Now the earth was formless(A) and empty,(B) darkness was over the surface of the deep,(C) and the Spirit of God(D) was hovering(E) over the waters.

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And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

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The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him(A) so that he tore the lion apart(B) with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.

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And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

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13 By his breath the skies(A) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(B)

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13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

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11 Do not cast me(A) from your presence(B)
    or take your Holy Spirit(C) from me.

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11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

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Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee(A) from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens,(B) you are there;
    if I make my bed(C) in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(D)
    your right hand(E) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(F) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;(G)
    you knit me together(H) in my mother’s womb.(I)
14 I praise you(J) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,(K)
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made(L) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together(M) in the depths of the earth.(N)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained(O) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](P) God!(Q)
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(R)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand(S)
    when I awake,(T) I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!(U)
    Away from me,(V) you who are bloodthirsty!(W)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries(X) misuse your name.(Y)
21 Do I not hate those(Z) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor(AA) those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.(AB)
23 Search me,(AC) God, and know my heart;(AD)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way(AE) in me,
    and lead me(AF) in the way everlasting.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(C) me
    to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(I)
    and the day of vengeance(J) of our God,
to comfort(K) all who mourn,(L)
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(M) of beauty
    instead of ashes,(N)
the oil(O) of joy
    instead of mourning,(P)
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting(Q) of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

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The Day of the Lord

28 “And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit(A) on all people.(B)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(C)
    your old men will dream dreams,(D)
    your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(E) both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(F)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(G)
    and on the earth,(H)
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(I)
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.(J)
32 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord(K) will be saved;(L)
for on Mount Zion(M) and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,(N)
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors(O)
    whom the Lord calls.[a](P)

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

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Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 1:18 Or The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

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16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,(A) and he saw the Spirit of God(B) descending like a dove and alighting on him.

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16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

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Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a](B) by the devil.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:1 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

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28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God(A) has come upon you.

29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(B) 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.(C) 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age(D) or in the age to come.(E)

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28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

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19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,(A) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,(B)

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19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

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10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.(A)

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10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

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