Matthew 13 Cross References - WNT

¹ That same day Jesus had left the house and was sitting on the shore of the Lake, ² when a vast multitude of people crowded round Him. He therefore went on board a boat and sat there, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ He then spoke many things to them in figurative language. "The sower goes out," He said, "to sow. ⁴ As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up. ⁵ Some falls on rocky ground, where it has but scanty soil. It quickly shows itself above ground, because it has no depth of earth; ⁶ but when the sun is risen, it is scorched by the heat, and through having no root it withers up. ⁷ Some falls among the thorns; but the thorns spring up and stifle it. ⁸ But a portion falls upon good ground, and gives a return, some a hundred for one, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ Listen, every one who has ears!" ¹⁰ (And His disciples came and asked Him, "Why do you speak to them in figurative language?" ¹¹ "Because," He replied, "while to you it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of the Heavens, to them it is not. ¹² For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away. ¹³ I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand. ¹⁴ And in regard to them the prophecy of Isaiah is receiving signal fulfilment: "'YOU WILL HEAR AND HEAR AND BY NO MEANS UNDERSTAND, AND YOU WILL LOOK AND LOOK AND BY NO MEANS SEE. ¹⁵ FOR THIS PEOPLE'S MIND IS STUPEFIED, THEIR HEARING HAS BECOME DULL, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; TO PREVENT THEIR EVER SEEING WITH THEIR EYES, OR HEARING WITH THEIR EARS, OR UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR MINDS, AND TURNING BACK, SO THAT I MIGHT HEAL THEM.' ¹⁶ "But as for you, blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ For I solemnly tell you that many Prophets and holy men have longed to see the sights you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the words you hear, and have not heard them. ¹⁸ "To you then I will explain the parable of the Sower. ¹⁹ When a man hears the Message concerning the Kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil one comes and catches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who has received the seed by the road-side. ²⁰ He who has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹ It has struck no root, however, within him. He continues for a time, but when suffering comes, or persecution, because of the Message, he at once stumbles and falls. ²² He who has received the seed among the thorns is the man who hears the Message, but the cares of the present age and the delusions of riches quite stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful. ²³ But he who has received the seed on good ground is he who hears and understands. Such hearers give a return, and yield one a hundred for one, another sixty, another thirty.") ²⁴ Another parable He put before them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a man who has sown good seed in his field, ²⁵ but during the night his enemy comes, and over the first seed he sows darnel among the wheat, and goes away. ²⁶ But when the blade shoots up and the grain is formed, then appears the darnel also. ²⁷ "So the farmer's men come and ask him, "'Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed on your land? Where then does the darnel come from?' ²⁸ "'Some enemy has done this,' he said. "'Shall we go, and collect it?' the men inquire. ²⁹ "'No,' he replied, 'for fear that while collecting the darnel you should at the same time root up the wheat with it. ³⁰ Leave both to grow together until the harvest, and at harvest-time I will direct the reapers, Collect the darnel first, and make it up into bundles to burn it, but bring all the wheat into my barn.'" ³¹ Another parable He put before them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "is like a mustard-seed, which a man takes and sows in his ground. ³² It is the smallest of all seeds, and yet when full-grown it is larger than any herb and forms a tree, so that the birds come and build in its branches." ³³ Another parable He spoke to them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "is like yeast which a woman takes and buries in a bushel of flour, for it to work there till the whole mass has risen." ³⁴ All this Jesus spoke to the people in figurative language, and except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them, ³⁵ in fulfilment of the saying of the Prophet, "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, I WILL UTTER THINGS KEPT HIDDEN SINCE THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS." ³⁶ When He had dismissed the people and had returned to the house, His disciples came to Him with the request, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel sown in the field." ³⁷ "The sower of the good seed," He replied, "is the Son of Man; ³⁸ the field is the world; the good seed--these are the sons of the Kingdom; the darnel, the sons of the Evil one. ³⁹ The enemy who sows the darnel is *the Devil*; the harvest is the Close of the Age; the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ As then the darnel is collected together and burnt up with fire, so will it be at the Close of the Age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will commission His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all causes of sin and all who violate His laws; ⁴² and these they will throw into the fiery furnace. There will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then will the righteous shine out like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Listen, every one who has ears! ⁴⁴ "The Kingdom of the Heavens is like treasure buried in the open country, which a man finds, but buries again, and, in his joy about it, goes and sells all he has and buys that piece of ground. ⁴⁵ "Again the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a jewel merchant who is in quest of choice pearls. ⁴⁶ He finds one most costly pearl; he goes away; and though it costs all he has, he buys it. ⁴⁷ "Again the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a draw-net let down into the sea, which encloses fish of all sorts. ⁴⁸ When full, they haul it up on the beach, and sit down and collect the good fish in baskets, while the worthless they throw away. ⁴⁹ So will it be at the Close of the Age. The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from among the righteous, ⁵⁰ and will throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth." ⁵¹ "Have you understood all this?" He asked. "Yes," they said. ⁵² "Therefore," He said, "remember that every Scribe well trained for the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a householder who brings out of his storehouse new things and old." ⁵³ Jesus concluded this series of parables and then departed. ⁵⁴ And He came into His own country and proceeded to teach in their synagogue, so that they were filled with astonishment and exclaimed, "Where did he obtain such wisdom, and these wondrous powers? ⁵⁵ Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers, James, Joseph, Simon and Judah? ⁵⁶ And his sisters--are they not all living here among us? Where then did he get all this?" ⁵⁷ So they turned angrily away from Him. But Jesus said to them, "There is no prophet left without honour except in his own country and among his own family." ⁵⁸ And He performed but few mighty deeds there because of their want of faith.

²⁸ And when He had gone indoors, they came to Him. "Do you believe that I can do this?" He asked them. "Yes, Sir," they replied.

¹ That same day Jesus had left the house and was sitting on the shore of the Lake, ² when a vast multitude of people crowded round Him. He therefore went on board a boat and sat there, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ He then spoke many things to them in figurative language. "The sower goes out," He said, "to sow. ⁴ As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up. ⁵ Some falls on rocky ground, where it has but scanty soil. It quickly shows itself above ground, because it has no depth of earth; ⁶ but when the sun is risen, it is scorched by the heat, and through having no root it withers up. ⁷ Some falls among the thorns; but the thorns spring up and stifle it. ⁸ But a portion falls upon good ground, and gives a return, some a hundred for one, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ Listen, every one who has ears!" ¹⁰ (And His disciples came and asked Him, "Why do you speak to them in figurative language?" ¹¹ "Because," He replied, "while to you it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of the Heavens, to them it is not. ¹² For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away. ¹³ I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand. ¹⁴ And in regard to them the prophecy of Isaiah is receiving signal fulfilment: "'YOU WILL HEAR AND HEAR AND BY NO MEANS UNDERSTAND, AND YOU WILL LOOK AND LOOK AND BY NO MEANS SEE. ¹⁵ FOR THIS PEOPLE'S MIND IS STUPEFIED, THEIR HEARING HAS BECOME DULL, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; TO PREVENT THEIR EVER SEEING WITH THEIR EYES, OR HEARING WITH THEIR EARS, OR UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR MINDS, AND TURNING BACK, SO THAT I MIGHT HEAL THEM.'

³⁶ When He had dismissed the people and had returned to the house, His disciples came to Him with the request, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel sown in the field."

¹³ Again He went out to the shore of the Lake, and the whole multitude kept coming to Him, and He taught them.

¹ Once more He began to teach by the side of the Lake, and a vast multitude of people came together to listen to Him. He therefore went on board the boat and sat there, a little way from the land; and all the people were on the shore close to the water. ² Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said, ³ "Listen: the sower goes out to sow. ⁴ As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up. ⁵ Some falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil; ⁶ but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away. ⁷ Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop. ⁸ But some of the seed falls into good ground, and gives a return: it comes up and increases, and yields thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold." ⁹ "Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!" ¹⁰ When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language. ¹¹ "To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language; ¹² that "'THEY MAY LOOK AND LOOK BUT NOT SEE, AND LISTEN AND LISTEN BUT NOT UNDERSTAND, LEST PERCHANCE THEY SHOULD RETURN AND BE PARDONED.'"

⁴ And when a great crowd was assembling, and was receiving additions from one town after another, He spoke a parable to them. ⁵ "The sower," He said, "goes out to sow his seed; and as he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and is trodden upon, or the birds of the air come and peck it up. ⁶ Another part drops upon the rock, and after growing up it withers away for want of moisture. ⁷ Another part falls among the thorns, and the thorns grow up with it and stifle it. ⁸ But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!" ⁹ The disciples proceeded to ask Him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ "To you," He replied, "it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but all others are taught by parables, in order that they may see and yet not see, and may hear and yet not understand.

²⁵ And great crowds followed Him, coming from Galilee, from the Ten Towns, from Jerusalem, and from beyond the district on the other side of the Jordan.

³⁰ Soon great crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were crippled in feet or hands, blind or dumb, and many besides, and they hastened to lay them at His feet. And He cured them,

¹ Once more He began to teach by the side of the Lake, and a vast multitude of people came together to listen to Him. He therefore went on board the boat and sat there, a little way from the land; and all the people were on the shore close to the water.

³ and going on board one of them, which was Simon's He asked him to push out a little from land. Then He sat down and taught the crowd of people from the boat.

⁴ And when a great crowd was assembling, and was receiving additions from one town after another, He spoke a parable to them. ⁵ "The sower," He said, "goes out to sow his seed; and as he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and is trodden upon, or the birds of the air come and peck it up. ⁶ Another part drops upon the rock, and after growing up it withers away for want of moisture. ⁷ Another part falls among the thorns, and the thorns grow up with it and stifle it. ⁸ But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"

¹⁰ (And His disciples came and asked Him, "Why do you speak to them in figurative language?" ¹¹ "Because," He replied, "while to you it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of the Heavens, to them it is not. ¹² For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away. ¹³ I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand.

³⁴ All this Jesus spoke to the people in figurative language, and except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them, ³⁵ in fulfilment of the saying of the Prophet, "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, I WILL UTTER THINGS KEPT HIDDEN SINCE THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS."

⁵³ Jesus concluded this series of parables and then departed.

¹ Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.

³² "Now learn from the fig-tree the lesson it teaches. As soon as its branches have now become soft and it is bursting into leaf, you all know that summer is near.

²³ So He called them to Him, and using figurative language He appealed to them, saying, "How is it possible for Satan to expel Satan?

² Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said, ³ "Listen: the sower goes out to sow. ⁴ As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up. ⁵ Some falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil; ⁶ but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away. ⁷ Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop. ⁸ But some of the seed falls into good ground, and gives a return: it comes up and increases, and yields thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold." ⁹ "Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"

¹³ "Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?"

³³ With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.

¹ Then He began to speak to them in figurative language. "There was once a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, fenced it round, dug a pit for the wine-tank, and built a strong lodge. Then he let the place to vine-dressers and went abroad.

¹² And they kept looking out for an opportunity to seize Him, but were afraid of the people; for they saw that in this parable He had referred to *them*. So they left Him and went away.

¹⁰ "To you," He replied, "it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but all others are taught by parables, in order that they may see and yet not see, and may hear and yet not understand.

⁴¹ "Master," said Peter, "are you addressing this parable to us, or to all alike?"

³ So in figurative language He asked them, ⁴ "Which of you men, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in their pasture and go in search of the lost one till he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lifts it on his shoulder, glad at heart. ⁶ Then coming home he calls his friends and neighbours together, and says, 'Congratulate me, for I have found my sheep--the one I had lost.' ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be rejoicing in Heaven over one repentant sinner--more rejoicing than over ninety-nine blameless persons who have no need of repentance.

²⁵ "All this I have spoken to you in veiled language. The time is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in veiled language, but will tell you about the Father in plain words.

¹⁸ "To you then I will explain the parable of the Sower. ¹⁹ When a man hears the Message concerning the Kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil one comes and catches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who has received the seed by the road-side. ²⁰ He who has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy.

²⁶ And every one who hears these my teachings and does not act upon them will be found to resemble a fool who builds his house upon sand. ²⁷ The heavy rain descends, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and burst upon the house, and it falls; and disastrous is the fall."

²¹ It has struck no root, however, within him. He continues for a time, but when suffering comes, or persecution, because of the Message, he at once stumbles and falls.

¹³ Those on the rock are the people who on hearing the Message receive it joyfully; but they have no root: for a time they believe, but when trial comes they fall away.

¹⁷ I pray that Christ may make His home in your hearts through your faith; so that having your roots deep and your foundations strong, in love, you may become mighty to grasp the idea,

²³ if, indeed, you are still firmly holding to faith as your foundation, without ever shifting from your hope that rests on the Good News that you have heard, which has been proclaimed in the whole creation under Heaven, and in which I Paul have been appointed to serve.

⁷ having the roots of your being firmly planted in Him, and continually building yourselves up in Him, and always being increasingly confirmed in the faith as you were taught it, and abounding in it with thanksgiving.

¹¹ The sun rises with his scorching heat and dries up the herbage, so that its flowers drop off and the beauty of its appearance perishes, and in the same way rich men with all their prosperity will fade away. ¹² Blessed is he who patiently endures trials; for when he has stood the test, he will gain the victor's crown--even the crown of Life--which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

¹⁶ They will never again be hungry or thirsty, and never again will the sun or any scorching heat trouble them.

²² He who has received the seed among the thorns is the man who hears the Message, but the cares of the present age and the delusions of riches quite stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful.

¹⁸ Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message, ¹⁹ but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful.

²³ But he who has received the seed on good ground is he who hears and understands. Such hearers give a return, and yield one a hundred for one, another sixty, another thirty.")

¹⁵ But as for that in the good ground, it means those who, having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit, hold it fast, and patiently yield a return.

⁸ By this is God glorified--by your bearing abundant fruit and thus being true disciples of mine.

¹⁸ For I know that in me, that is, in my lower self, nothing good has its home; for while the will to do right is present with me, the power to carry it out is not.

²² The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence; ²³ good faith, meekness, self-restraint.

¹¹ being filled with these fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.

¹⁵ Listen, every one who has ears!

¹⁶ "But as for you, blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

⁹ "Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"

²³ Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"

¹⁴ Then Jesus called the people to Him again. "Listen to me, all of you," He said, "and understand. ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a man which entering him can make him unclean; but it is the things which come out of a man that make him unclean."

⁷ "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. To him who overcomes I will give the privilege of eating the fruit of the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God.'

¹¹ "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. He who overcomes shall be in no way hurt by the Second Death.'

¹⁷ "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. He who overcomes--to him I will give some of the hidden Manna, and a white stone; and--written upon the stone and known only to him who receives it-- a new name.'

