James Cross References - LEB

¹ James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings! ² Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials, ³ because you* know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. ⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from God, who gives to all without reservation and not reproaching, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask for it in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. ⁹ Now let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his high position, ¹⁰ but the rich person in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the grass. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its burning heat and dries up the grass, and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is lost. So also the rich person in his pursuits* will wither away. ¹² Blessed is the person* who endures testing, because when he* is approved he will receive the crown of life that he* has promised to those who love him. ¹³ No one who is being tempted should say, "I am being tempted by God," for God _⌊cannot be tempted_⌋* by evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he* is dragged away and enticed by his own desires. ¹⁵ Then desire, after it* has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it* is brought to completion, gives birth to death. ¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my dear brothers. ¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change. ¹⁸ By his* will he gave birth to us through the message of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. ¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers: every person must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, ²⁰ for human* anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome* with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the message and not hearers only,* deceiving yourselves, ²³ because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone* staring at _⌊his own face_⌋* in a mirror, ²⁴ for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed _⌊in what he does_⌋*. ²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious, although he* does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our* God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

⁴ And Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh, and he rose early in the morning, and he built an altar at the base of the mountain and set up twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel.

²¹ The stones will be according to the names of the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* twelve according to their names, with seal engravings, each according to its name they will be for the twelve tribes.

¹⁴ And the stones were according to the names of the _⌊Israelites_⌋;* they were twelve according to their names, with seal engravings, each according to its name for the twelve tribes.

³³ And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw a sword behind you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a ruin.

²⁷ And Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left _⌊few in number_⌋* among the nations _⌊to where Yahweh will lead you_⌋.*

⁶⁴ And Yahweh shall scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth up to the other end of the earth, and there you shall serve other gods that you have not known nor* your ancestors,* gods of wood and stone.

³ and Yahweh your God will restore your fortunes, and he will have compassion upon you, and _⌊he will again gather you together_⌋* from all the peoples where Yahweh your God scattered you there.

²⁶ I thought, "I will wipe them out; _⌊I will make people forget they ever existed_⌋."*

³¹ Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of God came, saying, "Israel shall be your name."

¹⁷ And they offered during the dedication of this house of God one hundred young bulls, two hundred young rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering for Israel according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

⁸ And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all of the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from every other people, and they do not _⌊observe_⌋* the laws of the king; it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them.

¹⁵ And they will know that I am Yahweh _⌊when I scatter them_⌋* among the nations and I scatter them in the countries.

³ Philip, and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus,

⁵⁵ Is not this one the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

²⁸ And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that in the renewal of the world,* when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me—you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

¹⁸ and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,*

¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,

³⁰ that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³⁵ So the Jews said to one another, "Where is this one going to go, that we will not find him? He is not going to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he?*

²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

¹³ And when they had entered, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying—Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James.

⁵ Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

¹ And Saul was agreeing with his murder. Now there happened on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

¹⁷ But motioning to them with his* hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Report these things to James and to the brothers," and he departed and* went to another place.

¹³ And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Men and brothers, listen to me!

²¹ For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, because he* is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

²³ writing this letter* _⌊to be delivered by them_⌋:*
The apostles and the elders, brothers.
To the brothers who are from among the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
Greetings!

¹⁸ And on the next day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

²⁶ Claudius Lysias.
To his excellency Governor Felix.
Greetings!

⁷ to which our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him* night and day. Concerning this hope I am being accused by the Jews, O king!

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

¹⁹ but I did not see any others of the apostles except James, the brother of the Lord.

⁹ and when James and Cephas and John—those thought to be pillars—acknowledged the grace given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, in order that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision.

¹² For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he* was afraid of those who were of the circumcision,

¹ Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.

²¹ Make haste to come before winter. Eubulus and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers greet you.

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,

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen* who are residing temporarily in the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

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.

¹ Jude,* a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, loved in God the Father and kept for* Jesus Christ.

⁴ And I heard the number of the ones who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

²² Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to do the same things to the prophets.

⁴¹ So they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin* rejoicing, because they had been considered worthy to be dishonored for the sake of the name.

¹⁷ and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together with him so that we may also be glorified together with him. ¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.

³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or hunger or lack of sufficient clothing or danger or the sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,
"On account of you we are being put to death the whole day long; we are considered as sheep for slaughter."* ³⁷ No, but in all these things we prevail completely through the one who loved us.

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.

²⁹ because to you has been graciously granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on behalf of him,

¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and rejoice with all of you.

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings on behalf of you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ, on behalf of his body which is the church,

³⁴ For you both sympathized with the prisoners and put up with the seizure of your belongings with joy because you* knew that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.

³⁶ And others _⌊experienced mocking and flogging_⌋*, and in addition bonds and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by murder with a sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, impoverished, afflicted, mistreated, ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about on deserts and mountains and in caves and in holes in the ground.

¹² Blessed is the person* who endures testing, because when he* is approved he will receive the crown of life that he* has promised to those who love him.

⁶ in which you rejoice greatly, although* now for a short time, if necessary,* you are distressed by various trials, ⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, more valuable than gold that is passing away, but is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ⁸ whom, although you* have not seen, you love; in whom now you believe, although you* do not see him, and you rejoice greatly with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

¹³ But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice and be glad. ¹⁴ If you are reviled on account of the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵ By all means do not let anyone of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ But if someone suffers as a Christian, he must not be ashamed, but must glorify God with this name.

⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to reserve the unrighteous to be punished at* the day of judgment, ¹⁰ Do not be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will experience affliction ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

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

³ And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we* know that affliction produces patient endurance, ⁴ and patient endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope,

²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we await it eagerly with patient endurance.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose,

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.

¹⁷ For our momentary light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory _⌊beyond all measure and proportion_⌋*,

¹¹ enabled with all power, according to his glorious might, for all steadfastness and patience with joy,

⁴ so that we ourselves boast in you in the churches of God about your patient endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring,

⁵ Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and toward the patient endurance of Christ.

³⁶ For you have need of endurance, in order that after you* have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

¹ Therefore, since* we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and _⌊the sin that so easily ensnares us_⌋*, let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us,

⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, more valuable than gold that is passing away, but is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

⁶ and with knowledge, self-control, and with self-control, patient endurance, and with patient endurance, godliness,

⁹ But* the righteous holds on to his way, and _⌊he who has clean hands_⌋* increases in strength.

⁷ Be quiet before Yahweh and wait for him. Do not fret about one who succeeds in his way, about a man making plots.

¹ For the music director. Of David. A psalm.*
I waited patiently for Yahweh, And he inclined to me and heard my cry for help.

⁸ Cherish her and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.

³ For there is yet a vision for the appointed time; it will give witness to the end, and it will not lie. If it tarries, wait for it, for it will surely come and not delay.

⁴⁸ Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

²² and you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved.

²⁰ The young man said to him, "All these I have observed. What do I still lack?"

²¹ And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: Go, sell all that you have, and give the proceeds* to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me."

¹⁵ But the seed on the good soil—these are the ones who, after* hearing the word, hold fast to it* with a noble and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

²² And when he* heard this,* Jesus said to him, "_⌊You still lack one thing_⌋:* Sell all that you have, and distribute the proceeds* to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me."

¹⁹ By your patient endurance you will gain your lives.

²³ I in them, and you in me, in order that they may be completed in one, so that the world may know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

⁶ Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but wisdom not of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing,

⁹ And let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we* do not give up.

¹² Not that I have already received this,* or have already been made perfect, but I press on if indeed I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ.* ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself to have laid hold of it.* But I do one thing, forgetting the things behind and straining toward the things ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Therefore as many as are perfect, _⌊let us hold this opinion_⌋*, and if you think anything differently, God will reveal this also to you.

