Matthew 5 Cross References - VIN

¹ When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, ² and he began to teach them, saying: ³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and celebrate, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you. ¹³ You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. ¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. ¹⁷ Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ²¹ You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell. ²³ Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. ²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery;' ²⁸ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell. ³¹ "They were told, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' ³² But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to become an adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ³³ Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. ³⁸ You have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." ³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. But if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. ⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ So at once they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan followed him.

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

² Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.

²⁹ Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a hillside and sat down.

¹³ And he went up to the mountain, and called to him those he wanted: and they came to him.

²⁰ Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.

¹ Jesus again began to teach by the Sea; and, as an immense crowd was gathering round him, he got into a boat, and sat in it on the Sea, while all the people were on the shore at the water's edge.

¹³ When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom he named Peter, his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot; ¹⁶ Judas son of James and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

² And a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he performed on the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.

¹ After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.

¹ A maskil of Asaph. Listen, O my people, to my teaching. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. ² I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter dark sayings of old,

⁶ Listen, because I have noble things to say, and what I have to say will reveal what is right.

⁸ Speak for those who cannot speak; seek justice for all those on the verge of destruction. ⁹ Open thy mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak.

³⁵ So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

²⁰ Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same way. ²⁴ But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. ²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe, when all men speak well of you; for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets!

³⁵ Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,

¹⁴ Paul was about to speak when Gallio said to the Jews: "If you Jews were about to complain about some crime it would be reasonable for me to listen to you.

¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, divine utterance may be given me, so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

⁴¹ I also will walk contrary to them and will bring them into the land of their enemies. If then their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they then pay for their iniquity, ⁴² then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land.

² "Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way these 40 years in the desert, to humble and test you in order to make known what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

¹² But, in his distress, he appeased the face of the LORD his God,—and humbled himself greatly, before the God of his fathers;

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

²³ But he never humbled himself before the LORD as Manasseh, his father, humbled himself; to the contrary Amon multiplied the guilt.

²⁷ "Because your heart was sensitive, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he had to say about this place and its inhabitants indeed, because you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and cried out to me, I have heard you," declares the LORD.

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

¹ Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;

¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed (happy) are all who take refuge (put trust) in him.

¹ {Of David. Instruction.} Blessed is he [whose] transgression is forgiven, [whose] sin is covered! ² Blessed is the man to whom LORD does not impute sin, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

¹⁸ the LORD is near to the broken-hearted; and saves those who are of a contrite spirit.

¹ To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Blessed is he who acts wisely toward the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹² O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

¹ Praise Yah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD; he takes great delight in his commands.

¹ ALEPH. Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. ² Blessed are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart.

¹ A song of ascents. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.

⁵ Blessed is he whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God:

³² Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.

¹⁹ It is better to be lowly of spirit with the humble Than to apportion loot with the proud.

²³ A man's pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit gains honor.

¹⁸ the LORD is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.

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

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me; because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to those who are bound;

² And my hand has made all these things, and all these came to be," declares the LORD, "but I look to this one: to the humble and the contrite of spirit and the one frightened at my word.

¹⁸ “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving thus, 'You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned; for you are the LORD my God. ¹⁹ Indeed, after I turned away, then I repented. And after I came to understand, I slapped my forehead. I was both ashamed and humiliated because I bear the disgrace of my youth.'" ²⁰ "Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child? Indeed, as often as I've spoken about him, I surely still remember him. Therefore I deeply yearn for him. I'll surely have great compassion on him," declares the LORD.

²¹ He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires. ²² And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this.

⁸ He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

² and saying, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near."

³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and celebrate, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

¹¹ And I tell you, many will come from the east and from the west and take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven,

⁶ Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

²⁵ At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear;

¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² He called a child to him and had him stand among them, ³ “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

³⁴ Then the King will say to those at His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,

²⁸ But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

¹⁴ I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

²⁹ Jesus said to him, Because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.

⁶ Just so David speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works, ⁷ Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven and whose sins are covered; ⁸ Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” ⁹ Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited as righteousness.

¹⁰ But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

¹² Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

⁵ Listen, my dearly loved brothers; did not God choose those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be wealthy in faith and to inherit the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

⁹ Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will raise you up.

⁹ Then the angel said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God."

¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

¹ For the music director; with stringed instruments, on the Sheminith. A psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger, and do not discipline me in your wrath. ² Be merciful to me, the LORD, for I am faint. O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. ³ I am in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? ⁴ Return, O LORD, and deliver me. Save me because of your unfailing love. ⁵ No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? ⁶ I am worn out from groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. ⁷ My eyes grow weak with sorrow. I am weak because of all my foes. ⁸ Depart from me, all you who do evil. the LORD hears my weeping. ⁹ the LORD has heard my supplication. the LORD accepts my prayer.

¹ For the music director. A psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? ² How long must I make decisions alone with sorrow in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? ³ Look, and answer me, LORD, my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death; ⁴ lest my enemy say, I have overcome him, and my foes rejoice when I am shaken. ⁵ But I trust in your loving kindness. My heart rejoices in your salvation.

⁷ You, LORD, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled. ⁸ To you, O LORD, I called, and to the Lord I pleaded for grace saying, ⁹ "What gain is there in my death, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? ¹⁰ Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my Help!" ¹¹ You have turned my wailing into my dancing. You have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy

³ When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. ⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Selah. ⁵ I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. ⁶ For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found. Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him. ⁷ You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

¹ To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. ² He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand. ³ He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see, respect and trust in the LORD.

²⁹ But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me. ³⁰ I will praise the name of God in song, and magnify him with thanksgiving.

³ The cords of death compassed me, and the pains of Sheol gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow ⁴ Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, please save my life!" ⁵ The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is compassionate; ⁶ The LORD preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me. ⁷ Return to your rest, O soul; for the LORD has blessed you.

⁵ Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. ⁶ He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.

¹ In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.

⁸ He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces. He will take away the disgrace of His people from the earth. the LORD has spoken!

¹⁹ You will live in Zion, in Jerusalem. You will not cry anymore. the LORD will certainly have pity on you when you cry for help. As soon as he hears you, he will answer you.

¹⁰ And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and enter Zion, with singing and everlasting joy on their head; gladness and joy shall reach them; and sorrow and sighing shall flee.

¹⁴ "I cry like a swallow (swift). I mourn like a dove. My eyes are red from looking to you, the LORD. I am terribly abused. Please come and help me. ¹⁵ What can I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I will walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul. ¹⁶ Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them: You restore me, and cause me to live. ¹⁷ »Yes, it was for my benefit that I suffered such distress. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction. You have put (thrown) (hurled) all my sins behind your back. ¹⁸ "For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise. Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. ¹⁹ "The living, yes the living praise you, as I am doing today! Fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.

¹¹ the LORD's ransomed will return. They will enter Zion with singing! Everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. ¹² "I, even I, am the one who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men? The sons of men are like grass!

¹⁸ I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.

² to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; ³ to give for those in mourning in Zion, to give them a head wrap instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. And they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to show his glory.

¹⁰ "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her;

⁹ They'll come crying, and I'll lead them as they pray for mercy. I'll make them walk by streams of water, along a straight path on which they won't stumble. For I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn." ¹⁰ Hear the word of the LORD, O nations. Declare in the coastlands afar off. Say: "He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock. ¹¹ For the LORD will deliver Jacob and redeem him from the hand of one stronger than he. ¹² They will come and sing in the height of Zion, and will flow to the goodness of the LORD, to the grain, to the new wine, to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd. Their soul will be as a watered garden. They will not sorrow any more at all.

¹⁶ the LORD says: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” says the LORD. “They will come again from the land of the enemy. ¹⁷ There is hope for your future," declares the LORD. "Your children will return to their own territory."

¹⁶ And if their survivors will escape, they will be on the mountains, like the doves of the valley, all of them groaning, each because of his guilt.

⁴ and said to him, Go through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that groan and that grieve for all the iniquities that are done in the midst of them.

¹⁰ I will pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to Me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.

²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

³⁸ and came and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with her hair, and kissed them, and put the perfume on them.

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

²⁵ But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus received evil things; but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

²⁰ Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹ A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. ²² So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. ⁶ If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

⁹ And now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

¹⁴ I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. ¹⁶ Never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst, never shall the sun strike them, nor any scorching heat;" ¹⁷ For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

³ Now the man, Moses, was more humble than any other person on the face of the earth,

²⁶ The meek shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD shall praise Him; your heart shall live forever.

⁹ He leads humble people to do what is right, and he teaches them his way.

¹³ His soul shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the land.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace.

