1 Timothy Cross References - LEB

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, ² to Timothy, my true child in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. ³ Just as I urged you when I* traveled to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus, so that you may instruct certain people not to teach other doctrine, ⁴ and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause useless speculations rather than God's plan that is by faith. ⁵ But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a faith without hypocrisy, ⁶ from which some have deviated, and have turned away into fruitless discussion, ⁷ wanting to be teachers of the law, although they* do not understand either the things which they are saying or the things concerning which they are speaking confidently. ⁸ But we know that the law is good, if anyone makes use of it lawfully, ⁹ knowing this, that the law is not given for a righteous person but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and totally worldly, for the one who kills his father and the one who kills his mother, for murderers, ¹⁰ sexually immoral people, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and _⌊whatever_⌋* else is opposed to sound teaching, ¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God that I was entrusted with. ¹² _⌊I give thanks_⌋* to the one who strengthens me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful, placing me into ministry,* ¹³ although I* was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, but I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord abounded with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ The saying is trustworthy and worthy of all acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶ But because of this I was shown mercy, in order that in me foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his total patience, for an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, to the only God, be honor and glory _⌊forever and ever_⌋*. Amen. ¹⁸ I am setting before you this instruction, Timothy my child, in accordance with the prophecies spoken long ago about you, in order that by them you may fight the good fight, ¹⁹ having faith and a good conscience, which some, because they* have rejected these, have suffered shipwreck concerning their faith, ²⁰ among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, in order that they may be taught not to blaspheme.

²¹ They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,

² Look! God is my salvation; I will trust, and I will not be afraid, for my strength and might is Yah, Yahweh; and he has become salvation for me."

³ For I am Yahweh, your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior. I give you Egypt as ransom, Cush and Seba in place of you.

¹¹ I myself am Yahweh, and there is no savior besides me!

¹⁵ Surely you are a God who keeps yourself hidden, God of Israel, the savior.

²¹ Declare and present your case, also let them consult together! Who _⌊made this known_⌋* from _⌊former times_⌋,* declared it from _⌊of old_⌋?* Was it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God besides me, and no savior besides me.

²⁶ And I will feed your oppressors their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their blood as with wine. Then* all flesh shall know that I am Yahweh, your savior and redeemer, the strong one of Jacob."

¹⁶ And you shall suck the milk of nations, and suck the breast of kings, and you shall know that I am Yahweh your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Strong One of Jacob.

⁸ And he said, "Surely my people are children; they will not break faith." And he became a Savior to them.

⁴ I am Yahweh your God since* the land of Egypt; you know no god except me, and no one saves besides me.

⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,

¹¹ that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, "Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles* and kings and the sons of Israel.

¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet, because for this reason I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and witness both to the things in which you saw me and to the things in which I will appear to you, ¹⁷ rescuing you from the people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

¹ Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

¹² And again Isaiah says,
"The root of Jesse will come, even the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles will put their hope."* ¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹ Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

¹⁷ For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if I do so unwillingly, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, together with all the saints who are in all Achaia.

¹ Paul, an apostle not from men nor by men but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead,

¹¹ For I make known to you, brothers, the gospel that has been proclaimed by me, that it is not _⌊of human origin_⌋*.

²⁷ to whom God wanted to make known what is the glorious wealth of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace,

¹² _⌊I give thanks_⌋* to the one who strengthens me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful, placing me into ministry,*

³ This is good and acceptable before God our Savior,

⁷ for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am speaking the truth, I am not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

¹⁰ For to this end we labor and suffer reproach,* because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.

¹⁰ but has now been disclosed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,* who has abolished death and brought to light life and immortality through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a proclaimer and an apostle and a teacher,

³ but at the proper time has disclosed his message in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the command of God our Savior,

¹⁰ not stealing, but demonstrating all good faith, in order that they may do credit to the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

¹³ looking forward to the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

⁴ But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared,

⁶ whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

²¹ who through him are believing in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

¹ Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith equal in value to ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and now and for all eternity. Amen.

¹ And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there _⌊named_⌋* Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, ² who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. ³ Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took him* and* circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

⁷ To all those in Rome who are loved by God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁴ I am not writing these things to shame you, but admonishing you as my dear children. ¹⁵ For if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I fathered you through the gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I exhort you, become imitators of me. ¹⁷ Because of this, I have sent to you Timothy, who is my dear and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

³ Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,*

¹⁹ But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I also may be encouraged when I* know _⌊your circumstances_⌋*. ²⁰ For I have no one like-minded who will sincerely be concerned about _⌊your circumstances_⌋*. ²¹ For they all seek _⌊their own interests_⌋*, not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know his proven character, that like a child with a father he served with me for the gospel.

² and we sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen and to encourage you about your faith,

¹⁸ I am setting before you this instruction, Timothy my child, in accordance with the prophecies spoken long ago about you, in order that by them you may fight the good fight,

² to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹ You, therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

⁴ to Titus, my true child according to a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

¹⁹ So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and* discussed with the Jews.

¹ And it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland regions and* came* to Ephesus and found some disciples. ² And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you* believed?" And they said to him, "But we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit!" ³ And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into the baptism of John." ⁴ And Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was to come after him—that is, in Jesus." ⁵ And when they* heard this,* they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when* Paul laid hands* on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began to speak* in tongues and to prophesy. ⁷ (Now the total number of men was about twelve.) ⁸ So he entered into the synagogue and* was speaking boldly for three months, discussing and attempting to convince* them* concerning* the kingdom of God. ⁹ But when some became hardened and were disobedient, reviling the Way before the congregation, he departed from them and* took away the disciples, leading discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia* heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

¹ Now after the turmoil had ceased, Paul summoned* the disciples, and after* encouraging them,* he said farewell and* departed to travel to Macedonia. ² And after he* had gone through those regions and encouraged them _⌊at length_⌋,* he came to Greece ³ and stayed* three months. Because* a plot was made against him by the Jews as he* was about to set sail for Syria, he came to a decision to return through Macedonia.

