Colossians 2 Cross References - NHEB

¹ For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; ² that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³ in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden. ⁴ Now I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive words. ⁵ For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. ⁶ As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. ⁸ Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty and deceptive philosophy, according to human tradition, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power; ¹¹ in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; ¹⁵ having disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you about food and drink, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's. ¹⁸ Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God's growth. ²⁰ If you died with Christ from the elementary principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, ²¹ "Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch" ²² (all of which perish with use), according to human commandments and teachings? ²³ Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

⁸ Rachel said, "I have wrestled mightily with my sister, and have prevailed." So she named him Naphtali.

²⁴ Then Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the rising of the dawn. ²⁵ When he saw that he did not defeat him, he struck the socket of his hip, and Jacobʼs hip was dislocated as he wrestled with him. ²⁶ Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But Jacob said, "I wonʼt let you go unless you bless me." ²⁷ And he said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." ²⁸ Then he said, "Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed." ²⁹ Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask what my name is?" And he blessed him there. ³⁰ So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life has been preserved."

³ In the womb he took his brother by the heel; and in his manhood he contended with God. ⁴ Indeed, he struggled with the angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made petition to him. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with him,

⁴⁴ Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

²⁵ "And now, look, I know that you all, among whom I went about proclaiming the Kingdom, will see my face no more.

³⁸ sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

¹⁹ My children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—

³⁰ having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me.

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the church;

²⁹ for which I also labor, struggling according to his power, which works in me mightily.

⁵ For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

¹² Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³ For I testify about him, that he has worked hard for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis.

¹⁵ Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that is in her house. ¹⁶ When this letter has been read among you, cause it to be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

² but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict.

⁷ In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

⁸ whom not having seen you love; in whom, though now you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy inexpressible and full of glory—

¹¹ saying, "What you see, write on a scroll and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."

¹⁴ "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God's creation, says these things: ¹⁵ "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, 'I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;' and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to put on your eyes, that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. Be zealous therefore, and repent. ²⁰ Look, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me. ²¹ He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

¹ [A Song of Ascents. By David.] See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity.

¹⁷ The work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

¹ "Comfort, comfort my people," says your God.

¹¹ After the suffering of his soul he will see light and be satisfied by his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, will make many righteous, and he will bear their iniquities.

²⁴ but let him who boasts boast in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight," says the LORD.

²⁵ At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children.

²⁷ All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

²¹ In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight." ²² "All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him."

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and apart from him nothing was made that has been made.

¹⁷ But he answered them, "My Father is still working, so I am working, too."

²³ that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

⁶⁹ We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

³⁰ I and the Father are one."

³⁸ But if I do them, though you do not believe me, believe the works; that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

⁹ Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, and still you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?' ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me; or else believe because of the works themselves.

¹⁵ All things that the Father has are mine; that is why I said that he takes of mine, and will declare it to you.

³ This is everlasting life, that they may know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

²¹ that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us; that the world may believe that you sent me. ²² The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one; ²³ I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.

³² And the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

²⁵ Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages,

¹² But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.

⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ. ⁶ But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; ¹⁸ having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might

⁹ and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; ¹⁰ to the intent that now through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places,

²² whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.

¹ If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,

⁸ More than that, I count all things to be a loss compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

⁹ For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, do not cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

¹⁵ who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created by him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

²⁷ to them God was pleased to make known the glorious riches of this mystery among the non-Jews, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;

¹⁴ Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

⁸ I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts,

⁵ and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of persons we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

² and sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;

¹⁴ We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all.

¹⁶ Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us everlasting comfort and good hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

¹⁶ Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: He was revealed in the flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

¹¹ We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end,

²² let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,

³ seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue;

¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. ¹⁹ And by this we will know that we are of the truth, and persuade our heart before him,

¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

⁷ For there are three who testify:

²¹ Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.

⁴ If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

²⁶ Therefore do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known.

³³ Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out.

²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

³⁰ And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

⁶ We speak wisdom, however, among those who are mature, but a wisdom not of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are passing away. ⁷ But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God determined in advance before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age has understood. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁸ which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

¹⁹ For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,

³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to God.