²² For those blessed by God will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will be cut off.

²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

³⁴ Wait for the LORD, and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

³² The humble have seen and are glad; you who seek God, your heart shall live.

⁶ The LORD upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground.

⁴ For the LORD takes pleasure in his people. He crowns the humble with salvation.

⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.

¹⁹ And the humble shall add joy in the LORD, and the poor of men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

²¹ "Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land everlastingly. They will be the seedlings I have planted, the honored work of my hands.

³ seek the LORD, all you humble people of the land, who do what he commands. Seek righteousness! Seek humility! Maybe you will be protected in the day of the LORD's anger."

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.

⁵ Say to the daughter of Zion, "Look, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

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

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

² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

¹² Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

²⁵ He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.

² to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable and gentle, and to show true humility toward all men.

²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly receive the word planted in you, which can save your souls.

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

⁴ but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.

¹⁵ But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to articulate a defense to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But respond with gentleness and respect,

⁶ Many say, “Who will show us any good?” Yahweh, let the light of your face shine on us. ⁷ You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and their wine abound.

¹⁵ By contrast, I in righteousness shall see your face. Upon awakening I will be satisfied seeing your form.

¹ For the music director. A maskil of the sons of Korah. As a deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. ² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

¹ A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah. God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. ² So I have seen you in the sanctuary, watching your power and your glory.

⁵ My soul will be satisfied as with the best and richest food, and with joyful lips my mouth will praise.

⁴ Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, that he may dwell in your courts. We will be filled with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.

² My soul longs and even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

⁹ For He satisfies the empty soul, and fills the hungry soul with good things,

¹⁹ He fulfilleth the desire of them that fear him; he heareth their cry, and saveth them.

¹ I have come into my garden, my sister, [my] bride. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends. Drink, yea. Drink abundantly, O beloved.

⁶ On this mountain the LORD Almighty will make a feast of rich food for all peoples, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear of dregs.

¹⁷ "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none! Their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

³ For I will pour water upon the thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants:

⁹ to say to the bound, Come! To them in darkness, Expose! They graze in the ways with their pastures in all the barrens: ¹⁰ They shall not hunger nor shall they thirst, nor shall the burning wind nor the sun smite them; but he who hath compassion on them will comfort them and lead them to bursting springs of water.

¹ Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the water. You, who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. ² Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. ³ Give ear and come to me; listen to me, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

¹³ Therefore this is what the Sovereign Sovereign LORD says: My servants will eat, but you will go hungry. My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty. My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame!

¹¹ "You will nurse and be satisfied from her comforting breasts. You will nurse and be satisfied at her full breasts."

¹¹ "Look! The days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine throughout the land not a famine of food or a thirst for water but rather a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. ¹² People will stagger from sea to sea, from north to east. They will run back and forth, searching for the word of the LORD, but they won't find it. ¹³ In that day the beautiful young women and the young men will faint because of thirst.

⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

¹⁴ But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

²⁷ Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your forefathers ate the manna in the Desert, and they died. ⁵⁰ Here is the bread that comes down out of Heaven that a man may eat it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.” ⁵² Then the Jews began to argue among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" ⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, I tell you most truly, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread which came down from heaven: not as the fathers ate manna, and died: he who eats this bread shall live forever.

³⁷ Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

¹⁶ Never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst, never shall the sun strike them, nor any scorching heat;"

²⁶ With the faithful you show yourself faithful. With the blameless man you show yourself blameless.

¹⁶ ¶ If I have disturbed the desire of the poor or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; ¹⁷ if I have eaten my morsel alone, and have not shared it with the orphan; ¹⁸ for from my youth I reared the orphan like a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the widow. ¹⁹ If I have seen any perishing for want of clothing, or any needy without covering; ²⁰ If his heart has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; ²¹ If I have raised a hand against the fatherless, because I had around me greater support: ²² Then let my arm fall from my shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.

²⁵ With the faithful you show yourself faithful. With the blameless man you show yourself blameless.

²⁶ He is always generous and lends freely. His descendants are a blessing.

¹ To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Blessed is he who acts wisely toward the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. ² The LORD will protect him and keep him alive; he will be blessed in the land; and he will not be handed over to the desires of his enemies. ³ The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness. ⁴ I said, "LORD, have mercy on me. Heal me, for I have sinned against you."

⁴ Risen—in darkness, is light to the upright, The gracious and compassionate and righteous.

⁹ He has scattered abroad; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn shall be lifted up with honor.

¹⁷ A gracious man benefits himself, but the cruel person damages himself.

²¹ He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.

¹⁷ He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward his dealing to him.

¹ The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from the evil.

⁶ Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke ⁷ "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house? When you see the naked, should you cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh? ⁸ »Your light will break out like the dawn. Your recovery will speedily spring forth. Your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. ⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer. You will cry for help, and he will say, 'Here I am.' “If you take away from among you the yoke, finger pointing, and speaking wickedly; ¹⁰ and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will be like midday. ¹¹ the LORD will continually guide you. He will satisfy your desire in scorched places and give strength to your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. ¹² Those among you will rebuild the ancient ruins. You will raise up the age-old foundations. You will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

²⁷ Therefore, your majesty, may my advice be acceptable to you: Stop your sinning, do what's right, and put a stop to your wickedness by showing kindness to the oppressed. Perhaps your tranquility will continue."

⁶ Gomer conceived again, and gave birth to a daughter. the LORD said to Hosea: "Name her Loruhamah for I will no longer have mercy upon the house of Israel and I will not pardon them.

¹ "Say to your brothers, 'My people.' and to your sisters, 'My loved one.'

²³ I will plant my people in the land for myself. I will show mercy on her who has received no mercy I will say to those who are not my people, 'You are my people!' and they will say, 'You are my God.'"

¹⁴ For if you forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ »If you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

³³ Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In his anger, his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed. ³⁵ That is how My Heavenly Father will treat each of you, unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive it, so that your Father in Heaven may also forgive your sins.

³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

³⁰ Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,

²⁵ Now about virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

¹ Therefore, since we have received mercy along with this ministry, we do not lose heart.

³² Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

¹³ Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor, I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

¹⁶ But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience, as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorous, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain; ¹⁷ On the contrary, when he arrived in Rome, he sought eagerly for me till he found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day. You know very well in how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.

¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

¹⁰ God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.

¹³ For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

³⁰ And Jacob called the name of the place Penuel, because I saw God face to face, and my life is delivered.

¹⁷ And I know, my God, that You try the heart and are pleased with uprightness; I, in the uprightness of my heart, have offered willingly all these things; and now I have watched with joy Your people who are present here offering willingly to You. ¹⁸ "the LORD, God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep such devotion always strong in your people’s hearts and keep them always faithful to you. ¹⁹ Grant to Solomon my son a heart of peace to keep your commands, your statutes, and your regulations to do everything, and to build the citadel for which I have provided."

²⁶ Even after my skin has been destroyed, clothed in my flesh I will see God, ²⁷ "I will see him with my own eyes, not with someone else's. My heart fails inside me!

² He who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart;

²⁶ To the pure you show yourself pure. but to the wicked you show yourself shrewd.

⁴ He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

⁶ Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹ A Psalm by Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

¹¹ He that loveth with a pure heart, and hath grace on his lips, will have the king as his friend.

²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh: ²⁷ »I will put my Spirit in you. I will enable you to live by my Laws, and you will obey my rules.

²⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also. ²⁷ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you also appear righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

⁹ He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts by faith.

¹² Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹ Since we have these promises, dear friends, let's cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit by becoming mature in our holy fear of God.

¹⁵ To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are corrupted and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!

²² let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

¹⁴ Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

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

²² Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth, so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.

² Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said: "If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see and judge you."

¹² What man soever desireth life and loveth to see good days:

⁶ I said you are gods; and all sons of the Most High: ⁷ However, you will die like men, and you will fall like one of the princes."

⁶ I have lived too long with those who hate peace.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be at ease. ⁷ May peace be within your walls, security within your palaces." ⁸ For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will say, "Peace be within you."

⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

³⁶ neither can they die, for they are like angels and are children of God, since they are children of the resurrection.

²⁶ The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating one another?’

¹⁴ And all those who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with everybody.

¹ Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions. ² One man has faith to eat anything; but he whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. ³ The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him. ⁴ Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. ⁵ One man esteems one day as better than another; another man esteems every day alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone.

¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. ¹⁹ Let us therefore pursue the things that tend to peace, and to mutual edification.

⁶ Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!

²⁰ So then, we are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God!