²⁹ Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'

⁶ Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'

¹³ Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'

²² Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'"

⁸ And all the inhabitants of the earth will be found to be worshipping him: every one whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life--the Book of the Lamb who has been offered in sacrifice ever since the creation of the world. ⁹ Let all who have ears give heed.

¹⁰ When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language.

³³ With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it. ³⁴ But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.

²⁵ About that time Jesus exclaimed, "I heartily praise Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and of earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from sages and men of discernment, and hast unveiled them to babes. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for such has been Thy gracious will.

¹⁷ "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jonah," said Jesus; "for mere human nature has not revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven.

¹¹ "It is not every man," He replied, "who can receive this teaching, but only those on whom the grace has been bestowed.

¹¹ "To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language;

³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. ⁴⁰ Martha meanwhile was busy and distracted in waiting at table, and she came and said, "Master, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the waiting? Tell her to assist me." ⁴¹ "Martha, Martha," replied Jesus, "you are anxious and worried about a multitude of things; ⁴² and yet only one thing is really necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion and she shall not be deprived of it."

⁶⁵ So He added, "That is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it be granted him by the Father."

¹⁷ If any one is willing to do His will, he shall know about the teaching, whether it is from God or originates with me.

¹⁴ Among our hearers was one named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods. She belonged to the city of Thyateira, and was a worshipper of the true God. The Lord opened her heart, so that she gave attention to what Paul was saying.

¹¹ The Jews at Beroea were of a nobler disposition than those in Thessalonica, for they very readily received the Message, and day after day searched the Scriptures to see whether it was as Paul stated. ¹² As the result many of them became believers, and so did not a few of the Greeks--gentlewomen of good position, and men.

²⁵ To Him who has it in His power to make you strong, as declared in the Good News which I am spreading, and the proclamation concerning Jesus Christ, in harmony with the unveiling of the Truth which in the periods of past Ages remained unuttered,

⁷ But in dealing with truths hitherto kept secret we speak of God's wisdom--that hidden wisdom which, before the world began, God pre-destined, so that it should result in glory to us;

⁹ But--to use the words of Scripture--we speak of THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN NOR EAR HEARD, and which have never entered the heart of man: ALL THAT GOD HAS IN READINESS FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. ¹⁰ For us, however, God has drawn aside the veil through the teaching of the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, including the depths of the divine nature.

¹⁴ The unspiritual man rejects the things of the Spirit of God, and cannot attain to the knowledge of them, because they are spiritually judged.

¹ As for us Apostles, let any one take this view of us--we are Christ's officers, and stewards of God's secret truths.

⁷ Why, who gives you your superiority, my brother? Or what have you that you did not receive? And if you really did receive it, why boast as if this were not so?

² If I possess the gift of prophecy and am versed in all mysteries and all knowledge, and have such absolute faith that I can remove mountains, but am destitute of Love, I am nothing.

⁵¹ I tell you a truth hitherto kept secret: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

⁹ when He made known to us the secret of His will. And this is in harmony with God's merciful purpose

¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened so that you may know what is the hope which His call to you inspires, what the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in God's people,

³ and that by a revelation the truth hitherto kept secret was made known to me as I have already briefly explained it to you. ⁴ By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ ⁵ which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit-- ⁶ I mean the truth that the Gentiles are joint heirs with us Jews, and that they form one body with us, and have the same interest as we have in the promise which has been made good in Christ Jesus through the Good News, ⁷ in which I have been appointed to serve, in virtue of the work which God, in the exercise of His power within me, has graciously entrusted to me. ⁸ To me who am less than the least of all God's people has this work been graciously entrusted--to proclaim to the Gentiles the Good News of the exhaustless wealth of Christ, ⁹ and to show all men in a clear light what my stewardship is. It is the stewardship of the truth which from all the Ages lay concealed in the mind of God, the Creator of all things--

³² That is a great truth hitherto kept secret: I mean the truth concerning Christ and the Church.

¹⁹ and ask on my behalf that words may be given to me so that, outspoken and fearless, I may make known the truths (hitherto kept secret) of the Good News--

²⁶ the truth which has been kept secret from all ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His people, ²⁷ to whom it was His will to make known how vast a wealth of glory for the Gentile world is implied in this truth--the truth that 'Christ is in you, the hope of glory.'

² in order that their hearts may be cheered, they themselves being welded together in love and enjoying all the advantages of a reasonable certainty, till at last they attain the full knowledge of God's truth, which is Christ Himself.

⁹ but holding the secret truths of the faith with a clear conscience.

¹⁶ And, beyond controversy, great is the mystery of our religion-- that Christ appeared in human form, and His claims justified by the Spirit, was seen by angels and proclaimed among Gentile nations, was believed on in the world, and received up again into glory.

⁵ And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.

¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my dearly-loved brethren. ¹⁷ Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change. ¹⁸ In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.

²⁰ As for you, you have an anointing from the holy One and have perfect knowledge.

²⁷ And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains within you, and there is no need for any one to teach you. But since His anointing gives you instruction in all things--and is true and is no falsehood--you are continuing in union with Him even as it has taught you to do.

⁴³ "That, I tell you, is the reason why the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a nation that will exhibit the power of it.

²⁹ (For to every one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who has nothing, even what he has shall be taken away.)

²⁴ He also said to them, "Take care what you hear. With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and that with interest. ²⁵ For those who have will have more given them; and from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away."

⁹ What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do?" "He will come and put the vine-dressers to death," they said; "and will give the vineyard to others."

¹⁸ Be careful, therefore, how you hear; for whoever has anything, to him more shall be given, and whoever has nothing, even that which he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."

²⁶ For whoever shall have been ashamed of me and my teachings, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own and the Father's glory and in that of the holy angels.

⁴² and yet only one thing is really necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion and she shall not be deprived of it."

²⁰ "But God said to him, "'Foolish man, this night your life is demanded from you; and these preparations--for whom shall they be?' ²¹ "So is it with him who amasses treasure for himself, but has no riches in God."

² He called him and said, "'What is this I hear about you? Render an account of your stewardship, for I cannot let you hold it any longer.'

²⁵ "'Remember, my child,' said Abraham, 'that you had all your good things during your lifetime, and that Lazarus in like manner had his bad things. But, now and here, he is receiving consolation and you are in agony.

²⁴ "And he said to those who stood by, "'Take the pound from him and give it to him who has the ten pounds.' ²⁵ ("They said to him, "'Sir, he already has ten pounds.') ²⁶ "'I tell you that to every one who has anything, more shall be given; and from him who has not anything, even what he has shall be taken away.

² Every branch in me--if it bears no fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are cleansed--through the teaching which I have given you. ⁴ Continue in me, and let me continue in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself--that is, if it does not continue in the vine--so neither can you if you do not continue in me. ⁵ I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who continues in me and in whom I continue bears abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

⁵ Be mindful, therefore, of the height from which you have fallen. Repent at once, and act as you did at first, or else I will surely come and remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.

¹⁵ I know your doings--you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot! ¹⁶ Accordingly, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, before long I will vomit you out of My mouth.

¹⁷ He perceived what they were saying, and He said to them, "What is this discussion of yours about having no bread? Do you not yet see and understand? Are your minds so dull of comprehension? ¹⁸ YOU HAVE EYES! CAN YOU NOT SEE? YOU HAVE EARS! CAN YOU NOT HEAR? and have you no memory?

¹⁹ And this is the test by which men are judged--the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than they loved the Light, because their deeds were wicked. ²⁰ For every wrongdoer hates the light, and does not come to the light, for fear his actions should be exposed and condemned.

³⁹ "I came into this world," said Jesus, "to judge men, that those who do not see may see, and that those who do see may become blind." ⁴⁰ These words were heard by those of the Pharisees who were present, and they asked Him, "Are *we* also blind?" ⁴¹ "If you were blind," answered Jesus, "you would have no sin; but as a matter of fact you boast that you see. So your sin remains!"

³ If, however, the meaning of our Good News has been veiled, the veil has been on the hearts of those who are on the way to perdition, ⁴ in whom the god of this present age has blinded their unbelieving minds so as to shut out the sunshine of the Good News of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God.

¹² that "'THEY MAY LOOK AND LOOK BUT NOT SEE, AND LISTEN AND LISTEN BUT NOT UNDERSTAND, LEST PERCHANCE THEY SHOULD RETURN AND BE PARDONED.'"

³⁹ For this reason they were unable to believe--because Isaiah said again, ⁴⁰ "HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND MADE THEIR MINDS CALLOUS, LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR MINDS, AND SHOULD TURN, AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM."

²⁵ Unable to agree among themselves, they at last left him, but not before Paul had spoken a parting word to them, saying, "Right well did the Holy Spirit say to your forefathers through the Prophet Isaiah: ²⁶ "'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND TELL THEM, YOU WILL HEAR AND HEAR, AND BY NO MEANS UNDERSTAND; AND WILL LOOK AND LOOK, AND BY NO MEANS SEE. ²⁷ FOR THIS PEOPLE'S MIND HAS GROWN CALLOUS, THEIR HEARING HAS BECOME DULL, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; TO PREVENT THEIR EVER SEEING WITH THEIR EYES, OR HEARING WITH THEIR EARS, OR UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR MINDS, AND TURNING BACK, SO THAT I MIGHT CURE THEM.'

⁸ And so Scripture says, "GOD HAS GIVEN THEM A SPIRIT OF DROWSINESS--EYES TO SEE NOTHING WITH AND EARS TO HEAR NOTHING WITH--EVEN UNTIL NOW." ⁹ And David says, "LET THEIR VERY FOOD BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP TO THEM, A STUMBLING-BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION. ¹⁰ LET DARKNESS COME OVER THEIR EYES THAT THEY MAY BE UNABLE TO SEE, AND MAKE THOU THEIR BACKS CONTINUALLY TO STOOP."

¹⁴ Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day during the reading of the book of the ancient Covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because it is only in Christ that it is to be abolished.

⁴³ How is it you do not understand me when I speak? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my words. ⁴⁴ The father whose sons you are is the Devil; and you desire to do what gives him pleasure. *He* was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth--for there is no truth in him. Whenever he utters his lie, he utters it out of his own store; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

¹⁹ Repent, therefore, and reform your lives, so that the record of your sins may be cancelled, and that there may come seasons of revival from the Lord,

⁵⁷ Upon this, with a loud outcry they stopped their ears, rushed upon Stephen in a body,

¹⁰ and by every kind of wicked deception for those who are on the way to perdition because they did not welcome into their hearts the love of the truth, so that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God sends them a misleading influence that they may believe the lie;

²⁵ He must speak in a gentle tone when correcting the errors of opponents, in the hope that God will at last give them repentance, for them to come to a full knowledge of the truth ²⁶ and recover sober-mindedness and freedom from the Devil's snare, though they are now entrapped by him to do his will.

⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and will turn aside to fables.

¹¹ Concerning Him we have much to say, and much that it would be difficult to make clear to you, since you have become so dull of apprehension.

⁴ For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once for all been enlightened, and have tasted the sweetness of the heavenly gift, and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have realized how good the word of God is and how mighty are the powers of the coming Age, and then fell away-- ⁶ it is impossible, I say, to keep bringing them back to a new repentance, for, to their own undoing, they are repeatedly crucifying the Son of God afresh and exposing Him to open shame.

² On either side of the river, midway between it and the main street of the city, was the Tree of Life. It produced twelve kinds of fruit, yielding a fresh crop month by month, and the leaves of the tree served as medicine for the nations.

³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens. ⁴ "Blessed are the mourners, for they shall be comforted. ⁵ "Blessed are the meek, for they as heirs shall obtain possession of the earth. ⁶ "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be completely satisfied. ⁷ "Blessed are the compassionate, for they shall receive compassion. ⁸ "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. ⁹ "Blessed are the peacemakers, for it is they who will be recognized as sons of God. ¹⁰ "Blessed are those who have borne persecution in the cause of Righteousness, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens. ¹¹ "Blessed are you when they have insulted and persecuted you, and have said every cruel thing about you falsely for my sake.

²⁹ "Now, O Sovereign Lord, Thou dost send Thy servant away in peace, in fulfilment of Thy word, ³⁰ Because mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,

²³ And He turned towards His disciples and said to them apart, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! ²⁴ For I tell you that many Prophets and kings have desired to see the things you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things you hear, and have not heard them."

²⁹ "Because you have seen me," replied Jesus, "you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

¹⁸ that they may turn from darkness to light and from the obedience to Satan to God, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified through faith in Me.'

⁶ For God who said, "Out of darkness let light shine," is He who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory, which is radiant on the face of Christ.

¹⁷ For I always beseech the God of our Lord Jesus Christ--the Father most glorious--to give you a spirit of wisdom and penetration through an intimate knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened so that you may know what is the hope which His call to you inspires, what the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in God's people,

²⁴ For I tell you that many Prophets and kings have desired to see the things you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things you hear, and have not heard them."

⁵⁶ Abraham your forefather exulted in the hope of seeing my day: and he saw it, and was glad."

⁵ which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit-- ⁶ I mean the truth that the Gentiles are joint heirs with us Jews, and that they form one body with us, and have the same interest as we have in the promise which has been made good in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

¹³ All these died in the possession of faith. They had not received the promised blessings, but had seen them from a distance and had greeted them, and had acknowledged themselves to be foreigners and strangers here on earth;

³⁹ And although by their faith all these people won God's approval, none of them received the fulfilment of His great promise; ⁴⁰ for God had provided for them and us something better, so that apart from us they were not to attain to full blessedness.

¹⁰ There were Prophets who earnestly inquired about that salvation, and closely searched into it--even those who spoke beforehand of the grace which was to come to you. ¹¹ They were eager to know the time which the Spirit of Christ within them kept indicating, or the characteristics of that time, when they solemnly made known beforehand the sufferings that were to come upon Christ and the glories which would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you, when they foretold the very things which have now been openly declared to you by those who, having been taught by the Holy Spirit which had been sent from Heaven, brought you the Good News. Angels long to stoop and look into these things.

¹¹ "Because," He replied, "while to you it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of the Heavens, to them it is not. ¹² For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away.

¹³ "Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?" ¹⁴ "What the sower sows is the Message. ¹⁵ Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message sown in them. ¹⁶ In the same way those who receive the seed on the rocky places are those who, when they have heard the Message, at once accept it joyfully, ¹⁷ but they have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown. ¹⁸ Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message, ¹⁹ but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰ Those, on the other hand, who have received the seed on the good ground, are all who hear the Message and welcome it, and yield a return of thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."

¹¹ The meaning of the parable is as follows. The seed is God's Message. ¹² Those by the way-side are those who have heard, and then the Devil comes and carries away the Message from their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rock are the people who on hearing the Message receive it joyfully; but they have no root: for a time they believe, but when trial comes they fall away. ¹⁴ That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection. ¹⁵ But as for that in the good ground, it means those who, having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit, hold it fast, and patiently yield a return.