¹⁵ From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the person of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

¹⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he who receives it.

⁴ Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray.

²⁴ For there will arise false messiahs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

²² For there will arise false messiahs and false prophets, and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the chosen ones.

³⁰ Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

¹⁸ For those who are such do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the innocent. ¹⁹ For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil.

⁴ My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

³ But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the sincerity and purity that is in Christ.

¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. ¹² But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we. ¹³ For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ's apostles.

⁴ This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

¹⁴ that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by cleverness in deceitful schemes;

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.

⁸ Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty and deceptive philosophy, according to human tradition, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

¹⁸ Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

⁹ even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And because of this, God sends them a strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

¹ But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, ² through the hypocrisy of liars, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;

¹⁶ But shun empty chatter, for they will proceed further in ungodliness,

¹³ But evil people and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

¹⁰ For there are many rebellious people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹ whose mouths must be silenced; who are upsetting whole families, teaching things which they should not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

¹ Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all deceit, and hypocrisy, and envy, and all slander, ² as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby to salvation, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good:

¹⁸ Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray.

¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

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

⁹ The great serpent was thrown down, the ancient serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been killed.

³ and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.

⁸ and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

¹⁸ When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking to her.

³⁵ Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

⁸ and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

³⁷ For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.

⁴² They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

³ For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing. ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

³⁴ But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.

⁴⁰ Let all things be done decently and in order.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

¹³ Watch. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

¹ For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

¹⁷ But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,

⁸ For now we live, since you stand firm in the Lord.

¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end:

¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the curtain;

⁹ Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever.

⁵ House of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

² Many nations will go and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion will go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem;

⁴⁰ Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

¹² But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name, ¹³ who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

²⁰ Truly, truly, I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me."

⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight.

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

¹ I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, urge you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

¹ Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, even as Christ also loved us, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

²⁷ Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

¹⁰ that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

¹⁷ Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.

¹ Finally then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, even as you are living, that you excel more and more.

⁶ he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked.

¹¹ The testimony is this, that God gave to us everlasting life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have God's Son does not have the life.

²⁰ We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

⁸ Watch yourselves, that you do not lose the things which we have accomplished, but that you receive a full reward. ⁹ Whoever goes on and does not remain in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. He who remains in the teaching, the same has both the Father and the Son.

³ Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

³ He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.

¹³ They are planted in the LORD's house. They will flourish in our God's courts.

³ to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

⁸ For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

²³ in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of its branches shall they dwell. ²⁴ All the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.'"

²⁴ "Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, will be compared to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. ²⁵ And the rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

⁴⁸ He is like someone building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

⁴ Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. ⁵ I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree; ¹⁸ do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.

⁹ For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw; ¹³ each man's work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man's work is. ¹⁴ If any man's work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.

²¹ Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;

²⁰ being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; ²¹ in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²² in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

²¹ if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:

²⁰ giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father;

¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light; ¹³ who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

²³ if it is so that you continue in the faith, established and firm, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

¹⁸ In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

¹⁵ Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

⁴ coming to him, a living stone, though rejected by people but chosen by God, precious. ⁵ You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Because it is contained in Scripture, "Look, I am laying in Zion a stone, a chosen precious cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

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

¹² These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

²⁰ But you, beloved, keep building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,

¹² then beware lest you forget the LORD, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

¹⁵ Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.

⁸ For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Do not let your prophets who are in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.

¹⁵ "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

¹⁷ But beware of people: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you.

² "Why do your disciples disobey the Tradition of the Elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." ³ And he answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' ⁵ But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God," ⁶ he is not to honor his father or his mother.' You have made the word of God void because of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ⁸ 'These people honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. ⁹ And in vain do they worship me, teaching instructions that are the commandments of humans.'"

