Bible verses about "persistence" | JMNT

¹³ Now may the God of Expectation (or: the God Who is the Expectant Hope) make you full of all joy and peace within the midst of constant trust and in union with continual operation of faith and believing, [leading] into the midst of continually surrounding you with abundance within The Expectation (or: in union with expectant hope) – within [the] power of a set-apart spirit (or: within [the] Holy Spirit's ability; or: in union with a power which is, and whose source is, set-apart Breath-effect and sacred attitude).

⁶ being persuaded and convinced of this very thing: that the One inwardly beginning (making an inward start; inciting; inwardly originating [note: in the context of sacrifices, this word meant “to begin the offering”]) a good work, a virtuous action or an excellent deed within you people (or: among you folks; or: in union with you [all]), will fully bring it to the goal (will be bringing perfection upon it; shall continue upon it to the final act and finished product: its completion; will bring upon its destiny; [note: this was a technical term for the ending of the sacrifice]) – until (or: right up to) [the] Day of or from Christ Jesus [with other MSS: as far as {the} Day which is Jesus Christ]! –

¹⁵ And if we have seen and are thus aware that He constantly hears, and listens to, us, whatever we may keep on requesting concerning or for ourselves, we have seen and are aware that we habitually have (or: hold; possess) the requests (the things asked for) which we have asked – and now stand requested – from Him.

⁶ Now apart from faith, trust, confidence and loyal allegiance, [one is] powerless (or: unable) to please [God] well. It is necessary and binding for the person habitually approaching God to believe (to be convinced and trust) that He is (or: that He exists), and that He habitually comes to be (or: becomes) the One who pays back wages (or: gives away rewards) to, in and for those folks repeatedly (or: constantly) seeking Him out (or: seeking from out of Him).

¹⁰ Do not be habitually fearing things which you are about to experience (or: to suffer; in which you are about to have sensible experience). Consider: the one who thrusts-through (the one who casts adversity through your midst; the devil) is about to thrust some from among you into prison (or: jail), so that you may be tried (put to the proof), and you will continue having pressure (squeezing; tribulation) [for] ten days. Progressively come to be a faithful and reliable person (or: You must be being birthed a trusting and loyal one) until death, and I will continue giving Life’s wreath to you (or: for you the wreath of The Life; or: the victor’s symbol, which is life in you).'

⁵⁸ Consequently, my beloved brothers, progressively come to be seated and settled folks – immovable and unswerving people – continuing to always be surrounded by more than enough (or: superabounding) within the midst of the Lord's work (= [Yahweh's or Christ's] deed or act), having seen and now knowing that your fatiguing labor (or: toil) does not exist without contents (is not empty) within and in union with [the] Lord [= Christ or Yahweh].

¹⁴ I am continuously pressing forward, pursuing down toward [the; or: an] object in view (a mark on which the eye is fixed): into the awarded contest prize of God's (or: the award which is God's) invitation to an above place (or: an upward calling having the source from, with qualities and characteristics of, God) within the midst of and in union with Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ Continuously think, speak and act with a view toward having well-being and goodness – unceasingly (or: By habit be praying unintermittingly).