¹² Epaphras, who is one of you, greets you, a slave of Christ* always struggling on behalf of you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured* in all the will of God.

¹⁷ in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

²¹ equip you with every good thing to do his will, carrying out in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory _⌊forever_⌋*.* Amen.

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from God, who gives to all without reservation and not reproaching, and it will be given to him.

² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual,* able to hold in check his whole body also.

⁷ Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient concerning it until it receives the early and late rains. ⁸ You also be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is near. ⁹ Brothers, do not complain against one another, in order that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the doors! ¹⁰ Brothers, take as an example of perseverance and endurance the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ Behold, we consider blessed those who have endured. You have heard about the patient endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,* after you* have suffered for a short time, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

⁹ For the one for whom these things are not present is blind, being nearsighted, _⌊having forgotten the cleansing_⌋* of his former sins.

¹⁷ By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as that one is, so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear includes punishment, and the one who is afraid has not been perfected in love.

³ And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and with skill* and with knowledge and with every kind of craftsmanship,

⁶ And, look, I have given with him Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, and I have put skill in the heart of all the skilled of heart, and they will make all that I have commanded you—

¹ And Bezalel and Oholiab and everyone who is skilled of heart in whom Yahweh has put wisdom and skill to know and to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary—they will do it, according to all that Yahweh has commanded." ² And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and everyone skilled of heart, in whose heart Yahweh had put skill, all whose heart lifted him to come near to the work in order to do it. ³ And they took from Moses all the contributions* that the _⌊Israelites_⌋* had brought for the work of the service for the sanctuary in order to do it, and they still brought to him voluntary offerings _⌊every morning_⌋.* ⁴ And all the skilled workers who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came, _⌊each_⌋* from his work that they were doing.

⁷ So then, O Yahweh, you are my God. You have made your servant king in place of David my father though I am a young boy. I do not know going out or coming in. ⁸ Your servant is in the middle of your people whom you have chosen; a great people who cannot be counted or numbered because of abundance. ⁹ Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, your difficult people?" ¹⁰ The word was good in the eyes of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹ And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and you did not ask for yourself _⌊a long life_⌋* and you did not ask riches for yourself and you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself _⌊the ability to make wise judgments_⌋;* ¹² behold, I do hereby do according to your word. I hereby give you a wise and discerning heart; there was no one like you before you, nor afterwards will one like you arise.

¹² Only may Yahweh give to you understanding and insight that he might give you charge over Israel and the keeping of the law of Yahweh your God.

¹⁰ Now, give to me wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this, your great people?"

¹² "But* from where will wisdom be found? And _⌊where in the world_⌋* is the place of understanding? ¹³ A human being does not know its proper value, and it is not found in the land of the living. ¹⁴ The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.' ¹⁵ "Refined gold cannot be gotten in its place, and silver cannot be weighed out as its price. ¹⁶ It cannot be bought for the gold of Ophir, for precious onyx or* sapphire. ¹⁷ Gold and glass cannot be compared with it, and its substitution cannot be an ornament of refined gold. ¹⁸ Black corals and crystal will not be mentioned, and wisdom's price is more than red corals. ¹⁹ The topaz of Cush cannot be compared with it; it cannot be bought for pure gold. ²⁰ Indeed,* from where does wisdom come? And _⌊where in the world_⌋* is the place of understanding? ²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and it is concealed from the birds of the heaven. ²² Abaddon and Death say, 'We heard its rumor with our ears.' ²³ "God understands its way, and he knows its place, ²⁴ for he himself* looks to the end of the earth; he sees under all the heaven. ²⁵ _⌊When he gave_⌋* weight to the wind and he apportioned the waters by measure, ²⁶ _⌊when he made_⌋* a rule for the rain and a way for the thunder's lightning bolt, ²⁷ then he saw it and talked about it; he established it, and moreover, he explored it. ²⁸ And to the human beings he said, 'Look, the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.'"

³ For if you cry out for understanding,* if you lift* your voice for insight, ⁴ if you seek her like silver and search her out _⌊like treasure_⌋,* ⁵ then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and the knowledge of God you will find. ⁶ For Yahweh will give wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

⁵ _⌊Trust Yahweh_⌋* with all your heart; do not lean toward your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will straighten your paths. ⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear Yahweh and retreat from evil.

⁴ "Whoever is simple, let him turn here." As for the one who lacks _⌊sense_⌋,* she says to him, ⁵ "Come, eat with my bread; drink with the wine I have mixed. ⁶ Lay aside simplicity and live; walk in the way of understanding."

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_⌋.*

⁶ Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth."* ⁷ But Yahweh said to me, "You must not say, 'I am a youth,'* for to _⌊whomever_⌋* I send you, you will go, and _⌊whatever_⌋* I command you, you will speak.

¹² Then when you call me, and you come and pray to me, then I will listen to you. ¹³ When you search for me, then you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart.

¹⁸ and told them to seek mercy _⌊from the God of heaven_⌋* concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions, along with the remainder of the wise men of Babylon, would not be killed. ¹⁹ Then in a vision of the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel; then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. ²⁰ Daniel _⌊said_⌋:*
"Let his name, the name of God,* be blessed _⌊throughout the ages_⌋,* for the wisdom and the power _⌊are his_⌋.* ²¹ And he changes the times and the seasons, and he deposes kings and he sets up kings; he gives wisdom* to wise men and knowledge to men who know understanding. ²² He reveals the deep and the hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

⁷ "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you, if his son will ask him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or also if he will ask for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ Therefore if you, although you* are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the towns in which the majority of his miracles had been done, because they did not repent:

¹⁴ And later, while* they were reclining at table, he appeared to the eleven. And he reprimanded their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he* had been raised.

⁹ And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ But what father from among you, if his* son will ask for a fish, instead of a fish will give him a snake? ¹² Or also, if he will ask for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ Therefore if you, although you* are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

²⁰ And he set out and* came to his own father. But while* he was still a long way away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran _⌊and embraced him_⌋* and kissed him. ²¹ And his* son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and _⌊in your sight_⌋!* I am no longer worthy to be called your son!' ²² But his* father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it* on him, and put a ring on his finger* and sandals on his* feet!

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, "If you had known the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give me water* to drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

¹³ And _⌊whatever_⌋* you ask in my name, I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.

²³ And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

¹⁶ to those on the one hand an odor from death to death, and to those on the other hand a fragrance from life to life. And who is qualified for these things?

¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change.

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy,

¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much.

²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what is pleasing _⌊in his sight_⌋*.

¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.

⁴ Unstable* as water, you shall not excel any longer, for you went up upon the bed of your father, then defiled it. You went up upon my couch!

²¹ And Jesus answered and* said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will do not only what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea," it will happen! ²² And whatever you ask in prayer, if you* believe, you will receive."

²² And Jesus answered and* said to them, "Have faith in God! ²³ Truly I say to you that whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. ²⁴ For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it,* and it will be done for you.

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.

⁸ Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and dispute.

²³ Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful.

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.

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.

¹⁷ These people are waterless springs and mists driven by a hurricane, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved.

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.

⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it in divisiveness!

¹⁵ And when you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers,* I will not be listening. Your hands are full of blood.

³ 'Why do we fast, and you do not see it? We humiliate our soul, and you do not notice it?' Look! You find delight on the day of your fast, and you oppress all your workers! ⁴ Look! You fast to quarrel and strife, and to strike with a _⌊wicked fist_⌋.* You shall not fast as you do _⌊today_⌋,* to _⌊make your voice heard_⌋* on the height.

³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, in order that you may spend it on your pleasures.

²¹ Elijah approached to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping over two opinions? If Yahweh is God, go after him; but if Baal, go after him." But the people did not answer him a word.

³³ Yahweh they were fearing, but their gods they were serving, according to the customs of the nations from which they were deported.

