Pray the Scriptures Bible Editor Kevin Johnson 7
Contents Alphabetical Listing of Bible Books vi Introduction vii How to Use This Bible ix About God s Word Translation xi The Books of the Old Testament Genesis 3 Exodus 75 Leviticus 133 Numbers 173 Deuteronomy 231 Joshua 282 Judges 314 Ruth 350 1 Samuel 357 2 Samuel 403 1 Kings 443 2 Kings 488 1 Chronicles 531 2 Chronicles 574 Ezra 623 Nehemiah 640 Esther 664 Job 676 Psalms 732 Proverbs 871 Ecclesiastes 918 Song of Songs 933 Isaiah 944 Jeremiah 1047 Lamentations 1140 Ezekiel 1153 Daniel 1222 Hosea 1244 Joel 1261 Amos 1269 Obadiah 1283 Jonah 1286 Micah 1290 Nahum 1300 Habakkuk 1306 Zephaniah 1313 Haggai 1320 Zechariah 1324 Malachi 1339 The Books of the New Testament Matthew 1347 Mark 1399 Luke 1433 John 1488 Acts 1527 Romans 1578 1 Corinthians 1600 2 Corinthians 1621 Galatians 1636 Ephesians 1645 Philippians 1654 Colossians 1660 1 Thessalonians 1666 2 Thessalonians 1672 1 Timothy 1676 2 Timothy 1683 Titus 1688 Philemon 1692 Hebrews 1695 James 1712 1 Peter 1719 2 Peter 1726 1 John 1731 2 John 1738 3 John 1740 Jude 1743 Revelation 1746 Topical Prayer Guide 1171 Prayers in Scripture 1775 Contributors 1776
Introduction God s word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God s word judges a person s thoughts and intentions. No creature can hide from God. Everything is uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him. Hebrews 4:12 13 Scripture cuts to the innermost depths of everything you are. It inspires, informs, corrects, and encourages. It puts you on the path to real life that starts now and lasts forever. Scripture can also open a one-on-one conversation with the God who speaks to you in his Word. Most people pray. Many of us struggle. We wonder what to say to God and how to say it. We worry if we will get what we ask or if we can speak honest questions. shows that the entire Word of God teaches us how to pray. grew out of my own journey with God decades and relevant to all ages. The more time I spent in the Bible, the more Scripture and prayer came together. It became habit to respond in prayer to the passage I studied. Because God spoke to me, I spoke back to him. As his word cut to my core, I talked to him about what he had already laid bare. I answered to him. How to Pray Scripture is an experiential Bible a fresh, accurate, straight- and mind. This is a personal response to Scripture, with prayers that capture an everyday conversation with God. As you pick up the Bible and pray, several things happen. Many passages move you to who God is or what he has done, is doing, or will do. You with a person, thought, or feeling. That might prompt you to something that s come between you and God or to to living differently. Or you might the Lord to work in you or meet a need. The prayers in and offer to God. I intentionally stay close to the Bible text so the connection between a passage and prayer isn t lost in excessive poetry or artistry. I searched for your own prayers. Let them encourage your own unique conversation with
Introduction viii God as you process your own life circumstances and give voice to your own spiritual longings, wonderings, and worship. Don t limit your reading and praying to favorite passages. Praying the whole Bible forced me to form prayers from both teachings and stories... to make sense dense with history and sparse on obvious application. This is an opportunity not just to read a book but to interact with the Lord who has reached out to people throughout history and who still reaches out to you now. Don t keep these prayers to yourself. Although for consistency they are I, sometimes ), adapt them to pray others family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, people you struggle to love, and the world at large. Pray them others in pairs, groups, and gatherings. For group settings, put Scriptures and corresponding prayers on screens. Or enlarge them, print them, and scatter them on walls around your meeting space to let individuals and groups read and pray in walkaround worship. As you would any other resource, let people know where you found these prayers. Thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Baker Publishing Group, from David Horton and Natasha Sperling to the entire staff, for teaming up to use the Translation to make this idea real. They join me in praying that this unique Bible will inspire your quest to know and experience God. Thanks to Nate, Karin, and Elise for their constant patience and support. And thanks most of all to Lyn my wife, my love, and my partner in everything. Kevin Johnson
