“ Here is the covenant I will make with them,” says the Lord.“ My Spirit is on you and will not leave you. I have put my words in your mouth. They will never leave your mouth. And they will never leave the mouths of your children or their children after them. That will be true for all time to come,” says the Lord.

耶和华说：“至于我与他们所立的约乃是这样：我加给你的灵，传给你的话，必不离你的口，也不离你后裔与你后裔之后裔的口，从今直到永远；这是耶和华说的。”

耶和华说：“这就是我与他们所立的约：我加给你的灵，传给你的话，必不离你的口，也不离你后裔与你后裔之后裔的口，从今直到永远；这是耶和华说的。”

耶和华说：“这就是我与他们所立的约：我加给你的灵，传给你的话，必不离你的口，也不离你后裔与你后裔之后裔的口，从今直到永远；这是耶和华说的。”

耶和华说：“我亲自与他们立约，我赐给他们的灵和我放在他们口中的话，必不离开他们和他们的子子孙孙，从现在直到永远。这是耶和华说的。”

耶和华说：“至于我，我与他们所立的约是这样：我加在你们身上的灵和我放在你口里的话，必不离开你的口，不离开你后裔的口，也不离开你后裔的后裔的口，从现在直到永远；这是耶和华说的。”

耶和华说：“至于我，我与他们所立的约就是：那在你身上的我的灵、我放在你口中的我的话，必不离开你的口，也不离开你后裔的口以及你后裔之后裔的口；从今直到永远！”这是耶和华说的。

耶和華說：「至於我與他們所立的約乃是這樣：我加給你的靈，傳給你的話，必不離你的口，也不離你後裔與你後裔之後裔的口，從今直到永遠；這是耶和華說的。」

耶和華說：「這就是我與他們所立的約：我加給你的靈，傳給你的話，必不離你的口，也不離你後裔與你後裔之後裔的口，從今直到永遠；這是耶和華說的。」

耶和華說：「這就是我與他們所立的約：我加給你的靈，傳給你的話，必不離你的口，也不離你後裔與你後裔之後裔的口，從今直到永遠；這是耶和華說的。」

耶和華說：「我親自與他們立約，我賜給他們的靈和我放在他們口中的話，必不離開他們和他們的子子孫孫，從現在直到永遠。這是耶和華說的。」

耶和華說：“至於我，我與他們所立的約是這樣：我加在你們身上的靈和我放在你口裡的話，必不離開你的口，不離開你後裔的口，也不離開你後裔的後裔的口，從現在直到永遠；這是耶和華說的。”

『至於我呢、永恆主說，以下這個就是我跟他們立的約：我的靈、那加於你身上的、我的話、那放在你口中的、必不離開你的口，不離開你後裔的口，也不離開你後裔之後裔的口，從今時直到永遠：這是永恆主說的。』

耶和華說：「至於我，我與他們所立的約就是：那在你身上的我的靈、我放在你口中的我的話，必不離開你的口，也不離開你後裔的口以及你後裔之後裔的口；從今直到永遠！」這是耶和華說的。

我與斯人所立之約、即我賦爾之神、傳爾之言、不離乎爾、及爾子孫之口、自今以迄永久、耶和華言之矣、

耶和華又曰、我必與斯人立約、我所賦爾之神、傳爾之言、口誦不輟、爰及子孫、歷世弗替、永世靡暨。

主曰、我所賦爾之神、所傳於爾口之言、必使之不離爾口、與爾子孫之口、及爾後裔之口、自今直至永遠、此我與斯民所立之約、此乃主所言、

“ As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord.“ My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants— from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

“ And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord:“ My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord,“ from this time forth and forevermore.”

“ And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord.“ My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!

“ As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD:“ My Spirit who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the LORD.

“ As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord:“ My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord,“ from now and forever.”

“ As for Me,” says the Lord,“ this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord,“ from this time and forevermore.”

And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever.

“ As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord:“ My Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord.

As for me, this[ is] my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that[ is] upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

“ As for me, this is my promise to them,” says the LORD.“ My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” says the LORD.

“ As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says Yahweh.“ My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your offspring, nor out of the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says Yahweh,“ from now on and forever.”

“ The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel. I will also make it with the people of Judah.It will not be like the covenant I made with their people of long ago. That was when I took them by the hand. I led them out of Egypt. But they broke my covenant. They did it even though I was like a husband to them,” announces the Lord.“ This is the covenant I will make with Israel after that time,” announces the Lord.“ I will put my law in their minds. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God. And they will be my people.They will not need to teach their neighbor anymore. And they will not need to teach one another anymore. They will not need to say,‘ Know the Lord.’ That’s because everyone will know me. From the least important of them to the most important, all of them will know me,” announces the Lord.“ I will forgive their evil ways. I will not remember their sins anymore.”

“ This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts. I will write my laws on their minds.”( Jeremiah 31:33)

I will sprinkle pure water on you. Then you will be‘ clean.’ I will make you completely pure and‘ clean.’ I will take all the statues of your gods away from you.I will give you new hearts. I will give you a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove your stubborn hearts from you. I will give you hearts that obey me.I will put my Spirit in you. I will make you want to obey my rules. I want you to be careful to keep my laws.

