He first ¹  found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” ²  (which is translated Christ). ³ 

Now the Jewish feast of Passover ¹  was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem ²  from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. ³ 

In spite of what you think, these men are not drunk, ¹  for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ² 

Now all the Jews know the way I lived ¹  from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people ²  and in Jerusalem. ³ 

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

The following events occurred in that same year, early in the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. To be more precise, it was the fifth month of the fourth year of his reign. ¹  The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to Jeremiah ²  in the Lord’s temple in the presence of the priests and all the people. ³ 

When they heard this, they entered the temple courts ¹  at daybreak and began teaching. ²  Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin ³  – that is, the whole high council ⁴  of the Israelites ⁵  – and sent to the jail to have the apostles ⁶  brought before them. ⁷ 

After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. ¹  When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ² 

Then Jacob ¹  said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, ²  it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” ³ 

In the morning watch ¹  the Lord looked down ²  on the Egyptian army ³  through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian army ⁴  into a panic. ⁵ 

“You must keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days ¹  you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you; do this ²  at the appointed time of the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out of Egypt.

“Tell the Israelites, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you must have a complete rest, a memorial announced by loud horn blasts, ¹  a holy assembly.

¹ The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out ²  of the land of Egypt:

In the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, ¹  you are to observe it at its appointed time; you must keep ²  it in accordance with all its statutes and all its customs.” ³ 

¹ Then the entire community of Israel ²  entered the wilderness of Zin in the first month, ³  and the people stayed in Kadesh. ⁴  Miriam died and was buried there. ⁵ 

“‘On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a holy assembly. You must not do your ordinary work, for it is a day of blowing trumpets for you.

They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day ¹  after the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly ²  in plain sight ³  of all the Egyptians.

Observe the month Abib ¹  and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in that month ²  he ³  brought you out of Egypt by night.

At that time Joshua turned, captured Hazor, ¹  and struck down its king with the sword, for Hazor was at that time ²  the leader of all these kingdoms.

Now, announce to the men, ¹  ‘Whoever is shaking with fear ²  may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” ³  Twenty-two thousand men ⁴  went home; ⁵  ten thousand remained.