How to Use This Bible Scripture Prayers stretch of Scripture. Pray them silently or out loud. Experiment with alternating directly between a passage and prayer or reading a block of Scripture followed by a block of prayers. Make these words your own by using them as a starting point for prayers that bridge into your own life circumstances. 1:20 25 At your command sea and sky swarmed with life. You set your creatures free to fill the earth. You gave birth to animals wild and tame. And everything you made was good. to give light to the earth, 18 to dominate the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening, then morning a fourth day. 20 Then God said, Let the water swarm with swimming 21 So God created the large sea creatures, every type of creature saw that they were good. 22 God blessed them and said, Be fertile, the earth. 23 Bible Book Introductions Each introduction alerts you to the setting and overarching theme of a book to help you enter into the situation that drives your responsive prayers. Each introduction also highlights what you can Authentic Prayer More than two dozen types of prayer appear in these articles, ranging from guidance to confession to growth, focused on one of the Bible s own prayers or a biblical teaching on prayer. These major prayer categories invite you to stretch beyond your old prayer patterns and talk with God in fresh ways. Sample each type by following the references at the end of each feature. Genesis I N T R O D U C T I O N Genesis announces God s majestic creation of everything you see. Beginning with the simple declaration that in the beginning God created heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1), it tells the story The Lord crafts people as the high point of his creation, setting Adam and Eve in a lush paradise and instructing them to rule the earth and care for their garden home. The book pictures the Lord walking and talking love. Yet when Adam and Eve rebel against the Lord s clear command, their relationship with him and each other shatters. Genesis describes people continuing in open revolt against God, engaging in every imaginable sin and bringing on themselves pain the Lord never meant them to endure. It also shows God s choice of one person, Abraham, as the start of his plan to invite all people back to him. Abraham models true faith as he obeys God s command to leave his home and Genesis, which concludes with Joseph, an arrogant youth sold into slavery by his brothers yet raised up by the Lord to save Egypt from starvation. Praying this book introduces you to the God who placed you in a world of wonder and designed you to live close to him. It urges you to evaluate your own resistance to God. It invites you to join him on a fresh journey of faith. Authentic Prayer Exodus 3:1 17 Listening God called to him from the bush, Moses, Moses! Moses answered, Here I am! Exodus 3:4 Prayer is more than talking at God. Moses perceived God at a flaming desert bush, but their conversation only begins after the Lord first calls his name. Moses answers, and the Lord teaches him that any meeting place with God is holy ground. When Moses fearfully hides his face, the Lord keeps talking. He already knows everything the prince-turned-shepherd could possibly have on his mind. He knows the cries of his enslaved people, and he already has a firm plan to rescue them that includes sending Moses to force his people s freedom. The Lord isn t quiet until he tells Moses his name, I Am Who I Am, the God who has always existed and who will always be with his people. Your prayers might not feel like a back-and-forth dialogue with God. But he always invites you to quiet yourself and listen for him. You might hear his whispering voice, and you can expect him to speak to you through Scripture. If you never stop the stream of words flowing from your mouth, you won t ever hear his side of the conversation. Pray the Scriptures Listening: Psalm 5:1 3, 1 Kings 19:11 12, Matthew 6:5 8, 2 Timothy 3:16 17
How to Use This Bible x Scripture Prayers A thorough list of prayers in the Bible. Topical Index An index covering categories of prayer as well as other common prayer concerns such as family, work, trials, and money. GOD S WORD Translation of the Bible Translation (GW) accurately translates the meaning of the original texts into clear, everyday language. Readable and reliable, GW is living, active, and life-changing. GW was translated by a committee of biblical scholars and English reviewers to ensure accurate, natural English that preserves the styles of the biblical writers. Its understandable vocabulary and easy phrasing helps you move easily between Scripture and prayer.
