1 Peter Cross References - Williams

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the foreign-born Jews who are scattered over Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² the people chosen in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: spiritual blessing and peace to you in increasing abundance. ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In accordance with His great mercy He has begotten us anew to an ever living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; ⁴ yes, to an inheritance that is imperishable, unsullied, and unfading, which is kept in heaven for you ⁵ who are always guarded by the power of God through faith, in order that you may receive that final salvation which will be ready to be uncovered for you at the last time. ⁶ In such a hope keep on rejoicing, although for a little while you must be sorrow-stricken with various trials, ⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even after it is shown by the test of fire to be genuine, may result in your praise and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ. ⁸ You must continue to love Him, although you have never seen Him, but because you do believe in Him, although you do not now see Him, you must continue to rejoice with an unutterable and triumphant joy, ⁹ because you will receive the goal of your faith, the ultimate salvation of your souls. ¹⁰ Even the prophets, who prophesied about the spiritual blessing meant for you, made careful investigations and persistent research about this salvation, ¹¹ earnestly trying to find out the time, and the nature of the times, which the Spirit of the Christ within them pointed to, in foretelling the sufferings of the Christ and the glory that should follow them. ¹² It was made known to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in their searching for these things that have already been told to you by those who through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven brought you the good news. The angels long to take a peep into these things. ¹³ Therefore, as a means of spiritual preparation, tighten up the belt about your minds, keep perfectly calm, keep your hope on the spiritual blessing to be conferred upon you at the unveiling of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, stop molding your character by the evil desires you used to cherish when you did not know any better, ¹⁵ but in accordance with the Holy Being who has called you, you must prove to be holy too, ¹⁶ for the Scripture says: "You ought to be holy, because I am holy." ¹⁷ And if you address as Father, Him who judges everyone impartially in accordance with what he does, you must live reverently all your fleeting stay on earth, ¹⁸ because you know that you have not been ransomed with things that perish as silver or gold, from the futile way of living taught by your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without a blemish or a blot, ²⁰ who was foreordained for it before the foundation of the world but was brought out to public view at the end of the ages, for the sake of you ²¹ who through Him trust in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory; so that your faith and hope may rest in God. ²² Since you have purified your souls by obeying the truth, in sincere love for the brotherhood you must love one another heartily and fervently, ²³ because you have been born anew, not from a germ that perishes but from one that does not perish, by the word of the living and everlasting God. ²⁴ For "All human life is just like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass dries up; the flowers drop off. ²⁵ But the word of the Lord lives on forever"; that is, the message of the good news which has been brought to you.

¹⁸ As He was walking by the shore of the sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was summed Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

¹² Keep on rejoicing and leaping for ecstasy, for your reward will be rich in heaven; for this is the way they persecuted the prophets who lived before you.

¹⁸ I have not come to set them aside but to fill them up to the brim. For I solemnly say to you, heaven and earth would sooner pass away than the dotting of an 'i' or the crossing of a 't' from the law, until it all becomes in force.

⁴⁸ So you, my followers, ought to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is."

⁹ So this is the way you must pray: Our Father in heaven, Your name be revered.

⁷ "Keep on asking, and the gift will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will open to you. ⁸ For everyone who keeps on asking, receives, and everyone who keeps on seeking, finds, and to the one who keeps on knocking, the door will open. ⁹ What human father among you, when his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake? ¹¹ So if you, in spite of your being bad, know how to give your children what is good, how much more surely will your heavenly Father give what is good to those who keep on asking Him?

² Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, who was named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John,

³⁷ Anybody who loves father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me,

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for concealing these matters from wise and learned men, and for revealing them to little children.

²⁷ All things have been entrusted to me by my Father, and no one but the Father perfectly knows the Son, and no one but the Son perfectly knows the Father, and the one to whom the Son chooses to make Him known. ²⁸ Come to me, all of you who toil and carry burdens, and I, yes, I, will lead you into rest.

¹⁷ For I solemnly say to you, many prophets and upright men yearned to see what you are seeing, and did not see it, and to hear what you are hearing, and did not hear it.

² "Why do your disciples break the rules handed down by our forefathers? For they do not practice washing their hands when they take their meals." ³ But He answered, "Why do you too break God's command for the sake of the rules that have been handed down to you?

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for it is not man that made this known to you, but my Father in heaven.

²⁸ Jesus said to them: "I solemnly say to you, in the new order of life, when the Son of Man shall take His seat on His glorious throne, you too, who have followed me, will sit on twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

²⁸ just as the Son of Man has come, not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom price to set many free."

¹⁶ So they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, to say to Him, "Teacher, we know that you are in the habit of telling the truth and of teaching the way of God in honesty, and you do not care what anyone says, for you are not partial.

²² And if those days had not been cut short, nobody would have escaped, but for the sake of God's chosen people those days will be cut short.

²⁴ for false Christs and false prophets will announce themselves, and they will show great signs and wonders to mislead, if possible, God's chosen people.

³¹ And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His chosen people from the four points of the compass, from one end of the sky to the other.

³⁵ Sky and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.

²¹ His master said to him 'Well done, my good and faithful slave, you have been faithful in the use of a small amount; I will put you in charge of a larger one. Come, share your master's joy!'

²³ His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful slave, you have been faithful in the use of a small amount; I will put you in charge of a larger one. Come, share your master's joy!'

³⁴ Then the King will say to those at His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ For when I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, when I was a stranger you welcomed me to your homes, ³⁶ when I needed clothes you put them on me, when I was sick you looked after me, when I was in prison you came to see me.' ³⁷ Then the upright will answer, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you to our homes, or needing clothes, and put them on you? ³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and come to see you?' ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, 'I solemnly say to you, every time you did a good deed to one of these most insignificant brothers of mine, you did a good deed to me.'

²⁴ The Son of Man is going away as the Scriptures say of Him, but a curse will be on that man by whom He is betrayed. It would have been better for that man, if he had never been born!"

²⁸ for this is my blood which ratifies the covenant, the blood which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of their sins.

³⁷ And He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons along with Him and He began to give way to His grief and distress of heart.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came up to them, and said, "Full authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

²⁰ If the Lord had not cut those days short, nobody would have escaped, but for the sake of the people chosen as His own He has cut them short.

²² For false Christs and false prophets will announce themselves, and they will do signs and wonders to mislead, if possible, even God's chosen people.

²⁷ Then He will send out His angels, and gather His chosen people from the four points of the compass, from one end of the sky to the other.

¹⁵ Then He said to them, "You must go all over the world and preach the good news to all the creation.

⁴⁷ my spirit exults in God my Saviour;

⁷⁴ to grant us deliverance from the dreaded hand of our foes, so that we could serve Him ⁷⁵ in holiness and uprightness In His own presence all our days.

¹⁰ But the angel said to them: "Stop being afraid, for now I bring you good tidings of great joy which is to be for all the people;

²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die without seeing the Lord's Messiah.

⁶ And so they set out and went from village to village, telling the good news and curing people everywhere.

²⁰ However, you must stop rejoicing over the fact that the spirits are submitting to you, but continue to rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven."

²⁴ For I tell you, many prophets and kings have wished to see what you are seeing, but they did not, and to hear what you are hearing, but they did not."

²⁰ But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is to be demanded of you. Then who will have all that you have prepared?' ²¹ So it is with the man who continues to pile up possessions for himself, and is not rich in God."

³³ Sell your property and give to charity. Provide for yourselves purses that will never wear out, riches that never fail in heaven, where a thief cannot come near nor a moth destroy,

³⁵ "You must keep your belts tight and your lamps burning,

¹⁰ Just so, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinful person who repents!"

¹⁷ It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dotting of an 'i' in the law to fail.

⁸ but will not rather say to him, 'Get my supper ready, and dress yourself and wait on me until I eat and drink, and you yourself can eat and drink afterward'?

³⁰ It will be so on the day when the Son of Man appears

⁷ And will not God give justice and protection to His chosen people who continue to cry to Him day and night, since He is so patient with them?

³⁴ But ever be on your guard, so that your hearts may not be loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries, and that day, like a trap, catch you unawares. ³⁵ For it will come upon all who are living anywhere on the face of the earth,

²⁵ Then He said to them, "O men sluggish in mind and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have said! ²⁶ Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and thus to enter into His glory?" ²⁷ Then He began with Moses and went through all the prophets and explained to them all the passages in the Scriptures about Himself.

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."

¹ In the beginning the Word existed; and the Word was face to face with God; yea, the Word was God Himself.

³ It was through Him that everything came into existence, and apart from Him not a single thing came into existence.

¹³ who were born of God and not of natural blood nor of physical or human impulse. ¹⁴ So the Word became human and lived a little while among us, and we actually saw His glory, the glory of One who is an only Son from His Father, and He was full of spiritual blessing and truth.

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, "Look! He is the Lamb of God who is to take away the world's sin.

³⁶ and as he saw Jesus passing by he said, "Look! He is the Lamb of God!"

⁴¹ He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means, the Christ). ⁴² Then he took him to Jesus. Jesus looked him over and said, "You are Simon, son of John. From now on your name shall be Cephas" (which means Peter, or Rock).