¹¹ Finally, brethren, farewell. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

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

¹ As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

¹ Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, ² and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, ² make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world ¹⁶ as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

² I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

¹³ Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

²² Flee the lusts of youth; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know that they produce quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, patient when wronged,

¹⁹ My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, ²⁰ for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.

¹⁶ For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.

¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires as in your ignorance, ¹⁵ But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

¹² The wicked plotteth against the righteous, and gnasheth his teeth against him.

³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

²³ "When they persecute you in one city, flee to another. I tell you truly, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

³⁰ but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life.

²⁰ Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

²² Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.

¹² "But before all these things happen they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you up to synagogues and to prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my sake.

²⁰ "Remember the word I said to you. A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours also.

⁴⁰ So they took his advice, and they called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

¹ And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁹ For it seems to me, God has exhibited us apostles at the very end of the procession, like the men condemned to die in the arena. For we have become a spectacle to the whole universe, angels as well as men. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. ¹¹ To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. ¹² We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal bodies. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹⁷ For our light and temporary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that far outweighs our troubles.

²⁸ without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a clear sign of their destruction but of your salvation, and it is from God.

⁴ That is why we boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in the face of all the persecution and affliction you are enduring. ⁵ All of this proves that God's judgment is just, and as a result, you will become worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. ⁶ For truly God's justice must render back trouble to those who are troubling you, ⁷ and to grant relief to you who are oppressed, and to us as well, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels

¹² If we endure, we will reign with him! If we disown him, he will also disown us!

¹¹ my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

¹³ Who will harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their intimidation; do not be shaken.”

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵ Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler. ¹⁶ But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear this name.

¹² and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.

¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹¹ Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they accuse me of things that I know nothing about.

²² Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.

⁵ Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name's sake, have said, Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy. But it is those who will be put to shame.

¹⁸ On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

²² »Men will hate you because of me. He who endures to the end will be saved.

²⁵ It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields on account of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life.

⁹ Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name.

³⁹ And those who passed by hurled insults at him, wagging their heads

¹⁷ but since they don't have any roots, they last for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall away.

³⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.

⁹ So be on your guard. You will be handed over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account, you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.

¹³ "All men will hate you because of my name. He who endures to the end will be saved.

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'

²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

¹⁷ »Men will hate you because of my name.

²⁸ Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses.

²¹ But they will treat you like this on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me.

¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

³⁶ As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

¹⁰ We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal bodies.

²³ When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

¹⁴ If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

³ You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

¹ After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

¹² May the LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

⁴ for when Jezebel cut off the LORD's prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

¹³ Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets in groups of fifty in caves and sustained them with bread and water?

² Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "Thus may the gods do to me, and may they add to it, surely at this time tomorrow I will make your life as the life of one of them!"

¹⁰ He said, I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars and slain Your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. ¹¹ He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” Behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² And after the earthquake, came fire. But the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, came a small still voice. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴ He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, demolished your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword; I alone am left, and they seek to take my life!"

²⁰ Then Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" He said, "I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.

⁸ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man to inquire from the LORD, but I despise him, for he never prophesies anything good concerning me, but only bad: Micaiah the son of Imlah." Then Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say so."

²⁶ The king of Israel said: "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon, the ruler of the town, and to Joash, the king's son. ²⁷ and say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with scant bread and with scant water, until I come in peace.'

⁹ Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men; and he went up to him where he was seated on the top of a hill, and said to him, O man of God, the king has said, Come down.

¹⁰ Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, burning with wrath against him because of this thing. And at the same time Asa was cruel to some of the people.

²⁰ The Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, “God says, 'Why do you disobey the LORD's commandments, so that you can't prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you.'” ²¹ But the people conspired against him, and at the direct orders of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's temple. ²² So King Joash did not remember the loyal love that Jehoiada had shown to him, and he killed his son. And as he was dying he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!"

¹⁶ But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

²⁶ "Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, and cast your law behind their back, and killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies.

¹¹ Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.

¹¹ A person will say, "Certainly, the righteous are rewarded; certainly there is a God who judges the earth."

¹⁸ A wicked man earns deceitful wages, but he who sows righteousness [has] a sure reward.

¹⁰ Say you to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.

³⁰ In vain I have stricken your sons; they received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

⁸ As soon as Jeremiah finished saying everything that the LORD had commanded him to say to all the people, the priests, the prophets, and all the people seized him, telling him as they did: "You must certainly die!

²¹ "When King Jehoiakim and all his personal troops and officials heard what Uriah said the king wanted to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it and fled in fear to Egypt. ²² And Jehoiakim the king sent Elnathan, the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt. ²³ "They brought Uriah from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king executed Uriah and threw his body into the burial ground for the common people."

¹ Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be praised by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward.

⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁵ And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward.

¹⁶ When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward.

⁴¹ Every one who receives a prophet, because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward, and every one who receives a righteous man, because he is a righteous man, will receive a righteous man's reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.

³⁴ When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit. ³⁵ But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶ Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way. ³⁷ Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance!’

³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of the sins of your fathers. ³³ You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? ³⁴ Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town. ³⁵ And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ I tell you truly all this will come on this generation. ³⁷ "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same way.

⁴⁷ Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you witness that you approve of the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Because of this, the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’ ⁵⁰ As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.

³⁴ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling.

⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

⁵¹ You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—

²⁵ About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

³ Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

⁸ He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

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

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.

²⁴ because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

¹⁵ who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men,

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

²⁶ He thought that being insulted for the sake of the Messiah was of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,

¹³ But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

¹³ "'Season every grain offering with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering. All of your offerings must have salt.

⁴⁹ Everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰ Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how can you make it salty? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

³⁴ "Salt is good. But if it loses its saltiness it cannot be made salty again. ³⁵ It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

⁴ It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— ⁶ and then have fallen away—to be restored again to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.

²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled by them, and overcome, they are worse off in the end than at the beginning. ²¹ It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and turn their backs on the holy commandment that was committed to them.

⁴ Then they said: "Let us build ourselves a city, with a lofty tower that reaches into space, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." ⁵ But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. ⁶ the LORD said: "If they become one people speaking the same language, nothing will be impossible for them. They have begun to do this. ⁷ "Let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." ⁸ the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth. They stopped building the city.

¹⁸ The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that grows brighter until the full light of day.

³⁵ John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you were willing for a season to bask in his light.

¹² Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said this, he departed and hid himself from them.

¹⁹ if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

¹⁴ Do not enter a mismatch with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? And what fellowship does light have with darkness?

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, ⁹ for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. ¹⁰ Test and prove what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything that is exposed to the light becomes visible, ¹⁴ for the light is making everything visible. That is why it says, "Wake up, O sleeper! Arise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.''

¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

⁵ you are all sons of the Light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.

²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. ¹⁵ The angel who was talking with me had a measuring rod of gold, to measure the city, its gates and wall. ¹⁶ The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and width and height are equal. ¹⁷ And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, according to man's measurement, which the angel was using. ¹⁸ The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as clear as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each gate made of a single pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. ²² But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun nor the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God lighted it, and the Lamb is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light; the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. ²⁵ And its gates will not be shut by day; for there will be no night there; ²⁶ and the glory and honor of the nations shall be brought into it. ²⁷ But nothing impure shall enter into it, nor shall any man who commits shameful acts, or who lies: but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

³⁷ "Then make a total of seven lamps. Mount the lamps so that they shed light on the space in front of it.

² Speak to Aaron, and say to him, When you bring the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.

²¹ He said to them, “Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?

¹⁶ "No one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see the light.

³³ No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a peck measure; he puts it on its stand, so that people who come in can see the light.

⁸ »Your light will break out like the dawn. Your recovery will speedily spring forth. Your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

¹ Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. ² For look! darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but the LORD will rise on you, and his glory will appear over you. ³ Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

³ to give for those in mourning in Zion, to give them a head wrap instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. And they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to show his glory.

¹ Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be praised by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

⁹ So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,

⁸ When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

⁵ But they do all their works to be seen by men. For they make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long,

⁹ And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

² He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

⁸ This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.

³⁶ In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated as Dorcas), who was always occupied with works of kindness and charity.

¹¹ And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is at hand. So let us throw aside the deeds of darkness, and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about gratifying your physical cravings.

²⁵ and the secrets of his heart will be revealed. So he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is truly among you!”

¹³ Because your service in giving proves your love, you will be glorifying God as you obey what your confession of the Messiah's gospel demands, since you are generous in sharing with them and with everyone else.

²⁴ And they praised God because of me.

¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

¹² We comforted and encouraged you, urging you to live in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

⁶ So then let us not be sleeping as do the rest, but let us be watchful and self-controlled. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But let us, who belong to the Day, control ourselves, and put on faith and love as a breast plate, and the hope of Salvation as a helmet.

¹⁰ on the day He comes to be glorified in His saints and regarded with wonder by all who have believed, including you who have believed our testimony. ¹¹ With this in mind we pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and would with power fulfill every good purpose and work of faith: ¹² To the end that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁰ but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.

¹⁰ and well known for good deeds such as bringing up children, entertaining strangers, washing the feet of the saints, imparting relief to the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.

²⁵ In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.

¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share,

⁷ In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,

¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, zealous for good deeds.

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

⁷ so that having been justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This teaching is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

¹⁴ Our people must also learn to devote themselves to good deeds, so that they may help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

²⁴ And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God; that you should declare the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

¹² Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

¹ You wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives,

¹⁶ and keep a clear conscience, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

¹¹ If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 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.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. Whole burnt offering and sin offering you did not require. ⁷ Then I said, "Look, I have come. It is written about me in the scroll of a book; ⁸ I delight to do your will, O my God: yes, your law is within my heart.

²¹ The LORD was pleased, for His righteousness' sake, to make the teaching great and glorious.

¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.

¹² In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the prophets.

¹⁷ But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

⁵ In our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say?"

¹³ They presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the Law.

¹³ “This man is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the Law,” they said.

²⁸ crying, Men of Israel, help; this is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place, and besides he has brought Greeks into the temple, and defiled this holy place.

³¹ Do we, then, nullify the Law by this faith? By no means! Instead, we uphold the Law.

⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁴ For Christ is the end of the law, so that there may be righteousness for every one who believes.

¹⁷ What I mean is this: The Law that came four hundred thirty years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to cancel the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the Law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise. ¹⁹ Why then was the Law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not represent just one party; but God is one. ²¹ Is the Law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Not at all! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the Law. ²² But the scripture has declared all to be prisoners of sin, so that the promise, given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. ²³ Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, locked up until faith should be revealed. ²⁴ So the law was our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

⁴ But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ to redeem those under the Law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

¹⁶ Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a festival, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. ¹⁷ which are a shadow of the things which were to come, but the substance is of Christ.

³ Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, ⁴ because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ⁵ Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; ⁶ with burnt offerings and sin offerings You were not pleased. ⁷ Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’” ⁸ First He says, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them” (which are offered according to the Law), ⁹ Then He adds, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God."

²⁶ "They will perish, but you endure. All of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing you will renew them and they will be renewed.

⁸⁹ LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in the heavens. ⁹⁰ Your faithfulness is throughout all generations. You established the earth, and it stands.

¹⁵² Of old I have known from your laws that you have founded them forever.

⁸ "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

⁶ "Lift up your eyes to the heavens. Look at the earth below. The heavens will vanish like smoke and the earth will wear out like a garment. Its inhabitants die like flies (gnats). But my salvation will last forever! My righteousness will never fail.

²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

² So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be praised by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward.

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him: Truly I say to you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

¹¹ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

¹⁷ For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

²⁸ Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

²⁰ “Because you have so little faith.” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

³ “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

¹⁸ I tell you truly, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

²⁸ Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

²¹ Jesus answered, "I tell you, if you have faith and have no doubt, you will not only do what I have done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea,' it will be done.

³¹ Which of the two did what his father wanted?" They said, "The second one." Jesus said to them, "I tell you, the tax-collectors and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you.

³⁶ I tell you truly all this will come on this generation.

² “Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be toppled.”

³⁴ Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

⁴⁷ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

¹² But he replied, 'I tell you with certainty, I don't know you!'

⁴⁰ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

⁴⁵ Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’

¹³ Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” ¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

²⁸ Verily I say to you: All sins, and the blasphemies that men may utter, may be forgiven them:

¹¹ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.”

¹² He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? In truth I tell you no sign will be given to this generation."

¹ And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

⁴¹ For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, will by no means lose his reward.

¹⁵ Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” said Jesus, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel

²³ I tell you with certainty, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' if he doesn't doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

⁴³ And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, Truly I say to you, That this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others:

³⁰ Assuredly I tell you that this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things happen.

⁹ And truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

¹⁸ As they were reclining and eating, he said, "I tell you truly one of you will betray me, one who is now eating with me."

²⁵ I tell you assuredly that I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

³⁰ Jesus said to him, "I tell you, this very night before the cock crows twice you yourself will disown me three times!"

²⁴ Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.

³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.

³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

¹⁷ Truly I tell you, if anyone does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, he will never enter it.”

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

³² I tell you assuredly, this generation will certainly not pass away until all has happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

⁴³ Jesus said to him, "I tell you truly to-day you will be with me in Paradise."

⁵¹ In truth I tell you," he added, "you shall all see Heaven open, and 'the angels of God ascending and descending' upon the Son of Man."

³ Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

¹¹ Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, the Son also does.

²⁴ Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life. ²⁵ Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

²⁶ Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and had your fill.

³² Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

⁴⁷ Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has everlasting life.

⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, I tell you most truly, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

⁵¹ Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word he will never see death."

⁵⁸ “Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

¹ "Truly, truly, I say to you, the man who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by some other way, he is a thief and a robber.

⁷ So Jesus said again, "I tell you, I am the door of the sheepfold.

²⁴ Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

¹⁶ Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

²⁰ Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.” ²¹ When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I tell you that one of you will betray me."

³⁸ Jesus answered, "You will lay down your life for me? I tell you, before a cock crows, you will disown me thrice over!

¹² "Truly, I tell all of you with certainty, the one who believes in me will also do what I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

²⁰ Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

²³ In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

¹⁸ Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

¹¹ They will perish, but You remain; They will all wear out like a garment. ¹² You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”

²⁵ but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word which was preached to you.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be dissolved in the fire, and the earth and its works will not be found. ¹¹ Since everything will be dissolved in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness ¹² as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be dissolved by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³ But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne, and him who was seated on it. 'The earth and the heavens fled from his presence; no place was left for them.'

³² »Be careful to do what I command you. Do not add to it nor take away from it.

²⁶ 'Cursed is he who doesn't uphold the words of this law by doing them.' All the people shall say, 'Amen.'”

³⁰ Therefore the LORD the God of Israel says, 'I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before Me forever'. But now the LORD says, 'Far be it from Me. Those who honour Me I will honour, and those who despise Me shall be despised.

⁶ Then I would not be ashamed when I look to all your commands.

¹²⁸ Therefore I consider all of your precepts to be right. I hate every false way.

³ And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

⁸ "But you priests turned aside from the way, and by your teaching you caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. ⁹ And I have made you despised and cast out among all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have been partial in the law.

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said: ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might have received from me is a gift to God' ⁶ he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

²⁶ not so with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,

¹⁶ Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it. ²² And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it. ²³ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

²⁰ and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

⁴⁸ Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. For he who is least among you all, he is great."

⁴² Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and rue and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.

²⁴ A dispute also arose among them, which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵ But He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' ²⁶ But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.

¹ In my first book, O Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach,

⁸ Why not say as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.

¹ What should we say, then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? By no means!

⁸ Be in debt to no man — apart from the debt of love one to another. He who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹⁰ All who rely on works of the Law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” ¹¹ And it is clear that no one is justified before God by the Law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” ¹² The Law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The one who does these things will live by them.” ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

¹⁴ The entire Law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out, or you will be consumed by each other. ¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to one another, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; ²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, jealousy, fits of rage, selfishness, dissensions, factions, ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

¹⁷ Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who live according to the pattern we set for you. ¹⁸ For as I have often told you before, and now declare even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, put these things into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. ¹² We comforted and encouraged you, urging you to live in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

¹ Now then, brothers, you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, as in fact you are doing. We ask and encourage you in the Lord to do so even more. ² For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³ For it is God’s will that you should be dedicated to Him, [that is], you should avoid sexual immorality. ⁴ that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, ⁵ not in the passion of lust like the heathen, who do not know God; ⁶ that no one trespass and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such behavior, as, indeed, we have already told you and warned you. ⁷ For God did not call us to be impure, but to be holy.

¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faithfulness, and purity.

³ If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, ⁴ he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions,

⁸ and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us. ⁹ Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰ and not to steal, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in everything they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

⁸ This teaching is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

¹⁰ Whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to practice sexual immorality. ¹⁵ So you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

²⁰ But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

¹⁰ The ax lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

²¹ "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.

⁵ And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.

² The scholars and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat. ³ So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. ⁵ But they do all their works to be seen by men. For they make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long,

²³ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

³⁹ But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You foolish ones! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?

⁴⁴ A curse on you, because you are like unmarked graves which men walk over without knowing it!"