Exodus I N T R O D U C T I O N Exodus reveals God rescuing people in pain. The end of Genesis showed famine driving God s people south to Egypt to seek food. Four hundred years after Joseph s brilliant planning saved that country from starvation, a pharaoh now comes to power who knows nothing about Joseph. This king views Joseph s descendants living among the Egyptians as a threat to his own political power. He forces the Hebrews into slavery, violently compelling them to construct the royal storage cities. As the slave population continues to increase in number, Pharaoh commands the slaughter of all Hebrew baby boys. The mother of one boy, desper- ashore by Pharaoh s daughter, grows up in the royal palace. The Lord tells Moses he has seen his people s suffering. He s heard their cries for deliverance. So he sends Moses away with a miraculous plan to free his people from slavery and lead them to the land promised to Abraham centuries earlier. Exodus derives its name from a word that means exit, and the slaves Jesus frees people from bondage to sin. Praying this book offers you assurance that God knows your pain. It lets you invite him to free you from every kind of enslavement. It prods you to grapple with obedience to God s everyday instructions and most important commandments. In Exodus you meet a mighty God who rescues everyone who calls on him.
Exodus 1:1 7 Jacob s small family grew strong and filled the land. You kept your promise to make Abraham s descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. 1:8 10 The new king of Egypt knew nothing about Joseph. He feared the strength and numbers of your people. 1:11 14 The Egyptians forced the Israelites to work as slaves, loading them down with backbreaking labor. Don t leave me to die when life turns bitter and brutally hard! 1:15 22 The king ordered the Israelite midwives to kill the Hebrew s newborn sons. But the midwives feared you and let the boys live. My awe for you will determine my choices. Israel Comes to Egypt 1 1 These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who came with him to Egypt with their families: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5 Joseph was already in Egypt. The total number of Jacob s descendants was 70. 6 Eventually, Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. 7 But the descendants of Israel had many children. with them. The Israelites Become Slaves 8 Then a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, began to rule in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, There are too many Israelites, and they are stronger than we are. 10 We have to outsmart them, or they ll increase in number. Then, if war breaks out, they 11 So the Egyptians put slave drivers in charge of them in order to oppress them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they increased in number and spread out. The Egyptians couldn t stand them any longer. 13 So they forced the Israelites to work hard as slaves. 14 They made their lives bitter with back-breaking work the jobs the Egyptians gave them were brutally hard. Pharaoh Tells the Midwives to Kill All Hebrew Baby Boys 15 Then the king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth, look at the child when you deliver it. If it s a boy, kill it, but if it s a girl, let it live. 17 However, the midwives feared God and didn t obey the king of Egypt s orders. They let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. He asked them, Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live? 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. They are so healthy that they have their babies before a midwife arrives.
77 Exodus 2:17 20 God was good to the midwives. So the people increased in number and became very strong. 21 Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw into the Nile every Hebrew boy that was born, but to let every girl live. Pharaoh s Daughter Adopts Moses 1 A man from Levi s family married a Le vite woman. 2 2 The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw how beautiful he was and hid him for three months. 3 When she couldn t hide him any longer, she took a basket made of papyrus plants and coated it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in it and set it among the papyrus plants near the bank of the Nile River. 4 The baby s sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5 While Pharaoh s daughter came to the Nile to take a bath, her servants walked along the bank of the river. She saw the basket among the papyrus plants and sent her slave girl to get it. 6 Pharaoh s daughter opened the basket, looked at the baby, and saw it was a boy. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. She said, This is one of the Hebrew children. 7 Then the baby s sister asked Pharaoh s daughter, Should I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you? 8 She answered, Yes! So the girl brought the baby s mother. 9 Pharaoh s daughter said to the woman, Take this child, nurse him for me, and I will pay you. She took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child was old enough, she brought him to Pharaoh s daughter, and he became her son. Pharaoh s daughter named him Moses [Pulled Out] and said, I pulled him out of the water. Moses Commits Murder and Flees to Midian 11 In the course of time Moses grew up. Then he went to see his own people and watched them suffering under forced labor. He saw a Hebrew, one of his own people, being beaten by an Egyptian. 12 He looked all around, and when he didn t see anyone, he beat the Egyptian to death and hid the body in the sand. 13 When Moses went there the next day, he saw two Hebrew you beating another Hebrew? 14 The man asked, Who made you our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was afraid and thought that everyone knew what he had done. 15 When Pharaoh heard what Moses had done, he tried to the land of Midian. Moses Marries Zipporah One day, while Moses was sitting by a well, 16 seven daugh- the troughs to water their father s sheep. 17 But some shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses got up, came to their defense, and then watered their sheep. 2:1 6 A mother set her baby afloat on a river how desperate is that? You sent Pharaoh s daughter to find the boy. She felt your compassion. 2:7 10 You arranged for the baby s own mother to nurse him. You made a bed for young Moses in Pharaoh s palace. 2:11 15 Moses saw the suffering of his own people. He beat an Egyptian dead and hid the body. Watch over me when I run scared. 2:16 22 Even when Moses found a wife he felt like a foreigner. Even with a new family he felt out of place. Come with me when I walk alone.