⁶ Jesus said to them, "Watch out and guard yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

³ (For the Pharisees, and all Jewish people, do not eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the Tradition of the Elders. ⁴ They do not eat when they come from the marketplace unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold to, the washing of cups and pitchers and copper vessels and dining couches.) ⁵ The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the Tradition of the Elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?" ⁶ He said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ And in vain do they worship me, teaching instructions that are the commandments of humans.' ⁸ "For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to human tradition." ⁹ He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may establish your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;' and, 'Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' ¹¹ But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;"' ¹² then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

³² Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want to hear you again concerning this."

²¹ Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but their thinking became nonsense, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

¹⁷ Now I appeal to you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.

¹⁹ For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will nullify." ²⁰ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe. ²² For Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the non-Jews,

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this age, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He traps the wise in their craftiness."

³⁵ But someone will say, "How are the dead raised?" and, "With what kind of body do they come?" ³⁶ You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.

⁵ throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

¹⁴ I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

³ So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.

⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience;

²⁰ But you did not learn Christ that way;

² Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.

²⁰ If you died with Christ from the elementary principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

²² (all of which perish with use), according to human commandments and teachings?

²⁰ Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called;

¹⁷ and their word will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; ¹⁸ who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some.

⁹ Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

¹⁸ knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness.

⁸ Watch yourselves, that you do not lose the things which we have accomplished, but that you receive a full reward.

¹⁴ Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Look, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel.

²³ "Look, the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel;" which is translated, "God with us."

²² and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying "You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased."

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only of the Father, full of grace and truth.

²¹ But he spoke of the temple of his body.

⁹ Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, and still you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?' ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works.

²⁰ In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

²¹ that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.

¹⁹ namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

² that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³ in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.

¹³ looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ;

¹⁶ For of his fullness we all received, and grace upon grace.

³⁰ And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹ so that, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."

²⁶ For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring and heirs according to promise.

²⁰ which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. ²² He put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

¹⁹ and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

¹⁵ but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; ¹⁶ from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created by him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. ¹⁸ He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹¹ where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.

⁹ Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of everlasting salvation,

²² who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

⁹ They sang a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and redeemed for God with your blood those from every tribe, language, people, and nation, ¹⁰ and made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on earth." ¹¹ I saw, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands; ¹² saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing." ¹³ I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever."

¹⁶ Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

⁶ The LORD your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.

⁴ Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

⁵⁸ "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'"

²¹ When eight days were fulfilled to circumcise him, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

⁴⁸ However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

²⁴ The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,

²⁹ but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, by the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from people, but from God.

⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.

¹ For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, everlasting, in the heavens.

¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Look, new things have come.

⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, ⁵ that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.

²⁴ Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. ¹¹ Therefore remember that once you, the non-Jews in the flesh, who are called "uncircumcision" by that which is called "circumcision," (in the flesh, made by hands); ¹² that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, ¹⁵ having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace; ¹⁶ and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which he put to death their enmity. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

²² that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old self, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;

³ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

⁸ but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices,

¹¹ But Christ having come as a high priest of the good things that have come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,

²⁴ For Christ hasn't entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

³ Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I tell you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" ⁵ Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be surprised that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

²⁴ whom God raised up, having freed him from the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.

²⁷ When they had arrived, and had gathered the church together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.

²⁴ but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

³ Or do you not know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;

⁸ But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; ⁹ knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ In the same way, consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

⁴ Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we may bear fruit to God.

¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink of one Spirit.

²⁰ But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might ²⁰ which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

⁸ for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

⁷ of which I was made a servant, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.

⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

¹⁴ Therefore he says, "Awake, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

²⁹ Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

¹ If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.

⁵ not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of rebirth and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior;

² of the teaching of washings, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of everlasting judgment.

² looking to Jesus, the founder and completer of the faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an everlasting covenant, our Lord Jesus, ²¹ make you complete in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.

¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. ¹⁷ All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.

²¹ This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body, but an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

¹ Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin; ² that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for human desires, but for the will of God. ³ For enough time in the past has been spent doing the will of the unbelievers, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

¹ [By David. A contemplative psalm.] Happy are those whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

²⁰ You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my affliction, for your word has revived me.

¹⁸ "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

⁷ let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

³⁴ and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD'; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest,for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sins I will remember no more."