¹ In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus. ¹⁵ So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

¹⁰ "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.' ¹³ But the tax-collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but continued to beat his breast, and say, 'O God, have mercy on me, a sinner!' ¹⁴ I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

²⁴ Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

⁴⁶ "Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁷ who ‘devour’ widows’ houses, and for a show make long prayers. These will receive more severe judgment.”

³ Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” ⁴ "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus replied; "Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" ⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

³⁰ What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. ³² Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

² For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. ³ For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith,

²⁷ But nothing impure shall enter into it, nor shall any man who commits shameful acts, or who lies: but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

⁵ "I will require your lifeblood as an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. I will demand an accounting from each man for the life of his fellow man. ⁶ Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. For in the image of God he made man.

¹³ You shall not murder.

¹² “One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death, ¹³ but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen; then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee. ¹⁴ »If a man schemes and kills a man deliberately remove him from my altar and put him to death.

¹² those cities will be places of refuge from the avenger of blood, that the manslayer may not die, until he stand before the congregation for trial.

¹⁶ But if he strikes him with an instrument of iron, so that he dies, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁷ And if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if he smites him with a wooden instrument in his hand by which one may die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death, yea death. ¹⁹ the avenger of blood, he shall put the murderer to death; when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death. ²⁰ And if he thrust at him out of hatred, or hurl at him intentionally, so that he die, ²¹ or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

³⁰ " 'If anyone kills a person, the killer will be put to death according to the testimony of witnesses, but someone cannot die on testimony of one person. ³¹ And you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. But he shall surely be put to death. ³² “'You shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest. ³³ “'So you shall not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it. ³⁴ You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell among the children of Israel.’”

¹⁷ You shall not murder.

¹⁸ "Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city the LORD your God gives you. They are to judge the people fairly.

⁷ And shall say: Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it. ⁸ Make atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, LORD, and don't charge the blood of an innocent man against them.' Then the blood shed will be atoned for. ⁹ "Remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst. Do what is right in the eyes of the LORD's.

¹⁸ Then spake she, saying,—They, used to speak, in former times, saying, Enquire, in Abel! And, so, they ended it.

⁵ Now thou thyself knowest what Joab son of Saruia hath done to me; what he did to the two chiefs of the armies of Israel, to Abenner son of Ner, and to Amessai son of Jether. He indeed slew them, and shed the blood of war in peace, and stained, with guiltless blood, the girdle on his loins, and the shoes on his feet. ⁶ Do therefore according to your wisdom, and let not his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

³¹ And the king will say to him, Do as he said, and strike upon him, and bury him; and take away the bloods which Joab shed gratuitously, from me and from my father's house. ³² The LORD will repay him for his bloodshed because, without my father David's consent he attacked and murdered two men more righteous and better than he, Ner's son Abner, the commander of Israel's army and Jether's son Amasa, commander of Judah's army.

⁸ "Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned. ⁹ "After all we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are a mere shadow. ¹⁰ "Will they not instruct you and tell you? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?

²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery;'

³³ Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’

³⁸ You have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth."

⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.'

⁵ but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell. ⁶ the LORD said to Cain: "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

⁴ When his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him and could not speak one kind word unto him.

⁸ And his brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us, or shall you really rule over us? And they hated him still more because of his dreams, and because of his words.

¹¹ For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.

¹⁸ I will raise them up a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put My words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. ¹⁹ But if someone will not listen to those words that the prophet speaks in my name, I will hold him accountable.

²⁷ The people also told him the same thing, saying, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him." ²⁸ Eliab his oldest brother heard him talking to the men. Eliab was angry with David and said, "Why did you come down here? And who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your insolence and wicked intentions. You came down just to see the battle!"

⁸ Saul was very angry; this song displeased him and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands and to me they have ascribed only thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom? ⁹ From then on Saul kept his eye on David.

³⁰ Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don't I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? ³¹ As long as Jesse's son lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established! Now send someone and bring David to me. He's a dead man!" ³² And Jonathan answered Saul, Why is he to die? What has he done? ³³ Then Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father had decided to kill David.

¹² Saul said: "Listen here, son of Ahitub!" He responded: "Here I am lord." ¹³ Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as he does today? ¹⁴ Ahimelech answered the king, "Who among all your officials is as faithful as David? He is the king's son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard, and he's honored in your household. ¹⁵ Is this the first time I have inquired of God for him? Be it far from me! Don't let the king accuse his servant or any of the house of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of all this. ¹⁶ And the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's house. ¹⁷ The king said to the guards who stood around him, Turn and kill the priests of the LORD because they have sided with David, and because they knew that he fled, and didn't tell me. But the servants of the king wouldn't put forth their hand to strike the priests of the LORD. ¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and attack the priests." Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests. That day he killed eighty-five men who carry the linen ephod. ¹⁹ He also killed the people of Nob, the city of the priests. Using his sword, he killed men and women, children and infants, cows, donkeys, and sheep. ²⁰ One man, Ahimelech's son Abiathar, a grandson of Ahitub, escaped and fled to David. ²¹ Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. ²² David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul! I'm responsible for the deaths of your father's whole family. ²³ Stay with me. Don't be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. For you will be safe with me.”

²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants as on

⁷ Shimei cursed him and said: "Get out! Get out you murderer!

⁴ Ahab returned to his house bitter and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite said to him: "I will not give you the heritage of my fathers." Stretching himself on the bed with his face turned away, he would not eat.

⁸ And I said to them, We after our ability have redeemed our brothers the Jews, which were sold to the heathen; and will you even sell your brothers? or shall they be sold to us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel and bow down to him, he flew into a rage. ⁶ he was greatly inflamed with wrath, and determined to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Artaxerxes.

⁴ if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me, or oppressed my enemy without cause,

¹ For the music director. Of David. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt. They do abominable deeds. There is none who does good.

³ Yes, none who wait for you will be put to shame. They will be put to shame who deal treacherously without cause.

¹⁹ Let not those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me. Nor let those who hate me without cause wink the eye.

⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.

¹⁰ For he shall see it. Wise men die. The fool and the brutish alike perish, and leave their wealth to others.

⁴ Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head. My persecutors are mighty, and they want to destroy me. Must I be forced to return what I did not steal?

⁶ An animal-like man does not know; a fool does not understand this.

³ And, with words of hatred, have they surrounded me, and have made war upon me without cause:

¹⁶ A wise man fears, and shuns evil, but the fool is hotheaded and reckless.

⁶ A fool's lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.

¹¹ Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is one who amasses wealth without justice. In the middle of his days it will leave him, and at his end he will prove to be a fool."

⁵² Those who are my enemies, without a cause, have chased me about like a bird.

¹² Upon this the king in furious wrath gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. ¹³ So the order went out that the wise men were to be put to death; and they were looking for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

¹³ Then ordered Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and ‘Abed-nego. Then were these men brought before the king.

¹⁹ Out of control with rage, Nebuchadnezzar's facial expression changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.

¹⁰ "Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you and you will be cut off forever.

¹² But do not look down on your brother in the day of his disaster, and do not rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction. Do not speak proudly in the day of distress.

¹⁷ and lo! a voice from heaven said,"This is my son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased."

²³ Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

²⁸ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.

³⁴ But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

¹⁷ Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues,

²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her deeds."

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

⁵ While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

⁸ "So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

³⁵ That is how My Heavenly Father will treat each of you, unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

³³ You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

⁴¹ Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death.

⁴³ If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, to the fire that shall never be quenched.

⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸ 'where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

⁵⁵ Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, and they did not find it.

¹ Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate.

⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!

²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’

²⁰ “You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”

⁴⁸ The Jews answered, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed?"

⁴⁷ whereupon the high priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "Whatever is to be done?" they said. "The fellow is performing a number of Signs.

²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’

²⁰ and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, [even] Jesus ²¹ Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets. ²² In fact, Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. ²³ Everyone who does not heed His words will be completely cut off from among the people.’

²⁷ Having brought and them they stood in the sanhedrim. And asked them the high-priest,

³⁷ This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.'

¹⁸ Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” while others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁰ Be devoted to one another with brotherly love; honour one another more than yourselves;

¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

²⁶ In your anger, do not sin! Do not let the sun set while you remain angry. ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold.

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

⁶ that no one trespass and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such behavior, as, indeed, we have already told you and warned you.

⁹ and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less shall we escape, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

²⁰ O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?

⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

⁹ If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.

¹⁰ In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; for every one who does not work righteousness is not a child of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵ Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. ²¹ Indeed, we have this Command from God-- 'He who loves God must also love his Brother.'