⁶ I am astonished that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel, ⁷ not that there is a different gospel, except there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

¹⁴ so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit.

²⁴ And I am convinced in the Lord that I myself will arrive shortly also.

⁶ Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, live in him, ⁷ firmly rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding with thankfulness. ⁸ Beware lest _⌊anyone take you captive_⌋* through philosophy and empty deceit, according to _⌊human tradition_⌋*, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ, ⁹ because in him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you are filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority, ¹¹ in whom also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made by hands, by the removal of the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

⁶ By* teaching these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed faithfully.

¹¹ Command these things and teach them.

⁷ And command these things, in order that they may be irreproachable.

³ If anyone teaches other doctrine and does not devote himself to the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness,

¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all evil, by which some, because they* desire it, have gone astray from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all things richly for enjoyment,

⁹ holding fast to the faithful message according to the teaching, in order that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to reprove those who speak against it. ¹⁰ For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹ whom it is necessary to silence, whoever are ruining whole families by* teaching things which must not be taught for the sake of dishonest gain.

⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ* coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!

⁹ Everyone who goes too far and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in the teaching—this person has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not speak a greeting to him,

¹ "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
"This is what the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand says, the one who walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands: ² 'I know your works, and your labor and patient endurance, and that you are not able to tolerate evil, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you found them to be false.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: that you have there those who hold fast to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.

²⁰ But I have against you that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, the one who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives my slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

¹² For our reason for boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, in holiness* and purity of motive from God, not* in merely human wisdom, but by the grace of God.

⁹ now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to the will of God, so that you suffered loss in no way through us. ¹⁰ For grief according to the will of God brings about a repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death.

¹² for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him with reference to all things, who is the head, Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined together and held together by every supporting ligament, according to the working by measure of each single part, the growth of the body makes for the building up of itself in love.

¹⁶ And most certainly, great is the mystery of godliness:
Who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated by* the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the Gentiles*, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

⁷ But reject those _⌊worthless myths told by elderly women_⌋*, and train yourself for godliness.

³ If anyone teaches other doctrine and does not devote himself to the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, ⁴ he is conceited, understanding nothing, but having a morbid interest concerning controversies and disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, slanders, evil suspicions, ⁵ constant wrangling by people of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who consider godliness to be a means of gain.

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patient endurance, gentleness.

²⁰ O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from pointless empty talk and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge,

¹⁴ Remind people of these things, solemnly urging them before the Lord* not to dispute about words. This is in no way beneficial and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

¹⁶ But avoid pointless chatter, for it will progress to greater ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their message _⌊will spread_⌋* like gangrene, among whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have deviated concerning the truth by* saying the resurrection has already taken place, and they are upsetting the faith of some.

²² But flee from youthful desires, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, in company with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart.

⁴ and they will turn away from the hearing of the truth, but will turn to myths.

¹ Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of the chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth that is according to godliness,

¹⁴ not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of people who turn away from the truth.

⁹ But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and contentions and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and fruitless.

⁹ Do not be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods by which those who participate have not benefited.

¹⁶ For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ by* following ingeniously concocted myths, but by* being eyewitnesses of that one's majesty.

⁴ He who is innocent of hands and pure of heart, who does not lift up his soul to falseness, and does not swear deceitfully.

¹⁰ Create a clean heart for me, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit _⌊within me_⌋.*

¹⁴ Cleanse your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. _⌊How long_⌋* will your thoughts of mischief dwell in your inner part?

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.

³⁵ The good person from his* good treasury brings out good things, and the evil person from his* evil treasury brings out evil things.

²⁸ And one of the scribes came up and* heard them debating. When he* saw that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" ²⁹ Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.'* ³¹ The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'* There is no other commandment greater than these." ³² And the scribe said to him, "That is true, Teacher. You have said _⌊correctly_⌋* that he is one and there is no other except him. ³³ And to love him from your* whole heart and from your* whole understanding and from your* whole strength, and to love your* neighbor as yourself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." ³⁴ And Jesus, when he* saw that he had answered thoughtfully, said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to put a question to him any longer.

⁹ And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

¹ And looking intently at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Men and brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience before God to this day."

¹⁶ _⌊For this reason_⌋* also I myself _⌊always_⌋* do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and people.

¹ I am telling the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit—

⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

⁸ Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for the one who loves someone else has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,"* and if there is any other commandment, are summed up in this statement: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."* ¹⁰ Love does not commit evil against a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹⁵ For if because of food, your brother is grieved, you are no longer living according to love. Do not destroy by your food that person for whom Christ died.

¹ Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that "we all have knowledge."* Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ² If anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet known as it is necessary to know. ³ But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him.

¹ If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a ringing brass gong or a clashing cymbal.

¹ Pursue love, and strive for spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."*

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

¹⁹ having faith and a good conscience, which some, because they* have rejected these, have suffered shipwreck concerning their faith,

⁹ holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience,

³ _⌊I am thankful_⌋* to God, whom I have served with a clear conscience _⌊as my ancestors did_⌋*, when _⌊I remember you constantly_⌋* in my prayers night and day,

⁵ _⌊remembering the_⌋* sincere faith in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that is in you also,

¹⁵ To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled.

¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?

²² let us approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up, so that he did not experience death, and he was not found, because God took him up. For before his removal, he had been approved _⌊as having been pleasing_⌋* to God. ⁶ Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who seek him.

¹⁸ Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a good conscience, and want to conduct ourselves commendably in every way.

⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded!

²² Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently from the heart,*

¹⁶ But do so with courtesy and respect, having a good conscience, so that in the things in which you are slandered, the ones who malign your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.

²¹ And* also, corresponding to this, baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

⁸ Above all, keep* your love for one another constant, because love covers a large number of sins.

⁷ and with godliness, brotherly love, and with brotherly love, love.

³ And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as that one is pure.