Exodus 2:18 78 Authentic Prayer Exodus 3:1 17 Listening God called to him from the bush, Moses, Moses! Moses answered, Here I am! Exodus 3:4 Prayer is more than talking at God. Moses perceived God at a flaming desert bush, but their conversation only begins after the Lord first calls his name. Moses answers, and the Lord teaches him that any meeting place with God is holy ground. When Moses fearfully hides his face, the Lord keeps talking. He already knows everything the prince-turned-shepherd could possibly have on his mind. He knows the cries of his enslaved people, and he already has a firm plan to rescue them that includes sending Moses to force his people s freedom. The Lord isn t quiet until he tells Moses his name, I Am Who I Am, (Exodus 3:14) the God who has always existed and who will always be with his people. Your prayers might not feel like a back-and-forth dialogue with God. But he always invites you to quiet yourself and listen for him. You might hear his whispering voice, and you can expect him to speak to you through Scripture. If you never stop the stream of words flowing from your mouth, you won t ever hear his side of the conversation. Pray the Scriptures Listening: Psalm 5:1 3, 1 Kings 19:11 12, Matthew 6:5 8, 2 Timothy 3:16 17 18 When they came back to their father Reuel, he asked them, Why have you come home so early today? 19 They answered, An Egyptian rescued us from some shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the sheep. 20 Reuel asked his daughters, Where is he? Why did you leave the man there? Go, invite him to supper. 21 Moses decided to stay with the man. So Reuel gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses as his wife. 22 She gave birth to a son. Moses named him Gershom [Foreigner], because he said, I was a foreigner living in another country. 2:23 25 The Israelites groaned in pain. Yet you heard their cries and saw the oppression they suffered. You hadn t forgotten your promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 3:1 4 Moses was minding sheep when you appeared to him as flames of fire coming out of a bush. You called to him and he answered. The Israelites Pray to God during Their Suffering 23 After a long time passed, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites still groaned because they were slaves. So they cried out, and their cries for help went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his promise a to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God saw the Israelites being oppressed and was concerned about them. Moses at the Burning Bush 3 1 Moses was taking care of the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. As he led the sheep to the far side of the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. a 2:24 Or covenant.