⁴¹ So these nations were fearing Yahweh, but they were serving their idols, as were their children and their children's children; as their ancestors* did, they are doing until this day.

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,

⁸ Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephraim is a bread cake not turned over. ⁹ Foreigners devour* his strength, and he does not know it; _⌊mold_⌋* is also sprinkled upon him, and he does not know it. ¹⁰ The pride of Israel _⌊testifies against him_⌋*— they do not return to Yahweh their God; they do not seek him for all of this.* ¹¹ Ephraim was like a dove, silly, _⌊without sense_⌋;* they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

² Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. He himself* will break down their altars; he will destroy their stone pillars.

²² "The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is sincere, your whole body will be full of light.

²⁴ "No one is able to serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money.*

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

¹⁴ having eyes full of desire for an adulteress and unceasing from sin, enticing unstable persons, and* having hearts trained for greediness. Accursed children!

¹⁶ as he does also in all his** letters, speaking in them about these things, in which there are some things hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, as they also do the rest of the scriptures.

⁷ If there is a poor person among you from among one of your brothers in one of your _⌊towns_⌋* that Yahweh your God is giving to you, you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not shut your hand toward _⌊your brother who is poor_⌋.*

⁹ _⌊Take care_⌋* so that there* will not be _⌊a thought of wickedness_⌋* in your heart, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'The seventh year, the year of the remission of debt is near,' _⌊and you view your needy neighbor with hostility_⌋,* and so you do not give to him, and he might cry out against you to Yahweh, and _⌊you would incur guilt against yourself_⌋.*

¹¹ For the poor* will not cease to be _⌊among you_⌋* in the land; therefore I am commanding you, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'You shall willingly open your hand to your brother, to your needy and to your poor that are in your land.'

⁸ He raises up the poor from the dust. From the ash heap he lifts up the needy, to cause them to sit with noble people and to cause them to inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth belong to Yahweh and he has set the inhabited world on them.

⁹ Only a vapor* are men of low degree, a deception are men of high degree. _⌊Weighed_⌋* in a balance, together they are lighter than a vapor.

⁷ He raises the helpless from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, ⁸ to seat them with princes, with the princes of his people.

⁵ He who mocks the poor insults him who made him; he who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

¹ Better a poor person walking in integrity than one who is perverse _⌊in his speech_⌋* and is a fool.

²³ Thus says Yahweh,
"The wise man must not boast in his wisdom, and the warrior must not boast in his might, the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth. ²⁴ _⌊But only_⌋* in this must the one who boasts boast, that he has insight, and that he knows me, that I am Yahweh, showing loyal love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.

⁴⁸ and said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the one who is least among you all—this one is great."

²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven."

² through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we* know that affliction produces patient endurance,

¹⁷ and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together with him so that we may also be glorified together with him.

¹⁰ as grieving, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and possessing everything.

³ For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship* by the Spirit* of God and boast in Christ Jesus and do not put confidence in the flesh,

¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers! Did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich exploiting you and they themselves dragging you into the courts?

⁹ But you are a chosen race,* a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,

¹ See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called children of God, and we are! Because of this the world does not know us: because it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever he is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. ³ And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as that one is pure.

⁹ 'I know your affliction and poverty (but you are rich), and the slander of those _⌊who call themselves Jews_⌋* and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

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."

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great crowd that no one was able to number, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands. 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!"

² Like a flower he comes up, and he withers away; and he flees like a* shadow, but* he does not last.

² For like the grass they will dry up quickly, and like green vegetation they will wither.

³⁵ I have seen the wicked acting violently and spreading himself out like a luxuriant native tree. ³⁶ Then he passed on* and behold, he was not. And I sought him, but he could not be found.

⁵ You sweep them away like a flood. They fall asleep.* In the morning they are like grass that sprouts anew. ⁶ In the morning it blossoms and sprouts anew; by evening it withers and dries up.

¹¹ My days are like a lengthened shadow, and I wither like grass.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like the grass. As the flower of the field, so he blossoms.

⁶ A voice is saying, "Call!" And he said, "What shall I call?" All _⌊humankind_⌋* are grass, and all his loyalty is like the flowers of the field.

¹⁵ For thus says the high and lofty one who resides forever, and whose name is holy:
"I reside in a high and holy place, and with the _⌊contrite_⌋* and humble of spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the _⌊contrite_⌋.*

² And my hand has made all these things, and all these _⌊came to be_⌋,"*
_⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "but* I look to this one:
to the humble and the contrite of spirit and the one frightened at my word.

³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

³⁰ But if God dresses the grass of the field in this way, although it* is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not do so much more for you, you of little faith?

³¹ and those who make use of the world as if they do not make full use of it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

⁸ _⌊More than that_⌋*, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them* dung, in order that I may gain Christ

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,

¹⁴ you who do not know _⌊what will happen tomorrow_⌋*, _⌊what your life will be like_⌋*. For you are a smoky vapor that appears for a short time and then disappears.

²⁴ For
"all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass withers and the flower falls off,

¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and its desire,* but the one who does the will of God remains _⌊forever_⌋*.

²⁴ His vats are full with milk and the marrow of his bones is moist. ²⁵ Yet* another dies with a bitter inner self* and has not tasted prosperity. ²⁶ They lie down together in the dust, and maggots cover them. ²⁷ "Look, I know your* thoughts and the schemes you devise against me. ²⁸ For you say, 'Where is the nobleman's house, and where are _⌊the tents in which the wicked dwell_⌋?'* ²⁹ Do you not ask those traveling the roads, and do you not take notice of their accounts? ³⁰ Indeed, the wicked is spared from the day of disaster; he is delivered from the day of wrath.

⁶ those who trust their wealth and boast about the abundance of their riches? ⁷ Surely a man cannot redeem a brother. He cannot give to God his ransom ⁸ (since* the redemption price for their life is costly and it always fails), ⁹ so that he may stay alive forever and not see the pit. ¹⁰ For he sees that the wise die, together with the fool and brute they perish, and leave their wealth to the next generation. ¹¹ Within them they think their houses are forever, their dwelling places from generation to generation. They _⌊name_⌋* their lands by their own names. ¹² But man cannot continue in his pomp. He is like the beasts that perish. ¹³ This is the journey* of those who have foolish confidence, and those after them who accept their sayings. Selah ¹⁴ Like sheep they are destined to Sheol; death will shepherd them. But the upright will rule over them in the morning, and their forms will be for Sheol to consume, far from his lofty abode.

¹⁸ Surely you set them on slippery places. You cause them to fall onto ruin.* ¹⁹ How they become a desolation in a moment! They come to a complete end by terrors. ²⁰ Like a dream upon awakening, when you wake up, O Lord, you will despise their fleeting form.*

⁴ My heart is struck like grass and withers. Indeed, I forget to eat* my bread.

¹⁵ Just as he came from his mother's womb naked, _⌊he will depart_⌋* just as he came; he will take nothing with him for his toil.

¹ Ah! The garland of the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim and the withering flower of the glory of his beauty, which is at the head of _⌊the rich valley_⌋,* _⌊ones overcome_⌋* with wine!

⁴ and the withering flower of the glory of its beauty which is at the head of _⌊the rich valley_⌋* will be like its early fig before summer, _⌊which the one who sees it swallows_⌋* while it is still in his hand.

⁷ Grass withers; the flower withers when the breath of Yahweh blows on it. Surely the people are grass. ⁸ Grass withers; the flower withers, but* the word of our God will stand forever.

¹⁰ They shall not be hungry or thirsty, and heat and sun shall not strike them, for he who takes pity on them will lead them, and he will guide them to springs of water.

