Job 23 Cross References - EJ2000

¹ ¶ Then Job answered and said, ² Today I will also speak with bitterness; my stroke is heavier than my groaning. ³ Oh, that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! ⁴ I would order judgment before him and fill my mouth with arguments. ⁵ I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say unto me. ⁶ Will he plead against me with his great power? No, but rather he would put it in me. ⁷ There the righteous might dispute with him; and should I escape for ever from the one who condemns me. ⁸ ¶ Behold, I shall go to the east and not find him; and to the west, but I cannot perceive him; ⁹ if he is working to the north, I shall not see him; to the south, he hides himself, that I shall not see him. ¹⁰ But he has known the way that I take; he has tried me, and I have come forth as gold. ¹¹ My feet have held to his steps, I have kept his way, and have not departed. ¹² Neither have I separated myself from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. ¹³ ¶ But if he determines something, who can turn him? His soul desired it, and he did it. ¹⁴ Therefore, he will finish that which is necessary for me; and there are many such things in him. ¹⁵ Therefore, I shall fear before his face; I shall consider, and I shall fear him. ¹⁶ For God has made my heart tender, and the Almighty has frightened me. ¹⁷ Why was I not cut off before the darkness, neither has he covered my face with the darkness.

¹⁹ For I know him, that he will command his sons and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and judgment, that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.

²⁵ That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be treated as the wicked that are far from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? ²⁶ And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. ²⁷ And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes; ²⁸ peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it. ²⁹ And he spoke unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. ³⁰ And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord now be angry if I shall speak; peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. ³¹ And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord; peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. ³² And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once; peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

¹² And thou hast said, I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

¹² Why should the Egyptians speak and say, For evil did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains and to consume them from upon the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of the evil of thy people. ¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy slaves, to whom thou didst sware by thine own self and hast said unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall take it for inheritance for ever.

¹³ And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, for thou didst bring this people out of the midst of them with thy might; ¹⁴ and the inhabitants of this land will say, for they have already heard that thou, oh LORD, wast among this people, that thou, O LORD, art seen face to face, and that thy cloud was over them, and that thou didst go before them by day time in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night; ¹⁵ and that thou hast caused all this people to die as one man; and the Gentiles who have heard of thy fame will speak, saying, ¹⁶ Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore unto them; therefore, he has slain them in the wilderness. ¹⁷ And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, ¹⁸ The LORD is longsuffering and of great mercy, letting go of iniquity and transgression and absolving, but by no means absolving the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons unto the third and fourth generations. ¹⁹ Pardon now the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.

¹⁹ God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent; he said and shall he not do it? He spoke and shall he not execute it? ²⁰ Behold, I have received blessing; and he has blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

² And thou shalt remember all the way by which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness to afflict thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart, whether thou would keep his commandments, or not.

³ and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them,

⁸ O Lord, what shall I say now that Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it and shall compass us around and cut off our name from upon the earth; then what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

²⁰ And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

² And now, behold, your king walks before you. I am old and grayheaded, and, behold, my sons are with you, and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. ³ Behold, here I am; witness against me before the LORD and before his anointed. If I have taken anyone’s ox or if I have taken anyone’s ass or if I have defrauded anyone or if I have oppressed anyone or if I have received a bribe {Heb. ransom} from anyone to blind my eyes, I will restore it you. ⁴ And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us; neither hast thou taken anything of any man’s hand. ⁵ And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day that ye have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

³ I beseech thee, O LORD, remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept with great weeping.

²⁰ Behold, therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

¹¹ But put forth thy hand now and touch all that he has, and thou shalt see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face. ¹² And the LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in thy power; only upon himself do not put forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

⁵ But put forth thy hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and thou shalt see if he does not blaspheme thee to thy face. ⁶ And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand, but preserve his life.

² Oh that my grief and calamity were justly weighed and laid equally in the balances! ³ For it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore, my words are swallowed up.

⁹ Even that it would please God to destroy me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off! ¹⁰ Then should my comfort grow; I would hold on to sorrow without mercy; for I have not contradicted the words of the Holy One.

³ so I am made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

¹¹ Therefore, I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

⁴ He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has hardened himself against him and remained in peace?