³ Jesus answered him, "I most solemnly say to you, no one can ever see the kingdom of God, unless he is born from above."

³ Jesus answered him, "I most solemnly say to you, no one can ever see the kingdom of God, unless he is born from above." ⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot again enter his mother's womb and be born, can he?" ⁵ Jesus answered, "I most solemnly say to you, no one can ever get into the kingdom of God, unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

⁵ Jesus answered, "I most solemnly say to you, no one can ever get into the kingdom of God, unless he is born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Whatever is born of the physical is physical, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spiritual. ⁷ Never wonder at my telling you that you must all be born from above. ⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. That is just the way it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

³⁴ For He whom God has sent continues to speak the words of God, for God continues to give Him the Spirit without measure.

¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never, no never, be thirsty again, for the water that I will give him will become a spring of water that keeps on bubbling up within him for eternal life."

²² For the Father passes sentence on no one, but He has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all men may honor the Son as they do the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. ²⁴ "I most solemnly say to you, whoever listens to me and believes Him who has sent me possesses eternal life, and will never come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life.

²⁴ "I most solemnly say to you, whoever listens to me and believes Him who has sent me possesses eternal life, and will never come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life.

³⁹ "You keep on searching the Scriptures, for you yourselves suppose that you will get possession of eternal life through them; and yet they are witnesses that testify to me,

⁴⁴ How can you believe, you who are always accepting honor from one another, but never seek the honor that comes from the one God?

⁶³ The Spirit is what gives life; the flesh does not help at all. The truths that I have told you are spirit and life.

³⁵ The Jews then said to one another, "Where is He about to go that we shall not find Him? He is not going to our people scattered among the Greeks, and going to teach the Greeks, is He?

⁵² Then they answered him, "You are not from Galilee, too, are you? Search the record and see that no prophet has ever come from Galilee."

⁴² Then Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. No, indeed, I have not come on my own authority, but He has sent me.

²⁸ and I give to them eternal life, and they shall never get lost, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My father who gave them to me is stronger than all, and no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one."

⁵² and not only for the nation, but also to unite the scattered children of God.

²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must continue to follow me, and my servant also must go wherever I go. If anyone serves me, my Father will show him honor.

⁴¹ Isaiah said this, because he saw His glory; yes, he spoke about Him.

⁴⁴ But Jesus cried aloud, "Whoever believes in me believes not merely in me but in Him who has sent me;

⁴⁸ Whoever persistently rejects me and refuses to accept my teachings has something to judge him -- the very message I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

³¹ When he had left, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in Him, ³² and God will through Himself glorify Him, and He will glorify Him at once.

³⁴ I give you a new command, to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you too must love one another. ³⁵ By this everybody will know that you are my disciples, if you keep on showing love for one another."

¹ "Stop letting your hearts be troubled; keep on believing in God, and also in me.

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

¹⁵ "If you really love me, you will keep my commands.

²¹ Whoever continues to hold and keep my commands is the one who really loves me, and whoever really loves me will be loved by my Father; yes, I will love him myself and will make myself real to him."

²⁴ Whoever does not really love me does not observe my teaching; and yet the teaching which you are listening to is not mine but comes from the Father who has sent me.

³ You are already pruned because of the teaching that I have given you.

¹⁶ You have not chosen me; I have chosen you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, that your fruit may remain too, so that the Father may grant you, as bearers of my name, whatever you ask Him for. ¹⁷ "What I command you to do is, to keep on loving one another.

¹⁷ "What I command you to do is, to keep on loving one another. ¹⁸ If the world continues to hate you, remember that it has first hated me. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love what is its own. But it is because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, that the world hates you.

²⁶ "When the Helper comes whom I will send from the Father to you, the Spirit of truth that comes from the Father, He will testify to me.

⁷ Yet it is nothing but the truth I now tell you, that it is better for you that I should go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come into close fellowship with you, but if I do go away, I will send Him to be in close fellowship with you. ⁸ "And when He comes, He will bring conviction to worldly people about sin and uprightness and judgment; ⁹ about sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about uprightness, because I go away to the Father so that you can no longer see me; ¹¹ about judgment, because the evil ruler of this world has been condemned. ¹² "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot grasp it now. ¹³ But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth, for He will not speak on His own authority but will tell what is told Him, and will announce to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because He will take the things that belong to me and tell them to you. ¹⁵ Everything that the Father has is mine; this is why I have told you, 'He will take the things that are mine and tell them to you.'

²² So you too are now in sorrow, but I am going to see you again, and then your hearts will be happy, and no one can rob you of your happiness.

³³ I have told you these things, that you through union with me may have peace. In the world you have trouble, but be courageous! I have conquered the world."

¹ When Jesus had said all these things, He lifted His eyes to heaven and said: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that He may glorify you,

¹¹ And now I am no longer to be in the world, but they are to stay on in the world, while I am going to be with you. Holy Father, keep them by the power which you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. ¹² As long as I was with them, I kept them by your power which you gave me, and I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who is now doomed to be lost, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

¹⁵ I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil in it.

¹⁷ Consecrate them by your truth; your message is truth.

¹⁹ And so for their sake I am consecrating myself, that they too may be consecrated by truth.

²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Is it because you have seen me, Thomas, that you believe? Blessed be those who believe, even though they have not seen me!"

¹⁵ After they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, are you more devoted to me than you are to these things?" Peter answered Him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I tenderly love you." Jesus said to him, "Then feed my lambs." ¹⁶ Jesus again said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, are you really devoted to me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I tenderly love you." Jesus said to him, "Then be a shepherd to my sheep." ¹⁷ For the third time Jesus asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you really tenderly love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus the third time asked him, "Do you really tenderly love me?" So he answered Him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I do tenderly love you." Jesus said to him, "Then feed my sheep.

² when suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a terrific blast of wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, ³ And they saw tongues like flames of fire separating and resting on their heads, one to each of them, ⁴ and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit granted them to utter divine things. ⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every part of the world living in Jerusalem. ⁶ And when this sound was heard, the crowd rushed together in great excitement, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were perfectly astounded, and in bewilderment they continued to say, "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ So how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native tongue? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, of Judea and Cappadocia, of Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ of Phrygia and Pamphylia, of Egypt and the district of Libya around Cyrene, transient dwellers from Rome, Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs -- we hear them all alike telling in our own tongues the great wonders of God."

¹⁷ 'It will occur in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all mankind. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will have visions. Your old men will have dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my slaves, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will become prophets.

²³ this very Jesus, I say, after He was betrayed, in accordance with the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you had wicked men kill by nailing Him to a cross; ²⁴ but God raised Him up by loosing Him from the pangs of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by the power of death.

³² I mean Jesus whom God raised from the dead, to which fact we are all witnesses, ³³ So He has been exalted to God's right hand and has received from His Father, as promised, and poured out upon us the Holy Spirit, as you see and hear.

³³ So He has been exalted to God's right hand and has received from His Father, as promised, and poured out upon us the Holy Spirit, as you see and hear.

¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you yourselves betrayed and disowned before Pilate, although he had decided to set Him free.

¹⁵ and you killed the Prince of life, but God raised Him from the dead, to which fact we are witnesses.

²² Moses, indeed, said: 'The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, as He did me. You must attentively listen to everything that He tells you. ²³ The result will be, that any person who will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.' ²⁴ Yes, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel down, have also foretold these days. ²⁵ And you are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the sacred compact which God made with your forefathers, when He said to Abraham: 'All the families of the earth are to be blessed through your posterity.' ²⁶ It was to you first that He sent His Servant, after raising Him from the dead, to bless you by causing every one of you to turn from his wicked ways."

⁸ Then Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of the people,

¹⁰ you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well.

³¹ When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and continued courageously to speak God's message.

⁷ So God's message continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem continued to grow rapidly; a large number, even of priests, continued to surrender to the faith.

⁹ But members of the synagogue known as that of the Libyans, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia, got to debating with Stephen,

⁵¹ "You people, stubborn in will, heathenish in hearts and ears, you are always resisting the Holy Spirit, as your forefathers did, too. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your forefathers fail to persecute? They killed the prophets who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have betrayed and murdered Him,

⁵² Which of the prophets did your forefathers fail to persecute? They killed the prophets who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have betrayed and murdered Him,

⁴ Now those who were scattered went from place to place preaching the good news of the message.

²⁰ But Peter said to him, "Your money go to perdition with you for even dreaming you could buy the gift of God with money!

²⁵ So after they had given their testimony and spoken the Lord's message, they started back to Jerusalem, and on the way continued to tell the good news in many Samaritan villages.

³² Now this was the passage of Scripture that he was reading: "Like a sheep He was led away to be slaughtered, and just as a lamb is dumb before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth. ³³ Justice was denied Him in His humiliation, who can tell of His times? For His life is removed from the earth." ³⁴ "Tell me, I pray, of whom is the prophet speaking," asked the official of Philip, "of himself or of someone else?" ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and starting from this passage, he told him the good news about Jesus.