⁷ So God appointed a worm _⌊at daybreak_⌋* the next day, and it attacked the plant, and it withered. ⁸ _⌊And when the sun rose_⌋,* God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head and he grew faint. _⌊And he asked that he could die_⌋* and said, "My death is better than my life!"

⁶ But when* the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered.

⁶ And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered.

¹⁶ And he told a parable to them, saying, "The land of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ And he reasoned to himself, saying, 'What should I do? For I do not have anywhere I can gather in my crops.' ¹⁸ And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will gather in there all my grain and possessions. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many possessions stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, celebrate!" ' ²⁰ But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your life* is demanded from you, and the things which you have prepared—whose will they be?' ²¹ So is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and who is not rich toward God!"

¹⁹ "Now a certain man was rich, and dressed in purple cloth and fine linen, feasting sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And a certain poor man _⌊named_⌋* Lazarus, covered with sores, lay at his gate, ²¹ and was longing to be filled with what fell from the table of the rich man. But even the dogs came and* licked his sores. ²² Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to _⌊Abraham's side_⌋.* And the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And in Hades he lifted up his eyes as he* was in torment and* saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus _⌊at his side_⌋.* ²⁴ And he called out and* said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!' ²⁵ But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.

¹ Come now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming upon you! ² Your wealth has rotted, and your clothing has become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver have become corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you, and it will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. ⁴ Behold, the wages that were held back by you from the workers who reap your fields cry out, and the cries of the reapers have come to the ears of the Lord of hosts. ⁵ You have lived self-indulgently on the earth* and have lived luxuriously. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous person; he does not resist you. ⁷ Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient concerning it until it receives the early and late rains.

⁴ into an inheritance imperishable and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you

⁴ And when* the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

⁶ and showing loyal love to thousands of generations* of those loving me and of those keeping my commandments.

⁹ So know that Yahweh your God, he is God, the trustworthy God, maintaining his* covenant and his* loyal love with those who love him and with those who keep his commandments to a thousand generations,*

² And you shall remember all of the way that Yahweh your God led you during these forty years in the desert in order to humble you and to test you to know what is in your heart, whether you would diligently keep his commandments or not.

³ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer, for Yahweh your God _⌊is testing you to know whether you love_⌋* Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your inner self.*

⁵ I said, "O Yahweh God of the heavens, the great and awesome one who keeps the covenant and loyal love for the ones who love him and for those who keep his commands.

¹⁷ "Look, happy is the human being whom God reproves; and you must not despise the discipline of Shaddai,

¹¹ But let all who take shelter in you rejoice. Let them ever* sing for joy, _⌊because_⌋* you spread protection over them; And let those* who love your name exult in you.

¹² Blessed is the man, O Yah, whom you instruct and teach from your law,

⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted, I was going astray, but now I heed your word.

⁷¹ It is good for me that I was afflicted, so that I might learn your statutes.

⁷⁵ I know, O Yahweh, that your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you afflicted me.

¹¹ Do not despise the discipline of Yahweh, my child. Do not be weary of his reproof ¹² because whomever Yahweh will love, he will rebuke, as a father delights in his son.

³ A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace is for the gold, but Yahweh will test hearts.

⁴ And since ancient times they have not heard, have not listened, no eye has seen a God except you; he _⌊acts_⌋* for the one who waits for him.

⁹ And I will bring the remaining third into the fire, and I will refine them like one refines silver, and I will test them like one tests gold. They* will call my name, and I will answer them.* I will say, 'They* are my people,' and they* will say, 'Yahweh is my God.'"

² And who can endure the day of his coming? And who is the one who can stand _⌊when he appears_⌋?* For he is like a refiner's fire, like launderers' alkali.* ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the children of Levi, and he will refine them like gold and like silver, and they will present to Yahweh offerings* in righteousness.

²⁸ And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that in the renewal of the world,* when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me—you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife* or children or fields on account of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life.

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!

²⁸ "And you are the ones who have remained* with me in my trials, ²⁹ and I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred on me, ³⁰ that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

⁷ to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, ⁸ but to those who act from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. ⁹ There will be affliction and distress for every _⌊human being_⌋* who does evil, of the Jew first and of the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and to the Greek.

⁹ But just as it is written,
"Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, all that* God has prepared for those who love him."*

³ But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him.

²⁵ And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. Thus those do so in order that they may receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.

⁸ Finally, the crown of righteousness is reserved for me, that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

¹⁵ And so, by* persevering, he obtained the promise.

³² But remember the former days in which, after you* were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings,

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac, and the one who received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,

⁵ And have you completely forgotten the exhortation which instructs you as sons?
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, or give up when you are corrected by him.

² Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials, ³ because you* know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers! Did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

¹¹ Behold, we consider blessed those who have endured. You have heard about the patient endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

¹⁴ But even if you might suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their intimidation or be disturbed,*

¹³ But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice and be glad.

¹⁹ We love, because he first loved us.

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

²¹ The one who conquers, I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also have conquered and have sat down with my Father on his throne.

¹² And the man* replied,* "The woman whom you gave to be with me—she gave to me from the tree and I ate."

¹⁷ Why do you make us wander, Yahweh? You harden our heart from your ways _⌊so that we do not fear_⌋* you. Turn back for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance.

¹² Woe to him who builds a city by bloodguilt, and who founds a city by wickedness! ¹³ Look! Is it not from Yahweh of hosts that people labor for mere fire, and nations exhaust themselves for mere vanity?

¹⁹ Therefore you will say to me, "Why then does he still find fault? For who has resisted* his will? ²⁰ On the contrary, O man, who are you who answers back to God? Will what is molded say to the one who molded it, "Why did you make me like this"?*

² Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials,

⁵ And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always* only evil.

²¹ And Yahweh smelled the soothing fragrance, and Yahweh said _⌊to himself_⌋,* "_⌊Never again will I curse_⌋* the ground for the sake of humankind, because the inclination of the heart of humankind is evil from his youth. _⌊Nor will I ever again destroy_⌋* all life as I have done.

²¹ I saw among the spoil a beautiful robe from Shinar,* two hundred shekels of silver, and one bar of gold that weighed fifty shekels; I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, and the silver is under it." ²² Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there they were, hidden in his tent, and the silver was under it. ²³ And they took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the _⌊Israelites_⌋.* And they spread them out before the presence of Yahweh. ²⁴ Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his cattle and donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything that was his, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.*

² It happened _⌊late one afternoon_⌋* that David got up from his bed and walked about on the roof of the king's house, and he saw a woman bathing on her* roof. Now the woman _⌊was very beautiful_⌋.* ³ David sent and inquired about the woman, and someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

² Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard that it may be mine for a garden of vegetable plants, because it is near, beside my house, and I will give to you a better vineyard in place of it. If it is better in your eyes, I will give you the money of its price." ³ Naboth said to Ahab, "Far be it from me from Yahweh that I should give the inheritance of my ancestors* to you." ⁴ Then Ahab went to his house, sullen and angry because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him when he had said, "I will not give to you the inheritance of my ancestors."* So he lay on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat any food.

⁹ "If my heart has been enticed by a woman, and at my neighbor's doorway I have lain in wait,

²⁷ and _⌊I was secretly enticed_⌋,* and _⌊my hand threw them a kiss_⌋,*

²³ With all vigilance, keep your heart, for from it comes the source* of life.

²⁰ He feeds on ashes; a _⌊deceived mind_⌋* misleads him. And he cannot save _⌊himself_⌋,* and he cannot say, "Is this not an illusion in my right hand?"

⁹ I will destroy you,* O Israel; who will help you?*

²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the person.

²⁰ These are the things that defile a person. But eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person!"

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.

¹¹ For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

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.

²² that you take off, according to your former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful desires,

¹³ But encourage one another _⌊day by day_⌋*, as long as it is called "today," so that _⌊none of you become hardened_⌋* by the deception of sin.