79 Exodus 3:21 2 The Messenger of the 3 So he thought, Why isn t this bush burning up? I must go over there and see this strange sight. 4 When the saw that Moses had come over to see it, God called to him from the bush, Moses, Moses! Moses answered, Here I am! 5 God said, Don t come any closer! Take off your sandals because this place where you are standing is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your ancestors, a the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. 7 The said, I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt, and I have heard them crying out because of the slave drivers. I know how much they re suffering. 8 I have come to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good land with plenty of room for everyone Canaanites, Hittites, Amo rites, Perizzites, Hi vites, and Jeb u- sites live. 9 I have heard the cry of the people of Israel. I have seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Now, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you can bring my people Israel out of Egypt. 11 But Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt? 12 God answered, I will be with you. And this will be the proof that I sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain. 13 Then Moses replied to God, Suppose I go to the people of Israel and say to them, The God of your ancestors has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his name? What should I tell them? 14 God answered Moses, I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you. 15 Again God said to Moses, This is what you must say to the people of Israel: The God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever. This is my title throughout every generation. 16 Go, assemble the leaders of Israel. Say to them, The God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me. He said, I have paid close attention to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 I promise I will take you away from your misery in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amo rites, Perizzites, Hi vites, and Jeb u sites, 18 The leaders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the leaders must go to the king of Egypt and say to him, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us travel three our God. 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, even if he is forced to. 20 So I will use my power to strike Egypt. After all the miracles that I will do there, he will let you go. 21 I will make the 3:5 6 You warned Moses he stood on holy ground. You introduced yourself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at you. 3:7 10 You saw your people s misery and heard their cries. Rescue me and bring me to a good place. 3:11 12 You promised to go with Moses when you sent him to Pharaoh. You had a plan to lead your people to freedom and to worship. 3:13 15 You call yourself I Am Who I Am. You ve always existed and will always be with us. You re the one and only God! 3:16 22 You promised to move your people from misery to a land of milk and honey. You would force the king to free them. a 3:6 Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek, Acts 7:32; Masoretic Text ancestor.
John I N T R O D U C T I O N John shows off Jesus intense glory. An account of Jesus unlike any other, this book rewinds history to a point long before his birth in Bethlehem. It declares Jesus the Word, the God who existed forever. humankind saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth (John 1:14). This book doesn t reveal many details of Jesus day-to-day life. Instead powerful Son. He turns a boy s lunch into a meal for thousands, then declares himself the bread of life, promising to satisfy the gnawing hunger of anyone who comes to him (John 6:35). He informs a grieving woman that he is life itself and the one who brings people back to life, then raises her brother from the grave, proving that everyone who believes in him will come back to life (John 11:25). He dares to apply to himself God s sacred name, I am, making a statement everyone who hears understands to be an obvious claim to be God (John 8:58). John writes this book with an unmistakable purpose. He says, But these miracles have been written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that you will have life by believing in him (John 20:31). Praying this book lets you enter into the life only Jesus can offer.
John The Word Becomes Human 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was 1with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was already with God in the beginning. 3 Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him. 4 He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity. 5 The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it. a 6 God sent a man named John to be his messenger. 7 John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message. 8 John was not the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light. 9 The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn t recognize him. 11 He went to his own people, and his own people didn t accept him. 12 However, he gave the right to become God s children to everyone who believed in him. 13 These people didn t become God s children in a physical way from a human impulse or from a husband s desire to have a child. They were born from God. 14 The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness b and truth. 15 (John declared the truth about him when he said loudly, This is the person about whom I said, The one who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did. ) 16 Each of us has received one gift after another because of all that the Word is. 17 Laws were given through Moses, but kindness and truth came into existence through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. God s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father s heart, has made him known. John Prepares the Way Matthew 3:1 12; Mark 1:1 8; Luke 3:1 18 19 This was John s answer when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? 20 John didn t refuse to answer. He told them clearly, I m not the Messiah. a b 1:14 Or grace. 1:1 2 In the beginning you already existed. You were with God. You were God! 1:3 5 Everything that exists comes from you. You re the source of all life and light. 1:6 9 John declared the truth about you so everyone would believe. But you re the real light. 1:10 13 Everyone saw you, but not everyone recognized you. You give the right to become God s child to everyone who believes in you. 1:14 18 You became human and lived among people, putting glorious kindness and truth on display. No one can see God, but you show us all what he s like. 1:19 28 John wasn t the Messiah, but his shouting in the desert cleared you a path. You re infinitely greater than John or any ordinary human being.