¹ The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. ² He caused me to pass by them all around: and look, there were very many in the open valley; and look, they were very dry. ³ He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I answered, "Lord GOD, you know." ⁴ Again he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, 'You dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.' ⁵ Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: 'Look, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. ⁶ I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.'" ⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and look, an earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ I saw, and, look, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.'" ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

⁶⁰ But Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God."

²⁴ for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.' They began to celebrate.

³² But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive; and he was lost, and is found.'"

²¹ For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.

⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.

³⁸ Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you forgiveness of sins, ³⁹ and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

¹⁷ As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations." This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.

¹³ Neither present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

¹¹ But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

³⁶ You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.

⁴⁵ So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

⁶ who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died. ¹⁵ He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.

¹ You were made alive when you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

¹¹ Therefore remember that once you, the non-Jews in the flesh, who are called "uncircumcision" by that which is called "circumcision," (in the flesh, made by hands);

⁶ But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives.

¹³ I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession,

¹ Therefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God,

¹⁰ "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days," says the Lord; "I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ¹¹ They will not teach each one his fellow citizen, and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. ¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins no more."

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

¹⁷ Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

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

²⁶ For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹² I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

²³ "The priest shall write these curses on a scroll, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness.

⁵ do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders."

¹² Then the king's scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king's satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the officials of every people, to every province according its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Achashyerosh, and it was sealed with the king's ring.

⁸ Write also to the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring; for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may not be reversed by any man."

¹ [For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.] Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

⁹ Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities.

²⁵ I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

²² I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

¹⁴ He will say, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people."

⁷ The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever shall read this writing, and show me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." ⁸ Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

⁶ They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

¹⁹ "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,

¹ But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, though he is lord of all; ² but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father. ³ So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,

¹⁴ For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, ¹⁵ having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace; ¹⁶ and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which he put to death their enmity.

⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.

¹⁸ For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness

¹³ In that he says, "new," he has made the first old. But that which is becoming old and grows aged is near to vanishing away.

⁹ which is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshipper perfect; ¹⁰ but deal only with foods and drinks and various washings; they are regulations for the flesh imposed until the time of setting things right.

⁸ Previously saying, "Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you did not desire, nor took pleasure in” (which are offered according to the Law), ⁹ then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second,

²⁴ who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose wounds you were healed.

¹⁵ I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."

¹⁸ You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. And you gave gifts to people; but the rebellious will not dwell in the presence of God.

²⁴ Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered? ²⁵ But thus says the LORD, "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the tyrant shall be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children.

¹² Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and he was numbered with transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for their transgressions.

²⁹ Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and carry off his possessions, unless he first bind the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

¹⁸ He said to them, "I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.

²² But when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armor in which he trusted, and divides up his plunder.

³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there insulted him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." ⁴⁰ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." ⁴² And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." ⁴³ And he said to him, "Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

³¹ Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. ³² And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to myself."

¹¹ about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.

³⁰ When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished." He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.

²³ him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; ²⁴ whom God raised up, having freed him from the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.

³² This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit by my right hand, ³⁵ until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' ³⁶ "Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

⁴ in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they would not see the light of the glorious Good News of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁸ Therefore he says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people."

¹² For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world's rulers of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created by him and for him.

¹⁴ Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

² He seized the serpent, the ancient snake, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, ³ and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.