³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth and said, "Now I really see that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation the man who reveres God and practices doing right is acceptable to Him.

⁴³ To this very One all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him is to receive the forgiveness of sins through His name." ⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these truths, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.

²⁷ For the people of Jerusalem and their leaders, because they were ignorant of Him, by condemning Him have actually fulfilled the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, ²⁸ and although they could not find Him guilty of a capital offense, they begged Pilate to have Him put to death. ²⁹ When they had carried out everything that had been written in the Scriptures about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.

²² strengthening the hearts of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith, and warning them that it is through enduring many hardships that we must get into the kingdom of God.

⁹ and in this way He put no difference between us and them, because He cleansed their hearts by faith.

¹⁸ who has been making this known from ages past.'

⁶ Then they crossed Phrygia and Galatia. But because they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia, ⁷ they went on to Mysia and tried to get into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

¹⁰ As soon as he had this vision, we laid our plans to get off to Macedonia, because we confidently concluded that God had called us to tell them the good news.

³⁴ Then he took them up to his house and gave them food, and he and all the members of his household were happy in their faith in God.

¹¹ The Jews there were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message with all eagerness and carried on a daily study of the Scriptures to see if Paul's message was true.

³⁰ Though God overlooked those times of ignorance, He now commands all men everywhere to repent,

² There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had issued an edict for all Jews to leave Rome. So Paul paid them a visit,

²³ After spending some time there, he started out again, and by a definite schedule traveled all over Galatia and Phrygia, imparting new strength to all the disciples.

¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that everybody living in the province of Asia, Greeks as well as Jews, heard the Lord's message.

³⁴ But as soon as they saw that he was a Jew, a shout went up from them all as the shout of one man, lasting for two hours: "Great Artemis of Ephesus!" ³⁵ At last the city recorder quieted the mob and said: "Men of Ephesus, who in the world does not know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell down from heaven?

¹⁶ For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia; for he was eager, if possible, to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost. ¹⁷ From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived among you all the time from the day I first set foot in the province of Asia, and how I continued

²⁸ Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, so as to continue to be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.

³² And now I commit you to the Lord, and to the message of His favor, which is able to build you up and to give you your proper possession among all God's consecrated people.

¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.'

²² As I have gotten help from God clear down to this very day, I stand here to testify to high and low alike, without adding a syllable to what Moses and the prophets said should take place, ²³ if the Christ should suffer, and by being the first to rise from the dead was to proclaim the light to the Jewish people and to the heathen."

²³ So they set a day for him, and came in large numbers to see him at the place where he was lodging, and from morning till night he continued to explain to them the kingdom of God, at the same time giving them his own testimony and trying from the law of Moses and the prophets to convince them about Jesus.

⁵ through whom we have received God's favor and a commission as an apostle in His name to urge upon all the heathen obedience inspired by faith,

⁷ to all those in Rome who are God's loved ones, called to be His people: spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ So, as far as I can, I am eager to preach the good news to you at Rome, too.

¹⁷ For in the good news God's Way of man's right standing with Him is uncovered, the Way of faith that leads to greater faith, just as the Scripture says, "The upright man must live by faith."

²¹ because, although they once knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give Him thanks, but became silly in their senseless speculations, and so their insensible hearts have been shrouded in darkness.

²³ and have transformed the splendor of the immortal God into images in the form of mortal man, birds, beasts, and reptiles.

⁷ eternal life to those who patiently continue doing good and striving for glory, honor, and immortality, ⁸ but wrath and fury, crushing suffering and awful anguish, to the self-willed who are always resisting the right and yielding to the wrong,

¹⁰ But glory, honor, and peace will come to everyone who practices doing good, the Jew first and then the Greek; ¹¹ for there is no partiality in God's dealings.

²⁹ The real Jew is the man who is a Jew on the inside, and real circumcision is heart-circumcision, a spiritual, not a literal, affair. This man's praise originates, not with men, but with God.

²⁵ For God once publicly offered Him in His death as a sacrifice of reconciliation through faith, to demonstrate His own justice (for in His forbearance God had passed over men's former sins);

²⁴ it was for our sakes too, for it is going to be credited to us who put our faith in God who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus, ²⁵ who was given up to death because of our shortcomings and was raised again to give us right standing with God.

² by whom we have an introduction through faith into this state of God's favor, in which we safely stand; and let us continue exulting in the hope of enjoying the glorious presence of God. ³ And not only that, but this too: let us continue exulting in our sufferings, for we know that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance, tested character, and tested character, hope,

⁴ and endurance, tested character, and tested character, hope, ⁵ and hope never disappoints us; for through the Holy Spirit that has been given us, God's love has flooded our hearts.

¹⁰ For if while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, it is much more certain that since we have been reconciled we shall finally be saved through His new life. ¹¹ And not only that, but this too: we shall continue exulting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained our reconciliation.

¹⁵ But God's free gift is not at all to be compared with the offense. For if by one man's offense the whole race of men have died, to a much greater degree God's favor and His gift imparted by His favor through the one man Jesus Christ, has overflowed for the whole race of men. ¹⁶ And the gift is not fit all to be compared with the results of that one man's sin. For that sentence resulted from the offense of one man, and it meant condemnation, but the free gift resulted from the offenses of many, and it meant right standing. ¹⁷ For if by one man's offense death reigned through that one, to a much greater degree will those who continue to receive the overflow of His unmerited favor and His gift of right standing with Himself, reign in real life through One, Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ So, as through one offense there resulted condemnation for all men, just so through one act of uprightness there resulted right standing involving life for all men. ¹⁹ For just as by that man's disobedience the whole race of men were constituted sinners, so by this One's obedience the whole race of men may be brought into right standing with God. ²⁰ Then law crept in to multiply the offense. Though sin has multiplied, yet God's favor has surpassed it and overflowed, ²¹ so that just as sin had reigned by death, so His favor too might reign in right standing with God which issues in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

⁴ So through baptism we have been buried with Him in death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glorious power, so we too should live an entirely new life.

¹⁶ Do you not know that when you habitually offer yourselves to anyone for obedience to him, you are slaves to that one whom you are in the habit of obeying, whether it is the slavery to sin whose end is death or to obedience whose end is right-doing? ¹⁷ But, thank God, that though you once were slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching in which you have been instructed,

²² But now, since you have been freed from sin and have become the slaves of God, the immediate result is consecration, and the final destiny is eternal life.

⁹ But you are not living on the plane of the lower nature, but on the spiritual plane, if the Spirit of God has His home within you. Unless a man has the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

¹¹ If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead has His home within you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give your mortal bodies life through His Spirit that has His home within you.

¹³ for if you live by such a standard, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you put a stop to the doings of your lower nature, you will live.

¹⁷ and if children, then also heirs, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ if in reality we share His sufferings, so that we may share His glory too.

²⁴ For we were saved in such a hope.

²⁸ Yes, we know that all things go on working together for the good of those who keep on loving God, who are called in accordance with God's purpose. ²⁹ For those on whom He set His heart beforehand He marked off as His own to be made like His Son, that He might be the eldest of many brothers; ³⁰ and those whom He marked off as His own He also calls; and those whom He calls He brings into right standing with Himself; those whom He brings into right standing with Himself He also glorifies. ³¹ What are we then to say to facts like these? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² Since He did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not with Him graciously give us everything else? ³³ Who can bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who declared them in right standing;

³³ Who can bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who declared them in right standing; ³⁴ who can condemn them? Christ Jesus who died, or rather, who was raised from the dead, is now at God's right hand, and is actually pleading for us. ³⁵ Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can suffering or misfortune or persecution or hunger or destitution or danger or the sword? ³⁶ As the Scripture says: "For your sake we are being put to death the livelong day; we are treated like sheep to be slaughtered." ³⁷ And yet in all these things we keep on gloriously conquering through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I have full assurance that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor the present nor the future ³⁹ nor evil forces above or beneath, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God as shown in Christ Jesus our Lord.

² that I have deep grief and constant anguish in my heart;

²³ so as to make known the riches of His glory for the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in ages past to share His glory -- ²⁴ even us whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but from among the heathen too?

²⁴ even us whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but from among the heathen too?

⁹ For if with your lips you acknowledge the fact that Jesus is Lord, and in your hearts you believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁵ And how can men preach unless they are sent to do so? As the Scripture says, "How beautiful are the feet of men who bring the glad news of His good things!"

² No, God has not disowned His people, on whom He set His heart beforehand. Do you know what the Scripture says in Elijah's case, how he pleaded with God against Israel?

⁵ So it is at the present time; a remnant remains, in accordance with God's unmerited favor. ⁶ But if it is by His unmerited favor, it is not at all conditioned on what they have done. If that were so, His favor would not be favor at all. ⁷ What are we then to conclude? Israel has failed to obtain what it is still in search for, but His chosen ones have obtained it. The rest have become insensible to it,

²⁰ Very well, but it was for lack of faith that they were broken off, and it is through your faith that you now stand where you are. Stop your haughty thinking, rather continue to be reverent,

²⁸ As measured by the good news the Jews are God's enemies for your sakes, but as measured by God's choice they are His beloved because of their forefathers,

² Stop living in accordance with the customs of this world, but by the new ideals that mold your minds continue to transform yourselves, so as to find and follow God's will; that is, what is good, well-pleasing to Him, and perfect.