¹ From where are conflicts and from where are quarrels among you? Is it not from this, from your pleasures that wage war among your members? ² You desire and do not have; you murder and are filled with envy, and are not able to obtain; you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

¹⁷ but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day _⌊that you eat_⌋* from it _⌊you shall surely die_⌋."*

⁶ When* the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, then* she took from its fruit and she ate. And she gave it also to her husband with her, and he ate.

¹⁷ And to Adam* he said, "Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree _⌊from which I forbade you to eat_⌋,*
the ground shall be cursed on your account. In pain you shall eat from it all the days of your life. ¹⁸ And thorns and thistles shall sprout for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow* you shall eat bread, until your return to the ground. For from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

⁵ but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell. ⁶ And Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen? ⁷ If you do well _⌊will I not accept you_⌋?* But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." ⁸ Then* Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out into the field."* And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

³⁵ They conceive trouble and bring forth mischief, and their womb prepares deceit."

¹⁴ See, he* travails with* evil. He is pregnant with trouble, and he gives birth to deception.

¹⁷ The wicked shall turn back to Sheol, all the nations forgetting God,

⁴ There is nobody _⌊who pleads with_⌋* justice, and there is nobody who judges with honesty. They rely on nothing and speak vanity. They conceive trouble and beget iniquity;

¹ Woe to those who plan wickedness and evil deeds upon their beds! In the light of the morning they did it, because they have power in their hands. ² They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and they take them away. They oppress a man and his house; a man and his inheritance. ³ Therefore, thus says Yahweh: Look! I am planning disaster against this family from which you will not be able to remove your necks. You will not walk proudly, for it is a time of disaster.

¹⁴ Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

⁴⁸ Now the one who was betraying him had given them a sign, saying, "The one whom I kiss—he is the one.* Arrest him!" ⁴⁹ And he came up to Jesus immediately and* said, "Greetings, Rabbi," and kissed him. ⁵⁰ And Jesus said to him, "Friend, do that* for which you have come."* Then they came up and* laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ And behold, one of those with Jesus extended his* hand and* drew his sword, and striking the slave of the high priest, cut off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place! For all who take up the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and he would put at my disposal at once more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ How then would the scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen in this way?" ⁵⁵ At that time Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a robber, to arrest me? Every day in the temple courts* I sat teaching, and you did not arrest me! ⁵⁶ But all this has happened in order that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled." Then the disciples all abandoned him and* fled. ⁵⁷ Now those who had arrested Jesus led him* away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ But Peter was following him from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest. And he went inside and* was sitting with the officers to see the outcome. ⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death.

¹ Now a certain man _⌊named_⌋* Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ² and he kept back for himself some of the proceeds, and his* wife was aware of it.* And he brought a certain part and* placed it* at the feet of the apostles. ³ But Peter said, "Ananias, for what reason has Satan filled your heart, that you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself some of the proceeds of the piece of land?

¹² Because of this, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned. ¹³ For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not charged to one's account when there* is no law. ¹⁴ But death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who is to come. 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, ²¹ so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

²¹ Therefore what sort of fruit did you have then, about which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now, having been set free from sin and having been enslaved to God, you have your fruit leading to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. ²³ For the compensation due sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹⁴ And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

²⁹ But Jesus answered and* said to them, "You are mistaken, because* you do not know the scriptures or the power of God!

²⁴ Jesus said to them, "Are you not deceived because of this, because you* do not know the scriptures or the power of God?

²⁷ He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are very much mistaken!"

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,

⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked, for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap,

¹² Therefore my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

¹ So then, my beloved and greatly desired brothers, my joy and crown, thus stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

⁴ I say this in order that no one will deceive you with persuasive speech,

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,

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

¹ Brotherly love must continue.

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers: every person must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

² Now* the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. ³ And God said, "Let there be light!" And there was light. ⁴ And God saw the light, that it was good, and God caused there to be a separation between the light and between the darkness. ⁵ And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

¹⁴ And God said, "Let there be lights* in the vaulted dome* of heaven* _⌊to separate day from night_⌋,* and let them be as signs and for appointed times, and for days and years, ¹⁵ and they shall be as lights* in the vaulted dome* of heaven* to give light on the earth." And it was so.

¹⁶ Then Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, "_⌊It is not in my power_⌋;* God will answer concerning the well-being of Pharaoh."

³⁸ Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this in whom is the spirit of God?" ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all of this known to you there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

¹¹ And Yahweh said to him, "Who gave a mouth to humankind, or who makes mute or deaf or sighted or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? ¹² So then go, and I myself will be with your mouth, and I will teach you what you must speak."

³ And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and with skill* and with knowledge and with every kind of craftsmanship, ⁴ to devise designs, to work with gold and with silver and with bronze, ⁵ and in stonecutting for setting and in cutting wood, for doing every kind of craftsmanship. ⁶ And, look, I have given with him Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, and I have put skill in the heart of all the skilled of heart, and they will make all that I have commanded you—

¹ And Bezalel and Oholiab and everyone who is skilled of heart in whom Yahweh has put wisdom and skill to know and to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary—they will do it, according to all that Yahweh has commanded." ² And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and everyone skilled of heart, in whose heart Yahweh had put skill, all whose heart lifted him to come near to the work in order to do it.

¹⁷ I will come down and speak with you there; I will take away from the spirit that is on you, and I will place it on them; and they will bear the burdens of the people with you; you will not bear it alone.

²⁵ Then Yahweh went down in the cloud and spoke to him, and he took away the spirit that was on him, and he _⌊put it_⌋* on the seventy elders. And as soon as the spirit was resting on them they prophesied, but they did not do it again.

¹⁹ God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of humankind, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

¹⁹ _⌊And do this so that you do not lift_⌋* your eyes toward heaven and _⌊observe_⌋* the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of the heaven, and be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that Yahweh your God has allotted to all of the peoples under all of the heaven.

²⁹ Moreover, the Glory of Israel will not break faith and will not regret, for he is not a human that he should regret."

¹⁹ Grant to Solomon my son a heart of peace to keep your commands, your statutes, and your regulations to do everything, and to build the citadel for which I have provided."

¹¹ Then God said to Solomon, "Because this was with your heart and you did not ask for wealth, possessions, honor, and the lives of your enemies, and also did not ask for _⌊long life_⌋,* but have asked for wisdom and knowledge that you might judge my people over whom I have made you king, ¹² wisdom and knowledge is given to you. And I will also give to you wealth, possessions, and honor, the like of which was not had by the kings who were before you, nor will there be the like after you."

¹ For the music director. A psalm of David.*
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands. ² _⌊Every day_⌋* they pour forth speech, and _⌊every night_⌋* they tell knowledge. ³ There is no speech and there are no words; their sound is inaudible. ⁴ Yet in all the world their line* goes out, and their words to the end of the world. In them* he has pitched a tent for the sun, ⁵ and it is like a bridegroom who comes out of his bridal chamber. It is glad like a strong man to run its course. ⁶ Its rising is from one* end of the heavens and its circuit to the other end* of them; and nothing is hidden from its heat. 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.

¹¹ Because Yahweh God is a sun and a shield; Yahweh gives grace and honor. He does not withhold good from those who walk blamelessly.

⁶ Pray* for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be at ease.

⁶ For Yahweh will give wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

²⁶ And his God instructs him about the prescription;* he teaches him.

⁷ I form light and I create darkness; I make peace and I create evil; I am Yahweh; I do all these things.

¹⁰ who from the beginning declares the end, and from before, things that have not been done, who says, 'My plan shall stand,' and, 'I will accomplish* all my wishes,'*

¹⁹ The sun shall no longer be your light by day, and for bright light the moon shall not give you light, but* Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and your God your glory.