¹⁰ The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

² "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. ³ Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat. ⁴ "'Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. ⁵ The coney, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. ⁶ The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn't part the hoof, she is unclean to you. ⁷ The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn't chew the cud, he is unclean to you. ⁸ Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you. ⁹ "'These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat. ¹⁰ All that do not have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you, ¹¹ and you detest them. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. ¹² Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination to you. ¹³ "'These you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture, ¹⁴ and the red kite, any kind of black kite, ¹⁵ any kind of raven, ¹⁶ the horned owl, the screech owl, and the gull, any kind of hawk, ¹⁷ the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, ¹⁸ the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, ¹⁹ the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. ²⁰ "'All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you. ²¹ Yet you may eat these: of all winged crawling creatures that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to hop on the earth. ²² Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper. ²³ But all winged crawling creatures which have four feet, are an abomination to you. ²⁴ "'By these you will become unclean: whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening. ²⁵ Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. ²⁶ "'Every animal which parts the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor chews the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. ²⁷ Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, they are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening. ²⁸ He who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you. ²⁹ "'These are they which are unclean to you among the creatures that crawl on the earth: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, ³⁰ the gecko, and the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. ³¹ These are they which are unclean to you among all that crawl. Whoever touches them when they are dead, shall be unclean until the evening. ³² On whatever any of them falls when they are dead, it shall be unclean; whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it will be clean. ³³ Every earthen vessel, into which any of them falls, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. ³⁴ All food which may be eaten, that on which water comes, shall be unclean; and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. ³⁵ Everything whereupon part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces: they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. ³⁶ Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is a gathered shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean. ³⁷ If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. ³⁸ But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. ³⁹ "'If any animal, of which you may eat, dies; he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. ⁴⁰ He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. ⁴¹ "'Every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten. ⁴² Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creatures that crawl on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination. ⁴³ You shall not make yourselves abominable with any crawling creature that crawls, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled thereby. ⁴⁴ For I am the LORD your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of crawling creature that moves on the earth. ⁴⁵ For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. ⁴⁶ "'This is the law of the animal, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that crawls on the earth, ⁴⁷ to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.'"

³¹ It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls; it is a statute forever.

¹⁰ "'Any man of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners who sojourn among you, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. ¹¹ For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. ¹² Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, "No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood." ¹³ "'Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the foreigners who sojourn among you, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust. ¹⁴ For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life: therefore I said to the children of Israel, "You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off." ¹⁵ "'Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening: then he shall be clean.

¹ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'The set feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts. ³ "'Six days shall work be done: but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no manner of work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. ⁴ "'These are the set feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season. ⁵ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is the LORD's Passover. ⁶ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the LORD. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. ⁷ In the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. ⁸ But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD seven days. In the seventh day is a holy convocation: you shall do no regular work.'" ⁹ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁰ "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its the harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest: ¹¹ and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. ¹² On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb without blemish a year old for a burnt offering to the LORD. ¹³ The meal offering with it shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD for a pleasant aroma; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. ¹⁴ You shall eat neither bread, nor roasted grain, nor fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ¹⁵ "'You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be completed: ¹⁶ even to the next day after the seventh Sabbath you shall number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to the LORD. ¹⁷ You shall bring out of your habitations two loaves of bread for a wave offering made of two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour. They shall be baked with yeast, for first fruits to the LORD. ¹⁸ You shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to the LORD. ¹⁹ You shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. ²⁰ The priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. ²¹ You shall make proclamation on the same day: there shall be a holy convocation to you; you shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. ²² "'When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap into the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest: you shall leave them for the poor, and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.'" ²³ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴ "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. ²⁵ You shall do no regular work; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.'" ²⁶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁷ "However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. ²⁸ You shall do no manner of work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. ²⁹ For whoever it is who shall not deny himself in that same day; shall be cut off from his people. ³⁰ Whoever it is who does any manner of work in that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. ³¹ You shall do no manner of work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³² It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath." ³³ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ³⁴ "Speak to the children of Israel, and say, 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of booths for seven days to the LORD. ³⁵ On the first day shall be a holy convocation: you shall do no regular work. ³⁶ Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work. ³⁷ "'These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day; ³⁸ besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. ³⁹ "'So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. ⁴⁰ You shall take on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. ⁴¹ You shall keep it a feast to the LORD seven days in the year: it is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall keep it in the seventh month. ⁴² You shall dwell in booths seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in booths, ⁴³ that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'" ⁴⁴ Moses declared to the children of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD.

¹⁰ "Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am the LORD your God."

