leave your gift there before the altar, and go and make friends with your brother first, and then return and proceed to offer your gift.

The heavy rain descends, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and burst upon the house, and it falls; and disastrous is the fall."

and Jesus said to him, "Be careful to tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses appointed as evidence for them."

But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile the man.

For out of the heart proceed wicked thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, impiety of speech.

"Do you hear," they asked Him, "what these children are saying?" "Yes," He replied; "have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and of babes at the breast Thou hast brought forth the praise which is due'?"

Then the High Priests and Elders of the People assembled in the court of the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas,

But one of those with Jesus drew his sword and struck the High Priest's servant, cutting off his ear.

But the officers who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the High Priest, at whose house the Scribes and the Elders had assembled.

And Peter kept following Him at a distance, till he came even to the court of the High Priest's palace, where he entered and sat down among the officers to see the issue.

Then the High Priest stood up and asked Him, "Have you no answer to make? What is it these men are saying in evidence against you?"

Jesus however remained silent. Again the High Priest addressed Him. "In the name of the ever-living God," he said, "I now put you on your oath. Tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."

Then the High Priest tore his robes and exclaimed, "Impious language! What further need have we of witnesses! See, you have now heard the impiety.

and saying, "Be careful not to tell any one, but go and show yourself to the Priest, and for your purification present the offerings that Moses appointed as evidence for them."

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine would burst the skins, and both wine and skins would be lost. New wine needs fresh skins!"

but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful.

For from within, out of men's hearts, their evil purposes proceed--fornication, theft, murder, adultery,

But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck a blow at the High Priest's servant, cutting off his ear.

So they led Jesus away to the High Priest, and with him there assembled all the High Priests, Elders, and Scribes.

Peter followed Jesus at a distance, as far as the outer court of the High Priest's palace. But there he remained sitting among the officers, and warming himself by the fire.

At last the High Priest stood up, and advancing into the midst of them all, asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What is the meaning of all this that these witnesses allege against you?"

But He remained silent, and gave no reply. A second time the High Priest questioned Him. "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" he said.

Rending his garments the High Priest exclaimed, "What need have we of witnesses after that?

Now while Peter was below in the quadrangle, one of the High Priest's maidservants came,

There was in the time of Herod, the king of Judaea, a priest of the name of Zechariah, belonging to the class of Abijah. He had a wife who was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

He ordered him to tell no one. "But go," He said, "show yourself to the Priest, and make the offering for your purification which Moses appointed, as evidence for them."

Nor does any one pour new wine into old wine-skins. Otherwise the new wine would burst the skins, the wine itself would be spilt, and the skins be destroyed.

Now a priest happened to be going down that way, and on seeing him passed by on the other side.

But make His Kingdom the object of your pursuit, and these things shall be given you in addition.

And they will say to you, 'See there!' 'See here!' Do not start off and go in pursuit.

"But the tax-gatherer, standing far back, would not so much as lift his eyes to Heaven, but kept beating his breast and saying, "'O God, be reconciled to me, sinner that I am.'

And one of them struck a blow at the High Priest's servant and cut off his right ear.

And they arrested Him and led Him away, and brought Him to the High Priest's house, while Peter followed a good way behind.

Then the whole multitude burst out into a shout. "Away with this man," they said, "and release Barabbas to us"

But one of them, named Caiaphas, being High Priest that year, said, "You know nothing about it.

It was not as a mere man that he thus spoke. But being High Priest that year he was inspired to declare that Jesus was to die for the nation,

Simon Peter, however, having a sword, drew it, and, aiming at the High Priest's servant, cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

They then brought Him to Annas first; for Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was High Priest that year.

Meanwhile Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so also was another disciple. The latter was known to the High Priest, and went in with Jesus into the court of the High Priest's palace.

But Peter remained standing outside the door, till the disciple who was acquainted with the High Priest came out and induced the portress to let Peter in.

So the High Priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching.

Upon His saying this, one of the officers standing by struck Him with his open hand, asking Him as he did so, "Is that the way you answer the High Priest?"

So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the High Priest.

One of the High Priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?"

Peter turned round and noticed the disciple whom Jesus loved following--the one who at the supper had leaned back on His breast and had asked, "Master, who is it that is betraying you?"

with Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the other members of the high-priestly family.

This roused the High Priest. He and all his party--the sect of the Sadducees--were filled with angry jealousy

Having received that command they went into the Temple, just before daybreak, and began to teach: So when the High Priest and his party came, and had called together the Sanhedrin as well as all the Elders of the descendants of Israel, they sent to the jail to fetch the Apostles.

So they brought them and made them stand in front of the Sanhedrin. And then the High Priest questioned them.

Then the High Priest asked him, "Are these statements true?"

And an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and proceed south to the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza, crossing the Desert."

went to the High Priest and begged from him letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, in order that if he found any believers there, either men or women, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.

And the priest of Zeus--the temple of Zeus being at the entrance to the city--brought bullocks and garlands to the gates, and in company with the crowd was intending to offer sacrifices to them.