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.

⁹ But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous judgment against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

¹⁴ And death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.

⁹ Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, I remember my sin this day.

²¹ They said to one another: "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw his distress when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us." ²² Reuben said: "Did I not tell you? Did I say, 'Do not sin against the boy'? You would not listen! Now comes the reckoning for his blood."

¹⁵ And Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead. And they said, What if Joseph should bear a grudge against us and should surely repay us all the evil which we did to him? ¹⁶ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, Your father, before his death, gave us orders, saying, ¹⁷ Thus shall you say to Joseph. Forgive them their iniquity and their sin for having done thee evil. Now therefore forgive the iniquity of the servants of the God of thy father. And while they were speaking to him, Joseph wept.

² If any one sin and act unfaithfully against the LORD, and lie to his neighbour as to an entrusted thing or a deposit or [that in which] he hath robbed or wronged his neighbour, ³ or has found what was lost and lies about it and swears falsely concerning any of the sinful things that a man may do; ⁴ you have sinned and are guilty. Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found, ⁵ or whatever it was that you swore falsely about. Pay it back in full plus one-fifth more. Give it back to its owner on the day you bring your guilt offering. ⁶ And he shall bring his trespass to the LORD, a blameless ram from the sheep by thy estimation, for the trespass, to the priest

¹⁶ Three times in the year all of your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. ¹⁷ but each one must appear with his own gift, proportional to the blessing that the LORD your God has given you."

²² And Samuel said, Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice! To listen is better than the fat of rams!

⁴⁴ The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wickedness that you did to David my father. Therefore the LORD will return your wickedness on your own head.

¹⁰ Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom, listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. ¹¹ What is the abundance of your sacrifices to me? says the LORD. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals and I do not delight in the blood of bulls and ram-lambs and goats. ¹² When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts? 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 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are become a burden unto me; I am weary to bear them, ¹⁵ "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen because your hands are full of blood. ¹⁶ "Wash yourselves! Become clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight. Stop doing evil. ¹⁷ Learn to do well—Seek justice, Correct the oppressor,—Vindicate the fatherless, Plead the cause of the widow,

²⁰ My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.

⁶³ '"I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth.' The Sovereign LORD has spoken."

⁶ For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

²¹ I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies. ²² Yes, even if you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them, and I will not look at the fellowship offerings of your fattened animals. ²³ Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ²⁴ But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

⁴ And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

⁸ Now Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I repay them quadruple.

⁸ "So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You did not speak correctly about me, as my servant Job has."

⁹ Instead, take up the matter with your neighbor, and don't betray another person's confidence.

¹⁵ "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

²³ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

⁵⁰ Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how can you make it salty? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with everybody.

⁷ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves defraud and do wrong, and you even do this to your brethren.

²⁸ Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

⁸ Therefore, I want men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

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

⁷ Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with honor as the weaker partner, since you are joint heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. ⁸ Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble in spirit.

³ Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in Seir, the country of Edom. ⁴ And he instructed them, saying, "Thus you must say to my lord, to Esau, 'Thus says your servant Jacob, I have dwelled as an alien with Laban, and I have remained there until now. ⁵ And I have oxen and donkeys, flocks and men-servants and maid-servants. And I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight. ⁶ And the messengers returned to Jacob and said, "We came to your brother, to Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." ⁷ Then Jacob was greatly afraid, and distressed: and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks, and herds, and camels, into two bands; ⁸ He thought: "If Esau comes and attacks the first group, the other may be able to escape."

¹³ And he lodged there that night. Then he took from what he had with him a gift for Esau his brother: ¹⁴ two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, ¹⁵ also thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. ¹⁶ And he put them under the hand of his servants, herd by herd, and said to his servants, "Cross on ahead before me, and put some distance between herds. ¹⁷ He commanded the first servant: "When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and whose animals are these ahead of you?' ¹⁸ Then you shall say, 'They are your servant, Jacob's. It is a present sent to my lord, Esau. Look, he also is behind us.'" ¹⁹ He also commanded the second servant, the third, and all the others who followed the herds. He said: »Say the same thing to Esau when you find him. ²⁰ And say moreover, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me. ²¹ So the gift passed on before him, but he himself spent that night in the camp. ²² That night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

³ Jacob went ahead of them. He bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. ⁴ But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept. ⁵ Then Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, "Who are these with you?" And he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." ⁶ And the maidservants and their children drew near and bowed down. ⁷ And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed down; and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed down. ⁸ Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" Jacob said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord." ⁹ And Esau said, I have enough, my brother. Keep what you have yourself. ¹⁰ And Jacob said, "No, please, if I have found favor in your eyes, you must take my gift from my hand, for then I have seen your face which is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me. ¹¹ Please take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he accepted.

¹⁷ Now, therefore, know and consider what thou must do, for evil is determined against our master and against all his household, for he is such a son of Belial that no one can speak to him. ¹⁸ Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two containers of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five seahs of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. ¹⁹ She said to her young men, Go on before me; I am following you. But she didn't tell her husband, Nabal. ²⁰ As she rode on her donkey and came down in a valley, and there were David and his men coming down towards her, and she met them. ²¹ Now David had said, Surely for nothing I have kept all this fellow's possessions in the wilderness, so that nothing was missing. He has returned me evil for good. ²² God deal with David severely, if I leave alive one man of his by the morning. ²³ When Abigail saw David she hurried and alighted from her donkey; she bowed down before David with her face to the ground. ²⁴ She fell at his feet, and said, “On me, my lord, on me be the blame! Please let your servant speak in your ears. Hear the words of your servant. ²⁵ Let my lord give no attention to Nabal, that good-for-nothing: for as his name is, so is he, a man without sense: but I, your servant, did not see the young men whom my lord sent. ²⁶ »the LORD kept you from spilling innocent blood and from getting a victory by your own efforts. As the LORD lives and you live, may your enemies and those who are trying to harm you end up like Nabal. ²⁷ Let this gift which your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. ²⁸ Please forgive the offense of your servant. For the LORD will certainly make a strong dynasty for your majesty, for your majesty is fighting the LORD's battles. May evil not be found in you for all of your life. ²⁹ And though men have risen up to pursue you and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD your God. And the souls of your enemies, them he will sling out as from the hollow of a sling. ³⁰ When the LORD does for your majesty all the good that he promised concerning you and appoints you commander-in-chief over Israel, ³¹ then this will not be on your conscience, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. When the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid. ³² David said to Abigail: "Blessed is the LORD the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me. ³³ and your discretion is blessed and you are blessed, who have kept me this day from blood guiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand. ³⁴ For as surely as the LORD God of Israel lives, the one who restrained me from harming you indeed, had you not quickly come to meet me, by dawn there wouldn't be a single male left to Nabal." ³⁵ Then David accepted what she brought him. He said: "Go home in peace. I have listened to what you said and I grant your request."

²¹ "Get to know God, and you'll be at peace with him, and then prosperity will come to you.

⁶ For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found. Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him.

¹ My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger, ² If you have been trapped by words of your mouth, Have been seized by sayings of your mouth, ³ Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor. ⁴ Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. ⁵ Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

⁸ Do not run quickly to court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame.

⁶ Seek the LORD while he may be found. Call on him while he is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

⁵⁸ As you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

²⁴ "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to, ²⁵ After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’

³¹ Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.

² For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

⁷ Hence, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you hear his voice,

¹³ But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

¹⁷ For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears.

³⁴ In his anger, his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.

⁴⁶ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

⁹ who will be punished with everlasting destruction proceeding from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,

¹⁴ You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁰ And a man who commits adultery with a man's wife, who commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, the adulterer and the adulteress are surely to be put to death.

¹⁸ You shall not commit adultery.

²² "If a man is found lying with a married woman, then they shall both die; both of them, the man who lay with the woman and the woman also, so you shall purge the evil from Israel. ²³ "If a man meets a young virgin lady engaged to be married in the city and has sexual relations with her, ²⁴ "You must bring them both out to the gate of that city and you must stone them to death! The girl did not protest what was happening and the man has violated his neighbor's woman. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

³² He who commits adultery with a woman lacks judgment and destroys himself.

²¹ You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

² And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her.