⁹ Your love must be true. You must always turn in horror from what is wrong, but keep on holding to what is right. ¹⁰ In brotherly love be affectionate to one another, in personal honors put one another to the fore,

¹² ever happy in hope, always patient in suffering, ever persistent in prayer,

¹³ Let us live becomingly for people who are in the light of day, not in carousing and drunkenness, nor in sexual immorality and licentiousness, nor in quarreling and jealousy.

¹⁷ For the kingdom of God does not consist in what we eat and drink, but in doing right, in peace and joy through the Holy Spirit;

⁴ For everything that was written in the earlier times was written for our instruction, so that by our patient endurance and through the encouragement the Scriptures bring we might continuously cherish our hope. ⁵ May God, who gives men patient endurance and encouragement, grant you such harmony with one another, in accordance with the standard which Christ Jesus sets, ⁶ that with united hearts and lips you may praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Therefore, practice receiving one another into full Christian fellowship, just as Christ has so received you to Himself. ⁸ Yes, I mean that Christ has become a servant to Israel to prove God's truthfulness, to make valid His promises to our forefathers, ⁹ and for the heathen peoples to praise God for His mercy, as the Scripture says: "For this I will give thanks to you among the heathen, and will sing praises to your name." ¹⁰ And again: "Rejoice, you heathen peoples, with His people!" ¹¹ And again: "All you heathen peoples, praise the Lord, yea, let all peoples sing His praise." ¹² And again Isaiah says: "The noted Son of Jesse will come, even He who rises to rule the heathen; on Him the heathen will set their hope." ¹³ May the hope-inspiring God so fill you with perfect joy and peace through your continuing faith, that you may bubble over with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹³ May the hope-inspiring God so fill you with perfect joy and peace through your continuing faith, that you may bubble over with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁶ in making me a minister of Christ Jesus to the heathen peoples, to have me act as a sacrificing minister of the good news, in order that my offering of the heathen peoples to God may be acceptable, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit. So I have completed the telling of the good news of Christ all the way from Jerusalem around to Illyricum.

¹⁹ Yes, your obedience has been told to everybody; so I am delighted about you, but I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is bad.

²⁵ To Him who can make you strong in accordance with the good news I bring and in accordance with the message preached about Jesus Christ, in accordance with the uncovering of the secret which for ages past had not been told, ²⁶ but now has been fully brought to light by means of the prophetic Scriptures, and in accordance with the command of the eternal God has been made known to all the heathen, to win them to obedience inspired by faith --

²⁶ but now has been fully brought to light by means of the prophetic Scriptures, and in accordance with the command of the eternal God has been made known to all the heathen, to win them to obedience inspired by faith --

⁷ so that there is no spiritual gift in which you consciously come short, while you are waiting for the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ,

²¹ For since in accordance with the wisdom of God the world had never in reality, by means of its wisdom, come to know God, God chose through the nonsense of the message proclaimed, to save the people who put their faith in Him. ²² While Jews are demanding spectacular signs and Greeks are searching for philosophy, ²³ we are preaching the Christ who was crucified -- a message that is a trap-stick to the Jews and nonsense to the Greeks, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks alike, the Christ who is God's power and God's wisdom.

³⁰ So you owe it all to Him through union with Christ Jesus, whom God has made our wisdom, our means of right standing, our consecration, and our redemption,

² for I determined, while among you, to be unconscious of everything but Jesus Christ and Him as crucified.

¹⁰ For God unveiled them to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit by searching discovers everything, even the deepest truths about God.

¹³ the character of each one's work will come to light, for the judgment day will show it up. This is so, because that day will show itself in fire, and the fire will test the character of each one's work.

²⁰ and again, "The Lord knows that the arguings of the wise are useless."

⁵ So you must stop forming any premature judgments, but wait until the Lord shall come again, for He will bring to light the secrets hidden in the dark and will make known the motives of men's hearts, and the proper praise will be awarded each of us.

⁹ For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on exhibition at the disgraced end of the procession, as they do with men who are doomed to die in the arena. ¹⁰ For we have become a spectacle to the universe, to angels as well as men. For Christ's sake we are held as fools, while you through union with Christ are men of wisdom. We are weak; you are strong. You are held in honor; we in dishonor. ¹¹ To this very hour we have gone hungry, thirsty, poorly clad; we have been roughly knocked around; we have had no home. ¹² We have worked hard with our own hands for a living. When abused by people, we bless them. When persecuted, we patiently bear it. ¹³ When we are slandered by them, we try to conciliate them. To this very hour we have been made the filth of the world, the scum of the universe!

⁷ You must clean out the old yeast, that you may be a fresh lump, as you are to be free from the old yeast. For our Passover Lamb, Christ, has already been sacrificed. ⁸ So let us keep our feast, not with old yeast nor with the yeast of vice and wickedness, but with the bread of purity and truth without the yeast.

¹¹ And these are just the characters some of you used to be. But now you have washed yourselves clean, you have been consecrated, you are now in right standing with God, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.

²⁰ for you have been bought and actually paid for. So you must honor God with your bodies.

²³ You have been bought and actually paid for; stop becoming slaves to men.

²⁵ Any man who enters an athletic contest practices rigid self-control in training, only to win a wreath that withers, but we are in to win a wreath that never withers.

¹³ And so these three, faith, hope, and love endure, but the greatest of them is love.

¹ Now let me remind you, brothers, of the essence of the good news which I proclaimed to you, which you accepted, on which you now are standing, ² and through which you are to be saved, unless your faith at first was spurious. ³ For I passed on to you, among the primary principles of the good news, what I had received, that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that He was buried, that on the third day He was raised from the dead, in accordance with the Scriptures,

²⁰ But in reality Christ has been raised from the dead, the first to be raised of those who have fallen asleep.

⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised with bodies not subject to decay, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this decaying part of us must put on the body that can never decay, and this part once capable of dying must put on the body that can never die. ⁵⁴ And when this part once capable of dying puts on the body that can never die, then what the Scripture says will come true, "Death has been swallowed up in victory.

¹⁹ The churches of Asia wish to be remembered to you. Aquila and Prisca, with the church that meets at their house, send you their cordial Christian greetings.

²² A curse upon anyone who does not love the Lord! Our Lord is coming.

² spiritual blessing and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father and the all-comforting God,

⁸ For I do not want you to be uninformed about the sorrow that I suffered in Asia, because I was so crushed beyond any power to endure that I was in dire despair of life itself.

²² and put His seal upon us, and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a first installment of future rewards.

²⁴ Not that we are trying to lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you to promote your joy, for in your faith you are standing firm.

⁷ But I am keeping this jewel in an earthen jar, to prove that its surpassing power is God's, not mine. ⁸ On every side I am ever hard-pressed, but never hemmed in; always perplexed, but never to the point of despair; ⁹ always being persecuted, but not deserted; always getting a knockdown, but never a knockout; ¹⁰ always being exposed to death as Jesus was, so that in my body the life of Jesus may be clearly shown. ¹¹ For all the time I continue to live I am being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that in my mortal lower nature the life of Jesus may be clearly shown.

¹⁷ For this slight and momentary sorrow continues to accumulate for me a solid and eternal glory far beyond any comparison, ¹⁸ because I do not keep my eyes on things that are seen but things that are unseen. For things that are seen are temporary, but things that are unseen are eternal.

⁶ So I am always cheerful and confident, although I know that as long as I am at home in the body I am away from home and the Lord ⁷ (for here I live by what I believe and not by what I see),

¹⁴ For the love of Christ continuously constrains me, because I am convinced that as One died for all, all have died, ¹⁵ and He died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

⁶ through my personal purity, my knowledge, my patience, my kindness; through the Holy Spirit, my genuine love,

¹⁰ sad but always glad, poor but making many people rich, penniless but really possessing everything.

¹ So, since we have such promises as these, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles our bodies and spirits, and in reverence to God carry on our consecration to completeness.

¹¹ For see what this very sorrow, suffered in accordance with the will of God, has done for you! How earnest it has made you, how concerned to clear yourselves, how indignant, how alarmed, how much it made you long to see me, how loyal to me, how determined to punish the offender! At every point you have cleared yourselves in the matter.

¹⁵ Thank God for His unspeakable gift!

⁵ For I am demolishing arguments and every barrier that is raised against the genuine knowledge of God, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,

²³ Are they ministers of Christ? So am I. I am talking like a man that has gone crazy -- as such I am superior! -- serving Him with labors greater by far, with far more imprisonments, with floggings vastly worse, and often at the point of death. ²⁴ Five times I have taken thirty-nine lashes from the Jews, ²⁵ three times I have been beaten by the Romans, once I was pelted with stones; three times I have been shipwrecked, and once I have spent a day and a night adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have served Him on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the heathen, dangers in the city, dangers in the desert, dangers at sea, dangers from false brothers, ²⁷ through toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger and thirst, through many a fasting season, poorly clad and exposed to cold.