¹¹ Behold, he shall pass before me, and I shall not see him; and he shall pass on, and I shall not understand him. ¹² Behold, he shall take away, who can cause him to restore? Who shall say unto him, What doest thou? ¹³ God will not withdraw his anger, and under him those who help, unto pride are bent over.

¹⁵ Who even though I am righteous, yet I would not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

¹⁹ If we were to speak of his strength, he is certainly strong; and if of his judgment, who shall cause us to meet?

³³ Neither is there any arbiter between us, that might lay his hand upon us both. ³⁴ Let him take his tormentor away from me, and his terror will not perturb me.

¹ ¶ My soul is cut off in my life; therefore, I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. ² I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; cause me to understand why thou dost contend with me.

¹⁵ If I am wicked, woe unto me; and if I am righteous, I will not lift up my head, being full of dishonour and of seeing my affliction.

⁶ and that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For thou dost deserve double according to sound wisdom; and thou dost know that God has forgotten thee because of thine iniquity.

¹⁰ If he cuts off, or shuts up, or gathers together, then who can hinder him?

¹⁴ Behold, he shall break down, and it shall not be built again; he shall shut up a man, and no one shall be able to open unto him.

³ But I would speak with the Almighty, and I desired to dispute with God.

¹⁸ Behold now, if I draw near unto the judgment; I know that I shall be justified.

²¹ withdraw thy hand from me; and let not thy dread make me afraid. ²² Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me. ²³ ¶ How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.

²² He will not believe that he shall return out of darkness, and he is always watching the sword.

²¹ O that a man might dispute with God, as he can with his neighbour!

⁹ The righteous shall hold on to his way, and he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

⁶ The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his lamp shall be put out with him.

¹⁸ He shall be driven from the light into the darkness and chased out of the world.

⁸ ¶ He has walled off my way and I shall not pass, and he has set darkness in my paths.

¹¹ or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

²² Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

³ Oh, that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat!

² As God lives, who has taken away my rights; and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

²³ For I feared destruction from God, against whose highness I could have no power.

³⁵ Oh that someone would hear me! Behold, my mark is, that the Almighty will testify for me, even though my adversary had written down the charges. ³⁶ Surely I would take it upon my shoulder and bind it as a crown to me. ³⁷ I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince I would go near unto him.

²⁹ When he gives rest, who then can make trouble? If he hides his face, who then can behold him? This applies to a nation and the same to a man,

¹⁴ ¶ For much that thou dost say, he will not look upon it, submit to judgment before him, and trust thou in him.

¹⁹ Teach us what we should say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

¹ ¶ Moreover, the LORD answered Job and said, ² Shall he that contends with the Almighty instruct him? Let him that disputes with God answer this. ³ Then Job answered the LORD and said, ⁴ Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand over my mouth. ⁵ Once I have spoken; but I will not answer; even twice, but I will proceed no further.

² I know that thou canst do every thing and that there is no thought hidden from thee. ³ Who is he that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have denounced that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ⁴ Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask of thee, and thou shalt cause me to know. ⁵ With my ears I had heard thee; but now my eyes see thee.

⁵ With my ears I had heard thee; but now my eyes see thee. ⁶ Therefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.

⁶ Therefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. ⁷ ¶ And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz, the Temanite, My wrath has been kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken by me in uprightness, as my slave Job has. ⁸ Therefore, take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my slave Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my slave Job shall pray for you; for only because I will accept him, I shall not deal with you according to your folly, in that ye have not spoken by me in uprightness, like my slave Job.

⁶ For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

¹ ¶ Why dost thou stand afar off, O LORD? Why dost thou hide thyself in times of trouble?

¹ To the Overcomer,
A Psalm of David. ¶ How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? ² How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall my enemy be exalted over me? ³ Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death,

³ Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast refined me and hast found no iniquity; that which I thought did not pass through my mouth.

⁵ Sustain my steps in thy ways that my footsteps not slip.

²⁰ ¶ The LORD will reward me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he shall recompense me. ²¹ Because I have kept the ways of the LORD and did not become wicked departing in apostasy from my God. ²² For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. ²³ I was perfect before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. ²⁴ Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

⁹ The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the rights of the LORD are true, they are all just. ¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

¹¹ Caph For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.