⁷ and after these things his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, Lie with me; ⁸ But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not worry about what is in the house, and everything he owns he has put in my hand. ⁹ No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” ¹⁰ She kept asking Joseph day after day. He refused to go to bed with her or be with her. ¹¹ One day he went into the house to do his work. None of the household servants were there. ¹² She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside. ¹³ When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside, ¹⁴ She called to her the men of her house, and said to them: See, he hath brought in a Hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me; and when I cried out, ¹⁵ "When he heard me scream, he ran out of the house, leaving his coat with me." ¹⁶ So she left his clothes by her, until his master came home. ¹⁷ Then she spoke to him according to these words, saying, "The Hebrew slave that you brought to us came to me to make fun of me. ¹⁸ "When I screamed for help, he left his coat and ran out of the house." ¹⁹ And when his master heard the words of his wife that she spoke to him, "This is what your servant did to me," he became very angry. ²⁰ And Joseph's master took him and put him into prison, the place that the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison. ²¹ But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. ²² And the keeper of the prison put all the prisoners under Joseph's control, and he was responsible for whatever was done there. ²³ The jailer did not worry about anything, because the LORD was with Joseph and made him successful in all that he did.

¹⁷ You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

² At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.

¹ "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.

⁹ "If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door,

⁹⁶ Of all perfection I saw a limit; thy command is very broad.

²⁵ Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. But if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, ²⁹ because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

⁷ What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." ⁸ But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the Law, sin is dead.

¹⁴ We know that the Law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

¹⁴ But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. ¹⁵ Then when passion has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.

¹⁴ They have eyes full of adultery, that never cease from sin; they entice unstable souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!

¹⁶ For the things in the world--the cravings of the earthly nature, the cravings of the eyes, the show and pride of life--they all come, not from the Father, but from the world.

⁸ Keep far away from her. Do not go near the door of her house. ⁹ lest you give your honor to others and your years to the cruel; ¹⁰ lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man's house. ¹¹ and you groan at your end, when your flesh and body are consumed, ¹² And you say, How I have hated discipline, And my heart has spurned correction!" ¹³ I did not obey my teachers and did not listen to my instructors. ¹⁴ I have come to the brink of utter ruin, in the midst of the gathered assembly."

²⁶ What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

¹² For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

³⁶ What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ What good does it do a man to gain the whole world and lose or forfeit himself?

⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

²⁷ No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

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

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which is idolatry.

¹ Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin. ² so that he can live the rest of his mortal life guided, not by human desires, but by the will of God. ³ For you have spent enough time in the past doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.

²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

²¹ But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

²³ But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

⁶ But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

¹³ Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot and throw him outside into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

²⁰ The servant who had received five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

⁴³ If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, to the fire that shall never be quenched.

² "It would be better for him to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

³³ just as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble, and a rock that causes them to fall, and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame."

²⁰ Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block. ²¹ It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.

¹³ Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.

¹¹ Now, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

⁸ and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall;" they stumble because they disobey the wordas they were desstined to do.

¹ "When a man marries a woman and later decides he does not love her because he found something he does not like about her he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house. ² If she goes out from his house, becomes the wife of another man, ³ And he also hateth her, and hath given her a bill of divorce, and hath sent her out of his house or is dead: ⁴ »her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife. She has been defiled. That is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.

¹ A saying: 'Look, if a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and she becomes another man's wife, will he return to her again?' Will not that land be greatly defiled? And you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, would you now return to me?" declares the LORD.

³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

² Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" ³ "What did Moses command you?" he replied, ⁴ They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." ⁵ "It was owing to the hardness of your hearts," said Jesus, "that Moses gave you this direction; ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. ⁷ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.

¹⁴ Yet you ask, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD acts as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you broke faith with her, your partner, the wife of your covenant. ¹⁵ Did he not make them one? And the vestige of the spirit remains in him. And why did he make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don't break faith with the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and he who covers his clothing with violence," says the LORD of hosts. "You must be attentive to your spirit and you must not be unfaithful."

²⁸ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

⁸ He said to them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, on account of the hardness of your hearts, but it was not so from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you that whoever divorces his wife on any ground but her unfaithfulness, and marries another woman, commits adultery."

⁵ "It was owing to the hardness of your hearts," said Jesus, "that Moses gave you this direction; ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. ⁷ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate. ¹⁰ When they were in the house, his disciples asked him again about this. ¹¹ "Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; ¹² And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

³⁰ Moses and Elijah talked to him.

³⁵ And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him!”

¹⁸ Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³ So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man. ⁴ The wife has not power over her body, but the husband; and in the same way the husband has not power over his body, but the wife.

¹⁰ To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. ¹¹ But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name.

¹² "'Do not swear falsely by my name, so as to profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

² When a man vows a vow to the LORD, or has sworn an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do all that has gone out of his mouth. ³ And in case a woman vows a vow to the LORD and binds herself by a bond in the house of her father in her youth, ⁴ but if her father hears her vow or her pledge that she bound on herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows will stand, and every pledge that she binds on her life will stand. ⁵ But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears, none of her vows or of her pledges with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. the LORD will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her. ⁶ "If she has a husband while bound by her vows or a rash promise of her lips, ⁷ and her husband hears of it and is silent on the day he hears it, her vows will stand, and her pledge that she bound upon herself will stand. ⁸ But if on the day her husband hears of it, he forbids her, then he will nullify her vow that she is under, and the rash promise of her lips that she bound on herself; and the LORD will forgive her. ⁹ The vow of a widow or one driven out, all which she binds on her soul shall be confirmed on her. ¹⁰ "If she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, ¹¹ and her husband heard it but was silent to her, and he did not forbid her, all her vows will stand and every pledge that she bound on herself will stand. ¹² But if her husband nullified them on the day he hears them, all her vows going out of her lips concerning her vows or the pledge on herself will not stand; her husband has nullified them, and the LORD will forgive her. ¹³ Every vow and every bonded oath to humble the soul, her man raises or her man breaks. ¹⁴ But if her husband is completely silent from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her pledges that are on her; he confirms them because he was silent to her on the day he heard them. ¹⁵ But if he indeed nullifies them after he hears them, then he will bear her guilt." ¹⁶ These are the laws which the Lord gave Moses in relation to a man and his wife, or a father and a young daughter who is under his authority.

¹¹ “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name.

²¹ "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, don't delay paying it, because the LORD your God will certainly demand payment from you, and then you will be guilty of sin.

²³ Whatever your lips have said, see that you do it; for you gave your word freely to the Lord your God.

¹⁴ Offer thanksgiving to God; and pay your vows to the Most High.

¹¹ Make vows to the LORD your God, and fulfill them. Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, for he takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow! ⁵ It is better not to vow, than to vow and not perform. ⁶ Do not allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Do not protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

¹⁵ "Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings. Who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah and perform your vows! The wicked will no more pass through (invade) you. They will be completely destroyed."

¹⁶ Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it. ²² And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

²¹ "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, don't delay paying it, because the LORD your God will certainly demand payment from you, and then you will be guilty of sin. ²² But if you refrain from making a vow, then you won't be guilty. ²³ Whatever your lips have said, see that you do it; for you gave your word freely to the Lord your God.

² The same fate comes to everyone: to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the wicked, to the clean and to the unclean, to those who sacrifice and to those who do not sacrifice. As with the good man, so also to the sinner; as with those who swear an oath, so also those who fear oaths.

¹ the LORD says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build to me? Where will I rest?

¹² Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

⁶ But I have chosen Jerusalem for My name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.

² Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.

² the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

⁵ Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool. He is holy!

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

² I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

²⁷ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifespan?

¹⁶ Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.

²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifespan?

¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

¹⁹ When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

³⁸ the field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.

¹⁷ When I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a fleshly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, Yes" and "No, No"? ¹⁸ But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.” ²⁰ For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,

³ But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

¹³ I write to you, fathers, because you have known him, who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you have known the Father.

¹⁸ We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

²² "If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman's husband demands and the judges allow. ²³ And if there is serious injury, you will give life in place of life, ²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. ²⁶ If a man smite his servant or his maid in the eye and put it out, he shall let them go free for the eye's sake. ²⁷ If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall release him as a free man in exchange for his tooth.

¹⁹ If anyone injures his neighbor; as he has done, so shall it be done to him: ²⁰ fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him.

¹⁹ then work to him as he intrigued to work to his brother: thus you burn the evil from among you.

²¹ You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."

¹⁸ "'Do not seek revenge. Never hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the LORD.

¹⁰ Look, today your eyes have seen how the LORD had delivered you into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, I will not lift up my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed. ¹¹ »My master, look at this! The border of your robe is in my hand! I cut off the border of your robe and did not kill you. You should know and be able to see I mean no harm or rebellion. I have not sinned against you! But you are trying to ambush me in order to take my life. ¹² May the LORD judge between me and you, and may the LORD avenge the wrong you have done me; but my hand shall not be against you. ¹³ "An old proverb says: 'Only evil people do evil things.' So I will not harm you. ¹⁴ Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? ¹⁵ May the LORD therefore be judge, and judge between you and me, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.