¹ Jacob (or: James) a slave belonging to God and to [the] Lord, Jesus Christ (or: a slave pertaining to God, even in fact, really, to [the] Lord and Owner [or, perhaps: = Yahweh], Jesus Christ), to the twelve tribes (or: sprouts and branches which sprang forth) who are to be constantly rejoicing within the scattering (or: which are within the midst of the dispersion [= the planting], "To constant joy and gladness!"). ² My brothers (= fellow Israelites, or, fellow believers; = My family), lead every rejoicing (or: lead the path of all joy) whenever you may fall into – so as to be encompassed by – various trials (or: multi-faceted ordeals; [a tapestry of] tests and provings; or: experiments and attempts of varying hues), ³ habitually knowing by intimate experience and insight that the thing by means of which your faith, trust and confidence is proved (tested and accepted) is continually producing (or: is progressively working down-in the results of) persistent patient endurance (a steadfast remaining and dwelling under some ordeal or situation; or: a holding up under sustained attacks; or: a relentless giving of sustaining support). ⁴ But patient endurance (remaining under and/or sustained support) must habitually be having a work brought to completion (a complete action; a perfect work; a mature production which reaches its goal) to the intent that you may be (or: can exist as) perfect ones (complete, matured and finished folks who have attained the goal), even ones having an entire allotment (or: whole folks having every part), being left behind in nothing (or: lacking not one thing). ⁵ So, if any one of you is continually left behind (or: lacking) in regard to wisdom, he must keep on asking (requesting) from the side (= immediate presence) of the God [Who is] continuously giving to everyone singly (one at a time; or: simply; or: = generously) and is not constantly reproaching or demeaning, and it will proceed being given to him. ⁶ Yet he must keep on asking in faith and conviction (or: continue making [his] request in union with trust), making not one hesitation from habitually distinguishing and constantly evaluating differences (undecidedly separating throughout; discerning between uncertain points; judging dividedly to produce doubt) within himself, for the person repeatedly making undecided distinctions (making a separation and judging dividedly unto doubt) within himself is like a surge of the sea, being constantly raised and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that man must not habitually suppose (or: normally assume) that he will continue receiving (or: taking in hand; seizing; getting) anything from beside (= from being in the presence of) the Lord [= Yahweh, or, Christ]. ⁸ A two-souled (or: = divided-willed; or: = emotionally split) adult male [is] unstable (unfixed; inconstant; turbulent) in all his ways. ⁹ Now let the low (humble; not rising far from the ground) brother (or: fellow member/believer) continually boast (or: be habitually loud-mouthed) in his height (or: exaltation), ¹⁰ but the rich, in his lowness (or: humiliation; depression), because he will be progressively passing by as a flower of grass (or: = a wildflower). ¹¹ For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the grass, and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its face (= loveliness of its appearance) loses itself (finds destruction in itself). Thus also, the rich one will proceed in being extinguished (faded; withered) in his goings (journeys; business; ventures; way of life). ¹² Happy and blessed is the adult male [A and other MSS: person] who is continuously remaining under a proving (a putting to the proof; or: a trial; an ordeal), because upon being birthed approved (or: growing and becoming proved and accepted) he will continue laying hold of the circle of the life (or: life's crown; life's encirclement; the encirclement from this living existence; or: the wreath which is the Life) which He [some MSS: the Lord (= Yahweh or Christ)] Himself promised to those continuously loving Him. ¹³ Let no one, while being continuously probed and put to the proof, be saying "I am constantly being probed and put to the proof (tested; tried) in an ordeal from God, " for God is One Who is not put through an ordeal, not probed, put to the proof or tried, and is [thus] without experience from not having made an attempt, in regard to things of bad quality (or: you see, God exists un-testable and, lacks experience, from worthless situations or evil things or mean people), and so He Himself is repeatedly probing no one, nor constantly putting even one person in a test, to the proof or through an ordeal. ¹⁴ Yet each person is repeatedly probed and put to the proof (tested and tried in an ordeal), being continuously dragged (or: drawn) out and entrapped under his own over-covering passion (by his own longing, craving or lust; by what he sets his desires upon). ¹⁵ Thereafter, with the over-covering passion conceiving (seizing together so as to become pregnant), it continuously gives birth to failure (or: repeatedly brings forth an offspring of missing the target; progressively bears sin). Now the failure (error; sin; missing of the target), being brought to full term (being finished off; being fully formed with all its parts; being brought to its goal) continues producing (keeps generating; from pregnancy progressively bears forth) death. ¹⁶ Do not be repeatedly caused to wander (or: Be not continuously deceived), my beloved brothers (= family members; = fellow believers)! ¹⁷ Every good leaving of a legacy, profitable contributing or excellent dosing, as well as all virtuous giving, and (or: All giving [is] beneficial, and yet), every perfect gift (finished, complete or mature result of giving) is from above, descending from the Father of the lights, beside Whom there is no otherness at [His] side (or: in the presence of Whom is no parallel otherness; [other MSS: along with Whom {is} not one interchange, variation, shifting or mutation]), nor a shadow cast by turning [other MSS: an effect caused by the passing of shadows]. ¹⁸ Being purposed (intended; willed), from pregnancy He brought us forth by a Word (collected thought; message) of Truth and Reality – [placed] into us – to be (or: to continuously exist being) a specific firstfruit of His created beings (or: of the effects of His act of creating; or: from the results of the creation which is Himself). ¹⁹ You folks have seen and are aware, so understand, perceive and know [this], my beloved brothers. So every person must continuously be quick (swift) into the [position or place] to listen and hear, slow into the [readiness] to make vocal utterance, [and] slow into intrinsic fervor (internal swelling of passion; teeming desire; or: agitation; anger; or: a particular mental bent). ²⁰ For you see, an adult male's intrinsic fervor (or: mental bent; temperament; disposition; or: swelling desire and passionate longing; or: anger and indignation) is not working out (producing; bringing into effect) God's fair and equitable dealing (or: rightwised situation which accords to the Way pointed out, in right relationship; the quality of the thing which is right and just; also: = the covenant life from God). ²¹ For this reason, putting away from yourselves all filthiness and encompassing superabundance of bad quality (ugliness; baseness; malice; evil; qualities that ought not to be), you folks must receive (take with your hands) in gentleness (meekness) the implanted (ingenerated) Word (collected thought; idea; message), the One being continuously able (or: the one which is constantly powerful) to deliver (rescue; keep safe; heal and make whole) your souls (your inner self and being). ²² Now you must continuously come to be (or: be progressively birthed) performers of [the] Word (or: makers of collected thought; framers of an idea; authors of a message; producers of reason; [the] Word's doers), and not only hearing ones (listeners; those hearing in an auditorium), continuously deceiving (reckoning aside; miscalculating) yourselves. (another combination of these options yields: So you folks must be progressively birthed to be authors of a message, and not only those in an auditorium, continuously miscalculating yourselves.) ²³ Because if someone is a hearer of [the] Word (a listener to a thought, idea or message) and not a doer (performer; producer), this one is like (resembles) an adult male contemplating (considering; attentively pondering) in a mirror the face of his birth (genesis; origin; existence; generation; lineage; or: = the face with which he was born): ²⁴ for he contemplated himself and has departed, and immediately forgot of what sort (quality; manner) he was. ²⁵ But the one stooping down beside in order to attentively view into (giving a penetrating look into) the perfect (finished and realized; matured; completed; full-grown and fully developed; purposed and destined) law – the one which is freedom (or: the one whose source is, and which has the qualities of, freedom and liberty) – and then remaining (abiding; dwelling) beside [it] – not being birthed (or: coming to be) a hearer of forgetfulness (or: a forgetful listener), but rather a performer of work (a producer of action) – this person will continue being happy and blessed within his performing and in union with his producing. ²⁶ Now if someone habitually supposes [himself] (or: thinks [himself]; presumes; or: constantly appears or seems) to be religious (occupied with rituals and ceremonies), while not habitually guiding his tongue with a bridle, but rather is repeatedly deceiving his heart, the religion (ritual; observance of a religious system) of this person is useless (futile; empty). ²⁷ Pure (clean) and unstained (undefiled) religion, by the side of (= in the presence of) God, even the Father, is this: to habitually visit so as to continuously look upon with the eyes in order to help (or: oversee) orphans and widows within the midst of their pressure (squeezing; distress; ordeal; tribulation); to habitually keep oneself unspotted from the controlling ordered System (or: the world of secular culture, religion, economy and government).