²³ Then Jesus travelled through all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and curing every kind of disease and infirmity among the people.

³⁷ But let your language be, 'Yes, yes,' or 'No, no.' Anything in excess of this comes from the Evil one.

³⁸ the field is the world; the good seed--these are the sons of the Kingdom; the darnel, the sons of the Evil one.

¹⁵ Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message sown in them.

² and sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to cure the sick.

⁹ Cure the sick in that town, and tell them, "'The Kingdom of God is now at your door.'

⁴³ How is it you do not understand me when I speak? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my words.

³⁸ "What is truth?" said Pilate. But no sooner had he spoken the words than he went out again to the Jews and told them, "I find no crime in him.

³² When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection of dead men, some began to scoff. But others said, "We will hear you again on that subject."

¹⁵ But since these are questions about words and names and your Law, you yourselves must see to them. I refuse to be a judge in such matters."

²⁵ "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face.

²⁵ But when he dealt with the subjects of justice, self-control, and the judgement which was soon to come, Felix became alarmed and said, "For the present leave me, and when I can find a convenient opportunity I will send for you." ²⁶ At the same time he hoped that Paul would give him money; and for this reason he sent for him the oftener to converse with him.

¹⁹ But they quarrelled with him about certain matters connected with their own religion, and about one Jesus who had died, but--so Paul persistently maintained--is now alive. ²⁰ I was at a loss how to investigate such questions, and asked Paul whether he would care to go to Jerusalem and there stand his trial on these matters.

³¹ and, having withdrawn, they talked to one another and said, "This man is doing nothing for which he deserves death or imprisonment." ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, "He might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar."

²³ So they arranged a day with him and came to him in considerable numbers at the house of the friends who were entertaining him. And then, with solemn earnestness, he explained to them the subject of the Kingdom of God, endeavouring from morning till evening to convince them about Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

²⁸ And just as they had refused to continue to have a full knowledge of God, so it was to utterly worthless minds that God gave them up, for them to do things which should not be done.

⁸ while on the other hand upon the self-willed who disobey the truth and obey unrighteousness will fall anger and fury, affliction and awful distress,

¹⁷ For the Kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of right conduct, peace and joy, through the Holy Spirit;

² Nay, we have renounced the secrecy which marks a feeling of shame. We practice no cunning tricks, nor do we adulterate God's Message. But by a full clear statement of the truth we strive to commend ourselves in the presence of God to every human conscience. ³ If, however, the meaning of our Good News has been veiled, the veil has been on the hearts of those who are on the way to perdition,

⁸ To me who am less than the least of all God's people has this work been graciously entrusted--to proclaim to the Gentiles the Good News of the exhaustless wealth of Christ,

¹² in order that all may come under judgement who have refused to believe the truth and have taken pleasure in unrighteousness.

¹ For this reason we ought to pay the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, for fear we should drift away from them.

¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has existed from the very beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the Evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has existed from the very beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and God's Message still has a place in your hearts, and you have overcome the Evil one.

¹² We are not to resemble Cain, who was a child of the Evil one and killed his own brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's actions righteous.

¹⁸ We know that no one who is a child of God lives in sin, but He who is God's Child keeps him, and the Evil one cannot touch him.

²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we know the true One, and are in union with the true One--that is, we are in union with His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the Life of the Ages.

⁵ Some falls on rocky ground, where it has but scanty soil. It quickly shows itself above ground, because it has no depth of earth; ⁶ but when the sun is risen, it is scorched by the heat, and through having no root it withers up.

¹⁶ In the same way those who receive the seed on the rocky places are those who, when they have heard the Message, at once accept it joyfully, ¹⁷ but they have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown.

²⁰ for Herod stood in awe of John, knowing him to be an upright and holy man, and he protected him. After listening to him he was in great perplexity, and yet he found a pleasure in listening.

³⁵ He was the lamp that burned and shone, and for a time you were willing to be gladdened by his light.

¹³ Simon himself also believed, and after being baptized remained in close attendance on Philip, and was full of amazement at seeing such signs and such great miracles performed.

¹⁴ and yet the bodily infirmity which was such a trial to you, you did not regard with contempt or loathing, but you received me as if I had been an angel of God or Christ Jesus Himself! ¹⁵ I ask you, then, what has become of your self-congratulations? For I bear you witness that had it been possible you would have torn out your own eyes and have given them to me.

¹⁰ "Blessed are those who have borne persecution in the cause of Righteousness, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens. ¹¹ "Blessed are you when they have insulted and persecuted you, and have said every cruel thing about you falsely for my sake. ¹² Be joyful and triumphant, because your reward is great in the Heavens; for so were the Prophets before you persecuted.

²² Many will say to me on that day, "'Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name expelled demons, and in Thy name performed many mighty works?' ²³ "And then I will tell them plainly, "'I never knew you: begone from me, you doers of wickedness.'

²² And you will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name; but he who holds out to the End--he will be saved.

³⁷ Any one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and any one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and any one who does not take up his cross and follow where I lead is not worthy of me. ³⁹ To save your life is to lose it, and to lose your life for my sake is to save it.

⁶ and blessed is every one who does not stumble and fall because of my claims."

⁶ but when the sun is risen, it is scorched by the heat, and through having no root it withers up.

⁵⁷ So they turned angrily away from Him. But Jesus said to them, "There is no prophet left without honour except in his own country and among his own family."

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any one desires to follow me, let him renounce self and take up his cross, and so be my follower. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it. ²⁶ Why, what benefit will it be to a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give to buy back his life?

⁹ "At that time they will deliver you up to punishment and will put you to death; and you will be objects of hatred to all the nations because you are called by my name. ¹⁰ Then WILL MANY STUMBLE AND FALL, and they will betray one another and hate one another.

¹³ but those who stand firm to the End shall be saved.

³¹ Then said Jesus, "This night all of you will stumble and fail in your fidelity to me; for it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK WILL BE SCATTERED IN ALL DIRECTIONS.'

³³ "All may stumble and fail," said Peter, "but I never will."

¹⁷ but they have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown.

³⁴ Then calling to Him the crowd and also His disciples, He said to them, "If any one is desirous of following me, let him ignore self and take up his cross, and so be my follower. ³⁵ For whoever is bent on securing his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, will secure it. ³⁶ Why, what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

¹² "Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and CHILDREN WILL RISE AGAINST THEIR PARENTS and have them put to death. ¹³ You will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name, but those who stand firm to the End will be saved.

²³ And He said to all, "If any one is desirous of following me, let him ignore self and take up his cross day by day, and so be my follower. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it. ²⁵ Why, what benefit is it to a man to have gained the whole world, but to have lost or forfeited his own self.

²⁶ "If any one is coming to me who does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be a disciple of mine. ²⁷ No one who does not carry his own cross and come after me can be a disciple of mine. ²⁸ "Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not sit down first and calculate the cost, asking if he has the means to finish it? -- ²⁹ lest perhaps, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to finish, all who see it shall begin to jeer at him, ³⁰ saying, 'This man began to build, but could not finish.' ³¹ Or what king, marching to encounter another king in war, does not first sit down and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand men to meet the one who is advancing against him with twenty thousand? ³² If not, while the other is still a long way off, he sends messengers and sues for peace. ³³ Just as no one of you who does not detach himself from all that belongs to him can be a disciple of mine.

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. ¹³ In the end all this will be evidence of your fidelity. ¹⁴ "Make up your minds, however, not to prepare a defence beforehand, ¹⁵ for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to withstand or reply to. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, friends; and some of you they will put to death. ¹⁷ You will be the objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name; ¹⁸ and yet not a hair of your heads shall perish.

²⁶ "In most solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that you are searching for me not because you have seen miracles, but because you ate the loaves and had a hearty meal.

⁶¹ But, knowing in Himself that His disciples were dissatisfied about it, Jesus asked them, ⁶² "Does this seem incredible to you? What then if you were to see the Son of Man ascending again where He was before? ⁶³ It is the spirit which gives Life. The flesh confers no benefit whatever. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and are Life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. ⁶⁵ So He added, "That is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it be granted him by the Father."

⁷⁰ "Did not I choose you--the Twelve?" said Jesus, "and even of you one is a devil." ⁷¹ He alluded to Judas, the son of Simon the Iscariot. For he it was who, though one of the Twelve, was afterwards to betray Him.

²⁵ He who holds his life dear, is destroying it; and he who makes his life of no account in this world shall keep it to the Life of the Ages. ²⁶ If a man wishes to be my servant, let him follow me; and where I am, there too shall my servant be. If a man wishes to be my servant, the Father will honour him.

⁵ I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who continues in me and in whom I continue bears abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned. ⁷ "If you continue in me and my sayings continue in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you.

²¹ No part or lot have you in this matter, for your heart is not right in God's sight. ²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, in the hope that the purpose which is in your heart may perhaps be forgiven you. ²³ For I perceive that you have fallen into the bitterest bondage of unrighteousness."

⁷ to those on the one hand who, by lives of persistent right-doing, are striving for glory, honour and immortality, the Life of the Ages;

⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any importance; but only faith working through love.

¹² All who desire to display their zeal for external observances try to compel you to receive circumcision, but their real object is simply to escape being persecuted for the Cross of Christ.

¹⁵ For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any importance; but only a renewed nature.

⁶ For of this I am confident, that He who has begun a good work within you will go on to perfect it in preparation for the day of Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ Of this you are aware, that all the Christians in Roman Asia have deserted me: and among them Phygelus and Hermogenes.

¹⁰ For Demas has deserted me--loving, as he does, the present age--and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

³⁵ Therefore do not cast from you your confident hope, for it will receive a vast reward. ³⁶ For you stand in need of patient endurance, so that, as the result of having done the will of God, you may receive the promised blessing. ³⁷ For there is still but a short time and then "THE COMING ONE WILL COME AND WILL NOT DELAY. ³⁸ BUT IT IS BY FAITH THAT MY RIGHTEOUS SERVANT SHALL LIVE; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL TAKES NO PLEASURE IN HIM." ³⁹ But we are not people who shrink back and perish, but are among those who believe and gain possession of their souls.

⁵ whom God in His power is guarding through faith for a salvation that even now stands ready for unveiling at the End of the Age.

⁸ If these things exist in you, and continually increase, they prevent your being either idle or unfruitful in advancing towards a full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For the man in whom they are lacking is blind and cannot see distant objects, in that he has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his old sins.

¹⁹ They have gone forth from our midst, but they did not really belong to us; for had they belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they left us that it might be manifest that professed believers do not all belong to us. ²⁰ As for you, you have an anointing from the holy One and have perfect knowledge.

¹³ Satan's throne is there; and yet you are true to Me, and did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas My witness and faithful friend, who was put to death among you, in the place where Satan dwells.

²⁴ "No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold. ²⁵ For this reason I charge you not to be over-anxious about your lives, inquiring what you are to eat or what you are to drink, nor yet about your bodies, inquiring what clothes you are to put on. Is not the life more precious than its food, and the body than its clothing?

⁷ Some falls among the thorns; but the thorns spring up and stifle it.

¹⁶ "Teacher," said one man, coming up to Him, "what that is good shall I do in order to win the Life of the Ages?" ¹⁷ "Why do you ask me," He replied, "about what is good? There is only One who is truly good. But if you desire to enter into Life, keep the Commandments." ¹⁸ "Which Commandments?" he asked. Jesus answered, "'THOU SHALT NOT KILL;' 'THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY;' 'THOU SHALT NOT STEAL;' 'THOU SHALT NOT LIE IN GIVING EVIDENCE;' ¹⁹ 'HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER'; AND 'THOU SHALT LOVE THY FELLOW MAN AS MUCH AS THYSELF.'" ²⁰ "All of these," said the young man, "I have carefully kept. What do I still lack?" ²¹ "If you desire to be perfect," replied Jesus, "go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; and come, follow me." ²² On hearing those words the young man went away much cast down; for he had much property. ²³ So Jesus said to His disciples, "I solemnly tell you that it is with difficulty that a rich man will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens. ²⁴ Yes, I tell you, 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."

²³ Then looking round on His disciples Jesus said, "With how hard a struggle will the possessors of riches enter the Kingdom of God!" ²⁴ The disciples were amazed at His words. Jesus, however, said again, "Children, how hard a struggle is it for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God! 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."

¹⁴ That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection.

¹⁵ And to the people He said, "Take care, be on your guard against all covetousness, for no one's life consists in the superabundance of his possessions."

²¹ "So is it with him who amasses treasure for himself, but has no riches in God."

²⁹ "Therefore, do not be asking what you are to eat nor what you are to drink; and do not waver between hope and fear. ³⁰ For though the nations of the world pursue these things, as for you, your Father knows that you need them.

¹⁶ "A man once gave a great dinner," replied Jesus, "to which he invited a large number of guests. ¹⁷ At dinner-time he sent his servant to announce to those who had been invited, "'Come, for things are now ready.' ¹⁸ "But they all without exception began to excuse themselves. The first told him, "'I have purchased a piece of land, and must of necessity go and look at it. Pray hold me excused.' ¹⁹ "A second pleaded, "'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and am on my way to try them. Pray hold me excused.' ²⁰ "Another said, "'I am just married. It is impossible for me to come.' ²¹ "So the servant came and brought these answers to his master, and they stirred his anger. "'Go out quickly,' he said, 'into the streets of the city--the wide ones and the narrow. You will see poor men, and crippled, blind, lame: fetch them all in here.' ²² "Soon the servant reported the result, saying, "'Sir, what you ordered is done, and there is room still.' ²³ "'Go out,' replied the master, 'to the high roads and hedge-rows, and compel the people to come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you that not one of those who were invited shall taste my dinner.'"

²⁴ Jesus saw his sorrow, and said, "With how hard a struggle do the possessors of riches ever enter the Kingdom of God! ²⁵ Why, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

³⁴ "But take heed to yourselves, lest your souls be weighed down with self-indulgence and drunkenness or the anxieties of this life, and that day come upon you, suddenly, like a falling trap;

¹ There was a man of the name of Ananias who, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property but, ² with her full knowledge and consent, dishonestly kept back part of the price which he received for it, though he brought the rest and gave it to the Apostles. ³ "Ananias," said Peter, "why has Satan taken possession of your heart, that you should try to deceive the Holy Spirit and dishonestly keep back part of the price paid you for this land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, was not the land your own? And when sold, was it not at your own disposal? How is it that you have cherished this design in your heart? It is not to men you have told this lie, but to God." ⁵ Upon hearing these words Ananias fell down dead, and all who heard the words were awe-struck. ⁶ The younger men, however, rose, and wrapping the body up, carried it out and buried it. ⁷ About three hours had passed, when his wife came in, knowing nothing of what had happened. ⁸ Peter at once questioned her. "Tell me," he said, "whether you sold the land for so much." "Yes," she replied, "for so much." ⁹ "How was it," replied Peter, "that you two agreed to try an experiment upon the Spirit of the Lord? The men who have buried your husband are already at the door, and they will carry you out." ¹⁰ Instantly she fell down dead at his feet, and the young men came in and found her dead. So they carried her out and buried her by her husband's side. ¹¹ This incident struck terror into the whole Church, and into the hearts of all who heard of it.