They will be my people. And I will be their God.I will give them a single purpose in life. Then, they will always have respect for me. Then all will go well for them. And it will also go well for their children after them.I will make a covenant with them that will last forever. I promise that I will never stop doing good to them. I will cause them to respect me. Then they will never turn away from me again.I will take pleasure in doing good things for them. I will certainly plant them in this land. I will do these things with all my heart and soul.”

But Jesus has been given a greater work to do for God. He is the go- between for the new covenant. This covenant is better than the old one. The new covenant is based on better promises.Suppose nothing had been wrong with that first covenant. Then no one would have looked for another covenant.But God found fault with the people. He said,“ The days are coming, announces the Lord. I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel. I will also make it with the people of Judah.It will not be like the covenant I made with their people of long ago. That was when I took them by the hand. I led them out of Egypt. My new covenant will be different because they didn’t remain faithful to my old covenant. So I turned away from them, announces the Lord.This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds. I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God. And they will be my people.People will not teach their neighbor anymore. They will not say to one another,‘ Know the Lord.’ That’s because everyone will know me. From the least important to the most important, all of them will know me.I will forgive their evil ways. I will not remember their sins anymore.”( Jeremiah 31:31–34)God called this covenant“ new.” So he has done away with the first one. And what is out of date and has been done away with will soon disappear.

Now the Lord is the Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is also there.None of our faces are covered with a veil. All of us can see the Lord’s glory and think deeply about it. So we are being changed to become more like him so that we have more and more glory. And this glory comes from the Lord, who is the Holy Spirit.

I have put my words in your mouth. I have kept you safe in the palm of my hand. I set the heavens in place. I laid the foundations of the earth. I say to Zion,‘ You are my people.’ ”

I will pour out water on the thirsty land. I will make streams flow on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your children. I will pour out my blessing on their children after them.

The Spirit of the Lord and King is on me. The Lord has anointed me to announce good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts have been broken. He has sent me to announce freedom for those who have been captured. He wants me to set prisoners free from their dark cells.He has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free. He wants me to announce the day when he will pay his enemies back. Our God has sent me to comfort all those who are sad.He wants me to help those in Zion who are filled with sorrow. I will put beautiful crowns on their heads in place of ashes. I will anoint them with olive oil to give them joy instead of sorrow. I will give them a spirit of praise in place of a spirit of sadness. They will be like oak trees that are strong and straight. The Lord himself will plant them in the land. That will show how glorious he is.

But anyone who drinks the water I give them will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give them will become a spring of water in them. It will flow up into eternal life.”

Listen and come to me. Pay attention to me. Then you will live. I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. I will give you my faithful love. I promised it to David.

But you are not ruled by the power of sin. Instead, the Holy Spirit rules over you. This is true if the Spirit of God lives in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ.

Jesus answered,“ What I teach is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.Here is how someone can find out whether my teaching comes from God or from me. That person must choose to do what God wants them to do.

The one whom God has sent speaks God’s words. That’s because God gives the Holy Spirit without limit.

When he said this, he meant the Holy Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit later. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given. This was because Jesus had not yet received glory.

The Lord says to his servant,“ When it is time to have mercy on you, I will answer your prayers. When it is time to save you, I will help you. I will keep you safe. You will put into effect my covenant with the people of Israel. Then their land will be made like new again. Each tribe will be sent back to its territory that was left empty.

Jesse’s family is like a tree that has been cut down. A new little tree will grow from its stump. From its roots a Branch will grow and produce fruit.The Spirit of the Lord will rest on that Branch. The Spirit will help him to be wise and understanding. The Spirit will help him make wise plans and carry them out. The Spirit will help him know the Lord and have respect for him.The Branch will take delight in respecting the Lord. He will not judge things only by the way they look. He won’t make decisions based simply on what people say.

They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob. That is where your people of long ago lived. They, their children, their children’s children, and their children after them will live there forever. And my servant from David’s family line will be their prince forever.I will make a covenant with them. It promises to give them peace. The covenant will last forever. I will make them my people. And I will cause there to be many of them. I will put my temple among them forever.I will live with them. I will be their God. And they will be my people.

The Lord and King says,“ I will now cause the people of Jacob to recover from my judgment. I will show my tender love for all the people of Israel. I will make sure that my name is kept holy.My people will forget the shameful things they have done. They will not remember all the ways they were unfaithful to me. They used to live in safety in their land. At that time no one made them afraid.So I will bring them back from the nations. I will gather them from the countries of their enemies. And I will use them to prove to many nations how holy I am.Then they will know that I am the Lord their God. I let the nations take my people away as prisoners. But now I will bring them back to their own land. I will not leave anyone behind.I will no longer turn my face away from the people of Israel. I will pour out my Spirit on them,” announces the Lord and King.