¹ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² "Command the children of Israel, and tell them, 'My offering, my food for my offerings made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to me, you shall observe to offer to me in their due season.' ³ You shall tell them, 'This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: male lambs a year old without blemish, two day by day, for a continual burnt offering. ⁴ You shall offer the one lamb in the morning, and you shall offer the other lamb at evening; ⁵ with the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. ⁶ It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. ⁷ Its drink offering shall be the fourth part of a hin for the one lamb. You shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD in the holy place. ⁸ The other lamb you shall offer at evening: as the meal offering of the morning, and as the drink offering of it, you shall offer it, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD. ⁹ "'On the Sabbath day two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with oil, and the drink offering of it: ¹⁰ this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering, and the drink offering of it. ¹¹ "'In the beginnings of your months you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, and one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; ¹² and three tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; and two tenth parts of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; ¹³ and a tenth part of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering to every lamb; for a burnt offering of a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. ¹⁴ Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, and the third part of a hin for the ram, and the fourth part of a hin for a lamb: this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. ¹⁵ One male goat for a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered besides the continual burnt offering, and the drink offering of it. ¹⁶ "'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the LORD's Passover. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. ¹⁸ In the first day shall be a holy convocation: you shall do no servile work; ¹⁹ but you shall offer an offering made by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, and one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; they shall be to you without blemish; ²⁰ and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: you shall offer three tenth parts for a bull, and two tenth parts for the ram. ²¹ You shall offer a tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs; ²² and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. ²³ You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. ²⁴ In this way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD: it shall be offered besides the continual burnt offering, and the drink offering of it. ²⁵ On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation: you shall do no servile work. ²⁶ "'Also in the day of the first fruits, when you offer a new meal offering to the LORD in your feast of weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no servile work; ²⁷ but you shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; ²⁸ and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenth parts for each bull, two tenth parts for the one ram, ²⁹ a tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs;

³ You shall not eat any abominable thing. ⁴ These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, ⁵ the deer, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the ibex, and the antelope, and the chamois. ⁶ Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat. ⁷ Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit; because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, they are unclean to you. ⁸ The pig, because it has a split hoof, but doesn't chew the cud, is unclean to you: of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. ⁹ These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat; ¹⁰ and whatever doesn't have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean to you. ¹¹ Of all clean birds you may eat. ¹² But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey, ¹³ and the kite, and the buzzard, and the vulture after its kind, ¹⁴ and every raven after its kind, ¹⁵ and the ostrich, and the owl, and the seagull, and the hawk after its kind, ¹⁶ the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl, ¹⁷ and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant, ¹⁸ and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. ¹⁹ All winged crawling creatures are unclean to you: they shall not be eaten. ²⁰ Of all clean birds you may eat. ²¹ You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner: for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

¹ Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God; for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night. ² You shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there. ³ You shall eat no leavened bread with it. You shall eat unleavened bread with it seven days, even the bread of affliction; for you came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that you may remember the day when you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. ⁴ No yeast shall be seen with you in all your borders seven days; neither shall any of the flesh, which you sacrifice the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning. ⁵ You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates, which the LORD your God gives you; ⁶ but at the place which the LORD your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came forth out of Egypt. ⁷ You shall roast and eat it in the place which the LORD your God shall choose: and you shall turn in the morning, and go to your tents. ⁸ Six days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God; you shall do no work. ⁹ You shall count for yourselves seven weeks: from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you shall begin to number seven weeks. ¹⁰ You shall keep the feast of weeks to the LORD your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give, according as the LORD your God blesses you: ¹¹ and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates, and the foreigner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are in the midst of you, in the place which the LORD your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there. ¹² You shall remember that you were a bondservant in Egypt: and you shall observe and do these statutes. ¹³ You shall keep the feast of tents seven days, after that you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your winepress: ¹⁴ and you shall rejoice in your feast, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite, and the foreigner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates. ¹⁵ You shall keep a feast to the LORD your God seven days in the place which the LORD shall choose; because the LORD your God will bless you in all your increase, and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful. ¹⁶ Three times in a year shall all your males appear before the LORD your God in the place which he shall choose: in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tents; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: ¹⁷ every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which he has given you.