¹⁸ When, however, Simon saw that it was through the laying on of the Apostles' hands that the Spirit was bestowed, he offered them money.

⁹ But people who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many unwise and pernicious ways which sink mankind in destruction and ruin. ¹⁰ For from love of money all sorts of evils arise; and some have so hankered after money as to be led astray from the faith and be pierced through with countless sorrows.

¹⁷ Impress on those who are rich in the present age that they must not be haughty nor set their hopes on riches--that unstable foundation--but on God who provides us richly with all things for our enjoyment.

¹⁴ Their very eyes are full of adultery--being eyes which never cease from sin. These men set traps to catch unstedfast souls, their own hearts being well trained in greed. They are fore-doomed to God's curse! ¹⁵ Forsaking the straight road, they have gone astray, having eagerly followed in the steps of Balaam, the son of Beor, who was bent on securing the wages of unrighteousness.

¹⁵ Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loves the world, there is no love in his heart for the Father. 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.

¹¹ Alas for them; for they have followed in the steps of Cain; for the sake of gain they have rushed on headlong in the evil ways of Balaam; and have perished in rebellion like that of Korah! ¹² These men--sunken rocks! --are those who share the pleasure of your love-feasts, unrestrained by fear while caring only for themselves; clouds without water, driven away by the winds; trees that cast their fruit, barren, doubly dead, uprooted;

⁸ Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart;

¹⁰ And already the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not produce good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire.

³³ "Either grant the tree to be wholesome and its fruit wholesome, or the tree poisonous and its fruit poisonous; for the tree is known by its fruit.

⁸ But a portion falls upon good ground, and gives a return, some a hundred for one, some sixty, some thirty.

²⁰ Those, on the other hand, who have received the seed on the good ground, are all who hear the Message and welcome it, and yield a return of thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."

¹⁵ In solemn truth I tell you that no one who does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will by any possibility enter it."

⁴³ "There is no good tree that yields unsound fruit, nor again any unsound tree that yields good fruit. ⁴⁴ Every tree is known by its own fruit. It is not from thorns that men gather figs, nor from the bramble that they can get a bunch of grapes.

⁹ If after that it bears fruit, well and good; if it does not, then you shall cut it down.'"

¹¹ He came to the things that were His own, and His own people gave Him no welcome. ¹² But all who have received Him, to them--that is, to those who trust in His name--He has given the privilege of becoming children of God; ¹³ who were begotten as such not by human descent, nor through an impulse of their own nature, nor through the will of a human father, but from God.

⁴⁷ He who is a child of God listens to God's words. You do not listen to them: and why? It is because you are not God's children."

²⁶ But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

¹ "I am the Vine--the True Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. ² Every branch in me--if it bears no fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are cleansed--through the teaching which I have given you. ⁴ Continue in me, and let me continue in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself--that is, if it does not continue in the vine--so neither can you if you do not continue in me. ⁵ I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who continues in me and in whom I continue bears abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned. ⁷ "If you continue in me and my sayings continue in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this is God glorified--by your bearing abundant fruit and thus being true disciples of mine.

¹⁶ It is not you who chose me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might remain; so that whatever petition you present to the Father in my name He may give you.

⁷ Now they know that whatever Thou hast given me is from Thee. ⁸ For the truths which Thou didst teach me I have taught them. And they have received them, and have known for certain that I came out from Thy presence, and have believed that Thou didst send me.

¹¹ The Jews at Beroea were of a nobler disposition than those in Thessalonica, for they very readily received the Message, and day after day searched the Scriptures to see whether it was as Paul stated.

¹ But we desire to let you know, brethren, of the grace of God which has been bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia; ² how, while passing through great trouble, their boundless joy even amid their deep poverty has overflowed to increase their generous liberality.

¹⁰ And God who continually supplies seed for the sower and bread for eating, will supply you with seed and multiply it, and will cause your almsgiving to yield a plentiful harvest.

¹⁷ Not that I crave for gifts from you, but I do want to see abundant fruit bring you honour.

⁶ For it has reached you, and remains with you, just as it has also spread through the whole world, yielding fruit there and increasing, as it has done among you from the day when first you heard it and came really to know the grace of God,

¹⁰ so that your lives may be worthy of the Lord and perfectly pleasing to Him, while you exhibit the results of right action of every sort and grow into a fuller knowledge of God.

¹ Moreover, brethren, as you learnt from our lips the lives which you ought to live, and do live, so as to please God, we beg and exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live them more and more truly.

¹⁰ and by every kind of wicked deception for those who are on the way to perdition because they did not welcome into their hearts the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.

¹³ And from us thanks are always due to God on your behalf--brethren whom the Lord loves--because God from the beginning has chosen you for salvation through the Spirit's sanctifying influence and your belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this blessing God has called you by our Good News, so that you may have a share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

² For Good News has been brought to us as truly as to them; but the message they heard failed to benefit them, because they were not one in faith with those who gave heed to it.

⁷ For land which has drunk in the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sakes, indeed, it is tilled, has a share in God's blessing.

¹⁰ 'BUT THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS,' SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS AND WILL WRITE THEM UPON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL INDEED BE THEIR GOD AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

¹⁵ Through Him, then, let us continually lay on the altar a sacrifice of praise to God, namely, the utterance of lips that give thanks to His Name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to be kind and liberal; for with sacrifices of that sort God is greatly pleased.

²¹ Ridding yourselves, therefore, of all that is vile and of the evil influences which prevail around you, welcome in a humble spirit the Message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. ²² But prove yourselves obedient to the Message, and do not be mere hearers of it, imposing a delusion upon yourselves.

¹ Rid yourselves therefore of all ill-will and all deceitfulness, of insincerity and envy, and of all evil speaking. ² Thirst, like newly-born infants, for pure milk for the soul, that by it you may grow up to salvation;

⁵ But for this very reason--adding, on your part, all earnestness-- along with your faith, manifest also a noble character: along with a noble character, knowledge; ⁶ along with knowledge, self-control; along with self-control, power of endurance; ⁷ along with power of endurance, godliness; along with godliness, brotherly affection; and along with brotherly affection, love. ⁸ If these things exist in you, and continually increase, they prevent your being either idle or unfruitful in advancing towards a full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ But be always growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be all glory, both now and to the day of Eternity!

² "Repent," he said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand."

¹⁹ When a man hears the Message concerning the Kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil one comes and catches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who has received the seed by the road-side.

³¹ Another parable He put before them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "is like a mustard-seed, which a man takes and sows in his ground.

³³ Another parable He spoke to them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "is like yeast which a woman takes and buries in a bushel of flour, for it to work there till the whole mass has risen."

³⁷ "The sower of the good seed," He replied, "is the Son of Man;

⁴⁴ "The Kingdom of the Heavens is like treasure buried in the open country, which a man finds, but buries again, and, in his joy about it, goes and sells all he has and buys that piece of ground. ⁴⁵ "Again the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a jewel merchant who is in quest of choice pearls.

⁴⁷ "Again the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a draw-net let down into the sea, which encloses fish of all sorts.

²³ "For this reason the Kingdom of the Heavens may be compared to a king who determined to have a settlement of accounts with his servants.

¹ "For the Kingdom of the Heavens is like an employer who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard,

³³ "Listen to another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, made a fence round it, dug a wine-tank in it, and built a strong lodge; then let the place to vine-dressers, and went abroad.

² "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a king who celebrated the marriage of his son,

¹ "Then will the Kingdom of the Heavens be found to be like ten bridesmaids who took their torches and went out to meet the bridegroom.

²⁶ Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground: ²⁷ he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, he knows not how. ²⁸ Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear. ²⁹ But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come." ³⁰ Another saying of His was this: "How are we to picture the Kingdom of God? or by what figure of speech shall we represent it?

¹⁸ This prompted Him to say, "What is the Kingdom of God like? and to what shall I compare it?

²⁰ And again He said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?

⁵ on account of the hope treasured up for you in Heaven. Of this hope you have already heard in the Message of the truth of the Good News.

²³ For you have been begotten again by God's ever-living and enduring word from a germ not of perishable, but of imperishable life.

³⁹ The enemy who sows the darnel is *the Devil*; the harvest is the Close of the Age; the reapers are the angels.

⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, so that meanwhile they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

³⁰ and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears.

¹³ For men of this stamp are sham apostles, dishonest workmen, assuming the garb of Apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder. Satan, their master, can disguise himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is therefore no great thing for his servants also to disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be in accordance with their actions.

⁴ Yet there was danger of this through the false brethren secretly introduced into the Church, who had stolen in to spy out the freedom which is ours in Christ Jesus, in order to rob us of it.

³ For a time is coming when they will not tolerate wholesome instruction, but, wanting to have their ears tickled, they will find a multitude of teachers to satisfy their own fancies; ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and will turn aside to fables. ⁵ But as for you, you must exercise habitual self-control, and not live a self-indulgent life, but do the duty of an evangelist and fully discharge the obligations of your office.

¹⁵ Be carefully on your guard lest there be any one who falls back from the grace of God; lest any root bearing bitter fruit spring up and cause trouble among you, and through it the whole brotherhood be defiled;

⁸ Curb every passion, and be on the alert. Your great accuser, the Devil, is going about like a roaring lion to see whom he can devour.

¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be teachers of falsehood among you also, who will cunningly introduce fatal divisions, disowning even the Sovereign Lord who has redeemed them, and bringing on themselves swift destruction.

²⁰ Yet I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and by her teaching leads astray My servants, so that they commit fornication and eat what has been sacrificed to idols.

⁹ The great Dragon, the ancient serpent, he who is called 'the Devil' and 'the Adversary' and leads the whole earth astray, was hurled down: he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

¹⁴ And his power of leading astray the inhabitants of the earth is due to the marvels which he has been permitted to work in the presence of the Wild Beast. And he told the inhabitants of the earth to erect a statue to the Wild Beast who had received the sword-stroke and yet had recovered.

²⁶ Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground: ²⁷ he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, he knows not how. ²⁸ Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear. ²⁹ But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come."

¹⁷ But I beseech you, brethren, to keep a watch on those who are causing the divisions among you, and are leading others into sin, in defiance of the instruction which you have received; and habitually to shun them.

¹¹ For I have been distinctly informed, my brethren, about you by Chloe's people, that there are dissensions among you. ¹² What I mean is that each of you is a partisan. One man says "I belong to Paul;" another "I belong to Apollos;" a third "I belong to Peter;" a fourth "I belong to Christ." ¹³ Is the Christ in fragments? Is it Paul who was crucified on your behalf? Or were you baptized to be Paul's adherents?

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are just God's servants, through whose efforts, and as the Lord granted power to each, you accepted the faith. ⁶ I planted and Apollos watered; but it was God who was, all the time, giving the increase. ⁷ So that neither the planter nor the waterer is of any importance. God who gives the increase is all in all. ⁸ Now in aim and purpose the planter and the waterer are one; and yet each will receive his own special reward, answering to his own special work. ⁹ Apollos and I are simply fellow workers for and with God, and you are *God's* field-- *God's* building.

²⁸ And by God's appointment there are in the Church--first Apostles, secondly Prophets, thirdly teachers. Then come miraculous powers, and then ability to cure diseases or render loving service, or powers of organization, or varieties of the gift of 'tongues.' ²⁹ Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all teachers?

¹² But if Christ is preached as having risen from the dead, how is it that some of you say that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then Christ Himself has not risen to life. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not risen, it follows that what we preach is a delusion, and that your faith also is a delusion. ¹⁵ Nay more, we are actually being discovered to be bearing false witness about God, because we have testified that God raised Christ to life, whom He did not raise, if in reality none of the dead are raised. ¹⁶ For if none of the dead are raised to life, then Christ has not risen; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not risen, your faith is a vain thing--you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ It follows also that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If in this present life we have a *hope* resting on Christ, and nothing more, we are more to be pitied than all the rest of the world. ²⁰ But, in reality, Christ *has* risen from among the dead, being the first to do so of those who are asleep. ²¹ For seeing that death came through man, through man comes also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For just as through Adam all die, so also through Christ all will be made alive again. ²³ But this will happen to each in the right order--Christ having been the first to rise, and afterwards Christ's people rising at His return. ²⁴ Later on, comes the End, when He is to surrender the Kingship to God, the Father, when He shall have overthrown all other government and all other authority and power. ²⁵ For He must continue King until He shall have put all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that is to be overthrown is Death; ²⁷ for He will have put all things in subjection under His feet. And when He shall have declared that "All things are in subjection," it will be with the manifest exception of Him who has reduced them all to subjection to Him. ²⁸ But when the whole universe has been made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also become subject to Him who has made the universe subject to Him, in order that GOD may be all in all. ²⁹ Otherwise what will become of those who got themselves baptized for the dead? If the dead do not rise at all, why are these baptized for them? ³⁰ Why also do we Apostles expose ourselves to danger every hour? ³¹ I protest, brethren, as surely as I glory over you--which I may justly do in Christ Jesus our Lord--that I die day by day. ³² If from merely human motives I have fought with wild beasts in Ephesus, what profit is it to me? If the dead do not rise, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die. ³³ Do not deceive yourselves: "Evil companionships corrupt good morals." ³⁴ Wake from this drunken fit; live righteous lives, and cease to sin; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak thus in order to move you to shame.

¹⁰ If Timothy pays you a visit, see that he is free from fear in his relations with you; for he is engaged in the Master's work just as I am.

¹⁸ And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has appointed us to serve in the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ We are to tell how God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not charging men's transgressions to their account, and that He has entrusted to us the Message of this reconciliation. ²⁰ On Christ's behalf therefore we come as ambassadors, God, as it were, making entreaty through our lips: we, on Christ's behalf, beseech men to be reconciled to God.

¹ And you also we, as God's fellow workers, entreat not to be found to have received His grace to no purpose.

⁴ On the contrary, as God's servants, we seek their full approval--by unwearied endurance, by afflictions, by distress, by helplessness;

¹ You foolish Galatians! Whose sophistry has bewitched you--you to whom Jesus Christ has been vividly portrayed as on the Cross? ² Answer me this one question, "Is it on the ground of your obedience to the Law that you received the Spirit, or is it because, when you heard, you believed?" ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now going to reach perfection through what is external?