²⁷ Daniel answered the king and said, "The mystery that the king asks, no wise men, conjurers,* magicians,* or diviners are able to make known to the king. ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what it is that will be at the end of days. This is your dream and the visions of your head on your bed. ²⁹ "As for you, king,* your thoughts on your bed _⌊turned to_⌋* what it was that would be _⌊in the future_⌋,* and the revealer of mysteries has made known to you what that would be. ³⁰ And as for me, it is not because of wisdom that is in me more than _⌊any other living person_⌋* that this mystery is revealed to me, but _⌊in order that_⌋* the explanation* may be made known to the king and you will _⌊understand_⌋* the thoughts of your _⌊mind_⌋.*

⁶ "For I, Yahweh, have not changed,* and you, O children of Jacob, have not perished.*

¹¹ Therefore if you, although you* are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and* said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to young children.* ²⁶ Yes, Father, for to do so _⌊was your gracious will_⌋.*

¹¹ And he answered and* said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

¹³ Therefore if you, although you* are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

⁹ The true light, who gives light to every person, was coming into the world.

²⁷ John answered and said, "A man can receive not one thing unless it is granted to him from heaven!

¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

³¹ This one God has exalted to his right hand as Leader and Savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

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!"

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

²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of the disobedience of these,

⁶ but having different gifts according to the grace given to us: if it is prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; ⁷ if it is service, by service; if it is one who teaches, by teaching; ⁸ if it is one who exhorts, by exhortation; one who gives, with sincerity; one who leads, with diligence; one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁷ For who concedes you superiority? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if indeed you received it, why do you boast as if you* did not receive it?

⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, ⁵ and there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord, ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but the same God, who works all things in all people. ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is beneficial to all. ⁸ For to one is given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another* gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another* _⌊miraculous powers_⌋*, to another* prophecy, to another* distinguishing of spirits, to another kinds of tongues, to another* interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But in all these things one and the same Spirit is at work, distributing to each one individually just as he wishes. ¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of the body, although they* are many, are one body, thus also Christ.

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 (the eyes of your hearts having been enlightened), so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance among the saints,

³ among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will* of the flesh and of the mind, and we were children of wrath* by nature, as also the rest of them were. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, ⁵ and we being dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

⁸ For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;

⁸ Therefore it says,
"Ascending on high he led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men."* ⁹ Now "he ascended," what is it, except that he also descended* to the lower regions of the earth? ¹⁰ The one who descended himself is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order that he might fill all things. ¹¹ And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers

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. ⁴ But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

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."*

⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and _⌊forever_⌋*.

¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

⁵ And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.

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. 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.

²³ And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon, that they shine on it, for the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

⁵ And night will not exist any longer, and they will not have need of the light of a lamp and the light* of the sun, because the Lord God will give light to them, and they will reign _⌊forever and ever_⌋*.

¹⁰ "Speak to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* and say to them, 'When you come to the land that I am about to give to you and you reap its harvest, then* you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruit of your harvest to the priest.

³ Israel was holy to Yahweh, the first fruit of his produce. All those who ate it were held guilty; disaster came to them," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.'"

¹ Alas for those being at ease in Zion, and those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, the notables of the best of the nations! The house of Israel resorts to them.

¹³ who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a husband, but of God.

³ Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above,* he is not able to see the kingdom of God." ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is an old man? He is not able to enter into his mother's womb for the second time and be born, can he?"* ⁵ Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.

¹⁷ (just as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")* before God, in whom he believed, the one who makes the dead alive and who calls the things that are not as though they are,

²⁹ because those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he should be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined, these he also called, and those whom he called, these he also justified, and those whom he justified, these he also glorified. ³¹ What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

¹⁵ For to Moses he says, "I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion."* ¹⁶ Consequently therefore, _⌊it does not depend on the_⌋* one who wills or on the one who runs, but on God who shows mercy. ¹⁷ For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very reason I have raised you up, so that I may demonstrate my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."* ¹⁸ Consequently therefore, he has mercy on whomever he wishes, and he hardens whomever he wishes.

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.

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

²⁰ and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by* making peace through the blood of his cross, through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven. ²¹ And _⌊although you were formerly alienated_⌋** and enemies in attitude, because of your evil deeds,

¹³ But we ought to give thanks to God always concerning you, brothers dearly loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you as first fruits for salvation by the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth, ¹⁴ for which purpose he called* you through our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²³ and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,

²¹ Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome* with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls.

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,

²³ because you* have been born again, not from perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

⁹ Everyone who is fathered by God does not practice sin, because his seed resides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God.

⁴ These are those who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were bought from humanity as first fruits to God and to the Lamb,

² So Ezra the priest brought the law* before the assembly for each man and woman to hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. ³ He read from it facing the public square before the Water Gate from dawn until noon that day, opposite the men, women, and those with understanding. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.*

¹² All of the people went to eat, to drink, to send a share, and to have great joy because they understood the words that they had made known to them. ¹³ On the second day the heads of the _⌊families_⌋* of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered together to Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law.* ¹⁴ They found written in the law,* which Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the _⌊Israelites_⌋* should live in booths during the festival of the seventh month,

¹⁸ And he read from the scroll of the law* of God day by day from the first day up to the last day. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly according to the rule.

³ They stood up in their place and read from the book of the law* of Yahweh their God for a fourth part of the day, and for a fourth they were confessing and worshiping Yahweh their God.

¹⁷ They refused to listen and did not remember your wonders that you did among them. They stiffened their neck and in their rebellion _⌊determined_⌋* to return to their slavery. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, _⌊slow to anger_⌋,* abundant in loyal love, so you did not abandon them.

³² "And now, children, listen to me; happy are those who will keep my ways. ³³ Hear teaching and be wise; do not neglect it. ³⁴ Happy is the person who listens to me, in order to keep watch at my doors day by day, in order to guard the frames of my entrances. ³⁵ For he who finds me is he who finds* life, and he obtains favor from Yahweh.

¹⁹ In many words, transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.

³ He who keeps his mouth guards his life;* he who opens his lips, ruin belongs to him.

¹⁷ He who is short of _⌊temper_⌋* will act foolishly, and the man who schemes will be hated.

²⁹ He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but the hasty of spirit* exalts folly.

² The tongue of the wise will dispense knowledge, but the mouth of fools will pour out folly.

¹⁸ A man who is hot-tempered will stir up strife, but he who is slow to _⌊anger_⌋,* he will calm contention.

³² He who is slow to anger* is better than him who is mighty, and he who controls his spirit than him who captures a city.

¹⁴ Like the release of water is the beginning of strife; before it breaks out, stop the quarrel.

²⁷ He who spares his sayings knows knowledge, and a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

¹³ He who returns a word before he will hear, folly itself belongs to him as well as* shame.

²¹ Death and life are in the _⌊power_⌋* of the tongue, and those who love her* will eat of her fruit.

¹¹ The understanding of a person makes him slow to his _⌊anger_⌋,* and his glory overlooks offense.

¹⁹ A hot-tempered person pays a penalty; if you rescue him, you will do it yet again.

²³ He who guards his mouth and his tongue, he guards his life* from danger.

²⁸ A breached city where there is no wall is like a man who _⌊has no_⌋* self-control for his spirit.

¹ * Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. ² Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be quick to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore, let your words be few. ³ For a dream comes with many cares, and the voice of a fool with many words.

⁸ The end of a matter is better than its beginning; _⌊better to be slow to anger than hot-headed_⌋.* ⁹ Do not be quick in your spirit to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry at his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Stupid fool!'* will be subject to the council, and whoever says, 'Obstinate fool!'* will be subject to fiery hell.

² And many had gathered, so that there was no longer room, not even at the door, and he was speaking the word to them.

³⁷ David himself calls him 'Lord,' and how is he his son?" And the large crowd was listening to him gladly.