²³ And this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as _⌊he commanded us_⌋*.

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God sent his one and only Son into the world in order that we may live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation* for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us and his love is perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we reside in him and he in us: that* he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

¹⁵ For already some have turned away and followed after Satan.

²⁰ O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from pointless empty talk and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹ which some, by* professing it, have deviated concerning the faith. Grace be with you all.

¹⁸ who have deviated concerning the truth by* saying the resurrection has already taken place, and they are upsetting the faith of some.

²³ But avoid foolish and uninformed controversies, because you* know that they produce quarrels. ²⁴ And the slave of the Lord must not quarrel, but be kind toward everyone, skillful in teaching, tolerant,

¹⁰ For Demas deserted me, because he* loved the present age, and went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia; Titus went to Dalmatia.

¹⁰ For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

¹³ And the Lord said,
"Because this people draw near with its mouth, and with its lips it honors me, and its heart is far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught, ¹⁴ therefore look, I am again doing something spectacular
and a spectacle with this spectacular people. And the wisdom of its wise men shall perish, and the discernment of its discerning ones shall keep itself hidden."

⁸ How can you say, 'We are wise and the law of Yahweh is with us'? Look, surely _⌊the lying stylus of the scribes_⌋* has made it a lie. ⁹ The wise will be put to shame, they will be dismayed, and they will get taken. Look, they have rejected the word of Yahweh, and what is wisdom to them?

¹⁴ Let* them! They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

²⁷ And they answered and* said to Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

¹⁶ "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.'* ¹⁷ Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy? ¹⁸ And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.'* ¹⁹ Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it. ²¹ And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it. ²³ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important matters of the law—justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary* to do these things _⌊while not neglecting those_⌋.* ²⁴ Blind guides who filter out a gnat and swallow a camel!

⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can these things be?" ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand these things?

⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, "We are not also blind, are we?"* ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

¹ And some men came down from Judea and* began teaching* the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved."

²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth in the law. ²¹ Therefore, the one who teaches someone else, do you not teach yourself? The one who preaches not to steal, do you steal?

² I want only to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

⁵ Therefore does the one who gives you the Spirit and who works miracles among you do so by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

²¹ Tell me, you who are wanting to be under the law, do you not understand* the law?

³ And again I testify to every man who becomes circumcised, that he is under obligation to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are estranged from Christ, you who are attempting to be justified* by the law; you have fallen from grace.

⁴ he is conceited, understanding nothing, but having a morbid interest concerning controversies and disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, slanders, evil suspicions,

⁷ always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

¹² But these persons, like irrational animals born only with natural instincts for capture and killing, blaspheming _⌊about things_⌋* they do not understand, in their destruction will also be destroyed,

⁶ And _⌊you must observe them diligently_⌋,* for that is your wisdom and your insight before the eyes of the people, who will hear all of these rules, and they will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people.' ⁷ For what great nation has for it a god near to it as Yahweh our God, whenever* we call upon him? ⁸ And what other great nation has for it* just rules and regulations just like* _⌊this whole_⌋* law that I am setting _⌊before_⌋* you _⌊today_⌋?*

¹³ Then you came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right judgments and true teachings, good regulations and commandments.

⁷ The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life.* The testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple. ⁸ The precepts of Yahweh are right, making the heart rejoice. The command of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes. ⁹ The fear of Yahweh is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether, ¹⁰ more desirable than gold, even much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, even honey in the comb.

⁹⁶ I have seen a limit to every perfection;* your command is very broad. ⁹⁷ How I love your law! The whole day it is my meditation. ⁹⁸ Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, because they* are ever with me. ⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. ¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the elders, for I keep your precepts. ¹⁰¹ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, so that I may heed your word. ¹⁰² I have not turned aside from your ordinances, for you have taught me. ¹⁰³ How smooth* are your words* to my palate, more than honey in my mouth. ¹⁰⁴ From your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

¹²⁷ Therefore I love your commands more than gold, even fine gold. ¹²⁸ Therefore all your precepts of everything I regard as right; I hate every false way.

¹² So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. ¹³ Therefore, did that which is good become death to me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be recognized as sin, producing death through what is good for me, in order that sin might become sinful to an extraordinary degree through the commandment.

¹⁶ But if what I do not want to do, this I do, I agree with the law that it is good.

¹⁸ For I know that good does not live in me, that is, in my flesh. For the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

²² For I joyfully agree with the law of God in my inner person,

² And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.

²¹ Therefore is the law opposed to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, certainly righteousness would have been from the law.

⁵ And also if anyone competes he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

⁵ And* _⌊your lifeblood_⌋* I will require; from _⌊every animal_⌋* I will require it. And from the hand of humankind, from the hand of each man to his brother I will require the life of humankind. ⁶ "As for the one shedding the blood of humankind, by humankind his blood shall be shed, for God made humankind in his own image.

¹³ "You shall not murder.

¹⁴ But if a man schemes against his neighbor to kill him by treachery,* you will take him from my altar to die.

⁹ " 'If there is _⌊anyone_⌋* who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father and his mother—his blood is upon him.

³⁰ " 'If anyone kills a person, the killer will be put to death _⌊according to the testimony_⌋* of witnesses, but someone cannot die on testimony of one person. ³¹ Also, you will not take a ransom payment for the life of a killer who is guilty of death; indeed, he must surely be put to death. ³² You will not take a ransom payment for the one that flees to the city of his refuge, so that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest. ³³ So you will not pollute the land in which you are; because blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is poured out on it except with the blood of the one who poured it out.

⁶ And all of the elders of that city nearest to the slain person shall wash their hands over the heifer with the broken neck in the wadi.* ⁷ And they shall declare, and they shall say, 'Our hands did not shed this blood, and our eyes did not see what was done. ⁸ Forgive your people, Israel, whom you redeemed, Yahweh, and do not _⌊allow_⌋* the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, and let them be forgiven with regard to blood.' ⁹ And so you shall purge the innocent blood from your midst, because you must do the right thing in the eyes of Yahweh.