⁴ For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my green growth is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

³ The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he has left off to be wise and to do good.

¹ ¶ Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against those who are not merciful; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

¹⁸ Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way

¹⁰ For thou, O God, hast proved us; thou hast refined us as silver is refined.

² In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my sore bled in the night and ceased not; my soul refused to be comforted. ³ I remembered God and cried out; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

³ I remembered God and cried out; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. ⁴ Thou didst hold my eyelids open; I am broken and did not speak. ⁵ I have considered the days from the beginning, the years of the ages. ⁶ I call to remembrance my songs of the night; I commune with my own heart, and my spirit made diligent search. ⁷ Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? ⁸ Is his mercy gone for ever? does his word fail from generation to generation? ⁹ Has God forgotten to have mercy? has he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

¹⁹ Thy way was in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps were not known.

¹⁶ Thy fierce wrath goes over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

⁴⁶ How long, O LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?

² Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteousness and judgment are the seat of his throne.

³ But our God is in the heavens; he has made whatever he has desired.

¹¹ ¶ Thy spoken word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

¹⁰³ ¶ How sweet have been thy spoken words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹²⁰ My flesh trembles for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments.

¹²⁷ ¶ Therefore I have loved thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold.

⁵ As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall take them away with the workers of iniquity; and peace shall be upon Israel.

⁶ Whatever the LORD desired, he did in the heavens and in the earth, in the seas and in all the deep places.

³ In the day when I called, thou didst answer me and strengthen me with strength in my soul.

¹ To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David. ¶ O LORD, thou hast searched me and known me. ² Thou knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou dost understand my thoughts from afar. ³ Thou hast girded my walk and my rest, and hast prepared all my ways.

³ ¶ The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tries the hearts.

²¹ ¶ There are many thoughts in the heart of man; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD shall stand.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is lacking cannot be numbered.

¹⁴ I have understood that whatever God does, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it because God does it that men should fear before him.

¹⁸ Then come, shall the LORD say, and we shall be even; if your sins were as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow; if they were red like crimson, they shall become as wool.

⁵ ¶ Then I said, Woe is me! for I am dead because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of the hosts.

¹⁷ And I will wait for the LORD, who hid his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

²⁴ ¶ The LORD of the hosts has sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: ²⁵ That I will break the Assyrian in my land and upon my mountains tread him under foot; then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. ²⁶ This is the counsel that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the Gentiles. ²⁷ For the LORD of the hosts has purposed, and who shall disannul it? His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

⁸ Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, we wait for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee.

⁴ Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would tread them down, I would burn them together.

⁸ In measure, she shall be chastised in her stalks: he stays his rough wind in the day of the east wind.

²⁷ ¶ Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest thou, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? ²⁸ Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the God of the age is the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth? He does not faint, nor is he weary; and there is no one that can attain to his intelligence.

²⁶ Cause me to remember; let us enter into judgment together; declare, thou, that it may be put to thy account.

¹⁵ Verily thou art God, that thou might hide thyself; God of Israel, who saves.

¹⁰ declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

⁶ ¶ Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near: ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

¹ ¶ The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

¹⁶ For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for by me is the spirit covered by the body, and I have made the souls.

⁵ Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done as many evil things as thou could.

¹ ¶ Righteous art thou, O LORD, even though I dispute with thee: even so, I will speak judgments with thee; Why does the way of the wicked prosper? All those that completely rebel against thee have peace.

⁷ O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do it for thy name’s sake; for our rebellions have multiplied; we have sinned against thee.

¹⁶ Thy words were found, and I ate them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for thy name was called upon me, O LORD God of the hosts.

⁴⁶ And lest your heart faint, and ye fear because of the news that shall be heard in the land; in one year shall the news come, and after that in the next year shall come the rumour, and then shall come the violence in the land, and the ruler over him who rules.

¹⁹ Zain Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. ²⁰ Zain My soul shall have them still in remembrance because it is humbled in me.

³³ ¶ As I live, said the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out, I must rule over you:

³⁵ And I will bring you into the wilderness of peoples, and there I will litigate with you face to face.

³⁵ and all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing; and in the army of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth, he does according to his will; nor is there anyone who can interfere with his hand and say unto him, What doest thou?