⁵ So David said to Jonathan, "Look, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. Instead, let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until evening.

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon: and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

²³ He said, "Why would you want to go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath." She said, "It's alright."

³¹ and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD;

⁹ Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn, nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

³¹ and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy of them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

³³ for the show bread, and for the continual meal offering, and for the continual burnt offering, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

⁴ These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go in the tent of the Majestic One, to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.

³ Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.

¹³ Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can't bear with evil assemblies.

¹⁴ Then I said, "Ah Lord GOD. Look, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now have I not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth."

¹⁷ It shall be the prince's part to give the burnt offerings, and the meal offerings, and the drink offerings, in the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the Sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meal offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.

¹ "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. ² The prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate outside, and shall stand by the post of the gate; and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. ³ The people of the land shall worship at the door of that gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons.

⁵ saying, 'When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may market wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel large, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit;

¹¹ That which enters into the mouth does not defile the person; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the person."

²⁷ And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. ²⁸ Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

¹⁹ because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, cleansing all the foods?"

³ saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them." ⁴ But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying, ⁵ "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me. ⁶ When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, crawling creatures, and birds of the sky. ⁷ I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat.' ⁸ But I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.' ⁹ But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, 'What God has cleansed, do not call unclean.' ¹⁰ This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ And look, immediately three men stood before the house where we were, having been sent from Caesarea to me. ¹² The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house. ¹³ He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, 'Send to Joppa, and get Simon, whose surname is Peter, ¹⁴ who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.' ¹⁵ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.' ¹⁷ If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?" ¹⁸ When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the non-Jews repentance to life."

²⁰ but that we write to them that they abstain from things defiled by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

² One person has faith to eat all things, but the one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Do not let the one who eats despise the one who does not eat. Do not let the one who does not eat judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.

⁵ One esteems one day as more important; and another one esteems every day alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ The one who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and the one who does not observe the day, he does not observe it to the Lord. The one who eats, he eats to the Lord; since he gives thanks to God. And the one who does not eat, he does not eat to the Lord, and gives thanks to God.

¹⁰ But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, not to put a stumbling block in a brother's way, or an occasion for falling. ¹⁴ I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵ Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Then do not let your good be slandered, ¹⁷ for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

²⁰ Do not overthrow God's work for food's sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for anyone who creates a stumbling block by eating. ²¹ It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, or do anything by which your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.

⁷ However, not all have this knowledge. But some, being so accustomed to idols until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we do not eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better. ⁹ But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol's temple, won't his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ And through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whom the Christ died. ¹² Thus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forevermore, that I do not cause my brother to stumble.

²⁸ But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. ²⁹ Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other's conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced for that for which I give thanks? ³¹ Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

¹² For before some people came from James, he ate with those who were not Jewish. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. ¹³ And the rest of the Jewish believers joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

¹⁰ You observe days, months, seasons, and years.

³ forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving. ⁵ For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.

¹⁰ but deal only with foods and drinks and various washings; they are regulations for the flesh imposed until the time of setting things right.

¹¹ Do not speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.

²⁸ "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.

¹⁷ For the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹ Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest. ² For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard did not profit them, because they were not united by faith with those who heard. ³ For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works;" ⁵ and in this place again, "They will not enter into my rest." ⁶ Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and they to whom the good news was before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience, ⁷ he again appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long a time afterward (just as has been said), "Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." ⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. ⁹ There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. ¹¹ Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.

⁵ who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain."

⁹ which is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshipper perfect;

¹ For the Law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

¹³ Then God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

¹⁸ for they harassed you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.'"

²⁹ The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

² "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

¹ [By David.] I will give you thanks, LORD, with my whole heart. Before the gods I will sing praises to you. ² I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your word above all.

⁹ You went to the king with oil, and increased your perfumes, and sent your ambassadors far off, and debased yourself even to Sheol.

³ Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing.

³⁸ But instead he shall honor the god of fortresses; a god whom his fathers did not know shall he honor with gold and silver, and with valuable stones, and costly gifts.

²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace; ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

¹⁸ For those who are such do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the innocent.