⁴ was actually caught up into paradise, and heard things that must not be told, which no man has a right even to mention.

⁹ but He said to me, "My spiritual strength is sufficient, for it is only by means of conscious weakness that perfect power is developed." ¹⁰ So I most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the strength of Christ may overshadow me. That is why I take such pleasure in weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecution, and difficulties, which I endure for Christ's sake, for it is when I am consciously weak that I am really strong.

¹⁴ The spiritual blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the common sharing of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

² and all the brothers who are here with me -- to the churches of Galatia:

⁴ who gave Himself for our sins, to save us from the present wicked world in accordance with the will of our God and Father;

¹² for I did not get it from any man; I was not taught it, but I got it through a revelation given by Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ chose to unveil His Son in me, so that I might preach the good news about Him among the heathen, at once, before I conferred with any human creatures,

⁶ Those who were looked upon as leaders -- what they were makes no difference to me -- God pays no attention to outward appearances these leaders added nothing new to me.

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and I myself no longer live, but Christ is living in me; the life I now live as a mortal man I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

¹ O senseless Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose very eyes Jesus Christ was pictured as the crucified One?

¹⁸ For if our inheritance depends on the law, it can no longer depend on the promise. But it was by promise that God so graciously bestowed it upon Abraham.

⁴ but when the proper time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to law,

⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, "Abba," that is, "Father."

⁵ For we, by the Spirit, are awaiting the hoped-for blessing which our right standing with God will bring us. ⁶ For in union with Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor lack of it counts for anything; but only faith that is spurred on to action by love. ⁷ You were running beautifully! Who was it that cut into your way and kept you from obeying the truth?

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

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm. ⁴ Through Him He picked us out before the creation of the world, to be consecrated and above reproach in His sight in love.

⁴ Through Him He picked us out before the creation of the world, to be consecrated and above reproach in His sight in love. ⁵ He foreordained us to become His sons by adoption through Christ Jesus, to carry out the happy choice of His will,

⁷ It is through union with Him that we have redemption by His blood and the forgiveness of our shortcomings, in accordance with the generosity of His unmerited favor

¹⁰ so that, at the coming of the climax of the ages, everything in heaven and on earth should be unified through Christ, ¹¹ in union with whom we were made God's portion, since we had been foreordained in accordance with the purpose of Him who in everything carries out the plan of His will, ¹² that we who had first put our hope in Christ might praise His glory. ¹³ You too, as you have heard the message of the truth, the good news that means your salvation, and as you have trusted in Him too, have been stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit,

¹³ You too, as you have heard the message of the truth, the good news that means your salvation, and as you have trusted in Him too, have been stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the first installment of our inheritance, so that we may finally come into full possession of the prize of redemption, and praise His glory for it.

¹⁴ who is the first installment of our inheritance, so that we may finally come into full possession of the prize of redemption, and praise His glory for it. ¹⁵ This is why I myself, since I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and in all His people,

¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may grant you the Spirit to give wisdom and revelation which come through a growing knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ by having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, so that you may know what the hope is to which He calls you, how glorious rich God's portion in His people is,

²⁰ when He raised Christ from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in heaven, ²¹ far above every other government, authority, power, and dominion, yea, far above every other title that can be conferred, not only in this world but in the world to come. ²² And so He has put all things under His feet and made Him the supreme Head of the church, ²³ which is His body, that is being filled by Him who fills everything everywhere.

² in which you once lived in accordance with the spirit of this present world, and the mighty prince of the air, who is always at work in the disobedient, among whom all of us, we Jews as well as you heathen,

⁴ But God, who is so rich in mercy on account of the great love He has for us,

⁶ And He raised us with Him and through union with Christ Jesus He made us sit down with Him in the heavenly realm, ⁷ to show, throughout the coming ages, the boundless generosity of His unmerited favor shown us in His goodness to us through Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by His unmerited favor through faith that you have been saved; it is not by anything that you have done, it is the gift of God.

⁸ For it is by His unmerited favor through faith that you have been saved; it is not by anything that you have done, it is the gift of God. ⁹ It is not the result of what anyone can do, so that no one can boast of it. ¹⁰ For He has made us what we are, because He has created us through our union with Christ Jesus for doing good deeds which He beforehand planned for us to do.

¹² At that time you were without any connection with Christ; you were aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the sacred compacts made by God's promise, with no hope, and no God in the world.

¹⁷ When He came, He brought the good news of peace for you who were far away and for you who were near;

¹⁹ So you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are fellow-citizens of God's people and members of His family;

⁸ yes, on me, the very least of all His people, this unmerited favor was bestowed -- that I might preach as good news to the heathen the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make clear how is to be carried out the trusteeship of this secret which has for ages been hidden away in God, the Creator of all things, ¹⁰ so that the many phases of God's wisdom may now through the church be made known to the rulers and authorities in heaven, ¹¹ in accordance with the eternal purpose which God executed in the gift of Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father,

¹⁷ and that Christ in His love, through your faith, may make His permanent home in your hearts. You must be deeply rooted, your foundations must be strong,

²⁰ To Him who by His power that is at work within us can do surpassingly more than all we ask or imagine,

³ continuing with eager earnestness to maintain the unity of the Spirit through the tie of peace.

¹⁷ So I mean this and now testify to it in the name of the Lord: You must now stop living as the heathen usually do, in the frivolity of their minds, ¹⁸ with darkened understanding, estranged from the life of God because of the ignorance that exists among them and because of the stubbornness of their hearts; ¹⁹ for in their recklessness they have abandoned themselves to sensuality which leads to excessive practices of all sorts of immorality. ²⁰ But this is not the way you have learned what Christ means, ²¹ if, as I take it, you have heard Him and in union with Him have been taught the truth as it is seen in Jesus, ²² to lay aside, with your former way of living, your old self which is on the way to destruction in accordance with its deceptive impulses;

¹ So you must keep on following God's example, as dearly loved children of His, ² and practice living in love, just as Christ loved you too and gave Himself for you as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

⁶ Stop letting anyone deceive you with groundless arguments about these things, for it is because of these very sins that God's anger comes down upon the disobedient.

⁹ You slave-owners, too, must maintain the same attitude toward your slaves, and stop threatening them, for you know that their real Lord and yours is in heaven, and that He never shows partiality.

¹⁴ Hold your position, then, with your waist encircled with the belt of truth, put on right-doing as a coat of mail,

²⁴ Spiritual blessing be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁶ For I am certain of this very thing, that He who began the good work in you will go on until the day of Jesus Christ to complete it.

⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may overflow still more and more, directed by fuller knowledge and keener insight,

²⁵ Now since I am certain of this, I know that I shall stay on and stay by you all to promote the progress of your faith

²⁷ Only you must practice living lives that are worthy of the good news, so that whether I come and see you or stay away, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, and that with one purpose you are continuing to cooperate in the fight for faith in the good news.

⁹ This is why God has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name that is above every other name, ¹⁰ so that in the name of Jesus everyone should kneel, in heaven, on earth, and in the underworld, ¹¹ and everyone should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the praise of God the Father. ¹² So, my dearly loved friends, as you have always been obedient, so now with reverence and awe keep on working clear down to the finishing point of your salvation not only as though I were with you but much more because I am away;

¹⁵ so that you may prove to be blameless and spotless, faultless children of God in a crooked and perverted age, in which you shine as light-bearers in the world as you continue ¹⁶ to hold up the message of life. That will give me ground for boasting on the day of Christ, because neither my career nor my labor has been a failure.

²⁶ for he has been longing to see you and has been homesick because you have heard that he was sick.

³ For we are the true circumcision, who by the Spirit of God worship Him, who take pride in Christ Jesus only, and do not rely on outward privileges,

¹⁴ I am pressing onward toward the goal, to win the prize to which God through Jesus Christ is calling us upward.

²⁰ But we are citizens of the republic in heaven, from which we are eagerly waiting for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ By the help of the Lord always keep up the glad spirit; yes, I will repeat it, keep up the glad spirit.

⁵ because of your hope of what is laid up for you in heaven. Long ago you heard of this hope through the message of the good news

¹² and you will always be thanking the Father who has qualified you to share the lot of His people in the realm of light.

¹⁴ by whom we possess the ransom from captivity, which means the forgiveness of our sins.

²³ if indeed you continue well grounded and firm in faith and never shift from the hope inspired by the good news you heard, which has been preached all over the world, and of which I, Paul, have been made a minister.

²⁶ the open secret, covered up from the people of former ages and generations, but now uncovered to God's people, ²⁷ to whom God has chosen to make known how glorious are the riches of this open secret among the heathen, namely, Christ in you the hope of your glorification.

³ for you have died, and your life is now hidden in God through your fellowship with Christ. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, appears, you too will appear to be glorified in fellowship with Him. ⁵ So once for all put to death your lower, earthly nature with respect to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is real idolatry. ⁶ It is on account of these very sins that God's anger is coming. ⁷ You too used to practice these sins, when you used to live that sort of life.