¹⁶ 'Cursed be the one who dishonors his father or his mother.' And all of the people shall say, 'Amen.'

¹¹ David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Look, my son who came out of my loins* is seeking my life. Now _⌊as far as_⌋* this Benjaminite, leave him alone and let him curse, for Yahweh has spoken to him.

¹ Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue after David _⌊tonight_⌋.* ² I will come upon him while he is weary and _⌊weak_⌋.* I will startle him, and all of the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king while he is alone. ³ Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you are seeking will be dead,* but all the people will be safe." ⁴ The word was right in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

³⁷ It happened that he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, and Adrammelech and Sharezer* struck him with the sword. Then they escaped into the land of Ararat, and Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

²¹ Then Yahweh sent an angel, and he destroyed every mighty warrior of strength, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. And he returned with shamed face to his land and went into the house of his god. And some of the offspring of his loins fell upon him there with the sword.

²⁰ He who curses his father and his mother, his lamp will be extinguished _⌊in the midst of darkness_⌋.*

¹⁷ A person who is burdened with the blood of _⌊another_⌋,* until death he will flee; do not take hold of him.

²⁴ He who robs his father and his mother and says, "There is no crime," is partner to a man who corrupts.

¹¹ There is a generation that will curse its father, and its mother it will not bless.

¹⁷ The eye that mocks a father and scorns the obedience of a mother— the ravens of the valley will peck it out, and the offspring of vultures will eat it.

¹¹ "For both prophet as well as priest are godless, even in my temple I have found their wickedness," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

²⁵ And as for you, profane one, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come with the time of the punishment of the end,

²¹ "And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his children, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death,

³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, contrivers of evil, disobedient to parents,

¹³ For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants, that he would be heir of the world, was not through the law, but through the righteousness by faith.

²⁰ Now the law came in as a side issue, in order that the trespass could increase, but where sin increased, grace was present in greater abundance,

¹⁴ For sin will not be master over you, because you are not under law, but under grace.

¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things that are written in the book of the law to do them."* ¹¹ Now it is clear that no one is justified in the sight of God by the law, because "the one who is righteous will live by faith."* ¹² But the law is not from faith, but "the one who does these things will live by them."* ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by* becoming a curse for us, because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"* ¹⁴ in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

¹⁹ Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the descendant should come to whom it had been promised, having been ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator.

²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, things which I am telling you in advance, just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²³ gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law.

⁸ and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth, and wipe out by the appearance of his coming,

¹⁶ They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny him, because they* are detestable and disobedient, and unfit for every good deed.

³ For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another.

³¹ By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she* welcomed the spies in peace.

¹⁶ that no one be a sexually immoral or totally worldly person like Esau, who for one meal traded his own birthright.

⁷ Therefore the honor is for you who believe, but for those who refuse to believe,
"The stone that the builders rejected, this one has become _⌊the cornerstone_⌋*,"

²⁰ who were formerly disobedient, when the patience of God waited in the days of Noah, while* an ark was being constructed, in which a few—that is, eight souls—were rescued through water.

¹⁸ And if the righteous are saved with difficulty, _⌊what will become of the ungodly and the sinner_⌋*?*

⁸ But as for the cowards and unbelievers and detestable persons and murderers and sexually immoral people and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their share is in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.

¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral people and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and who practices falsehood.

⁵ And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know* them."

²⁷ Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but our hand shall not be against him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers agreed.

¹⁵ For I was surely kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in this pit."

⁷ "You shall not _⌊misuse the name of Yahweh your God_⌋,* because Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who _⌊misuses his name_⌋.*

¹⁶ " 'And _⌊whoever kidnaps someone_⌋* and sells him, or he is found in his possession,* he will surely be put to death.

²² And you shall not lie with a male as lying _⌊with_⌋* a woman; that is a detestable thing.

¹³ " 'As for* the man who lies with a male as lying with a woman, they have committed a detestable thing; they shall surely be put to death—their blood is on them.

⁷ "If a man is _⌊caught_⌋* kidnapping somebody from among his countrymen,* the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* and he treats him as a slave or he sells him, then that kidnapper shall die, and so you shall purge the evil _⌊from among you_⌋.*

¹⁶ _⌊As I live_⌋,'* _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh, '_⌊surely_⌋* in the place of the king _⌊who made_⌋* him king, who despised his oath and who broke his covenant with him—in the midst of Babylon he will die. ¹⁷ And not with a great army and with a great crowd will Pharaoh work* with him in the war, at the pouring out of a siege ramp and the building of siege works to destroy many lives. ¹⁸ And he despised the oath to break covenant. And, look, he gave his hand in pledge, and yet he did all of these things. He will not escape.' ¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: '_⌊As I live_⌋,* _⌊surely_⌋* my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke I will return upon his head.

¹ Hear the word of Yahweh, O children of Israel, for Yahweh has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or loyalty, there is no knowledge of God in the land. ² Swearing and lying, murdering and stealing, and adultery break out,* and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

⁴ They utter words of vain oaths when _⌊making covenants_⌋,* and judgment blossoms like a poisonous plant on the furrows of the field.

⁴ 'I have sent it out,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh of hosts, 'and it will go into the house of the thief and into the house of the one swearing _⌊falsely by my name_⌋,* and it will spend the night in that* house and will destroy it, with its timber and its stone.'"

¹⁷ Do not devise evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love _⌊a false oath_⌋,* because all these are things I hate," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

⁵ "Then I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers, and against those who swear _⌊falsely_⌋,* and against the oppressors of the hired worker with his wages, the widow and the orphan, and _⌊the abusers of_⌋* the alien,* and yet do not fear me," says Yahweh of hosts.

³³ "Again you have heard that it was said to the _⌊people of old_⌋,* 'Do not swear falsely,* but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.'* ³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, because it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, because it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your statement be 'Yes, yes; no, no,' and anything beyond these is from the evil one.*

²¹ For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, ²² adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, _⌊envy_⌋,* abusive speech, pride, foolishness.

⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father! That one was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature,* because he is a liar and the father _⌊of lies_⌋.*

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to degrading passions, for their females exchanged the natural relations for those contrary to nature,

⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Neither sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor passive homosexual partners, nor dominant homosexual partners, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor greedy persons, not drunkards, not abusive persons, not swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, things which I am telling you in advance, just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

³ But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or greediness, must not even be named among you (as is fitting for saints), ⁴ and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving. ⁵ For this you know _⌊for certain_⌋*, that every sexually immoral person, or unclean person, or greedy person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

¹³ Hold fast to the pattern of sound words which you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

³ For there will be a time when they will not put up with sound teaching, but in accordance with their own desires, they will accumulate for themselves teachers, _⌊because they have an insatiable curiosity_⌋*,

⁹ holding fast to the faithful message according to the teaching, in order that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to reprove those who speak against it.

¹³ This testimony is true, for which reason reprove them severely, in order that they may be sound in the faith,

¹ But you, speak the things which are fitting for sound instruction. ² Older men are to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.

⁴ Marriage must be held in honor by all, and the marriage bed be undefiled, because God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.

⁷ as Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them indulged in sexual immorality and _⌊pursued unnatural desire_⌋* in the same way as these, are exhibited as an example by* undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

¹³ and cinnamon and amomum* and incense and ointment and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine wheat flour and wheat and domesticated animals and sheep and horses and carriages and _⌊slaves_⌋* and human lives.

²⁷ And every unclean thing and one who practices* detestable things and falsehood will never enter into it, except those who are written in the book of life of the Lamb.

² I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have magnified your word* according to all your name.*

¹⁰ And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: ¹¹ that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people _⌊with whom he is pleased_⌋!"*

¹⁶ on the day when God judges the secret things of people, according to my gospel, through* Christ Jesus.

¹ Thus let a person consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries. ² In this case, moreover, it is sought in stewards that one be found faithful.

⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory? ⁹ For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory. ¹⁰ For indeed what had been glorified has not been glorified in this case, on account of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was transitory came with glory, by much more what remains is with glory.

⁴ among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁶ For God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness,"* is the one who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.*

¹⁸ And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as if* God were imploring you through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

⁷ But these, when they* saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcision, just as Peter to the circumcision

⁶ to the praise of the glory of his grace that he bestowed on us in the beloved,

¹² that we who hoped beforehand in Christ should be for the praise of his glory,

⁷ in order that he might show in the coming ages the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness upon us in Christ Jesus.

¹⁰ in order that the many-sided wisdom of God might be made known now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places through the church,

²⁵ of which I became a minister, according to God's stewardship which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God,

⁴ but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, thus we speak, not as pleasing people but God, who examines our hearts.

¹⁵ which he will make known in his own time, the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who reign as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords,

¹¹ for which I was appointed a proclaimer and an apostle and a teacher,

¹⁴ Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

² and the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these things to faithful people who will be competent to teach others also.

¹¹ investigating for what person or which time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he* testified beforehand to the sufferings with reference to Christ and the glories after these things, ¹² to whom it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you with reference to the same things which now have been announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, _⌊things into which_⌋* angels desire to look.

²³ in order that all people* will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

²² But Saul was increasing in strength even more, and was confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by* proving that this one is the Christ.*

¹⁵ And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged us,* saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house and* stay." And she prevailed upon us.

²⁵ Now concerning virgins I do not have a command from the Lord, but I am giving an opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy.

¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain, but I labored even more than all of them, and not I, but the grace of God with me.

⁵ Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, ⁶ who also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

¹ Because of this, since we* have this ministry, just as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart,

⁹ And he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, because the* power is perfected in weakness." Therefore rather I will boast most gladly in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may reside in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in calamities, in persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹³ I am able to do all things by the one who strengthens me.

¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God that I was entrusted with.

¹⁷ But the Lord helped me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fulfilled and all the Gentiles might hear, and he rescued me from the lion's mouth.

⁹ And they were singing a new song, saying,
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation, ¹⁰ and made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth." ¹¹ And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and of the living creatures and of the elders, and their number was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands times thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice,
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" ¹³ And I heard every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and everything in them saying,
"To the one who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power* _⌊forever and ever_⌋*." ¹⁴ And the four living creatures were saying, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

¹⁰ And they were crying out with a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" ¹¹ And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying,
"Amen! Praise and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and strength be to our God _⌊forever and ever_⌋*. Amen!"

³⁰ But the one _⌊who acts presumptuously_⌋* from among the native or alien blasphemes against Yahweh, and that person must be cut off from the midst of the people.

²³ I will sow her for myself in the land; I will have pity on Lo-ruhama;* I will say to Lo-ammi,* "You are my people," and he himself will say, "you are my God."

⁴⁷ And that slave who knew the will of his master and did not prepare or do according to his will _⌊will be given a severe beating_⌋.*

³⁴ But Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."* And they cast lots to divide his clothes.

³⁹ And Jesus said,* "For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind!"

¹⁷ And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.

³ But Saul was attempting to destroy the church. Entering _⌊house after house_⌋,* he dragged off both men and women and* delivered them* to prison.

¹ But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

⁵ So he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting!

¹³ But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem,

⁴ _⌊I_⌋* persecuted this Way to the death, tying up and delivering to prison both men and women,

⁹ Indeed, I myself thought it was necessary to do many things opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene, ¹⁰ which I also did in Jerusalem, and not only did I lock up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when* they were being executed, I cast my vote* against them.* ¹¹ And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often and* tried to force* them* to blaspheme, and because I* was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing them* even as far as to foreign cities.