¹ Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear him.

⁴⁸ And they did not find anything they could do, because all the people were paying close attention to what they were hearing from him.

⁴² And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.

³³ Therefore I sent for you at once, and you _⌊were kind enough to come_⌋.* So now we all are present before God to hear all the things that have been commanded to you by the Lord."

⁴² And as* they were going out, they began urging* that these things be spoken about to them on the next Sabbath. ⁴³ And after* the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the devout* proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and* were persuading them to continue in the grace of God. ⁴⁴ And on the coming Sabbath, nearly the whole city came together to hear the word of the Lord.

⁴⁸ And when* the Gentiles heard this,* they began to rejoice* and to glorify the word of the Lord. And all those who were designated for eternal life believed.

¹¹ Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. _⌊They_⌋* accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day to see if these things were so.

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.

²⁶ Be angry and do not sin;* do not let the sun set on your anger,

³¹ All bitterness, and rage, and wrath, and clamor, and abusive speech, must be removed from you, together with all wickedness.

⁸ But now you also lay aside all these things: anger, rage, wickedness, slander, abusive language from your mouth.

¹⁵ And the peace of Christ must rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

¹³ And because of this we also give thanks to God constantly, that when you* received God's word _⌊that you heard_⌋* from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.

²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious, although he* does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

¹ Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you* know that we will receive a greater judgment.* ² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual,* able to hold in check his whole body also.

²¹ I have not written to you because* you do not know the truth, but because* you do know it, and because* every lie is not of the truth.

¹¹ Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice. And abundant water went out, and the community and their livestock drank. ¹² But Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not trusted in me, to regard me as holy _⌊in the sight of_⌋* the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given to them."

²⁴ And the slave of the Lord must not quarrel, but be kind toward everyone, skillful in teaching, tolerant, ²⁵ correcting those who are opposed with gentleness, seeing whether perhaps God may grant them repentance to a knowledge of the truth,

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy, ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among* those who make peace.

⁹ He causes the humble to walk in justice, and teaches the humble his way.

²⁰ On that day humanity will throw away its idols of silver and its idols of gold, which they made for it to worship, to the rodents* and to the bats—

¹⁹ And the meek _⌊have joy after joy_⌋* in Yahweh, and the needy of the people shall rejoice in the holy one of Israel.

²² And you will defile the plating of your silver idols and the covering of your gold image. You will scatter them like contaminated things;* you will say to it, "Filth!"*

¹ The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me, because Yahweh has anointed me, he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up _⌊the brokenhearted_⌋,* to _⌊proclaim_⌋* release to the captives and liberation to those who are bound,

³¹ Throw _⌊away from yourselves_⌋* all of your transgressions that you committed,* and make _⌊for yourselves_⌋* a new heart and new spirit, and so why will you die, house of Israel?

²⁵ And I will sprinkle on you pure water, and you will be clean from all of your uncleanness, and I will cleanse you from all of your idols.

³ Seek Yahweh, all you afflicted of the land who have fulfilled his law; seek righteousness; seek humility. Perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the anger of Yahweh.

⁵ Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth.

⁶³ The Spirit is the one who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

²⁶ "Men and brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who fear God—to us the message of this salvation has been sent!

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

¹⁷ But thanks be to God that you were slaves of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted,

¹⁷ Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although you* were a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a sharer of the root of the olive tree's richness,

¹² The night is far gone, and the day has drawn near. Therefore let us throw off* the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light. ¹³ Let us live decently, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy.

² by which you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the message I proclaimed to you, unless you believed to no purpose.

¹ Therefore since we* have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, accomplishing holiness in the fear of God.

¹³ in whom also you, when you heard* the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also when you believed you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

⁴ and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving.

⁵ Therefore put to death _⌊what is earthly in you_⌋*: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustful passion, evil desire, and greediness, which is idolatry, ⁶ because of which the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which also you once lived, when you used to live in them.* ⁸ But now you also lay aside all these things: anger, rage, wickedness, slander, abusive language from your mouth.

⁵ because our gospel did not come to you with word only, but also with power and with the Holy Spirit and with much certainty, just as you know what sort of people we became among you for your sake.

¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the holy writings that are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people,

³ how will we escape if we* neglect so great a salvation which had its beginning when it* was spoken through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard,

² _⌊For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us_⌋*, just as those also did, but the message _⌊they heard_⌋* did not benefit them, because they* were not united with those who heard it in faith.

⁹ obtaining the goal of your faith, the salvation of your* souls.

¹ Therefore, ridding yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires which wage war against your* soul,

³ The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of a rock, the heights of its dwelling, you who say in your heart: 'Who can bring me down to the ground?'

²¹ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many miracles in your name?' ²³ And then _⌊I will say to them plainly_⌋,* 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!' ²⁴ "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not collapse, because its foundation was laid on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and its fall was great."

⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother."

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."

⁴⁶ "And why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?* ⁴⁷ "Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them—I will show you what he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when* a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well.

²⁸ But he said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it!"*

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_⌋.* ⁴⁸ But the one who did not know and did things deserving blows _⌊will be given a light beating_⌋.* And from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be demanded, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will ask him for even more.

¹⁷ If you understand these things, you are blessed if you do them.

¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.*

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks himself to be wise among you in this age, let him become a fool, in order that he may become wise.

³³ Do not be deceived! "Bad company corrupts good morals."*

³ For if anyone thinks he is something although he* is nothing, he is deceiving himself.

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable, if there is any excellence of character and if anything praiseworthy, think about these things.

¹⁷ and everything _⌊whatever_⌋* you do in word or in deed, giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus to God the Father through him.

¹³ But evil people and imposters will progress to the worse, deceiving and being deceived.

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.

¹⁴ What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it?* ¹⁵ If a brother or a sister is poorly clothed and lacking food for the day, ¹⁶ and one of you should say to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and _⌊eat well_⌋*," but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what is the benefit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. ¹⁸ But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works."* Show me your faith apart from your* works, and I will show you my* faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

¹⁷ Therefore, to the one who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

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,

⁸ If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you: the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous.

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

⁹ And the great dragon was thrown down, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

⁷ "And behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."

¹⁶ "Concerning the word that you have spoken to us in the name of Yahweh, we are not going to listen to you!

³¹ And they come to you _⌊as people do_⌋,* and they sit _⌊before you_⌋,* and my people hear your words, and they do not do them, for they are showing* passion in their mouth, but their heart is going after ill-gotten gain. ³² Now, look! You are to them like _⌊a sensual song_⌋,* beautiful of voice and _⌊played well on an instrument_⌋,* and they hear your words, _⌊but they are not doing them_⌋.*

⁷ So the scribes and the Pharisees were watching closely* to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they could find a reason* to accuse him.

⁴⁷ "Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them—I will show you what he is like:

¹⁴ What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it?* ¹⁵ If a brother or a sister is poorly clothed and lacking food for the day, ¹⁶ and one of you should say to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and _⌊eat well_⌋*," but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what is the benefit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. ¹⁸ But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works."* Show me your faith apart from your* works, and I will show you my* faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he* offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works the faith was perfected. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,"* and he was called God's friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And likewise was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she* welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

¹⁸ And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What type were the men whom you killed at Tabor?" And they said, "_⌊They were like you_⌋;* each one of them had the appearance of the sons of the king."

²⁷ And the men were astonished, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"

⁶⁶ And all those who heard kept these things* in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!"

³⁹ Now when* the Pharisee who invited him saw this,* he spoke to himself, saying, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner."

¹¹ Because* all these things are being destroyed in this way, what sort of people must you be in holy behavior and godliness,

¹⁴ If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not be rebellious against _⌊what Yahweh says_⌋,* and both you and the king who rules over you will follow after Yahweh your God, all will be well.