John 1:21 1490 21 They asked him, Well, are you Elijah? John answered, No, I m not. Then they asked, Are you the prophet? John replied, No. 22 So they asked him, Who are you? Tell us so that we can take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? 23 John said, I m a voice crying out in the desert, Make the way for the Lord straight, as the prophet Isaiah said. 24 Some of those who had been sent were Pharisees. 25 They asked John, Why do you baptize if you re not the Messiah or Elijah or the prophet? 26 John answered them, I baptize with water. Someone you don t know is standing among you. 27 He s the one who comes after me. I am not worthy to untie his sandal strap. 28 This happened in Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. 1:29 34 You re God s Son, the Lamb who takes away my sin. Baptize me with your Spirit! 1:35 42 I ve heard all about you, but I need to meet you for myself. I ll invite others to pursue you too. 1:43 46 You re more than what any eye sees at first glance. You re the one Moses and the prophets wrote about. John Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God 29 John saw Jesus coming toward him the next day and said, Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 30 He is the one I spoke about when I said, A man who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did. 31 I didn t know who he was. However, I came to baptize with water to show him to the people of Israel. 32 John said, I saw the Spirit come down as a dove from heaven and stay on him. 33 I didn t know who he was. But God, who sent me to baptize with water, had told me, When you see the Spirit come down and stay on someone, you ll know that person is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. 34 I have seen this and have declared that this is the Son of God. Calling of the First Disciples 35 The next day John was standing with two of his disciples. 36 John saw Jesus walk by. John said, Look! This is the Lamb of God. 37 When the two disciples heard John say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned around and saw them following him. He asked them, What are you looking for? They said to him, Rabbi (which means teacher ), where are you staying? 39 Jesus told them, Come, and you will see. So they went to see where he was staying and spent the rest of that day with him. It was about ten o clock in the morning. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter s brother, was one of the two disciples who heard John and followed Jesus. 41 Andrew at once found his brother Simon and told him, We have found the Messiah (which means Christ ). 42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and said, You are Simon, son of John. Your name will be Cephas (which means Peter ). 43 The next day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee. He found Philip and told him, Follow me! 44 (Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.)
1491 John 2:15 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the man whom Moses wrote about in his teachings and whom the prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from the city of Nazareth. 46 Nathanael said to Philip, Can anything good come from Nazareth? Philip told him, Come and see! 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and remarked, Here is a true Israelite who is sincere. 48 Nathanael asked Jesus, How do you know anything about me? Philip called you. 49 Nathanael said to Jesus, Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel! 50 Jesus replied, You believe because I told you that I saw 51 Jesus said to Nathanael, I can guarantee this truth: You will see the sky open and God s angels going up and coming down to the Son of Man. Jesus Changes Water into Wine 2 1 Three days later a wedding took place in the city of Cana in Galilee. Jesus mother was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had been invited too. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus mother said to him, They re out of wine. 4 Jesus said to her, Why did you come to me? My time has not yet come. 5 His mother told the servers, Do whatever he tells you. 6 Six stone water jars were there. They were used for Jewish 7 Jesus told the servers, Fill the jars with water. The servers 8 Jesus said to them, Pour some, and take it to the person in charge. The servers did as they were told. 9 The person in charge tasted the water that had become wine. He didn t know where it had come from, although the servers who had poured the water knew. The person in charge called the groom 10 and said to him, Everyone serves the best But you have saved the best wine for now. 11 Cana in Galilee was the place where Jesus began to perform miracles. He made his glory public there, and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this, Jesus, his mother, brothers, and disciples went to the city of Capernaum and stayed there for a few days. Jesus Throws Merchants and Moneychangers out of the Temple Courtyard 13 The Jewish Passover was near, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 He found those who were selling cattle, sheep, and pigeons in the temple courtyard. He also found moneychangers sitting there. 15 He made a whip from small ropes and threw everyone 1:47 51 Your knowledge amazes me. You know me inside and out. But you promise I ll experience even bigger things! 2:1 12 When you began to perform miracles, you made your glory public. I believe in you! 2:13 17 I want to be consumed by devotion to you so drive every little compromise from my life. Point out the stuff I should pick up and toss out.