Study Desk

You embarrass me by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, "How have we embarrassed you?" You have done it by saying, "What's so great about the Lord 's altar?"

I wish someone would lock the doors of my temple, so you would stop wasting time building fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you priests, and I refuse to accept any more of your offerings.

You get so disgusted that you even make vulgar signs at me. And for an offering, you bring stolen animals or those that are crippled or sick. Should I accept these?

I am telling you this, so I can continue to keep my agreement with your ancestor Levi.

So I caused everyone to hate and despise you, because you disobeyed me and failed to treat all people alike.

Didn't God create you to become like one person with your wife? And why did he do this? It was so you would have children, and then lead them to become God's people. Don't ever be unfaithful to your wife.

The Lord God All-Powerful of Israel hates anyone who is cruel enough to divorce his wife. So take care never to be unfaithful!

I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.

He will lead children and parents to love each other more, so that when I come, I won't bring doom to the land.

Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding.

So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet had said,

When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem.

where they stayed until Herod died. So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet had said, "I called my son out of Egypt."

So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet Jeremiah had said,

and they went to live there in the town of Nazareth. So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet had said, "He will be called a Nazarene."

I baptize you with water so that you will give up your sins. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test him.

So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,

Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.