¹² So as God's own chosen people, consecrated and dearly loved, you must once for all clothe yourselves with tenderheartedness, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience; you must keep on

²⁵ For the man who wrongs another will be paid back the wrong he has done; and there are no exceptions.

³ for we can never for a moment before our God forget your energizing faith, your toiling love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

³ for we can never for a moment before our God forget your energizing faith, your toiling love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we know, brothers so beloved by God, that He has chosen you, ⁵ for our preaching of the good news came to you not entirely in words but with power and with the Holy Spirit and with absolute certainty (for you know the kind of men we were among you for your own sakes). ⁶ And you followed the example set by us and by the Lord, because you welcomed our message with a joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, in spite of the painful persecutions it brought you,

⁶ And you followed the example set by us and by the Lord, because you welcomed our message with a joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, in spite of the painful persecutions it brought you,

⁹ You remember, brothers, our hard labor and toil. We kept up our habit of working night and day, in order not to be a burden to any of you when we preached to you.

¹² to live lives worthy of God who calls you into His kingdom and His glory.

¹² May the Lord make you increase and overflow in love for one another and for all men, as my love for you does,

³ For it is God's will that you should keep pure in person, that you should practice abstinence from sexual immorality, ⁴ that each man among you should learn to take his own wife out of pure and honorable motives, ⁵ not out of evil passions as the heathen do who do not know God;

⁵ not out of evil passions as the heathen do who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should do wrong and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord takes vengeance for all such things, as we told you before and solemnly warned you. ⁷ For God did not call us to a life of immorality, but to one of personal purity. ⁸ So whoever rejects this teaching is rejecting not man but God who continues to put His Spirit in you. ⁹ Now as to brotherly love, you have no need of anyone's writing you, for you have yourselves been taught by God to love one another,

¹³ Also we do not want you to have any misunderstanding, brothers, about those who are falling asleep, so as to keep you from grieving over them as others do who have no hope.

⁶ So let us stop sleeping as others do, but let us stay awake and keep sober. ⁷ For those who sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunken at night, ⁸ but let us who belong to the day keep sober, clothed with faith and love for a coat of mail and with the hope of salvation for a helmet.

³ We always ought to be thanking God for you, brothers, as it is right to do so, because your faith is growing so much and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing

⁷ and to give rest to you who are being crushed with sorrows, along with us, at the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, with His mighty angels

⁷ and to give rest to you who are being crushed with sorrows, along with us, at the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, with His mighty angels ⁸ in a flame of fire, who will take vengeance on those who do not know God, that is, those who will not listen to the good news of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ These will receive the punishment of eternal destruction as exiles from the presence of the Lord and His glorious might, ¹⁰ when on that day He comes to be glorified in His consecrated ones and to be admired by all who believe in Him because our testimony has been confidently accepted among you. ¹¹ With this in view we are always praying for you too, that our God may make you worthy of His call, and by His power fully satisfy your every desire for goodness, and complete every activity of your faith, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you through union with Him, in accordance with the favor of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹³ We ought always to be thanking God for you, brothers dearly loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through the Spirit's consecration of you and through your faith in the truth,

¹³ We ought always to be thanking God for you, brothers dearly loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through the Spirit's consecration of you and through your faith in the truth, ¹⁴ and to this end He called you by our preaching of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope,

³ As I begged you to do when I was on my way to Macedonia, I still beg you to stay on in Ephesus to warn certain teachers

⁵ But the aim of your instruction is to be love that flows out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

¹⁴ and the spiritual blessing of our Lord in increasing floods has come upon me, accompanied by faith and love inspired by union with Christ Jesus.

¹² Let no one think little of you because you are young, but always set an example for believers, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

² older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, with perfect purity.

¹⁴ to keep His command stainless and irreproachable until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which will be brought about in His own time by the blessed, only Sovereign, the King of kings, the Lord of lords,

⁹ For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with anything that we had done, but in accordance with His own purpose and unmerited favor which was shown us through union with Christ Jesus eternal ages ago,

⁹ For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with anything that we had done, but in accordance with His own purpose and unmerited favor which was shown us through union with Christ Jesus eternal ages ago, ¹⁰ but has only recently been made known through the appearance of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who through the good news has put a stop to the power of death, and brought life and immortality to light.

¹⁴ Guard this fine deposit of truth by the aid of the Holy Spirit who has His home in our hearts. ¹⁵ You know that everyone here who belongs to the Roman province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

¹⁰ For this reason I am bearing anything for the sake of His chosen people, so that they too may obtain the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures which can give you wisdom that leads to salvation through the faith that leans on Christ Jesus.

⁵ But you, on your part, must always keep your head cool, suffer hardship, do your work as a herald of the good news, and so fill your ministry to the brim.

⁸ Now the crown for doing right awaits me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day, and not only me but also all who have loved His appearing.

¹ Paul, a slave of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to stimulate faith in God's chosen people and to lead them on to a full knowledge of religious truth, ² in the hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages ago ³ but at the proper time made known as His message through the message that I preach with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Saviour;

³ but at the proper time made known as His message through the message that I preach with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Saviour;

¹¹ For God's favor has appeared with its offer of salvation to all mankind,

¹¹ For God's favor has appeared with its offer of salvation to all mankind, ¹² training us to give up godless ways and worldly cravings and live serious, upright, and godly lives in this world,

¹² training us to give up godless ways and worldly cravings and live serious, upright, and godly lives in this world, ¹³ while we are waiting for the realization of our blessed hope at the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus,

¹³ while we are waiting for the realization of our blessed hope at the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus,

¹³ while we are waiting for the realization of our blessed hope at the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us to ransom us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people to be His very own, zealous of good works.

¹⁴ who gave Himself for us to ransom us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people to be His very own, zealous of good works.

³ For once we too were without understanding, disobedient, misled, habitual slaves to all sorts of passions and pleasures, spending our lives in malice and envy. ⁴ But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Saviour were brought to light,

⁴ But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Saviour were brought to light, ⁵ He saved us, not for upright deeds that we had done, but in accordance with His mercy, through the bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

⁵ He saved us, not for upright deeds that we had done, but in accordance with His mercy, through the bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ which He abundantly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour,

⁸ It is a message to be trusted, and I want you to be emphatic about these things, so that those who believe in God may be careful to take the lead in doing good. These things are right and render service to mankind.

¹⁴ Our people too must set examples of doing good, so as to meet the necessary demands and not to live unfruitful lives.

² but in these latter days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He had appointed lawful owner of everything, and through whom He had made the worlds.

⁴ while God continued to confirm their testimony with signs, marvels, and various sorts of wonder-works, and with gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed in accordance with His will.

⁹ but we do see Jesus, who was made inferior to the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by God's favor He might experience death for every human being.

⁶ but Christ as a Son set over the house of God was faithful; and we are that house, if we keep up our courage and the joy that hope inspires to the very end.

¹ So let us fear that when the promise for us to be admitted to His rest is still remaining valid some one of you may be found to have missed it. ² For we have had the good news told to us as well as they, but the message heard did them no good, because they were not by faith made one with those who heeded it.

¹² For God's message is alive and full of power in action, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the depths of soul and spirit, to the dividing of joints and marrow, and passing judgment on the thoughts and purposes of the heart.

⁹ and because He was perfectly qualified for it He became the author of endless salvation for all who obey Him,

¹ So then let us once for all quit the elementary teaching about Christ and continue progressing toward maturity; let us stop relaying a foundation of repentance from works that mean only death, and of faith in God,

¹⁰ For God is not so unjust as to forget the work you have done and the love you have shown His name in the service you have rendered for your fellow-Christians, and still are doing.

¹² so that you may not grow careless, but may follow the example of those who through their faith and patient endurance are now possessors of the blessings promised.

¹⁸ so that by these two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to prove false, we who have taken refuge with Him may have encouragement strong enough to make us seize upon the hope that lies ahead of us. ¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor for our souls, secure and safe, which reaches up behind the heavenly veil,

¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor for our souls, secure and safe, which reaches up behind the heavenly veil,

²⁵ Therefore, because He Himself lives always to intercede for them always, He is able to save completely any and all who come to God through Him.

¹² and not with blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He once for all went into the real sanctuary and secured our eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of bulls and goats and a heifer's ashes sprinkling those who are ceremonially unclean purifies them with physical cleansing, ¹⁴ how much more surely will the blood of Christ, who with an eternal Spirit gave Himself a spotless offering to God, purify your consciences from works that mean mere death, to serve the ever living God?

¹⁴ how much more surely will the blood of Christ, who with an eternal Spirit gave Himself a spotless offering to God, purify your consciences from works that mean mere death, to serve the ever living God? ¹⁵ And this is why He is the Mediator of a new covenant, in order that, after He had suffered death for securing redemption from the offenses committed under the first covenant, those who had been invited to share it might obtain the eternal inheritance promised them.

¹⁹ For after every regulation in the law had been spoken by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, crimson wool, and a bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled the book containing the law and all the people, ²⁰ saying, "This is the blood that ratifies the covenant which God commanded me to make with you." ²¹ In the same way he sprinkled with blood the tent and all the utensils of the priestly service. ²² In fact, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood no forgiveness is granted.