²⁰ Now the law came in as a side issue, in order that the trespass could increase, but where sin increased, grace was present in greater abundance, ²¹ so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

³⁰ For just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of the disobedience of these, ³¹ so also these have now been disobedient for your mercy, in order that they also may now be shown mercy.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

¹³ For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism, that to an extraordinary degree I was persecuting the church of God, and trying to destroy it,

⁶ according to zeal persecuting the church, according to the righteousness in the law being blameless.

¹⁶ But because of this I was shown mercy, in order that in me foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his total patience, for an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.

¹⁶ Therefore let us approach with confidence to the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

⁴ For it is impossible concerning those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become sharers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, because they* have crucified again for themselves the Son of God and held him up to contempt. ⁷ For ground that drinks the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth vegetation usable to those people _⌊for whose sake_⌋* it is also cultivated, shares a blessing from God. ⁸ But if it* produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to a curse, whose end is for burning.

²⁶ For if* we keep on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that is about to consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment do you think the person will be considered worthy of who treats with disdain the Son of God and who considers ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy and who insults the Spirit of grace?

¹⁰ who once were not a people, but now are the people of God, the ones who were not shown mercy, but now are shown mercy.*

²¹ For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them. ²² The statement of the true proverb has happened to them, "A dog returns to its own vomit,"* and "A sow, after* washing herself, returns* to wallowing in the mud."*

⁶ And Yahweh passed over before him, and he proclaimed, "Yahweh, Yahweh, God, who is compassionate and gracious, _⌊slow to anger_⌋,* and abounding with* loyal love and faithfulness,

⁶ Seek Yahweh _⌊while he lets himself be found_⌋;* call him _⌊while he is_⌋* near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of sin his thoughts. And let him return to Yahweh, that* he may take pity on him, and to our God, for he will _⌊forgive manifold_⌋.*

⁴⁷ _⌊For this reason_⌋* I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little." ⁴⁸ And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." ⁴⁹ And those who were reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

¹¹ But we believe we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in _⌊the same_⌋* way those also are."

¹⁵ _⌊But the gift is not like the trespass_⌋*, for if by the trespass of the one, the many died, by much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, multiply to the many. ¹⁶ And the gift is not as through the one who sinned, for on the one hand, judgment from the one sin led to condemnation, but the gift, from many trespasses, led to justification. ¹⁷ For if by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through the one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ Consequently therefore, as through one trespass came condemnation to all people, so also through one righteous deed came justification of life to all people. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ Now the law came in as a side issue, in order that the trespass could increase, but where sin increased, grace was present in greater abundance,

²⁰ And in a short time the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ* be with you.

⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he* was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich.

⁷ in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ that he caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight,

³ because we* remember your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

⁸ But because* we are of the day, we must be sober, by* putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation,

¹⁰ In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation* for our sins.

⁶ Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

⁶³ in order that you will remember, and you will be ashamed, and _⌊you will not open your mouth again_⌋* _⌊because of_⌋* your disgrace when I forgive you for all that you have done!'" _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

³¹ And you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe _⌊yourself_⌋* over* your iniquities and over your detestable things. ³² But not for your sake am I acting," _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh. "Let it be known to you, be ashamed, and be put to shame because of your ways, house of Israel.

²¹ And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name 'Jesus,' because he will save his people from their sins."

¹³ But go and* learn what it means, "I want mercy and not sacrifice."* For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

¹⁰ "See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father who is in heaven.*

²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

¹⁷ And when* Jesus heard it*, he said to them, "Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those _⌊who are sick_⌋.* I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost."

¹² But as many as received him—to those who believe in his name—he gave to them authority to become children of God,

²⁹ On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

¹⁶ For in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge* the world, but in order that the world should be saved through him.

³⁶ The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life—but the wrath of God remains on him.*

⁴⁷ And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,* I will not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

²⁶ God, after he* had raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each of you back from your wickedness!"

¹ Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had accepted the word* of God.

¹⁸ And when they* heard these things, they became silent* and praised God, saying, "Then God has granted the repentance leading to life to the Gentiles also!"

²⁴ being justified as a gift by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God made publicly available as the mercy seat* through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, because of the passing over of previously committed sins, ²⁶ in the forbearance of God, for the demonstration of his righteousness in the present time, so that he should be just and the one who justifies the person by faith* in Jesus.

⁶ For while* we were still helpless, yet at the proper time Christ died for the ungodly.

⁸ but God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while* we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Therefore, by much more, because we* have been declared righteous now by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath. ¹⁰ For if, while we* were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, by much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

⁸ To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace: to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ to the Gentiles,

¹³ although I* was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, but I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,

¹ The saying is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to supervision, he desires a good work.

⁹ The statement is trustworthy and deserving of complete acceptance.

¹¹ The saying is trustworthy:
For if we died with him, we will also live with him;

⁸ The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist concerning these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.

²⁵ Therefore also he is able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, because he* always lives in order to intercede on their behalf.

⁵ And you know that that one was revealed in order that he might take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

⁸ The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God was revealed: in order to destroy the works of the devil.

⁹ By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God sent his one and only Son into the world in order that we may live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation* for our sins.

¹¹ And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

⁹ And they were singing a new song, saying,
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation,

⁵ And the one seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new!" And he said, "Write, because these words are faithful and true."

⁶ And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true, and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his slaves the things which must take place in a short time."

⁸ And Moses hurried and knelt down to the earth and worshiped.

³ And Balaam said to Balak, "Station yourself at your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell to you." So he went to a barren height.

⁹ And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do evil more than the nations that Yahweh destroyed before the _⌊Israelites_⌋.* ¹⁰ And Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not listen. ¹¹ So Yahweh brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria upon them, and they took Manasseh captive with hooks, and they bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon. ¹² And when he was in distress he entreated Yahweh his God and greatly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors* ¹³ and prayed to him. And God responded to him and heard his plea and let him return to Jerusalem to his kingdom. And Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.