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. ¹¹ Moreover, your servant is warned* by them; in keeping them is great reward.

³ Blessed are those who observe justice, he who does righteousness at all times.

² Blessed are those who keep his testimonies; they seek him with a whole heart. ³ They also do no wrong; they walk in his ways.

³² I will run the way of your commands, for you will enlarge my heart.*

⁴⁵ And I will go about _⌊freely_⌋,* for I have sought your precepts.

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.

¹⁵ The simple will believe every word, but the clever will consider his step.

²⁰ for teaching and for testimony?" _⌊surely they who speak like this have no dawn_⌋.*

⁴⁷ "Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them—I will show you what he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when* a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words* and does not do them* is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, which the river burst against, and immediately it collapsed—and the collapse of that house was great!"

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples, ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

³⁶ So if the son sets you free, you will be truly free.

⁹ "Just as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.

⁴³ And after* the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the devout* proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and* were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.

²² Therefore I have experienced help from God until this day, and* I stand here testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what both the prophets and Moses have said were going to happen,

⁷ to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, ⁸ but to those who act from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger.

¹² So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

²² For I joyfully agree with the law of God in my inner person, ²³ but I observe another law in my members, at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that exists in my members.

¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba!* Father!"

²² See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity upon those who have fallen, but upon you the kindness of God—if you continue in his kindness, for otherwise you also will be cut off.

⁵⁸ So then, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you* know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting* the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

⁵ Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are unqualified?

⁴ Now this was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order that they might enslave us,

¹ For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

²³ if indeed you remain in the faith, established and steadfast and not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

¹⁵ But she will be saved through the bearing of children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with self-control.

¹⁶ Fix your attention on yourself and on your teaching. Continue in them, for by* doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

¹⁵ Take care that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no one growing up like a root of bitterness causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

²³ because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone* staring at _⌊his own face_⌋* in a mirror, ²⁴ for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was.

¹² Thus speak and thus act as those who are going to be judged by the law of liberty.

¹⁶ Live as free persons, and not using your* freedom as a covering for evil, but as slaves of God.

²⁴ As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write:
'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'"
"Yes," says the Spirit, "in order that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow after them."

¹⁴ Blessed are the ones who wash their robes, so that their authority will be over the tree of life and they may enter into the city through the gates.

¹⁶ _⌊Take care_⌋* so that your heart is not easily deceived, and you turn away, and you serve other gods, and you bow down to them.

⁹ Do not be like a horse or like a mule, without understanding; that needs his tackle—bridle and rein—for restraint or he would not come near you.

¹³ Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

¹ For the music director. For Jeduthun.* A psalm of David.*
I said, "I will guard my ways _⌊that I may not sin_⌋* with my tongue. I will keep a muzzle over my mouth as long as the wicked are before me." ² I was mute with silence. I was silent even from saying good things, and my pain was stirred up.

³ Set a guard, O Yahweh, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.

³¹ The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a tongue of perversity will be cut off.

² From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he shall eat what is good, but the desire* of the treacherous, wrongdoing. ³ He who keeps his mouth guards his life;* he who opens his lips, ruin belongs to him.

¹² There is a way that seems upright _⌊to_⌋* a man, but its end is the way of death.

¹⁰ A decision is upon the lips of a king; in judgment his mouth will not sin.

²⁵ There is a way that seems upright _⌊to_⌋* a man, but its end is the way of death.

²⁶ _⌊All day_⌋* he craves a craving, but the righteous will give and not hold back.

¹³ You must not _⌊continue_⌋* to bring offerings* of futility, incense—it is an abomination to me; new moon and Sabbath, the calling of a convocation— I cannot endure iniquity with solemn assembly.

¹⁴ You have said, 'It is useless* to serve God! What is the gain if we keep* his requirements, and if we walk as mourners _⌊before_⌋* Yahweh of hosts?

⁹ and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"*

⁷ And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'*

¹⁸ Therefore consider how you listen, for whoever has, to him more will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away from him."

¹⁵ And also we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if after all, then, the dead are not raised.

⁶ But from those _⌊who were influential_⌋* (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me, _⌊God does not show partiality_⌋*)—for those who were influential added nothing to me.

⁴ Have you suffered so many things for nothing—if indeed also it was for nothing?

²⁹ _⌊No rotten word must proceed_⌋* from your mouth, but only something good for the building up of the need, in order that it may give grace to those who hear,

⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how it is necessary for you to answer each one.

²² But be doers of the message and not hearers only,* deceiving yourselves,

²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual,* able to hold in check his whole body also. ³ And if we put bits in the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we also guide their whole bodies. ⁴ Behold also ships: although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wishes. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member of the body* and boasts great things. Behold how small a fire sets ablaze how great a forest! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire! The world of unrighteousness,* the tongue, is set among our members, defiling the whole body and setting on fire _⌊the course of human existence_⌋*, being set on fire by hell.

¹⁰ For
"The one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his* tongue from evil and his lips must not speak deceit.

¹² because I saved the needy who cried for help, and I saved* the orphan for whom there was no helper. ¹³ The blessing of the wretched came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

¹⁵ Did not he who made me in the womb make them? And did not one fashion us in the womb? ¹⁶ "If I have withheld the desire of the poor from them, or* I have caused the widow's eyes to fail, ¹⁷ or I have eaten my morsel _⌊alone_⌋,* and the orphan has not eaten from it ¹⁸ (for from my childhood he* _⌊grew up with_⌋* me like a father, and from my mother's womb I guided her*), ¹⁹ if I have seen the one who perishes because of no clothing or* that there is no covering for the poor, ²⁰ if his loins have not blessed me, or* by means of my sheep's fleece he has warmed himself,

⁵ A father to orphans and a judge for widows is God in his holy habitation.

¹ Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of Yahweh.

¹⁶ Wash! Make yourselves clean! Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes! Cease to do evil! ¹⁷ Learn to do good! Seek justice! Rescue the oppressed! Defend the orphan! Plead for the widow!

²³ Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Every one loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan and the legal dispute of the widow does not come before them.

⁶ Is this not the fast I choose: to release the bonds of injustice, to untie the ropes of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and _⌊tear_⌋* every yoke to pieces? ⁷ Is it not to break your bread for the hungry? You must bring _⌊home_⌋* the poor, the homeless. When you see the naked, you must cover him, and you must not hide yourself from your _⌊relatives_⌋.*

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

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! ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something* to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something* to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me as a guest, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me.' ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,* or thirsty and give you something* to drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you* as a guest, or naked and clothe you?* ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?' ⁴⁰ And the king will answer and* say to them, 'Truly I say to you, in as much as you did it* to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it* to me.' ⁴¹ Then he will also say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! ⁴² For I was hungry and you did not give me anything* to eat, I was thirsty and you did not give me anything* to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not care for me.' ⁴⁴ Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not serve you?' ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I say to you, in as much as you did not do it* to one of the least of these, you did not do it* to me.' ⁴⁶ And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

⁶ And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.

¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.

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.

⁴ who gave himself for our sins in order to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

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

⁹ And let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we* do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the household of faith.

¹⁴ But as for me, may it never be that I boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

¹ Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

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

⁴ But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to show profound respect for their own household first, and to pay back recompense to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

⁴ Adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, ¹⁶ because everything that is in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of material possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and its desire,* but the one who does the will of God remains _⌊forever_⌋*.

¹⁷ But whoever has the world's material possessions and observes his brother _⌊in need_⌋* and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God reside in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. ¹⁹ By this* we know that we are of the truth and will convince our heart before him,

⁴ because everyone who is fathered by God conquers the world. ⁵ Now who is the one who conquers the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

¹⁸ We know that everyone who is fathered by God does not sin, but the one fathered by God, he protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.