²⁶ for, if that had been the case, He would have had to suffer over and over again, ever since the creation of the world. But, as it is, once at the close of the ages He has appeared, to put away sin by His sacrifice.

²⁸ so Christ was offered once for all to take away the sins of many, but again He will appear, without having anything to do with sin, to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him to bring them final salvation.

²² let us continue to draw near to God with sincere hearts and perfect faith; with our hearts cleansed from the sense of sin, and our bodies bathed in clean water;

³⁵ So you must never give up your confident courage, for it holds a rich reward for you.

¹ Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for, the proof of the reality of the things we cannot see.

⁸ By faith Abraham, on being called, obeyed in starting off for a country which he was to receive as his own, and he did it in spite of the fact that he did not know where he was going.

¹³ These people all died victoriously as a result of their faith, although they did not receive the blessings promised; that is, because they really saw them in the far-off future and welcomed them, and so professed to be only foreigners and strangers here on earth.

¹³ These people all died victoriously as a result of their faith, although they did not receive the blessings promised; that is, because they really saw them in the far-off future and welcomed them, and so professed to be only foreigners and strangers here on earth. ¹⁴ For people who make such a profession as this show that they are in search of a country of their own. ¹⁵ And if they had been cherishing the memory of the country they had left, they would have had an opportunity to go back. ¹⁶ But in reality they were aspiring for a better country, I mean, a heavenly one. This is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, because he was not afraid of the king's anger, for he persevered as though he were actually seeing Him who is unseen. ²⁸ By faith he instituted the Passover and the pouring of blood upon the doorposts, so that the destroyer of the first-born might not touch them.

³⁵ Women by a resurrection received their dead again; others endured tortures, because they would not accept release, that they might rise to a better life. ³⁶ Still others stood the test of taunts and tortures, and even chains and prisons. ³⁷ They were stoned to death, they were tortured to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. With nothing on their bodies but skins of sheep or goats they wandered here and there, destitute, oppressed, mistreated -- ³⁸ men of whom the world was not worthy, though wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground. ³⁹ Though all these people by their faith won God's approval, yet none of them received what He had promised, ⁴⁰ for God had provided something still better for us, that they, apart from us might not attain perfection.

⁴⁰ for God had provided something still better for us, that they, apart from us might not attain perfection.

⁷ You must submit to discipline. God is dealing with you as His sons. For who is the son that his father never disciplines? ⁸ Now if you are without any discipline, in which all true sons share, you are only illegitimate children and not true sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we used to treat them with respect; how much more cheerfully should we submit to the Father of our spirits, and live! ¹⁰ For they disciplined us only a short time, as it seemed proper to them, but He does it for our good, in order that we may share His holy character. ¹¹ Now for the time being no discipline seems to be pleasant; it is painful; later on, however, to those who are trained by it, it yields the fruit of peace which grows from upright character.

¹⁴ Continue to live in peace with everybody and strive for that consecration without which no one can see the Lord.

²⁴ to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks a better message than even Abel's did.

²⁸ Let us, therefore, be thankful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and in this way continue to serve God acceptably in reverence and fear;

¹ You must let your brotherly love continue.

⁵ You must have a turn of mind that is free from avarice; you must be content with what you have, for God Himself has said, "I will never fail you, I will never forsake you."

¹ James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greetings to the twelve tribes that are scattered over the world. ² You must consider it the purest joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, ³ for you surely know that what is genuine in your faith produces the patient mind that endures; ⁴ but you must let your endurance come to its perfect product, so that you may be fully developed and perfectly equipped, without any defects.

⁹ Let the poor brother of lowly station rejoice in his exalted station as a Christian, ¹⁰ and the rich brother rejoice in his being on a level with the poor, because the rich will fade away like the flower of the grass. ¹¹ For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, and its flowers wither, and its beauty fades away; so will rich men fade away in their pursuits.

¹¹ For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, and its flowers wither, and its beauty fades away; so will rich men fade away in their pursuits. ¹² Blessed is the person who endures trial, for when he stands the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.

¹⁸ In accordance with His will He made us His children by the message of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

²¹ So strip yourselves of everything impure and all the evils prevailing around you, and in humble spirit welcome the message which when rooted in your hearts is able to save your souls.

¹⁵ If some brother or sister is thinly clad and has no food for the day, ¹⁶ and one of you says to him, "Blessings on you, keep warm, eat until you have aplenty," without giving him the things that are needed for the body, what good does it do?

¹³ Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him show by his noble living that his good deeds are done in humility, which wisdom prompts.

⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Get your hands clean, you sinners. Get your hearts purified, you double-minded. ⁹ Be miserable, mourn ... and weep aloud. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your joy to gloom.

¹⁴ although you do not have the slightest knowledge of tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? It is really nothing but a mist which appears for a little while and then disappears.

² Your wealth has rotted, your clothes are moth-eaten, ³ your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will testify against you and devour your flesh like fire. You have stored up these things for the last days.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In accordance with His great mercy He has begotten us anew to an ever living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead;

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In accordance with His great mercy He has begotten us anew to an ever living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; ⁴ yes, to an inheritance that is imperishable, unsullied, and unfading, which is kept in heaven for you ⁵ who are always guarded by the power of God through faith, in order that you may receive that final salvation which will be ready to be uncovered for you at the last time.

⁵ who are always guarded by the power of God through faith, in order that you may receive that final salvation which will be ready to be uncovered for you at the last time. ⁶ In such a hope keep on rejoicing, although for a little while you must be sorrow-stricken with various trials,

⁶ In such a hope keep on rejoicing, although for a little while you must be sorrow-stricken with various trials, ⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even after it is shown by the test of fire to be genuine, may result in your praise and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even after it is shown by the test of fire to be genuine, may result in your praise and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even after it is shown by the test of fire to be genuine, may result in your praise and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ. ⁸ You must continue to love Him, although you have never seen Him, but because you do believe in Him, although you do not now see Him, you must continue to rejoice with an unutterable and triumphant joy,

⁸ You must continue to love Him, although you have never seen Him, but because you do believe in Him, although you do not now see Him, you must continue to rejoice with an unutterable and triumphant joy, ⁹ because you will receive the goal of your faith, the ultimate salvation of your souls.

¹¹ earnestly trying to find out the time, and the nature of the times, which the Spirit of the Christ within them pointed to, in foretelling the sufferings of the Christ and the glory that should follow them. ¹² It was made known to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in their searching for these things that have already been told to you by those who through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven brought you the good news. The angels long to take a peep into these things. ¹³ Therefore, as a means of spiritual preparation, tighten up the belt about your minds, keep perfectly calm, keep your hope on the spiritual blessing to be conferred upon you at the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

²² Since you have purified your souls by obeying the truth, in sincere love for the brotherhood you must love one another heartily and fervently, ²³ because you have been born anew, not from a germ that perishes but from one that does not perish, by the word of the living and everlasting God.

²⁵ But the word of the Lord lives on forever"; that is, the message of the good news which has been brought to you.

² and like new-born babies thirst for pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to final salvation,

⁴ Keep on coming to Him, as to a living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious in His sight,

⁷ So to you who put your trust in Him the honor belongs, but to those who fail to trust Him: "That stone which then the builders threw away Has now become the cornerstone,"

⁹ But you are the chosen race, the royal priesthood, the consecrated nation, the people to be His very own, to proclaim the perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

¹¹ Dearly beloved, I beg you as aliens and exiles to keep on abstaining from the evil desires of your lower nature, because they are always at war with the soul. ¹² Keep on living upright lives among the heathen, so that, when they slander you as evildoers, by what they see of your good deeds they may come to praise God on the judgment day.

¹⁷ Show honor to everyone. Practice love for the brotherhood; practice reverence to God and honor to the Emperor.

²² He never committed a sin, and deceit was never found on His lips. ²³ Although He was abused, He never retorted; although He continued to suffer, He never threatened, but committed His case to Him who judges justly. ²⁴ He bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to uprightness. By His wounds you have been healed,

¹ You married women, in the same way, must be submissive to your husbands, so that, if any of them do not believe the message, they may be won over without a word through the living of the wives,

⁸ Finally, you must all live in harmony, be sympathetic, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, humble, ⁹ never returning evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but blessing instead, because it was for this that you were called, to obtain the blessing of heirs.

¹⁵ but in your hearts be consecrated to Christ as Lord, and always be ready to make your defense to anyone who asks a reason for the hope you have. But you must do it in gentleness and reverence, ¹⁶ and keep your conscience clear, so that those who bitterly abuse your excellent conduct as Christians may be ashamed of slandering you.

¹⁸ For Christ Himself, once for all, died for our sins, the Innocent for the guilty to bring us to God, being put to death in physical form but made alive in the Spirit,

¹⁸ For Christ Himself, once for all, died for our sins, the Innocent for the guilty to bring us to God, being put to death in physical form but made alive in the Spirit, ¹⁹ in which He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this figure, now saves you, too -- I do not mean the mere removal of physical stains, but the craving for a clear conscience toward God -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone to heaven and is now at God's right hand, with angels, heavenly authorities and powers made subject to Him.