¹¹ And He Himself appointed some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² in order fully to equip His people for the work of serving--for the building up of Christ's body--

¹⁵ That is not the wisdom which comes down from above: it belongs to earth, to the unspiritual nature, and to evil spirits. ¹⁶ For where envy and rivalry are, there also are unrest and every vile deed.

⁴ You unfaithful women, do you not know that friendship with the world means enmity to God? Therefore whoever is bent on being friendly with the world makes himself an enemy to God.

⁴⁹ "Rabbi," replied John, "we have seen a man making use of your name to expel demons; and we forbad him, because he does not come with us." ⁵⁰ "Do not forbid him," said Jesus, "for he who is not against you is on your side." ⁵¹ Now when the time drew near for Him to be received up again into Heaven, He proceeded with fixed purpose towards Jerusalem, and sent messengers before Him. ⁵² They went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for Him. ⁵³ But the people there would not receive Him, because He was evidently going to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Master, do you wish us to order fire to come down from Heaven and consume them?"

³ I for my part, present with you in spirit although absent in body, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has so acted. ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are all assembled and my spirit is with you, together with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ I have handed over such a man to Satan for the destruction of his body, that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ It is no good thing--this which you make the ground of your boasting. Do you not know that a little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough? ⁷ Get rid of the old yeast so that you may be dough of a new kind; for in fact you *are* free from corruption. For our Passover Lamb has already been offered in sacrifice--even Christ.

⁶ In the case of such a person the punishment which was inflicted by the majority of you is enough. ⁷ So that you may now take the opposite course, and forgive him rather and comfort him, for fear he should perhaps be driven to despair by his excess of grief. ⁸ I beg you therefore fully to reinstate him in your love. ⁹ For in writing to you I have also this object in view--to discover by experience whether you are prepared to be obedient in every respect. ¹⁰ When you forgive a man an offence I also forgive it; for in fact what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has always been for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ for fear Satan should gain an advantage over us. For we are not ignorant of his devices.

¹⁴ And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the unruly, comfort the timid, sustain the weak, and be patient towards all.

²² Some, when they argue with you, you must endeavor to convince; ²³ others you must try to save, as brands plucked from the flames; and on others look with pity mingled with fear, while you hate every trace of their sin.

¹² His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire."

³⁹ The enemy who sows the darnel is *the Devil*; the harvest is the Close of the Age; the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ As then the darnel is collected together and burnt up with fire, so will it be at the Close of the Age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will commission His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all causes of sin and all who violate His laws; ⁴² and these they will throw into the fiery furnace. There will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then will the righteous shine out like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Listen, every one who has ears!

¹⁰ "So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests. ¹¹ "Now the king came in to see the guests; and among them he discovered one who was not wearing a wedding-robe. ¹² "'My friend,' he said, 'how is it that you came in here without a wedding robe?' ¹³ "The man stood speechless. Then the king said to the servants, "'Bind him hand and foot and fling him into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.' ¹⁴ "For there are many called, but few chosen."

⁶ But at midnight there is a loud cry, "'The bridegroom! Go out and meet him!' ⁷ "Then all those bridesmaids roused themselves and trimmed their torches. ⁸ "'Give us some of your oil,' said the foolish ones to the wise, 'for our torches are going out.' ⁹ "'But perhaps,' replied the wise, 'there will not be enough for all of us. Go to the shops rather, and buy some for yourselves.' ¹⁰ "So they went to buy. But meanwhile the bridegroom came; those bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. ¹¹ "Afterwards the other bridesmaids came and cried, "'Sir, Sir, open the door to us.' ¹² "'In solemn truth I tell you,' he replied, 'I do not know you.' ¹³ "Keep awake therefore; for you know neither the day nor the hour.

³² and all the nations will be gathered into His presence. And He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

⁴¹ "Then will He say to those at His left, "'Begone from me, with the curse resting upon you, into the Fire of the Ages, which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.

¹⁷ His winnowing-shovel is in His hand to clear out His threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into His storehouse; but the chaff He will burn up in fire unquenchable."

⁶ If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned.

⁵ Therefore form no premature judgements, but wait until the Lord returns. He will both bring to light the secrets of darkness and will openly disclose the motives that have been in people's hearts; and then the praise which each man deserves will come to him from God.

²⁴ The sins of some men are evident to the world, leading the way to your estimate of their characters, but the sins of others lag behind.

²⁴ Another parable He put before them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a man who has sown good seed in his field,

²⁰ "Because your faith is so small," He replied; "for I solemnly declare to you that if you have faith like a mustard-seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Remove from this place to that,' and it will remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.

³⁰ Another saying of His was this: "How are we to picture the Kingdom of God? or by what figure of speech shall we represent it? ³¹ It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world; ³² yet when sown it springs up and becomes larger than all the herbs, and throws out great branches, so that the birds build under its shadow."

¹⁸ This prompted Him to say, "What is the Kingdom of God like? and to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed which a man drops into the soil in his garden, and it grows and becomes a tree in whose branches the birds roost."

⁶ "If your faith," replied the Lord, "is like a mustard seed, you might command this black-mulberry-tree, 'Tear up your roots and plant yourself in the sea,' and instantly it would obey you.

¹¹ As they were listening to His words, He went on to teach them by a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

⁹ Then He proceeded to speak a parable to the people. "There was a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, let it out to vine-dressers, and went abroad for a considerable time.

¹⁵ It was on one of these days that Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren--the entire number of persons present being about 120--and said,

²⁰ And they, when they had heard his statement, gave the glory to God. Then they said, "You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of Jews there are among those who have accepted the faith, and they are all zealous upholders of the Law.

¹⁸ For I will not presume to mention any of the results that Christ has brought about by other agency than mine in securing the obedience of the Gentiles by word or deed, ¹⁹ with power manifested in signs and marvels, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. But--to speak simply of my own labours--beginning in Jerusalem and the outlying districts, I have proclaimed without reserve, even as far as Illyricum, the Good News of the Christ;

¹⁵ The seventh angel blew his trumpet; and there followed loud voices in Heaven which said, "The sovereignty of the world now belongs to our Lord and His Christ; and He will be King until the Ages of the Ages."

²⁰ and but for the fact that the Lord has cut short those days, no one would escape; but for the sake of His own People whom He has chosen for Himself He has cut short the days. ²¹ It is like yeast which a woman takes and buries in a bushel of flour, to work there till the whole is leavened."

² Every branch in me--if it bears no fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

¹² "I have much more to say to you, but you are unable at present to bear the burden of it. ¹³ But when He has come--the Spirit of Truth--He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak as Himself originating what He says, but all that He hears He will speak, and He will make known the future to you.

⁹ A little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough.

⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more accompanied by clear knowledge and keen perception, for testing things that differ,

¹³ For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire. ¹⁴ Be ever on your guard against a grudging and contentious spirit, ¹⁵ so that you may always prove yourselves to be blameless and spotless--irreproachable children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as heavenly lights in the world,

²³ And may God Himself who gives peace, make you entirely holy; and may your spirits, souls and bodies be preserved complete and be found blameless at the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also perfect His work.

¹³ I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand. ¹⁴ And in regard to them the prophecy of Isaiah is receiving signal fulfilment: "'YOU WILL HEAR AND HEAR AND BY NO MEANS UNDERSTAND, AND YOU WILL LOOK AND LOOK AND BY NO MEANS SEE.

⁴ This took place in order that the Prophet's prediction might be fulfilled: ⁵ "TELL THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'SEE, THY KING IS COMING TO THEE, GENTLE, AND YET MOUNTED ON AN ASS, EVEN ON A COLT THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'"

³⁴ "Then the King will say to those at His right, "'Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world.

¹⁴ However, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more endurable at the Judgement than for you.

²⁴ "Father, those whom Thou hast given me--I desire that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see the glory--my glory--my gift from Thee, which Thou hast given me because Thou didst love me before the creation of the world.

¹⁸ SAYS THE LORD, WHO HAS BEEN MAKING THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM AGES LONG PAST.'

²⁵ To Him who has it in His power to make you strong, as declared in the Good News which I am spreading, and the proclamation concerning Jesus Christ, in harmony with the unveiling of the Truth which in the periods of past Ages remained unuttered, ²⁶ but has now been brought fully to light, and by the command of the God of the Ages has been made known by the writings of the Prophets among all the Gentiles to win them to obedience to the faith--

⁵ which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit--

⁹ and to show all men in a clear light what my stewardship is. It is the stewardship of the truth which from all the Ages lay concealed in the mind of God, the Creator of all things--

²⁵ I have been appointed to serve the Church in the position of responsibility entrusted to me by God for your benefit, so that I may fully deliver God's Message-- ²⁶ the truth which has been kept secret from all ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His people,

⁹ For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with our desserts, but in accordance with His own purpose and the free grace which He bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before the commencement of the Ages, ¹⁰ but which has now been plainly revealed through the Appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus. He has put an end to death and has brought Life and Immortality to light through the Good News,

² in hope of the Life of the Ages which God, who is never false to His word, promised before the commencement of the Ages. ³ And at the appointed time He clearly made known His Message in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Saviour:

¹ God, who in ancient days spoke to our forefathers in many distinct messages and by various methods through the Prophets,

²⁰ He was pre-destined indeed to this work, even before the creation of the world, but has been plainly manifested in these last days for the sake of you who, through Him, ²¹ are faithful to God, who raised Him from among the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are resting upon God.

⁸ And all the inhabitants of the earth will be found to be worshipping him: every one whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life--the Book of the Lamb who has been offered in sacrifice ever since the creation of the world.

⁸ "The Wild Beast which you have seen was, and is not, and yet is destined to re-ascend, before long, out of the bottomless pit and go his way into perdition. And the inhabitants of the earth will be filled with amazement--all whose names are not in the Book of Life, having been recorded there ever since the creation of the world--when they see the Wild Beast: because he was, and is not, and yet is to come.

¹ That same day Jesus had left the house and was sitting on the shore of the Lake,

¹¹ "Because," He replied, "while to you it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of the Heavens, to them it is not.

²² Immediately afterwards He made the disciples go on board the boat and cross to the opposite shore, leaving Him to dismiss the people.

¹⁵ "Explain to us this figurative language," said Peter. ¹⁶ "Are even you," He answered, "still without intellingence?

³⁹ He then dismissed the people, went on board the boat, and came into the district of Magadan.

³⁴ But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.

⁴⁵ Immediately afterwards He made His disciples go on board the boat and cross over to Bethsaida, leaving Him behind to dismiss the crowd.

¹⁷ After He had left the crowd and gone indoors, His disciples began to ask Him about this figure of speech.

⁹ The number fed were about 4,000. Then He sent them away,

¹⁷ Some of His disciples therefore said to one another, "What does this mean which He is telling us, 'A little while and you do not see me, and again a little while and you shall see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" ¹⁸ So they asked one another repeatedly, "What can that 'little while' mean which He speaks of? We do not understand His words." ¹⁹ Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask Him, and He said, "Is this what you are questioning one another about--my saying, 'A little while and you do not see me, and again a little while and you shall see me'? ²⁰ In most solemn truth I tell you that you will weep aloud and lament, but the world will be glad. You will mourn, but your grief will be turned into gladness.

²⁰ "Foxes have holes," replied Jesus, "and birds have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

⁴⁰ "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives Him who sent me.

²⁷ "So the farmer's men come and ask him, "'Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed on your land? Where then does the darnel come from?'

⁴¹ The Son of Man will commission His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all causes of sin and all who violate His laws;

¹³ When He arrived in the neighbourhood of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus questioned His disciples. "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" He asked. ¹⁴ "Some say John the Baptist," they replied; "others Elijah; others Jeremiah or one of the Prophets." ¹⁵ "But you, who do you say that I am?" He asked again. ¹⁶ "You," replied Simon Peter, "are the Christ, the Son of the ever-living God."

¹⁶ "He who listens to you listens to me; and he who disregards you disregards me, and he who disregards me disregards Him who sent me."

²⁰ In most solemn truth I tell you that he who receives whoever I send receives me, and that he who receives me receives Him who sent me."

²¹ A second time, therefore, He said to them, "Peace be to you! As the Father sent me, I also now send you."

⁸ and yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the remotest parts of the earth."

¹⁸ For I will not presume to mention any of the results that Christ has brought about by other agency than mine in securing the obedience of the Gentiles by word or deed,

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are just God's servants, through whose efforts, and as the Lord granted power to each, you accepted the faith. ⁶ I planted and Apollos watered; but it was God who was, all the time, giving the increase. ⁷ So that neither the planter nor the waterer is of any importance. God who gives the increase is all in all.

³ how shall *we* escape if we are indifferent to a salvation as great as that now offered to us? This, after having first of all been announced by the Lord Himself, had its truth made sure to us by those who heard Him,

¹⁴ And this Good News of the Kingdom shall be proclaimed throughout the whole world to set the evidence before all the Gentiles; and then the End will come.

¹⁸ Jesus however came near and said to them, "All power in Heaven and over the earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations; baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; ²⁰ and teach them to obey every command which I have given you. And remember, I am with you always, day by day, until the Close of the Age."

¹⁵ Then He said to them, "Go the whole world over, and proclaim the Good News to all mankind. ¹⁶ He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who disbelieves will be condemned. ¹⁷ And signs shall attend those who believe, even such as these. By making use of my name they shall expel demons. They shall speak new languages. ¹⁸ They shall take up venomous snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison it shall do them no harm whatever. They shall lay their hands on the sick, and the sick shall recover." ¹⁹ So the Lord Jesus after having thus spoken to them was taken up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ But they went out and made proclamation everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming their Message by the signs which accompanied it.

⁴⁷ and that proclamation would be made, in His name, of repentance and forgiveness of sins to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

⁴⁴ The father whose sons you are is the Devil; and you desire to do what gives him pleasure. *He* was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth--for there is no truth in him. Whenever he utters his lie, he utters it out of his own store; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

²⁴ In most solemn truth I tell you that unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains what it was--a single grain; but that if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.

¹⁰ said, "You who are full of every kind of craftiness and unscrupulous cunning--you son of the Devil and foe to all that is right--will you never cease to misrepresent the straight paths of the Lord?

¹⁷ and if children, then heirs too--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ; if indeed we are sharers in Christ's sufferings, in order that we may also be sharers in His glory.

¹⁸ But, I ask, have they not heard? Yes, indeed: "TO THE WHOLE WORLD THE PREACHERS' VOICES HAVE SOUNDED FORTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE REMOTEST PARTS OF THE EARTH."