³ for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and living by human standards?

¹⁸ Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.

¹ Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

⁵ For though there are things that are called "gods," whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many "gods" and many "lords;" ⁶ yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.

²⁴ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.

⁴ Love is patient and is kind; love does not envy. Love does not brag, is not proud,

²⁰ For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you do not desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies,

¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

⁴ Now I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive words.

²³ Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

⁷ desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

¹ But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,

¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast and do not lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.

¹ Where do conflicts and quarrels among you come from? Do they not come from your passions that war in your members? ² You lust, and do not have. You kill, covet, and cannot obtain. You fight and make war. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask, and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures. ⁴ You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit which he made to dwell in us yearns jealously"? ⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery, and insatiable for sin, enticing unstable people, having a heart trained in greed. Children under a curse.

¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Watch yourselves, that you do not lose the things which we have accomplished, but that you receive a full reward. ⁹ Whoever goes on and does not remain in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. He who remains in the teaching, the same has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you, and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not welcome him, ¹¹ for he who welcomes him participates in his evil works.

¹¹ I am coming quickly. Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown.

¹⁴ He deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword and yet lived.

¹⁰ I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, "Look. Do not do it. I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy."

⁸ Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. ⁹ He said to me, "See you do not do it. I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."

⁹ He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. ¹⁰ He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone. My hope he has plucked up like a tree. ¹¹ He has also kindled his wrath against me. He counts me among his adversaries. ¹² His troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and camp around my tent.

¹⁵ My frame wasn't hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.

⁴ Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. ⁵ I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and withers; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree;

⁴ For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

¹⁰ Now I appeal to you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

⁶ I planted. Apollos watered. But God made it grow.

¹⁶ The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a sharing of the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.

¹² For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot would say, "Because I'm not the hand, I'm not part of the body," it is not therefore not part of the body. ¹⁶ If the ear would say, "Because I'm not the eye, I'm not part of the body," it's not therefore not part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? ¹⁸ But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. ¹⁹ If they were all one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now they are many members, but one body. ²¹ The eye cannot tell the hand, "I have no need for you," or again the head to the feet, "I have no need for you." ²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety; ²⁴ whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, ²⁵ that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. ²⁶ When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ to a different "good news"; ⁷ and there is not another "good news." Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. ⁸ But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a "good news" other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so I now say again: if anyone preaches to you a "good news" other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

² Listen, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. ³ Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. ⁴ You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace.

²² He put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the church,

³ being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ also does the church;

² make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; ³ doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; ⁴ each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. ⁵ Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

¹⁸ He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

² that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

⁶ As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. ⁸ Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty and deceptive philosophy, according to human tradition, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

¹² and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, even as we also do toward you,

¹⁰ for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;

³ We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;

⁴ who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and humanity, a human, Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times;

⁸ Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, humble,

¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

¹⁴ I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.

² Absolutely not. We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? ³ Or do you not know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; ⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin.

⁴ Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we may bear fruit to God. ⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit for death. ⁶ But now we have been released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

¹⁹ For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? ¹⁰ You observe days, months, seasons, and years. ¹¹ I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you. ¹² I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

¹⁵ having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

¹⁴ wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you about food and drink, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,

⁴ You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"

¹¹ Depart, depart, go out from there, and touch no unclean thing. Go out from their midst, and be separate, you who bear the vessels of the LORD.

¹⁷ Therefore, "'Go out from their midst, and be separate,' says the Lord, 'and touch no unclean thing,' and I will receive you.

³ forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

¹³ And the Lord said, "Because these people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching instructions that are the commandments of humans.

¹⁸ In that day, the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness.

³⁷ Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the one desired by women, nor show regard to any other god, because he shall magnify himself above all.

¹⁸ He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, cleansing all the foods?"

²⁷ Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him."

¹³ "Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods," but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

¹⁴ not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of people who reject the truth.

¹⁸ The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."

⁵ for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." ⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

²⁷ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead people's bones, and of all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

¹³ For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ's apostles. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

⁸ For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now, and of that which is to come.