So the jailer brought Paul word, saying, "The praetors have sent orders for you to be released. Now therefore you can go, and proceed on your way in peace."

Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem.

as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished.

On hearing this the High Priest Ananias ordered those who were standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

"Do you rail at God's High Priest?" cried the men who stood by him.

"I did not know, brethren," replied Paul, "that he was the High Priest; for it is written, 'Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of Thy people.'"

The next day the infantry returned to the barracks, leaving the cavalry to proceed with him;

Five days after this, Ananias the High Priest came down to Caesarea with a number of Elders and a pleader called Tertullus. They stated to the Governor the case against Paul.

But it was not long before a furious north-east wind, coming down from the mountains, burst upon us and carried the ship out of her course.

To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;

while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.

How then does the matter stand? It stands thus. That which Israel are in earnest pursuit of, they have not obtained; but God's chosen servants have obtained it, and the rest have become hardened.

And in this they became a warning to us, to teach us not to be eager, as they were eager, in pursuit of what is evil.

Be eager in your pursuit of this Love, and be earnestly ambitious for spiritual gifts, but let it be chiefly so in order that you may prophesy.

I am compelled to boast. It is not a profitable employment, but I will proceed to visions and revelations granted me by the Lord.

For it is written, "Rejoice, thou barren woman that bearest not, break forth into a joyful cry, thou that dost not travail with child. For the desolate woman has many children--more indeed than she who has the husband."

But from irreligious and frivolous talk hold aloof, for those who indulge in it will proceed from bad to worse in impiety,

And for this purpose it was necessary that in all respects He should be made to resemble His brothers, so that He might become a compassionate and faithful High Priest in things relating to God, in order to atone for the sins of the people.

Therefore, holy brethren, sharers with others in a heavenly invitation, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whose followers we profess to be.

Inasmuch, then, as we have in Jesus, the Son of God, a great High Priest who has passed into Heaven itself, let us hold firmly to our profession of faith.

For we have not a High Priest who is unable to feel for us in our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in every respect just as we are tempted, and yet did not sin.

For every High Priest is chosen from among men, and is appointed to act on behalf of men in matters relating to God, in order to offer both gifts and sin-offerings,

So Christ also did not claim for Himself the honour of being made High Priest, but was appointed to it by Him who said to Him, "My Son art Thou: I have to-day become Thy Father;"

as also in another passage He says, "Thou art a priest for ever, belonging to the order of Melchizedek."

For God Himself addresses Him as a High Priest for ever, belonging to the order of Melchizedek.

where Jesus has entered as a forerunner on our behalf, having become, like Melchizedek, a High Priest for ever.

For this man, Melchizedek, King of Salem and priest of the Most High God--he who when Abraham was returning after defeating the kings met him and pronounced a blessing on him--

with no father or mother, and no record of ancestry: having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made a type of the Son of God--this man Melchizedek remains a priest for ever.

Now think how great this priest-king must have been to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth part of the best of the spoil.

Now if the crowning blessing was attainable by means of the Levitical priesthood--for as resting on this foundation the people received the Law, to which they are still subject-- what further need was there for a Priest of a different kind to be raised up belonging to the order of Melchizedek instead of being said to belong to the order of Aaron?

And this is still more abundantly clear when we read that it is as belonging to the order of Melchizedek that a priest of a different kind is to arise,

For the words are in evidence, "Thou art a priest for ever, belonging to the order of Melchizedek."

for these men hold office without any oath having been taken, but He holds it attested by an oath from Him who said to Him, "The Lord has sworn and will not recall His words, Thou art a Priest for ever" --

Moreover we needed just such a High Priest as this--holy, guileless, undefiled, far removed from sinful men and exalted above the heavens;

For the Law constitutes men High Priests--men with all their infirmity--but the utterance of the oath, which came later than the Law, constitutes High Priest a Son who has been made for ever perfect.

Now in connexion with what we have been saying the chief point is that we have a High Priest who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God's Majesty in the heavens,

Every High Priest, however, is appointed to offer both bloodless gifts and sacrifices. Therefore this High Priest also must have some offering to present.

If then He were still on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since here there are already those who present the offerings in obedience to the Law,

But into the second, the High Priest goes only on one day of the year, and goes alone, taking with him blood, which he offers on his own behalf and on account of the sins which the people have ignorantly committed.

But Christ appeared as a High Priest of the blessings that are soon to come by means of the greater and more perfect Tent of worship, a tent which has not been built with hands--that is to say does not belong to this material creation--

Nor did He enter for the purpose of many times offering Himself in sacrifice, just as the High Priest enters the Holy place, year after year, taking with him blood not his own.

And while every priest stands ministering, day after day, and constantly offering the same sacrifices--though such can never rid us of our sins--

this Priest, on the contrary, after offering for sins a single sacrifice of perpetual efficacy, took His seat at God's right hand,

and since we have a great Priest who has authority over the house of God,

For the bodies of those animals of which the blood is carried by the High Priest into the Holy place as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.

Out of the same mouth there proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be.

Let him turn from evil, and do good; Let him inquire for peace and go in pursuit of it.