²⁶ but has now been brought fully to light, and by the command of the God of the Ages has been made known by the writings of the Prophets among all the Gentiles to win them to obedience to the faith--

¹⁸ For there are many whom I have often described to you, and I now even with tears describe them, as being enemies to the Cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their bellies are their God, their glory is in their shame, and their minds are devoted to earthly things.

¹⁸ In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.

⁵ Listen, my dearly-loved brethren. Has not God chosen those whom the world regards as poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to those that love Him?

² Dear friends, we are now God's children, but what we are to be in the future has not yet been fully revealed. We know that if Christ reappears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.

⁸ He who is habitually guilty of sin is a child of the Devil, because the Devil has been a sinner from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for the purpose of undoing the work of the Devil. ⁹ No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin--because he is a child of God. ¹⁰ By this we can distinguish God's children and the Devil's children: no one who fails to act righteously is a child of God, nor he who does not love his brother man.

⁶ And I saw another angel flying across the sky, carrying the Good News of the Ages to tell to every nation, tribe, language and people, among those who live on the earth.

²⁵ but during the night his enemy comes, and over the first seed he sows darnel among the wheat, and goes away.

²⁸ "'Some enemy has done this,' he said. "'Shall we go, and collect it?' the men inquire.

⁴⁹ So will it be at the Close of the Age. The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from among the righteous,

³ Afterwards He was on the Mount of Olives and was seated there when the disciples came to Him, apart from the others, and said, "Tell us when this will be; and what will be the sign of your Coming and of the Close of the Age?"

³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then will He sit upon His glorious throne,

²⁰ and teach them to obey every command which I have given you. And remember, I am with you always, day by day, until the Close of the Age."

¹⁷ We are; for, unlike most teachers, we are not fraudulent hucksters of God's Message; but with transparent motives, as commissioned by God, in God's presence and in communion with Christ, so we speak.

³ But I am afraid that, as the serpent in his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may be led astray from their single-heartedness and their fidelity to Christ.

² which were once habitual to you while you walked in the ways of this world and obeyed the Prince of the powers of the air, the spirits that are now at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience--to you God has given Life.

¹¹ Put on the complete armour of God, so as to be able to stand firm against all the stratagems of the Devil. ¹² For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world--the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare.

⁷ and to requite with rest you who are suffering affliction now--rest with us at the re-appearing of the Lord Jesus from Heaven, attended by His mighty angels. ⁸ He will come in flames of fire to take vengeance on those who have no knowledge of God, and do not obey the Good News as to Jesus, our Lord. ⁹ They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, being banished from the presence of the Lord and from His glorious majesty, ¹⁰ when He comes on that day to be glorified in His people and to be wondered at among all who have believed, including you--because you believed the testimony which we brought for your acceptance.

⁸ and then the Lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will sweep away with the tempest of His anger, and utterly overwhelm by the awful splendour of His Coming. ⁹ The appearing of the Lawless one will be attended by various miracles and tokens and delusive marvels--for so Satan works--

²⁶ In that case Christ would have needed to suffer many times, from the creation of the world onwards; but as a matter of fact He has appeared once for all, at the Close of the Ages, in order to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

¹⁴ It was also about these that Enoch, who belonged to the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "The Lord has come, attended by myriads of His people, to execute judgement upon all,

¹⁵ And another, an angel, came out of the sanctuary, calling in a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, and saying, "Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the hour for reaping it has come: the harvest of the earth is over-ripe." ¹⁶ Then He who sat on the cloud flung His sickle on the earth, and the earth had its harvest reaped. ¹⁷ And another angel came out from the sanctuary in Heaven, and he too carried a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ And another angel came out from the altar--he who had power over fire--and he spoke in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Use your sharp sickle, and gather the bunches from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are now quite ripe." ¹⁹ And the angel flung his sickle down to the earth, and reaped the vine of the earth and threw the grapes into the great winepress of God's anger.

²⁰ who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur.

² He laid hold of the Dragon--the ancient serpent--who is the Devil and the Adversary, and bound him for a thousand years, and hurled him into the bottomless pit. ³ He closed the entrance and put a seal upon him in order that he might be unable to lead the nations astray any more until the thousand years were at an end. Afterwards he is to be set at liberty for a short time.

⁷ But when the thousand years are at an end, the Adversary will be released from his imprisonment, ⁸ and will go out to lead astray the nations in all the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and assemble them for war, and they are like the sands on the seashore in number. ⁹ And they went up over the whole breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of God's people and the beloved city. But fire came down from Heaven and consumed them; ¹⁰ and the Devil, who had been leading them astray, was thrown into the Lake of fire and sulphur where the Wild Beast and the false Prophet were, and day and night they will suffer torture until the Ages of the Ages.

⁷ "Alas for the world because of causes of falling! They cannot but come, but alas for each man through whom they come!

³¹ And He will send out His angels WITH A LOUD TRUMPET-BLAST, and THEY WILL BRING TOGETHER HIS OWN PEOPLE TO HIM FROM NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST--FROM ONE EXTREMITY OF THE WORLD TO THE OTHER.

²⁷ Then He will send forth the angels and gather together His chosen People from north, south, east and west, from the remotest parts of the earth and the sky.

²⁶ "Then you will plead, "'We have eaten and drunk in your company and you have taught in our streets.' ²⁷ "But He will reply, "'I tell you that you are no friends of mine. Begone from me, all of you, wrongdoers that you are.'

⁸ while on the other hand upon the self-willed who disobey the truth and obey unrighteousness will fall anger and fury, affliction and awful distress, ⁹ coming upon the soul of every man and woman who deliberately does wrong--upon the Jew first, and then upon the Gentile;

¹⁶ on the day when God will judge the secrets of men's lives by Jesus Christ, as declared in the Good News as I have taught it.

¹⁷ But I beseech you, brethren, to keep a watch on those who are causing the divisions among you, and are leading others into sin, in defiance of the instruction which you have received; and habitually to shun them. ¹⁸ For men of that stamp are not bondservants of Christ our Lord, but are slaves to their own appetites; and by their plausible words and their flattery they utterly deceive the minds of the simple.

⁶ But speaking of the time when He once more brings His Firstborn into the world, He says, "AND LET ALL GOD'S ANGELS WORSHIP HIM." ⁷ Moreover of the angels He says, "HE CHANGES HIS ANGELS INTO WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERING SERVANTS INTO A FLAME OF FIRE."

¹⁴ Are not all angels spirits that serve Him--whom He sends out to render service for the benefit of those who, before long, will inherit salvation?

¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be teachers of falsehood among you also, who will cunningly introduce fatal divisions, disowning even the Sovereign Lord who has redeemed them, and bringing on themselves swift destruction. ² And in their immoral ways they will have many eager disciples, through whom religion will be brought into disrepute.

¹¹ And I looked, and heard what seemed to be the voices of countless angels on every side of the throne, and of the living creatures and the Elders. Their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² and in loud voices they were singing, "It is fitting that the Lamb which has been offered in sacrifice should receive all power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

²⁷ And no unclean thing shall ever enter it, nor any one who is guilty of base conduct or tells lies, but only they whose names stand recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life.

¹² while the natural heirs of the Kingdom will be driven out into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth."

⁵⁰ and will throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth."

¹³ "The man stood speechless. Then the king said to the servants, "'Bind him hand and foot and fling him into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.'

⁴³ If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life maimed, than remain in possession of both your hands and go away into Gehenna, into the fire which cannot be put out. ⁴⁴ OMITTED TEXT ⁴⁵ Or if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life crippled, than remain in possession of both your feet and be thrown into Gehenna. ⁴⁶ OMITTED TEXT ⁴⁷ Or if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God half-blind than remain in possession of two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna, ⁴⁸ where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE AND THE FIRE DOES NOT GO OUT. ⁴⁹ Every one, however, will be salted with fire.

²⁸ "There will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourselves being driven far away.

²³ And in Hades, being in torment, he looked and saw Abraham in the far distance, and Lazarus resting in his arms. ²⁴ So he cried aloud, and said, "'Father Abraham, take pity 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 flame.'

² and he opened the depths of the bottomless pit. And smoke came up out of the pit resembling the smoke of a vast furnace, so that the sun was darkened, and the air also, by reason of the smoke of the pit.

¹⁰ he shall drink the wine of God's anger which stands ready, undiluted, in the cup of His fury, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

¹⁰ and the Devil, who had been leading them astray, was thrown into the Lake of fire and sulphur where the Wild Beast and the false Prophet were, and day and night they will suffer torture until the Ages of the Ages.

¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of fire; this is the Second Death--the Lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if any one's name was not found recorded in the Book of Life he was thrown into the Lake of fire.

⁸ But as for cowards and the unfaithful, and the polluted, and murderers, fornicators, and those who practise magic or worship idols, and all liars--the portion allotted to them shall be in the Lake which burns with fire and sulphur. This is the Second Death."

³⁶ when I was ill-clad, you clothed me; when I was sick, you visited me; when I was in prison, you came to see me.'

²⁹ I tell you that I will never again take the produce of the vine till that day when I shall drink the new wine with you in my Father's Kingdom."

³² "Dismiss your fears, little flock: your Father finds a pleasure in giving you the Kingdom.

²⁹ and I covenant to give you, as my Father has covenanted to give me, a Kingdom--

⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. ⁴² It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in a state of decay, it is raised free from decay; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ an animal body is sown, a spiritual body is raised. As surely as there is an animal body, so there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ In the same way also it is written, "THE FIRST MAN ADAM BECAME A LIVING ANIMAL"; the last Adam is a life-giving Spirit. ⁴⁶ Nevertheless, it is not what is spiritual that came first, but what is animal; what is spiritual came afterwards. ⁴⁷ The first man is a man of earth, earthy; the second man is from Heaven. ⁴⁸ What the earthy one is, that also are those who are earthy; and what the heavenly One is, that also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne a resemblance to the earthy one, let us see to it that we also bear a resemblance to the heavenly One. ⁵⁰ But this I tell you, brethren: our mortal bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor will what is perishable inherit what is imperishable. ⁵¹ I tell you a truth hitherto kept secret: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sounding of the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incapable of decay, and *we* shall be changed. ⁵³ For so it must be: this perishable nature must clothe itself with what is imperishable, and this mortality must clothe itself with immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this perishable nature has put on what is imperishable, and this mortality has put on immortality, then will the words of Scripture be fulfilled, "DEATH HAS BEEN SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY."

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brethren, be firm, unmovable, busily occupied at all times in the Lord's work, knowing that your toil is not fruitless in the Lord.

³ And I heard a loud voice, which came from the throne, say, "God's dwelling place is among men and He will dwell among them and they shall be His peoples. Yes, God Himself will be among them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death shall be no more; nor sorrow, nor wail of woe, nor pain; for the first things have passed away." ⁵ Then He who was seated on the throne said, "I am re-creating all things." And He added, "Write down these words, for they are trustworthy and true."

²² I saw no sanctuary in the city, for the Lord God, the Ruler of all, is its Sanctuary, and so is the Lamb. ²³ Nor has the city any need of the sun or of the moon, to give it light; for the glory of God has shone upon it and its lamp is the Lamb.

²¹ For where your wealth is, there also will your heart be.

²¹ "If you desire to be perfect," replied Jesus, "go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; and come, follow me."

²⁷ Then Peter said to Jesus, "See, *we* have forsaken everything and followed you; what then will be *our* reward?"

²⁹ And whoever has forsaken houses, or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children or lands, for my sake, shall receive many times as much and shall have as his inheritance the Life of the Ages.

³³ Just as no one of you who does not detach himself from all that belongs to him can be a disciple of mine.

²³ But on hearing these words he was deeply sorrowful, for he was exceedingly rich. ²⁴ Jesus saw his sorrow, and said, "With how hard a struggle do the possessors of riches ever enter the Kingdom of God!

⁶ So he came down in haste, and welcomed Him joyfully. ⁷ When they all saw this, they began to complain with indignation. "He has gone in to be the guest of a notorious sinner!" they said. ⁸ Zacchaeus however stood up, and addressing the Lord said, "Here and now, Master, I give half my property to the poor, and if I have unjustly exacted money from any man, I pledge myself to repay to him four times the amount."

³⁵ "I am the bread of Life," replied Jesus; "he who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never, never thirst.

⁴⁴ And all the believers kept together, and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold their lands and other property, and distributed the proceeds among all, according to every one's necessities. ⁴⁶ And, day by day, attending constantly in the Temple with one accord, and breaking bread in private houses, they took their meals with great happiness and single-heartedness, ⁴⁷ praising God and being regarded with favour by all the people. Also, day by day, the Lord added to their number those whom He was saving.

³² Among all those who had embraced the faith there was but one heart and soul, so that none of them claimed any of his possessions as his own, but everything they had was common property; ³³ while the Apostles with great force of conviction delivered their testimony as to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ And, in fact, there was not a needy man among them, for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the money which they realised, ³⁵ and gave it to the Apostles, and distribution was made to every one according to his wants.

⁴ For all that was written of old has been written for our instruction, so that we may always have hope through the power of endurance and the encouragement which the Scriptures afford.

⁷ Yet all that was gain to me--for Christ's sake I have reckoned it loss. ⁸ Nay, I even reckon all things as pure loss because of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. And for His sake I have suffered the loss of everything, and reckon it all as mere refuse, in order that I may win Christ and be found in union with Him, ⁹ not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the Law, but that which arises from faith in Christ--the righteousness which comes from God through faith.

³ In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are stored up, hidden from view.

³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ appears--He is our true Life--then you also will appear with Him in glory.

¹⁶ Let the teaching concerning Christ remain as a rich treasure in your hearts. In all wisdom teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and sing with grace in your hearts to God.

³⁴ For you not only showed sympathy with those who were imprisoned, but you even submitted with joy when your property was taken from you, being well aware that you have in your own selves a more valuable possession and one which will remain.

²⁴ Through faith Moses, when he grew to manhood, refused to be known as Pharaoh's daughter's son, ²⁵ having determined to endure ill-treatment along with the people of God rather than enjoy the short-lived pleasures of sin; ²⁶ because he deemed the reproaches which he might meet with in the service of the Christ to be greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt; for he fixed his gaze on the coming reward.

¹⁸ Therefore I counsel you to buy of Me gold refined in the fire that you may become rich, and white robes to put on, so as to hide your shameful nakedness, and eye-salve to anoint your eyes with, so that you may be able to see.

²⁶ Why, what benefit will it be to a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give to buy back his life?

⁵ "They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business;

⁴⁴ "The Kingdom of the Heavens is like treasure buried in the open country, which a man finds, but buries again, and, in his joy about it, goes and sells all he has and buys that piece of ground.