¹⁹ And his prayer, and how he* responded to him, all his sin and his unfaithful acts, and the places where he built the high places and set up Asherahs and idols before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the words of the seers.

¹¹ Also, for the sake of your name, O Yahweh, forgive my sin, because it is great.

¹⁸ "Come now, and let us argue," says Yahweh. "Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow; even though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

²⁵ I, I am the one who blots out your transgressions for my sake, and I will not remember your sins.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of sin his thoughts. And let him return to Yahweh, that* he may take pity on him, and to our God, for he will _⌊forgive manifold_⌋.*

⁴⁷ _⌊For this reason_⌋* I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little."

¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

¹³ But the tax collector, standing far away, did not want even to raise his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

⁷ And when they* saw it,* they all began to complain,* saying, "He has gone in to find lodging with a man who is a sinner!" ⁸ And Zacchaeus stopped and* said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I am giving to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I am paying it* back four times as much!" ⁹ And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.

⁴³ And he said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise."

¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life."* ¹⁶ For in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life.

²⁴ Truly, truly I say to you that the one who hears my word and who believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

³⁷ Everyone whom the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never throw out,

⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks at the Son and believes in him would have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

⁵⁴ The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

³¹ but these things are recorded in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by* believing you may have life in his name.

³⁹ by this one everyone who believes is justified!

⁴ Or do you despise the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

²³ For the compensation due sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁴ For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.

¹⁰ whenever he should come to be glorified on that day by his saints and to be marveled at by all who believe, because our testimony was believed among you,

⁹ The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he* does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

¹⁵ And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom that was given to him,

¹¹ And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

¹¹ To you, O Yahweh, is the greatness and the power and the splendor and the glory and the strength, for everything in the heavens and in the earth. Yours, O Yahweh, is the kingdom and exaltation over all as head!

⁵ Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, "Stand up, bless Yahweh your God from everlasting until everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name that is being exalted above all blessing and praise!

¹⁶ Yahweh is king forever and ever; the nations have perished from his land.

¹³ Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

¹ For the music director; according to The Lilies. Of the sons of Korah. A maskil. A song of love.*
My heart is moved with a good word; I recite my _⌊compositions_⌋* to the king. My tongue is the pen of a skilled scribe.

⁶ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises. Sing praises to our king, sing praises. ⁷ For God is king of all the earth. Sing praises with understanding.* ⁸ God reigns over nations; God sits on his holy throne.

¹¹ Be exalted above the heavens, O God. Let your glory be above all the earth.

¹⁸ Blessed be Yahweh God, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderful things. ¹⁹ And blessed be his glorious name forever, and may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

² Before the mountains were born and you brought forth the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

⁴⁸ Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise Yah.*

¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures _⌊throughout all generations_⌋.*

¹⁰ But Yahweh is the true God, he is the living God, and _⌊an everlasting king_⌋.* Because of his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his anger.

⁴⁴ And _⌊in the day of those kings_⌋,* the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will _⌊never_⌋* be destroyed, and the kingdom will not be left for another nation,* and it will bring an end to all these kingdoms, but it will stand _⌊forever_⌋.*

³⁴ "But at the end of _⌊that period_⌋,* I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and then my reason returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and _⌊the one who lives forever_⌋* I praised and I honored.
"For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation.

³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are truth,* and his ways are justice and that he is able to humble those who walk in pride."

¹⁴ And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that* all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is a dominion _⌊without end_⌋* that will not cease, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.

² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go out for me, to be ruler in Israel; and his origins are from of old, from ancient days.

¹⁴ "Cursed is the one who cheats, who has in his flock a male and vows it, but instead sacrifices a blemished one to the Lord! For I am a great king," says Yahweh of hosts, "and my name is awesome among the nations."

¹³ And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.*

³⁴ Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!

²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age."

¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time; the one and only, God, the one who is in the bosom of the Father—that one has made him* known.

²⁰ For from the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, both his eternal power and deity, are discerned clearly, being understood in the things created, so that they are without excuse.

²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God with the likeness of an image of mortal human beings and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles.

⁷ to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life,

³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for eternity! Amen.

²⁰ Now to the one who is able to do beyond all measure more than all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work in us, ²¹ to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁵ who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all* creation,

¹⁵ which he will make known in his own time, the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who reign as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords, ¹⁶ the one who alone possesses immortality, who lives in unapproachable light, whom no human being has seen nor is able to see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

⁸ but concerning the Son,
"Your throne, O God, is _⌊forever and ever_⌋*, and the scepter of righteous is the scepter of your kingdom. ⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; because of this God, your God, has anointed you with the olive oil of joy more than your companions.* ¹⁰ And,
"You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of your hands; ¹¹ they will perish, but you continue, and they will all become old like a garment, ¹² and like a robe you will roll them up, and like a garment they will be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not run out."* ¹³ But to which of the angels has he ever said,
"Sit down at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."*

²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king, for he persevered as if he* saw the invisible one.

¹¹ To him be the power _⌊forever and ever_⌋*.* Amen.

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us and his love is perfected in us.

⁸ And the four living creatures, _⌊each one_⌋* of them, had six wings apiece, full of eyes around and inside, and they do not have rest day and night, saying,
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful,* the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!" ⁹ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, the one who lives _⌊forever and ever_⌋*, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives _⌊forever and ever_⌋*, and put down their crowns before the throne, saying, ¹¹ "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created."

¹² saying,
"Amen! Praise and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and strength be to our God _⌊forever and ever_⌋*. Amen!"

³ And they were singing the song of Moses, the slave of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
"Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God All-Powerful; righteous and true are your ways, King of the ages!*

¹⁴ These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."

¹ After these things I heard something like the loud sound of a great crowd in heaven saying,
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

⁶ And I heard something like the sound of a great crowd and something like the sound of many waters and something like the sound of powerful thunder, saying,
"Hallelujah! For the Lord God,* the All-Powerful, reigns!

¹⁶ And he has a name written on his outer garment and on his thigh: "King of kings and Lord of lords."