³¹ then this will not be on your conscience, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. When the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid. ³² David said to Abigail: "Blessed is the LORD the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me. ³³ and your discretion is blessed and you are blessed, who have kept me this day from blood guiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand. ³⁴ For as surely as the LORD God of Israel lives, the one who restrained me from harming you indeed, had you not quickly come to meet me, by dawn there wouldn't be a single male left to Nabal."

⁸ Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Let me run the spear through him into the ground with a single blow. I won't need to strike him twice!" ⁹ But David said to Abishai, "Destroy him not — for who can lay his hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?" ¹⁰ As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him down, or his time will come to die, or he will go into battle and perish.

²⁴ Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came near and slapped Micaiah on the cheek and said, "When did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak with you?"

¹⁰ People gaped at me with mouths wide open; they slap me in their scorn and gather together against me.

²⁹ "If I have rejoiced at the ruin of the one who hated me or have exulted when evil overtook him— ³⁰ For I have not given my mouth to sin, by wishing a curse to his soul. ³¹ If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?

²² Don't say "I'll avenge that wrong!" Wait on the LORD and he will deliver you.

²⁹ Don't say, "I'll do to him like he did to me, I'll be sure to pay him back for what he did."

⁶ I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from insults and spittle.

³⁰ Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him; let him be filled with insults.

¹ Now marshal yourselves as troops. He has laid siege to us. They will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek with a rod.

²⁹ If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back.

⁶⁴ They blindfolded Him and kept demanding, “Prophesy! Who hit You?”

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with everybody. ¹⁹ Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

⁷ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

¹⁵ Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Instead, always pursue what is good for each other and for everyone else.

⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

⁶ You have condemned and murdered the just; he does not resist you.

²⁰ How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, ²² "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth;" ²³ When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

²⁹ If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well.

³² And as they were going out, they met a man of Cyrene, named Simon, and compelled him to carry the cross.

²¹ Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

²⁶ As they led Jesus away, they grabbed Simon, a man from Cyrene, as he was coming in from the country, and they put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

⁷ "If there should be a poor man among your relatives in one of the cities of the land that the LORD your God is about to give you, don't be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor relative. ⁸ But let your hand be open to give him the use of whatever he is in need of. ⁹ "Be careful not to think this wicked thought to yourselves: 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is drawing near,' and you show ill will toward your poor relative and not give to him. He may then call to the LORD on account of you, and you will be guilty of sin. ¹⁰ You must surely give to him, and your heart must not be grieved when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to. ¹¹ For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land. ¹² "When a fellow Hebrew male or female slave is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you shall set them free. ¹³ But when you set them free, don't send them away empty-handed. ¹⁴ "Supply him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you.

¹⁶ ¶ If I have disturbed the desire of the poor or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; ¹⁷ if I have eaten my morsel alone, and have not shared it with the orphan; ¹⁸ for from my youth I reared the orphan like a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the widow. ¹⁹ If I have seen any perishing for want of clothing, or any needy without covering; ²⁰ If his heart has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

²¹ The wicked borrow, and do not pay back, but the righteous give generously.

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread. ²⁶ He is always generous and lends freely. His descendants are a blessing.

⁵ Well will it be with the man who is kind, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with justice. ⁶ For he will never be shaken. The righteous will be remembered forever. ⁷ He will not be afraid of evil news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. ⁸ His heart is secure, he has no fears; in the end he will look in triumph on his adversaries. ⁹ He has scattered abroad; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn shall be lifted up with honor.

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. ²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back. I will pay you tomorrow," when you have cash with you.

²⁴ There is one who scatters yet increases more; but a withholder of just due comes only to poverty. ²⁵ The liberal person will prosper. He who waters will be watered.

¹ Send out your bread on the water, for in many days you will find it. ² Give a portion to seven, yea even to eight, For you do not know what evil may come upon the earth."

⁶ Sow your seed in the morning and do not withhold your hand in the evening, because you do not know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be good alike.

³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, ³⁶ I was unclothed and you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you visited me.' ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' ⁴⁰ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you. ³² If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those doing good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

⁴¹ So give what is inside to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you.

¹² Then he said to his host, When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, your kinsmen, or your rich neighbours; lest they invite you in return, and you are repaid. ¹³ But whenever you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you—you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

²⁰ On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

⁶ Consider this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” ¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will multiply the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in everything, so you can be generous, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹² For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ Because your service in giving proves your love, you will be glorifying God as you obey what your confession of the Messiah's gospel demands, since you are generous in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers, their hearts will go out to you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

¹⁷ Charge the rich of this world not to be arrogant, nor to set their hopes on such an uncertain thing as riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

¹⁶ And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

¹⁵ Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

¹⁶ By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷ If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or tongue but in deed and in truth.

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, Write this in a book to keep it in remembrance; and rehearse it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will entirely blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. ¹⁵ Moses built an altar and named it "The LORD Is My Banner." ¹⁶ He said, "A hand upon the throne of the LORD. The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.'"

⁶ Don't seek a peace treaty with them as long as you live.

¹⁷ "Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt.

¹⁰ But you, LORD, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.

²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? ²² I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them my enemies.

¹⁹ honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”

³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

³¹ A second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." ³² “Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him, ³³ To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices." ³⁴ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him: You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” ²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.” ²⁹ But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

¹³ For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. ¹⁴ The entire Law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

⁸ If you really keep the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

⁴ "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, you shall certainly return it to him. ⁵ If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, do not leave him, you shall surely help him with it.

²² And he said, "You shall not kill. Would you kill those whom you took captive with the sword or with the bow? Put food and water before them that they may eat and drink and then go to their master."

⁹ But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, "Look, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven. ¹⁰ »Now you intend to enslave the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty of sinning against the LORD your God? ¹¹ So now, listen to me and return the captives of your brothers whom you have taken captive, for the fierce anger of Yahweh is against you." ¹² Then rose up certain of the chiefs of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai,—against them who were coming in from the army; ¹³ And they said to them, You shall not bring the captives here. For we have offended the LORD, and you intend to add to our sins and to our trespass. For our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. ¹⁴ So the soldiers left the captives and the plunder before the commanders and all the assembly. ¹⁵ The men mentioned by name rose up and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them, gave them sandals, and gave them something to eat and to drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

¹³ But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting. My prayer returned unanswered. ¹⁴ I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as he who weeps for his mother.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink; ²² for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

²⁷ "But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

³⁴ And Jesus said: Father, forgive them. For they do not know what they do. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

²⁰ On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not rejoice with evil, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ endures all, trusts all, hopes all, abides all: ⁸ Love never fails; but where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

³ "Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise?

⁹ the LORD is good to all, And His compassions are over all His works."

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

¹⁷ Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”

¹ Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,

⁹ Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

¹ Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

¹⁰ Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her deeds."

¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

³¹ Which of the two did what his father wanted?" They said, "The second one." Jesus said to them, "I tell you, the tax-collectors and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

³² If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those doing good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do the same.

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

¹³ But the tax-collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but continued to beat his breast, and say, 'O God, have mercy on me, a sinner!'

² A man named Zacchaeus was there—he was a chief tax collector, and he was wealthy!

⁷ But when they saw this, everyone began to mutter that he had gone to be the guest of a sinner.

²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

¹² As you enter the house, give it your greeting.

³² If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

⁴ Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road. ⁵ And whenever you go into a house, first say, Peace be to this house.

²⁰ How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

¹ Abram was ninety-nine years old. the LORD appeared to him and said: "I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless.

⁴⁴ For I am the LORD, your God, and ye were consecrated and ye were holy, for I am holy: and ye shall not make your souls unclean by any creeping thing creeping upon the earth.

² Speak to the assembly of the sons of Israel, and say to them, Ye shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

²⁶ and you shall be holy to Me, for I, the LORD, am holy; and I have set you apart from the nations to become Mine.

¹³ You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

¹ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil. ² He had seven sons and three daughters. ³ He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand head of cattle, and five hundred donkeys. He also had a large number of servants. In fact he was the greatest (richest) of all the Orientals in the East!

³⁷ Observe the blameless, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

⁴⁰ A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

⁹ In fact, we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong, and our prayer is for your perfection.

¹ For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...

¹² Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize, to which God has called me upward in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Therefore let all of us who are mature believers cherish these thoughts; and if in any respect you think differently, that also God will make clear to you.

²⁸ We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

¹² Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God.

⁴ Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

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