²⁸ "Remember," said Peter to Him, "that we forsook everything and have become your followers." ²⁹ "In solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that there is no one who has forsaken house or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children or lands, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, ³⁰ but will receive a hundred times as much now in this present life--houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands--and persecution with them--and in the coming age the Life of the Ages. ³¹ But many who are now first will be last, and the last, first."

²⁸ Then Peter said, "See, we have given up our homes and have followed you." ²⁹ "I solemnly tell you," replied Jesus, "that there is no one who has left house or wife, or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of God's Kingdom, ³⁰ who shall not certainly receive many times as much in this life, and in the age that is coming the Life of the Ages."

²⁴ But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.

²¹ Therefore let no one boast about his human teachers. ²² For everything belongs to you--be it Paul or Apollos or Peter, the world or life or death, things present or future--everything belongs to you; ²³ and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

¹⁴ But as for me, God forbid that I should glory in anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon which the world is crucified to me, and I am crucified to the world.

¹¹ And that testimony is to the effect that God has given us the Life of the Ages, and that this Life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has the Life: he who has not the Son of God has not the Life.

²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each of them consisting of a single pearl. And the main street of the city was made of pure gold, resembling transparent glass.

¹⁹ And He said to them, "Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

²⁶ But when the blade shoots up and the grain is formed, then appears the darnel also. ²⁷ "So the farmer's men come and ask him, "'Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed on your land? Where then does the darnel come from?' ²⁸ "'Some enemy has done this,' he said. "'Shall we go, and collect it?' the men inquire. ²⁹ "'No,' he replied, 'for fear that while collecting the darnel you should at the same time root up the wheat with it. ³⁰ Leave both to grow together until the harvest, and at harvest-time I will direct the reapers, Collect the darnel first, and make it up into bundles to burn it, but bring all the wheat into my barn.'"

⁹ Go out therefore to the crossroads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.' ¹⁰ "So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests.

¹ "Then will the Kingdom of the Heavens be found to be like ten bridesmaids who took their torches and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ For the foolish, when they took their torches, did not provide themselves with oil; ⁴ but the wise, besides their torches, took oil in their flasks.

¹⁷ "Come and follow me," said Jesus, "and I will make you fishers for men."

¹⁰ and so were Simon's partners James and John, the sons of Zabdi.) But Jesus replied to Simon, "Fear not: from this time you shall be a catcher of men."

²¹ "So the servant came and brought these answers to his master, and they stirred his anger. "'Go out quickly,' he said, 'into the streets of the city--the wide ones and the narrow. You will see poor men, and crippled, blind, lame: fetch them all in here.' ²² "Soon the servant reported the result, saying, "'Sir, what you ordered is done, and there is room still.' ²³ "'Go out,' replied the master, 'to the high roads and hedge-rows, and compel the people to come in, so that my house may be filled.

¹ There was a man of the name of Ananias who, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property but, ² with her full knowledge and consent, dishonestly kept back part of the price which he received for it, though he brought the rest and gave it to the Apostles. ³ "Ananias," said Peter, "why has Satan taken possession of your heart, that you should try to deceive the Holy Spirit and dishonestly keep back part of the price paid you for this land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, was not the land your own? And when sold, was it not at your own disposal? How is it that you have cherished this design in your heart? It is not to men you have told this lie, but to God." ⁵ Upon hearing these words Ananias fell down dead, and all who heard the words were awe-struck. ⁶ The younger men, however, rose, and wrapping the body up, carried it out and buried it. ⁷ About three hours had passed, when his wife came in, knowing nothing of what had happened. ⁸ Peter at once questioned her. "Tell me," he said, "whether you sold the land for so much." "Yes," she replied, "for so much." ⁹ "How was it," replied Peter, "that you two agreed to try an experiment upon the Spirit of the Lord? The men who have buried your husband are already at the door, and they will carry you out." ¹⁰ Instantly she fell down dead at his feet, and the young men came in and found her dead. So they carried her out and buried her by her husband's side.

¹⁸ When, however, Simon saw that it was through the laying on of the Apostles' hands that the Spirit was bestowed, he offered them money. ¹⁹ "Give me too," he said, "that power, so that every one on whom I place my hands will receive the Holy Spirit." ²⁰ "Perish your money and yourself," replied Peter, "because you have imagined that you can obtain God's free gift with money! ²¹ No part or lot have you in this matter, for your heart is not right in God's sight. ²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, in the hope that the purpose which is in your heart may perhaps be forgiven you.

³⁰ and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them.

¹ It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and of a kind unheard of even among the Gentiles--a man has his father's wife! ² And you, instead of mourning and removing from among you the man who has done this deed of shame, are filled with self-complacency! ³ I for my part, present with you in spirit although absent in body, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has so acted. ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are all assembled and my spirit is with you, together with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ I have handed over such a man to Satan for the destruction of his body, that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ It is no good thing--this which you make the ground of your boasting. Do you not know that a little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough?

¹ For I would have you remember, brethren, how our forefathers were all of them sheltered by the cloud, and all got safely through the Red Sea. ² All were baptized in the cloud and in the sea to be followers of Moses. ³ All ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they long drank the water that flowed from the spiritual rock that went with them--and that rock was the Christ. ⁵ But with most of them God was not well pleased; for they were laid low in the Desert. ⁶ And in this they became a warning to us, to teach us not to be eager, as they were eager, in pursuit of what is evil. ⁷ And you must not be worshippers of idols, as some of them were. For it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO DANCE." ⁸ Nor may we be fornicators, like some of them who committed fornication and on a single day 23,000 of them fell dead. ⁹ And do not let us test the Lord too far, as some of them tested Him and were destroyed by the serpents. ¹⁰ And do not be discontented, as some of them were, and they were destroyed by the Destroyer. ¹¹ All this kept happening to them with a figurative meaning; but it was put on record by way of admonition to us upon whom the ends of the Ages have come. ¹² So then let him who thinks he is standing securely beware of falling.

¹⁹ For there must of necessity be differences of opinion among you, in order that it may be plainly seen who are the men of sterling worth among you.

²⁶ I have served Him by frequent travelling, amid dangers in crossing rivers, dangers from robbers; dangers from my own countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles; dangers in the city, dangers in the Desert, dangers by sea, dangers from spies in our midst;

²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may not find you to be what I desire, and that you may find me to be what you do not desire; that perhaps there may be contention, jealousy, bitter feeling, party spirit, ill-natured talk, backbiting, undue eulogy, unrest; ²¹ and that upon re-visiting you I may be humbled by my God in your presence, and may have to mourn over many whose hearts still cling to their old sins, and who have not repented of the impurity, fornication, and gross sensuality, of which they have been guilty.

² For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, profane. They will be disobedient to parents, thankless, irreligious, ³ destitute of natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers. They will have no self-control, but will be brutal, opposed to goodness, ⁴ treacherous, headstrong, self-important. They will love pleasure instead of loving God, ⁵ and will keep up a make-believe of piety and yet live in defiance of its power. Turn away from people of this sort.

³ For a time is coming when they will not tolerate wholesome instruction, but, wanting to have their ears tickled, they will find a multitude of teachers to satisfy their own fancies; ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and will turn aside to fables.

⁹ holding fast to the faithful Message which he has received, so that he may be well qualified both to encourage others with sound teaching and to reply successfully to opponents. ¹⁰ For there are many that spurn authority--idle, talkative and deceitful persons, who, for the most part, are adherents of the Circumcision. ¹¹ You must stop the mouths of such men, for they overthrow the faith of whole families, teaching what they ought not, just for the sake of making money.

¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be teachers of falsehood among you also, who will cunningly introduce fatal divisions, disowning even the Sovereign Lord who has redeemed them, and bringing on themselves swift destruction. ² And in their immoral ways they will have many eager disciples, through whom religion will be brought into disrepute. ³ Thirsting for riches, they will trade on you with their canting talk. From of old their judgement has been working itself out, and their destruction has not been slumbering.

¹³ being doomed to receive a requital for their guilt. They reckon it pleasure to feast daintily in broad daylight. They are spots and blemishes, while feeding luxuriously at their love-feasts, and banqueting with you. ¹⁴ Their very eyes are full of adultery--being eyes which never cease from sin. These men set traps to catch unstedfast souls, their own hearts being well trained in greed. They are fore-doomed to God's curse! ¹⁵ Forsaking the straight road, they have gone astray, having eagerly followed in the steps of Balaam, the son of Beor, who was bent on securing the wages of unrighteousness. ¹⁶ But he was rebuked for his transgression: a dumb ass spoke with a human voice and checked the madness of the Prophet. ¹⁷ These people are wells without water, mists driven along by a storm, men for whom the dense darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For, while they pour out their frivolous and arrogant talk, they use earthly cravings--every kind of immorality--as a bait to entrap men who are just escaping from the influence of those who live in error. ¹⁹ And they promise them freedom, although they are themselves the slaves of what is corrupt. For a man is the slave of any one by whom he has been worsted in fight. ²⁰ For if, after escaping from the pollutions of the world through a full knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, people are once more entangled in these pollutions and are overcome, their last state has become worse than their first. ²¹ For it would have been better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandments in which they were instructed. ²² Their case is that described in the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO WHAT HE HAS VOMITED," and also in the other proverb, "The sow has washed itself and now goes back to roll in its filth."

¹⁸ Dear children, the last hour has come; and as you once heard that there was to be an anti-Christ, so even now many anti-Christs have appeared. By this we may know that the last hour has come. ¹⁹ They have gone forth from our midst, but they did not really belong to us; for had they belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they left us that it might be manifest that professed believers do not all belong to us.

¹ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but put the spirits to the test to see whether they are from God; for many false teachers have gone out into the world. ² The test by which you may recognize the Spirit of God is that every spirit which acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come as man is from God, ³ and that no spirit is from God which does not acknowledge this about Jesus. Such is the spirit of the anti-Christ; of whose coming you have heard, and it is already in the world. ⁴ As for you, dear children, you are God's children, and have successfully resisted them; for greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. ⁵ They are the world's children, and so their language is that of the world, and the world listens to them. We are God's children. ⁶ The man who is beginning to know God listens to us, but he who is not a child of God does not listen to us. By this test we can distinguish the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error.

⁴ For certain persons have crept in unnoticed--men spoken of in ancient writings as pre-destined to this condemnation--ungodly men, who pervert the grace of our God into an excuse for immorality, and disown Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign and Lord. ⁵ I desire to remind you--although the whole matter is already familiar to you--that the Lord saved a people out of the land of Egypt, but afterwards destroyed those who had no faith.

¹ "To the minister of the Church at Sardis write as follows: "'This is what He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says. I know your doings--you are supposed to be alive, but in reality you are dead.

¹⁵ I know your doings--you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot! ¹⁶ Accordingly, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, before long I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ You say, I am rich, and have wealth stored up, and I stand in need of nothing; and you do not know that if there is a wretched creature it is *you* --pitiable, poor, blind, naked.

³⁰ Leave both to grow together until the harvest, and at harvest-time I will direct the reapers, Collect the darnel first, and make it up into bundles to burn it, but bring all the wheat into my barn.'"

⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, so that meanwhile they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ But at midnight there is a loud cry, "'The bridegroom! Go out and meet him!' ⁷ "Then all those bridesmaids roused themselves and trimmed their torches. ⁸ "'Give us some of your oil,' said the foolish ones to the wise, 'for our torches are going out.' ⁹ "'But perhaps,' replied the wise, 'there will not be enough for all of us. Go to the shops rather, and buy some for yourselves.' ¹⁰ "So they went to buy. But meanwhile the bridegroom came; those bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. ¹¹ "Afterwards the other bridesmaids came and cried, "'Sir, Sir, open the door to us.' ¹² "'In solemn truth I tell you,' he replied, 'I do not know you.'

¹⁹ "After a long lapse of time the master of those servants returned, and had a reckoning with them. ²⁰ The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, and said, "'Sir, it was five talents that you entrusted to me: see, I have gained five more.' ²¹ "'You have done well, good and trustworthy servant,' replied his master; 'you have been trustworthy in the management of a little, I will put you in charge of much: share your master's joy.' ²² "The second, who had received the two talents, came and said, "'Sir, it was two talents you entrusted to me: see, I have gained two more.' ²³ "'Good and trustworthy servant, you have done well,' his master replied; 'you have been trustworthy in the management of a little, I will put you in charge of much: share your master's joy.' ²⁴ "But, next, the man who had the one talent in his keeping came and said, "'Sir, I knew you to be a severe man, reaping where you had not sown and garnering what you had not winnowed. ²⁵ So being afraid I went and buried your talent in the ground: there you have what belongs to you.' ²⁶ "'You wicked and slothful servant,' replied his master, 'did you know that I reap where I have not sown, and garner what I have not winnowed? ²⁷ Your duty then was to deposit my money in some bank, and so when I came I should have got back my property with interest. ²⁸ So take away the talent from him, and give it to the man who has the ten.' ²⁹ (For to every one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who has nothing, even what he has shall be taken away.) ³⁰ 'But as for this worthless servant, put him out into the darkness outside: *there* will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.' ³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then will He sit upon His glorious throne, ³² and all the nations will be gathered into His presence. And He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; ³³ and will make the sheep stand at His right hand, and the goats at His left.

¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing in front of the throne. And books were opened; and so was another book--namely, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged by the things recorded in the books in accordance with what their conduct had been. ¹³ Then the sea yielded up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades yielded up the dead who were in them, and each man was judged in accordance with what his conduct had been.

⁴² and these they will throw into the fiery furnace. There will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.

⁵⁰ the master of that servant will arrive on a day when he is not expecting him and at an hour of which he has not been informed; ⁵¹ he will treat him with the utmost severity and assign him a place among the hypocrites: there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

²⁷ "But He will reply, "'I tell you that you are no friends of mine. Begone from me, all of you, wrongdoers that you are.' ²⁸ "There will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourselves being driven far away.

¹⁰ he shall drink the wine of God's anger which stands ready, undiluted, in the cup of His fury, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment goes up until the Ages of the Ages; and the worshipers of the Wild Beast and his statue have no rest day or night, nor has any one who receives the mark of his name.

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured his bowl on to the throne of the Wild Beast; and his kingdom became darkened. People gnawed their tongues because of the pain, ¹¹ and they spoke evil of the God in Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their misconduct.

¹⁷ Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is afterwards ejected from the body?