³ For although we* are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments

¹² because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, girding your waist with truth, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and binding shoes under your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace, ¹⁶ in everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you are able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one, ¹⁷ and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and to this end being alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

²² But you know his proven character, that like a child with a father he served with me for the gospel.

² to Timothy, my true child in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God that I was entrusted with. ¹² _⌊I give thanks_⌋* to the one who strengthens me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful, placing me into ministry,*

⁴ because everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is* received with thankfulness,

¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift that is in you, that was granted to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.

¹² Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I command you, in the sight of God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you observe the commandment without fault, irreproachable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹ You, therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ² and the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these things to faithful people who will be competent to teach others also. ³ Suffer together with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No one who serves as a soldier is entangled in the activities of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him. ⁵ And also if anyone competes he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

¹ I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, ² preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and instruction. ³ For there will be a time when they will not put up with sound teaching, but in accordance with their own desires, they will accumulate for themselves teachers, _⌊because they have an insatiable curiosity_⌋*,

⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have completed the race, I have kept the faith.

¹⁰ I am appealing to you concerning my child whom I became the father of during my imprisonment, Onesimus.

²⁷ And who among you, by* being anxious, is able to add one hour* to his life span?

¹⁹ For indeed it is necessary that there be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may become evident among you.

⁶ I am astonished that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel, ⁷ not that there is a different gospel, except there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim a gospel to you contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let him be accursed!

⁴ You are estranged from Christ, you who are attempting to be justified* by the law; you have fallen from grace.

¹⁸ For many live, of whom I spoke about to you many times, but now speak about even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, ¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose God is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, the ones who think on earthly things.

⁵ But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a faith without hypocrisy,

¹ Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ² by the hypocrisy of liars, who are seared in their own conscience,

⁹ But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge those people into ruin and destruction.

²¹ which some, by* professing it, have deviated concerning the faith. Grace be with you all.

¹ But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come, ² for people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ hardhearted, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage, with no interest for what is good, ⁴ traitors, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God, ⁵ maintaining a form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid these people. ⁶ For from these are those who slip into houses and captivate foolish women loaded down with sins, led by various kinds of desires,

¹⁴ For we have become partners of Christ, if indeed we hold fast the beginning of our commitment steadfast until the end,

⁴ For it is impossible concerning those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become sharers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, because they* have crucified again for themselves the Son of God and held him up to contempt.

¹⁵ but set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you for an accounting concerning the hope that is in you. ¹⁶ But do so with courtesy and respect, having a good conscience, so that in the things in which you are slandered, the ones who malign your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.

¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you also, who will bring in _⌊destructive heresies_⌋*, even denying the Master who bought them, thus* bringing on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their licentious ways, because of whom the way of truth will be reviled. ³ And in greediness they will exploit you with false words, whose condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

¹² But these persons, like irrational animals born only with natural instincts for capture and killing, blaspheming _⌊about things_⌋* they do not understand, in their destruction will also be destroyed, ¹³ being harmed as the wages of unrighteousness. Considering reveling in the daytime a pleasure, they are stains and blemishes, carousing in their deceitful pleasures when they* feast together with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of desire for an adulteress and unceasing from sin, enticing unstable persons, and* having hearts trained for greediness. Accursed children! ¹⁵ By* leaving the straight path, they have gone astray, because they* followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,* who loved the wages of unrighteousness, ¹⁶ but received a rebuke for his own lawlessness: a speechless donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained _⌊the prophet's madness_⌋*. ¹⁷ These people are waterless springs and mists driven by a hurricane, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ _⌊For by speaking high-sounding but empty words_⌋*, they entice with desires of the flesh and with licentiousness those who are scarcely escaping from those who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom although they* themselves are slaves of depravity. For to whatever someone succumbs, by this he is also* enslaved. ²⁰ For if, after they* have escaped from the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord* and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in these things and succumb to them, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went out*, in order that it might be shown that all of them are not of us.

¹⁰ But these persons blaspheme all that they do not understand, and all that they understand by instinct like the irrational animals, by these things they are being destroyed. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, and have given themselves up to the error of Balaam for gain, and have perished* in the rebellion of Korah. ¹² These are the ones feasting together without reverence, hidden reefs at your love feasts, caring for themselves, waterless clouds carried away by winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted, ¹³ wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shameful deeds, wandering stars, for whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.

³ Therefore remember how you have received and heard, and observe it, and repent. If therefore you are not on the alert, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.

⁸ 'I know your works (behold, I have put before you an opened door that no one is able to shut*) that you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and did not deny my name.

¹⁰ Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth.

¹⁷ And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it* to the church. But if he refuses to listen to the church also, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

⁴⁵ But when* the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting what was being said by Paul by* reviling him.*

³³ And some of the crowd advised* Alexander, when* the Jews put him forward. But Alexander, motioning with his* hand, was wanting to defend himself to the popular assembly.

⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus, when* you are assembled, and my spirit, together with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ I have decided* to hand over such a person to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, in order that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

³² But if we* are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined, in order that we will not be condemned with the world.

⁶ And _⌊we are ready_⌋* to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is completed.

¹⁰ Because of this, I am writing these things although I* am absent, in order that when I* am present I may not have to act severely according to the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

¹⁵ And do not consider him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

¹⁷ and their message _⌊will spread_⌋* like gangrene, among whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

² for people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

¹⁴ Alexander the metalworker did me much harm; may the Lord pay back to him according to his deeds, ¹⁵ against whom you also be on guard, because he vehemently opposed our words.

¹⁹ As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. Be zealous, therefore, and repent!

¹ And I saw coming up out of the sea a beast that had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten royal headbands,* and on its heads a blasphemous name.*

⁵ And a mouth was given to him speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority to act was given to him for forty-two months. ⁶ And he opened his mouth for blasphemies toward God, to blaspheme his name and his dwelling, those who live in heaven.