What I received I passed on to you. And it is the most important of all. Here is what it is. Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would.He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as Scripture said he would be.He appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to the 12 apostles.After that, he appeared to more than 500 brothers and sisters at the same time. Most of them are still living. But some have died.He appeared to James. Then he appeared to all the apostles.Last of all, he also appeared to me. I was like someone who wasn’t born at the right time.I am the least important of the apostles. I’m not even fit to be called an apostle. I tried to destroy God’s church.But because of God’s grace I am what I am. And his grace was not wasted on me. No, I have worked harder than all the other apostles. But I didn’t do the work. God’s grace was with me.So this is what we preach, whether I or the other apostles who preached to you. And that is what you believed.We have preached that Christ has been raised from the dead. So how can some of you say that no one rises from the dead?If no one rises from the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.And if Christ has not been raised, what we preach doesn’t mean anything. Your faith doesn’t mean anything either.More than that, we would be lying about God. We are witnesses that God raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if the dead are not raised.If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.And if Christ has not been raised, your faith doesn’t mean anything. Your sins have not been forgiven.Those who have died believing in Christ are also lost.Do we have hope in Christ only for this life? Then people should pity us more than anyone else.But Christ really has been raised from the dead. He is the first of all those who will rise from the dead.Death came because of what a man did. Rising from the dead also comes because of what a man did.Because of Adam, all people die. So because of Christ, all will be made alive.But here is the order of events. Christ is the first of those who rise from the dead. When he comes back, those who belong to him will be raised.Then the end will come after Christ destroys all rule, authority and power. Then he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father.Christ must rule until he has put all his enemies under his control.The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.Scripture says that God“ has put everything under his control.”( Psalm 8:6) It says that“ everything” has been put under him. But it is clear that this does not include God himself. That’s because God put everything under Christ.When he has done that, the Son also will be under God’s rule. God put everything under the Son. In that way, God will be all in all.Suppose no one rises from the dead. Then what will people do who are baptized for the dead? Suppose the dead are not raised at all. Then why are people baptized for them?And why would we put ourselves in danger every hour?I face death every day. That’s the truth. And here is something you can be just as sure of. I take pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done for you through my work.Did I fight wild animals in Ephesus with nothing more than human hopes? Then what have I gotten for it? If the dead are not raised,“ Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die.”( Isaiah 22:13)Don’t let anyone fool you.“ Bad companions make a good person bad.”You should come back to your senses and stop sinning. Some of you don’t know anything about God. I say this to make you ashamed.But someone will ask,“ How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?”How foolish! What you plant doesn’t come to life unless it dies.When you plant something, it isn’t a completely grown plant that you put in the ground. You only plant a seed. Maybe it’s wheat or something else.But God gives the seed a body just as he has planned. And to each kind of seed he gives its own body.Not all earthly creatures are the same. People have one kind of body. Animals have another. Birds have another kind. Fish have still another.There are also heavenly bodies as well as earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies have one kind of glory. Earthly bodies have another.The sun has one kind of glory. The moon has another kind. The stars have still another. And one star’s glory is different from that of another star.It will be like that with bodies that are raised from the dead. The body that is planted does not last forever. The body that is raised from the dead lasts forever.It is planted without honor. But it is raised in glory. It is planted in weakness. But it is raised in power.It is planted as an earthly body. But it is raised as a spiritual body. Just as there is an earthly body, there is also a spiritual body.It is written,“ The first man Adam became a living person.”( Genesis 2:7) The last Adam became a spirit that gives life.What is spiritual did not come first. What is earthly came first. What is spiritual came after that.The first man came from the dust of the earth. The second man came from heaven.Those who belong to the earth are like the one who came from the earth. And those who are spiritual are like the heavenly man.We are like the earthly man. And we will be like the heavenly man.Brothers and sisters, here is what I’m telling you. Bodies made of flesh and blood can’t share in the kingdom of God. And what dies can’t share in what never dies.Listen! I am telling you a mystery. We will not all die. But we will all be changed.That will happen in a flash, as quickly as you can wink an eye. It will happen at the blast of the last trumpet. Then the dead will be raised to live forever. And we will be changed.Our natural bodies don’t last forever. They must be dressed with what does last forever. What dies must be dressed with what does not die.In fact, that is going to happen. What does not last will be dressed with what lasts forever. What dies will be dressed with what does not die. Then what is written will come true. It says,“ Death has been swallowed up. It has lost the battle.”( Isaiah 25:8)“ Death, where is the victory you thought you had? Death, where is your sting?”( Hosea 13:14)The sting of death is sin. And the power of sin is the law.But let us give thanks to God! He gives us the victory because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.My dear brothers and sisters, remain strong in the faith. Don’t let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord. Because you belong to the Lord, you know that your work is not worthless.

I myself did not know him. But the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,‘ You will see the Spirit come down and remain on someone. He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

Since all this is true, won’t the work of the Holy Spirit be even more glorious?

I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. You are doing what you have heard from your father.”

I gave them the words you gave me. And they accepted them. They knew for certain that I came from you. They believed that you sent me.