Now John^(BP) also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. ²⁴ (This was before John was put in prison.)^{(BQ) 25} An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.^{(BR) 26} They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi,^(BS) that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified^(BT) about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

²⁷ To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’^{(BU) 29} The bride belongs to the bridegroom.^(BV) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.^{(BW) 30} He must become greater; I must become less.”^[l]

³¹ The one who comes from above^(BX) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.^(BY) The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard,^(BZ) but no one accepts his testimony.^{(CA) 33} Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent^(CB) speaks the words of God, for God^[m] gives the Spirit^(CC) without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.^{(CD) 36} Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,^(CE) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.