² so that he no longer can spend the rest of his earthly life in harmony with human desires but in accordance with God's will. ³ For the time that is past is enough for you to have accomplished what the heathen like to do, leading lives that are steeped in sensuality, lustful desires, drunkenness, carousing, revelry, dissipation, and idolatry that leads to lawlessness,

³ For the time that is past is enough for you to have accomplished what the heathen like to do, leading lives that are steeped in sensuality, lustful desires, drunkenness, carousing, revelry, dissipation, and idolatry that leads to lawlessness,

⁷ But the end of everything on earth is near. So be serious and sober minded, that you may give yourselves to prayer. ⁸ Above everything else keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers up a multitude of sins.

¹² Dearly beloved, do not be astonished that a test by fire is coming upon you, as though something strange were happening to you,

¹² Dearly beloved, do not be astonished that a test by fire is coming upon you, as though something strange were happening to you, ¹³ but so far as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that at the uncovering of His glory you may rejoice triumphantly.

¹⁷ Because the time has come for judgment to begin at the household of God, and if it begins with us, what will the end be of those who are rejecting God's good news?

⁴ and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown that never fades.

⁸ Be calm and alert. Your opponent the devil is always prowling about like a roaring lion, trying to devour you.

¹⁰ And God, the giver of every spiritual blessing, who through your union with Christ has called you to His eternal glory, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself make you perfect, firm, and strong,

¹ Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have obtained the same precious faith that we have: ² spiritual blessing and peace be to you in increasing abundance through a full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; ³ because His divine power has given us everything that is needful for life and piety, through our full knowledge of Him who through His glory and excellence has called us to Him. ⁴ It is through these that He has given us His precious and glorious promises, so that through them, after you have escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires, you may come to share in the divine nature.

⁴ It is through these that He has given us His precious and glorious promises, so that through them, after you have escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires, you may come to share in the divine nature. ⁵ Now for this very reason you must do your level best to supplement your faith with moral character, moral character with knowledge, ⁶ knowledge with self-control, self-control with patient endurance, patient endurance with piety, ⁷ piety with brotherly affection, brotherly affection with universal love.

⁷ piety with brotherly affection, brotherly affection with universal love. ⁸ For if you have these qualities and they continue to increase in you, they will make you neither idle nor unproductive in attaining a full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is blind -- or short-sighted-- and forgetful of the cleansing that he has received from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more in earnest to make certain to yourselves God's call and choice of you. For if you cultivate these qualities, you will never slip,

¹⁹ So we have the message of the prophets more certainly guaranteed. Please pay attention to this message as to a lamp that is shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

¹⁹ So we have the message of the prophets more certainly guaranteed. Please pay attention to this message as to a lamp that is shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰ because you recognize this truth above all else, that no prophecy in Scripture is to be interpreted by one's own mind, ²¹ for no prophecy has ever yet originated in man's will, but men who were led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

²¹ for no prophecy has ever yet originated in man's will, but men who were led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

¹⁰ The day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, the heavenly bodies will be destroyed by being burned up, and the earth with all its works will melt away. ¹¹ If all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what men you ought to be! What holy and pious lives you ought to lead,

¹¹ If all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what men you ought to be! What holy and pious lives you ought to lead, ¹² since you are awaiting and hastening the coming of the day of God, which will cause the heavens to blaze and dissolve and the heavenly bodies to burn up and melt away!

¹² since you are awaiting and hastening the coming of the day of God, which will cause the heavens to blaze and dissolve and the heavenly bodies to burn up and melt away! ¹³ In accordance with His promise we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which uprightness will have its permanent home. ¹⁴ Therefore, dearly beloved, since you are expecting this, be in earnest to be found by Him without a blot, without reproach, and at peace.

¹ It is what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what we have beheld, what our own hands have touched, about the very message of life -- ² and that life has been unveiled to us, and we have seen it and now testify to it and we now announce it to you, yea, the eternal life that was with the Father and has been unveiled to us. ³ I repeat, it is what we have seen and heard that we now announce to you, so that you too may share this fellowship with us, for this fellowship that we have is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ;

⁷ But if we continue to live in the light, just as He is in the light, we have unbroken fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son continues to cleanse us from every sin.

² And He is Himself the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not for ours alone, but also for the whole world.

¹⁷ and the world is passing away and with it the evil longings it incites, but whoever perseveres in doing God's will lives on forever.

²⁹ If you know that He is upright, you must know that everyone who practices uprightness is born of Him.

² Dearly beloved, we are now God's children, but what we are going to be has not been unveiled. We know that if it is unveiled, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope in him tries to make himself as pure as He is.

⁵ You know that He appeared to take our sins away, and that there is no sin in Him.

⁸ Whoever practices sin belongs to the devil, because the devil has practiced sin from the beginning. This is why the Son of God appeared, to undo the devil's works. ⁹ No one who is born of God makes a practice of sinning, because the God-given life-principle continues to live in him, and so he cannot practice sinning, because he is born of God.

¹¹ it is so because the message that you have heard from the beginning is this: We should love one another.

¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love our brothers. Whoever does not continue to love continues still in death. ¹⁵ Anyone who keeps on hating his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer can have eternal life remaining in him. ¹⁶ We know what love is from the fact that He laid down His life for us; and so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world's means of supporting life and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how can love to God remain in him? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us stop loving with words or lips alone, but let us love with actions and in truth. ¹⁹ In this way we shall know by experience that we are on the side of the truth, and satisfy our consciences in God's sight,

²³ His command is this, that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and practice loving one another, just as He commanded us to do.

⁷ Dearly beloved, let us practice loving one another, because love originates with God, and everyone who practices loving is a child of God and knows God by experience.

⁹ This is the way God's love for us has been shown, namely, God has sent His only Son into the world that we through Him might have life. ¹⁰ In this way is seen the true love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

¹² No one has ever seen God; yet if we practice loving one another, God remains in union with us, and our love for Him attains perfection in our hearts,

¹⁹ We love, because He loved us first. ²⁰ If anyone says, "I love God," and yet habitually hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

²⁰ If anyone says, "I love God," and yet habitually hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

¹ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child.

⁴ for every child of God continues to conquer the world. Our faith is the victory that has conquered the world.

¹⁸ We know that no one who is born of God makes a practice of sinning, but the Son who was born of God continues to keep him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

¹ The Elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I truly love, and not only I but all who know the truth,

¹³ The children of your chosen sister wish to be remembered to you.

¹ Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James, to those who have been called, who are beloved by God the Father and have been kept through union with Jesus Christ: ² may mercy, peace, and love in abundance be given you.

²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in His glorious presence faultless and full of triumphant joy,

⁵ and from Jesus Christ the trustworthy witness, the First-born of the dead, and the Sovereign of the kings of the earth. To Him who ever loves us and once for all released us from our sins by His blood,

⁷ See! He is coming on the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even the men who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will lament over Him. Even so. Amen.

¹¹ "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

⁴ But I hold it against you that you do not love me as you did at first.

¹⁰ Do not be so afraid of what you are to suffer. See! The devil is going to throw some of you into prison to be tested there and for ten days to suffer pressing troubles. Each one of you must prove to be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life.

⁷ "To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The Holy and True One, who carries the keys of David, who opens and no one can shut, who shuts and no one can open, speaks as follows:

¹⁰ Because you have kept my message with the patient endurance that I give you, I also will keep you from the time of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test the inhabitants of the earth.

¹⁸ I advise you to buy of me gold that has been refined in the fire, so that you may become rich, and white clothes to put on, to hide your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, to make you see.

⁸ And the four living creatures have each of them six wings, and they are dotted with eyes all around and beneath the wings. And day and night they never cease saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and is and is to come."

⁶ Then I saw, midway between the throne and the four living creatures, standing among the elders, a Lamb that looked as though He had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes; the latter are the seven spirits of God which are sent on duty to every portion of the earth.

⁹ Then they sang a new song: "You deserve to take the book and break its seals, because you have been slaughtered, and with your blood have bought men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation,

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voices of many angels surrounding the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. Their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

¹⁰ Then in a loud voice they cried out, "Holy and true Master, how long will you refrain from charging and avenging our blood upon the inhabitants of the earth?"

¹⁴ I answered him, "You know, my lord." He said to me: "These are the people who are coming through the great persecution, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

⁸ All the inhabitants of the earth whose names, from the foundation of the world, have not been written in the slaughtered Lamb's book of life, will worship him.

¹ Then I looked, and there the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand people who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.

¹⁶ and saying, 'Alas! Alas for the great city that was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, that was decorated in gold, precious stones, and pearls, ¹⁷ because in a single hour a wealth so vast has been destroyed!' All ship pilots and all who travel by sea, sailors and seafaring men, stood a long way off

¹⁰ Then I fell before his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must take care not to do that. I am only a fellow-slave of yours and of your brothers who hold to the testimony borne by Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony borne by Jesus is the inspiring spirit of prophecy."

²⁷ Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominable living and lying, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.