¹⁸ O my God, incline thine ear and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee confiding in our righteousnesses, but in thy many mercies. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

¹⁵ Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

⁹ ¶ The LORD’s voice cries out unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and he who has established it.

¹⁶ ¶ When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in my seat, that I might rest in the day of trouble when he comes up unto the people to destroy them.

⁶ and those that have turned back from following the LORD and those that did not seek the LORD, nor enquired about him.

⁹ And I will put the third part into the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried; He shall call on my name, and I will hear him; I will say, My people, and he shall say, The LORD is my God.

² But who may abide the time of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he shall be like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap: ³ And he shall sit to refine and to purify the silver: for he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

¹³ Those on the rock are those that when they hear, receive the word with joy, but these have no root, who for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ And that which fell among thorns are those who when they have heard go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection. ¹⁵ But that on the good ground are those who in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.

⁴² And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season?

⁴⁶ the lord of that slave will come in a day when he does not look for him and at an hour when he is not aware and will cut him off and will appoint him his portion with the unfaithful.

³² But he said unto them, I have a food to eat that ye know not of.

³⁴ Jesus said unto them, My food is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.

⁶⁶ After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. ⁶⁷ Then Jesus said unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? ⁶⁸ Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ And we believe and know that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

³¹ ¶ Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, If ye abide in my word, ye shall be my disciples indeed;

¹⁷ He said unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus said unto him, Feed my sheep.

²² confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to remain in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

¹⁸ And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility and with many tears and temptations, which have befallen me by the ambushes of the Jews,

³³ I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. ³⁴ Moreover, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to those that were with me.

⁷ to those who persevered in well doing, glory and honour and incorruption, to those who seek eternal life;

¹⁹ ¶ Now we know that all that the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may submit themselves unto God. ²⁰ For by the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now, without the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets: ²² the righteousness, that is, of God by the faith of Jesus, the Christ, for all and upon all those that believe in him, for there is no difference;

¹ ¶ So that now, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ, Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

³³ Who shall accuse the chosen of God’s? God is he that justifies them. ³⁴ Who is he that condemns them? Christ, Jesus, is he who died and, even more, he that also rose again, who furthermore is at the right hand of God, who also makes entreaty for us.

¹⁹ Thou wilt say then unto me, Why does he become angry? For who shall resist his will?

³³ ¶ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments and his ways past finding out!

³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by man’s judgment; I do not even judge my own self. ⁴ For although I have nothing on my conscience, yet am I not hereby justified, but he that judges me is the Lord.

¹² ¶ For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with carnal wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly towards you.

¹⁹ for certainly God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them and having placed in us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did exhort you by us; we beseech you in Christ’s name, be ye reconciled to God.

⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather glory in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am content in weaknesses, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then am I strong.

⁹ having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself, ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fulfillment of the times he might restore all things by the Christ, both those which are in heaven and those which are on earth, ¹¹ in him in whom likewise we have obtained an inheritance, having had the way marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will,

¹⁰ Ye are witnesses, and God also, of how holy and just and irreprehensible our behaviour was among you that believe,

³ that no one should be moved in these tribulations, for you know that we are appointed for this.

⁹ For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain saving health by our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁶ the only one who has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

¹⁹ ¶ Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows those that are his. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

⁶ Seeing, therefore, it remains that some must enter therein, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of disobedience;

³⁸ Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. ³⁹ But we are not of those who draw back unto perdition, but faithful unto the saving of the soul.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

² ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse trials, ³ knowing that the proving of your faith works patience, ⁴ and the patience finishes the work, that ye may be perfect and entire, not lacking in anything.

¹² Blessed is the man that patiently endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those that love him.

¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning.

⁷ that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold (which perishes, nevertheless it is tried with fire), might be found unto praise and glory and honour when Jesus, the Christ, is made manifest;

² as newborn babes, desire the rational milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby in health;

⁸ and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to those who stumble at the word, not obeying in that for which they were ordained.

²⁰ Certainly, if having separated themselves from the contaminations of the world, by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they again entangle themselves therein and are overcome, their latter end is made worse for them than the beginnings. ²¹ For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. ²² But it has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog returns unto his own vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but this happened that it might be made manifest that they were not all of us.