¹¹ How is it you do not understand that it was not about bread that I spoke to you? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

¹⁵ "When you have seen (to use the language of the Prophet Daniel) the 'ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION', standing in the Holy Place" --let the reader observe those words--

¹⁸ "Have *you* also so little understanding?" He replied; "do you not understand that anything whatever that enters a man from outside cannot make him unclean,

⁴⁴ "As for you, store these my sayings in your memory; for, before long, the Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men." ⁴⁵ But they did not understand His meaning: it was veiled from them that they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

³⁰ So Philip ran up and heard the eunuch reading the Prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading?" he asked. ³¹ "Why, how can I," replied the eunuch, "unless some one explains it to me?" And he earnestly invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³⁵ A good man from his good store produces good things, and a bad man from his bad store produces bad things.

³⁴ "For this reason I am sending to you Prophets and wise men and Scribes. Some of them you will put to death--nay, crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase from town to town;

⁴⁹ "For this reason also the Wisdom of God has said, 'I will send Prophets and Apostles to them, of whom they will kill some and persecute others,'

³⁴ A new commandment I give you, to love one another; that as I have loved you, you also may love one another.

⁴ Such is the confidence which we have through Christ in the presence of God; ⁵ not that of ourselves we are competent to decide anything by our own reasonings, but our competency comes from God. ⁶ It is He also who has made us competent to serve Him in connexion with a new Covenant, which is not a written code but a Spirit; for the written code inflicts death, but the Spirit gives Life.

⁵ (For we do not proclaim ourselves, but we proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bondservants for the sake of Jesus.) ⁶ For God who said, "Out of darkness let light shine," is He who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory, which is radiant on the face of Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in a fragile vase of clay, in order that the surpassing greatness of the power may be seen to belong to God, and not to originate in us.

¹⁰ as sad, but we are always joyful; as poor, but we bestow wealth on many; as having nothing, and yet we securely possess all things.

⁴ By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ

⁷ as you learned it from Epaphras our dearly-loved fellow servant. He is to you a faithful minister of Christ in our stead,

⁶ He ought not to be a new convert, for fear he should be blinded with pride and come under the same condemnation as the Devil.

¹⁵ But, for fear I may be hindered, I now write, so that you may have rules to guide you in dealing with God's household. For this is what the Church of the ever-living God is, and it is the pillar and foundation-stone of the truth. ¹⁶ And, beyond controversy, great is the mystery of our religion-- that Christ appeared in human form, and His claims justified by the Spirit, was seen by angels and proclaimed among Gentile nations, was believed on in the world, and received up again into glory.

¹⁶ Every Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for convincing, for correction of error, and for instruction in right doing; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may himself be complete and may be perfectly equipped for every good work.

⁹ holding fast to the faithful Message which he has received, so that he may be well qualified both to encourage others with sound teaching and to reply successfully to opponents.

⁶ In the same way exhort the younger men to be discreet, ⁷ and above all make your own life a pattern of right conduct, having in your teaching no taint of insincerity, but a serious tone,

⁷ My dearly-loved friends, it is no new command that I am now giving you, but an old command which you have had from the very beginning. By the old command I mean the teaching which you have already received. ⁸ And yet I *am* giving you a new command, for such it really is, so far as both He and you are concerned: because the darkness is now passing away and the light, the true light, is already beginning to shine.

²⁸ When Jesus had concluded this discourse, the crowds were filled with amazement at His teaching,

³³ With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it. ³⁴ But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private. ³⁵ The same day, in the evening, He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."

²³ and went and settled in a town called Nazareth, in order that these words spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled, "HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE."

¹ Leaving that place He came into His own country, accompanied by His disciples. ² On the Sabbath He proceeded to teach in the synagogue; and many, as they heard Him, were astonished. "Where did he acquire all this?" they asked. "What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And what are these marvellous miracles which his hands perform? ³ Is not this the carpenter, Mary's son, the brother of James and Joses, Jude and Simon? And do not his sisters live here among us?" So they turned angrily away. ⁴ But Jesus said to them, "There is no Prophet without honour except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own home." ⁵ And He could not do any miracle there, except that He laid His hands on a few who were out of health and cured them; and ⁶ He wondered at their unbelief. So He went round the adjacent villages, teaching.

¹⁶ He came to Nazareth also, where He had been brought up; and, as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And there was handed to Him the book of the Prophet Isaiah, and, opening the book, He found the place where it was written, ¹⁸ "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO ANNOUNCE RELEASE TO THE PRISONERS OF WAR AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND: TO SEND AWAY FREE THOSE WHOM TYRANNY HAS CRUSHED, ¹⁹ TO PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF ACCEPTANCE WITH THE LORD." ²⁰ And rolling up the book, He returned it to the attendant, and sat down--to speak. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ Then He proceeded to say to them, "To-day is this Scripture fulfilled in your hearing." ²² And they all spoke well of Him, wondering at the sweet words of kindness which fell from His lips, while they asked one another, "Is not this Joseph's son?" ²³ "Doubtless," said He, "you will quote to me the proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself: all that we hear that you have done at Capernaum, do here also in your native place.'" ²⁴ "I tell you in solemn truth," He added, "that no Prophet is welcomed among his own people. ²⁵ But I tell you in truth that there was many a widow in Israel in the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three years and six months and there came a severe famine over all the land; ²⁶ and yet to not one of them was Elijah sent: he was only sent to a widow at Zarephath in the Sidonian country. ²⁷ And there was also many a leper in Israel in the time of the Prophet Elisha, and yet not one of them was cleansed, but Naaman the Syrian was." ²⁸ Then all in the synagogue, while listening to these words, were filled with fury. ²⁹ They rose, hurried Him outside the town, and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, to throw Him down the cliff; ³⁰ but He passed through the midst of them and went His way.

¹¹ He came to the things that were His own, and His own people gave Him no welcome.

¹⁵ The Jews were astonished. "How does this man know anything of books," they said, "although he has never been at any of the schools?" ¹⁶ Jesus answered their question by saying, "My teaching does not belong to me, but comes from Him who sent me.

¹³ As they looked on Peter and John so fearlessly outspoken--and also discovered that they were illiterate persons, untrained in the schools--they were surprised; and now they recognized them as having been with Jesus.

⁴⁶ Then, throwing off all reserve, Paul and Barnabas said, "We were bound to proclaim God's Message to you first. But since you spurn it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of the Life of the Ages--well, we turn to the Gentiles.

¹⁷ After one complete day he invited the leading men among the Jews to meet him; and, when they were come together, he said to them, "As for me, brethren, although I had done nothing prejudicial to our people or contrary to the customs of our forefathers, I was handed over as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the power of the Romans. ¹⁸ They, after they had sharply questioned me, were willing to set me at liberty, because they found no offence in me for which I deserve to die. ¹⁹ But, at last, the opposition of the Jews compelled me to appeal to Caesar; not however that I had any charge to bring against my nation. ²⁰ For these reasons, then, I have invited you here, that I might see you and speak to you; for it is for the sake of Him who is the hope of Israel that this chain hangs upon me." ²¹ "For our part," they replied, "we have not received any letters from Judaea about you, nor have any of our countrymen come here and reported or stated anything to your disadvantage. ²² But we should be glad to hear from you what it is that you believe; for as for this sect all we know is that it is everywhere spoken against." ²³ So they arranged a day with him and came to him in considerable numbers at the house of the friends who were entertaining him. And then, with solemn earnestness, he explained to them the subject of the Kingdom of God, endeavouring from morning till evening to convince them about Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. ²⁴ Some were convinced; others refused to believe. ²⁵ Unable to agree among themselves, they at last left him, but not before Paul had spoken a parting word to them, saying, "Right well did the Holy Spirit say to your forefathers through the Prophet Isaiah: ²⁶ "'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND TELL THEM, YOU WILL HEAR AND HEAR, AND BY NO MEANS UNDERSTAND; AND WILL LOOK AND LOOK, AND BY NO MEANS SEE. ²⁷ FOR THIS PEOPLE'S MIND HAS GROWN CALLOUS, THEIR HEARING HAS BECOME DULL, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; TO PREVENT THEIR EVER SEEING WITH THEIR EYES, OR HEARING WITH THEIR EARS, OR UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR MINDS, AND TURNING BACK, SO THAT I MIGHT CURE THEM.' ²⁸ "Be fully assured, therefore, that this salvation--God's salvation--has now been sent to the Gentiles, and that they, at any rate, will give heed."

¹⁸ The circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ were these. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they were united in marriage, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ But Joseph her husband, being a kind-hearted man and unwilling publicly to disgrace her, had determined to release her privately from the betrothal. ²⁰ But while he was contemplating this step, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to bring home your wife Mary, for she is with child through the Holy Spirit.

⁴⁶ While He was still addressing the people His mother and His brothers were standing on the edge of the crowd desiring to speak to Him. ⁴⁷ So some one told Him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and desire to speak to you." ⁴⁸ "Who is my mother?" He said to the man; "and who are my brothers?"

⁵⁶ among them being Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zabdi.

³ Is not this the carpenter, Mary's son, the brother of James and Joses, Jude and Simon? And do not his sisters live here among us?" So they turned angrily away.

⁴⁰ There were also a party of women looking on from a distance; among them being both Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of James the Little and of Joses, and Salome--

⁴⁷ Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was put.

²⁷ to a maiden betrothed to a man of the name of Joseph, a descendant of David. The maiden's name was Mary.

⁵ to have himself registered together with Mary, who was betrothed to him and was with child. ⁶ But while they were there, her full time came, ⁷ and she gave birth to her first-born son, and wrapped Him round, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

²³ And He--Jesus--when He began His ministry, was about thirty years old. He was the son (it was supposed) of Joseph, son of Heli,

²² And they all spoke well of Him, wondering at the sweet words of kindness which fell from His lips, while they asked one another, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

¹⁰ The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; and they and the rest of the women related all this to the Apostles.

⁴⁵ Then Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the Law wrote, as well as the Prophets--Jesus, the son of Joseph, a man of Nazareth." ⁴⁶ "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" replied Nathanael. "Come and see," said Philip.

⁴² They kept asking, "Is not this man Joseph's son? Is he not Jesus, whose father and mother we know? What does he mean by now saying, 'I have come down out of Heaven'?"

⁴¹ Others said, "He is the Christ." But others again, "Not so, for is the Christ to come from Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture declared that the Christ is to come of the family of David and from Bethlehem, David's village?"

²⁹ We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from."

²⁵ Now standing close to the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.

¹⁹ I saw none of the other Apostles, except James, the Lord's brother.

¹⁴ King Herod heard of all this (for the name of Jesus had become widely known), and he kept saying, "John the Baptizer has come back to life, and that is why these miraculous Powers are working in him."

³⁴ Symeon blessed them and said to Mary the mother, "This child is appointed for the falling and the uprising of many in Israel and for a token to be spoken against; ³⁵ and a sword will pierce through your own soul also; that the reasonings in many hearts may be revealed."

²⁴ "I tell you in solemn truth," He added, "that no Prophet is welcomed among his own people.

²³ And blessed is every one who does not stumble and fall because of my claims."

⁴⁴ though Jesus Himself declared that a Prophet has no honour in his own country.

⁶¹ But, knowing in Himself that His disciples were dissatisfied about it, Jesus asked them,

²² Moses declared, "'THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP A PROPHET FOR YOU FROM AMONG YOUR BRETHREN AS HE HAS RAISED ME. IN ALL THAT HE SAYS TO YOU, YOU MUST LISTEN TO HIM. ²³ AND EVERY ONE, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, WHO REFUSES TO LISTEN TO THAT PROPHET SHALL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE.'

³⁷ This is the Moses who said to the descendants of Israel, "'GOD WILL RAISE UP A PROPHET FOR YOU, FROM AMONG YOUR BRETHREN, JUST AS HE RAISED ME UP.' ³⁸ 'This is he who was among the Congregation in the Desert, together with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our forefathers, who received ever-living utterances to hand on to us. ³⁹ "Our forefathers, however, would not submit to him, but spurned his authority and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

⁵¹ "O stiff-necked men, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you also are continually at strife with the Holy Spirit--just as your forefathers were. ⁵² Which of the Prophets did not your forefathers persecute? Yes, they killed those who announced beforehand the advent of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become--

²³ while we proclaim a Christ who has been crucified--to the Jews a stumbling-block, to Gentiles foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who have received the Call, whether Jews or Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because that which the world deems foolish in God is wiser than men's wisdom, and that which it deems feeble in God is mightier than men's might. ²⁶ For consider, brethren, God's call to you. Not many who are wise with merely human wisdom, not many of position and influence, not many of noble birth have been called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the things which the world regards as foolish, in order to put its wise men to shame; and God has chosen the things which the world regards as destitute of influence, in order to put its powerful things to shame; ²⁸ and the things which the world regards as base, and those which it sets utterly at nought--things that have no existence--God has chosen in order to reduce to nothing things that do exist;

²⁵ But I tell you in truth that there was many a widow in Israel in the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three years and six months and there came a severe famine over all the land; ²⁶ and yet to not one of them was Elijah sent: he was only sent to a widow at Zarephath in the Sidonian country. ²⁷ And there was also many a leper in Israel in the time of the Prophet Elisha, and yet not one of them was cleansed, but Naaman the Syrian was." ²⁸ Then all in the synagogue, while listening to these words, were filled with fury. ²⁹ They rose, hurried Him outside the town, and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, to throw Him down the cliff;

²⁰ This is true; yet it was their unbelief that cut them off, and you only stand through your faith.

¹² see to it, brethren, that there is never in any one of you--as perhaps there may be--a sinful and unbelieving heart, manifesting itself in revolt from the ever-living God. ¹³ On the contrary encourage one another, day after day, so long as To-day lasts, so that not one of you may be hardened through the deceitful character of sin. ¹⁴ For we have, all alike, become sharers with Christ, if we really hold our first confidence firm to the End; ¹⁵ seeing that the warning still comes to us, "TO-DAY, IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS YOUR FOREFATHERS DID IN THE TIME OF THE PROVOCATION." ¹⁶ For who were they that heard, and yet provoked God? Was it not the whole of the people who had come out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses? ¹⁷ And with whom was God so greatly grieved for forty years? Was it not with those who had sinned, and whose dead bodies fell in the Desert? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear that they should not be admitted to His rest, if it was not to those who were disobedient? ¹⁹ And so we see that it was owing to lack of faith that they could not be admitted.

⁶ Since, then, it is still true that some will be admitted to that rest, and that because of disobedience those who formerly had Good News proclaimed to them were not admitted, ⁷ He again definitely mentions a certain day, "To-day," saying long afterwards, by David's lips, in the words already quoted, "TO-DAY, IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." ⁸ For if Joshua had given them the true rest, we should not afterwards hear God speaking of another still future day. ⁹ It follows that there still remains a sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For He who has been admitted to His rest, has rested from His works as God did from His. ¹¹ Let it then be our earnest endeavour to be admitted to that rest, so that no one may perish through following the same example of unbelief.