¹³ Yet you yourselves, brothers (= fellow believers, or, family), while continually doing well (performing beautifully; creating the ideal; doing finely), you should not at any point be in a bad disposition (or: be or do from out of what is ugly, worthless or of poor quality).

¹ Consequently and for this very reason, then, we also, continuously having such a big cloud of witnesses (spectators; folks bearing testimony; people with evidence) environing us (lying around for us and [they] themselves surrounding and encompassing us), after at once putting off from ourselves all bulk and encumbrance (every weight; all that is prominent; or: getting rid of every arrow point within us) and the easily-environing (skillfully-surrounding; well-placed encircling) failure (sin; error; mistake; shooting off-target; missing of the point), we can and should through persistent remaining-under (or: relentless patient endurance and giving of support) keep on running the racecourse continuously lying before us (or: lying in the forefront within us; or: lying ahead, among us), ² turning [our] eyes away from other things and fixing them (or: looking away) into Jesus, the Inaugurator (First Leader; Prime Author) and Perfecter (Finisher; the Bringer-to-maturity and fruition; He who purposes and accomplishes the destiny) of the faith, trust, confidence and loyal allegiance, Who, instead of and in place of the joy (or: in the position on the opposite side from the happiness) continuously lying before Him (or: lying in the forefront within Him; lying ahead for Him), remained under a cross – despising shame (or: thinking nothing of [the] disgrace) – and has sat down and now continues seated, remaining in the right [hand] of (or: = in union with the place of receiving at; = at the place of power and honor, which is) God's throne.

⁵ Then He said to them, "Which person from among you folks will proceed in having a friend (someone you are fond of and care about), and you will from time-to-time go your way to him [at] midnight and then say, 'Friend, let me use (= borrow) three loaves of bread, ⁶ "'since, in fact, a friend (or: loved one) of mine happened along to me from out of the road (path; way), and I am not presently having something which I will proceed putting at the side for him (= serving him to eat).' ⁷ "And that person giving a decided reply from inside may be saying, 'Do not continue providing and holding out troubles and weariness for me (= Stop bothering me)! The door has already been shut and locked, and my young children are now [put] into bed with me – I am now unable [to be] rising up to give [something] to (or: for) you.' ⁸ "I am now saying to you folks, [that] although he will not, after getting up, proceed in giving [something] to him because of the [situation of] him being his friend, [yet] because of the fact of his bold and shameless persistence (or: chutzpah), upon getting up he will proceed giving to him as much as he is presently needing. ⁹ "And so I, Myself, continue saying to you folks, Be continuously asking – and it will continue being given to you. Be constantly seeking and trying to find – and you folks will be constantly finding. Repeatedly knock (or: Keep on knocking) and it will repeatedly be (or: proceed in being) opened up to (or: for; in; among) you people. ¹⁰ "You see, everyone continuously asking is continuously receiving; and the person constantly seeking is constantly finding; and to (or: for; in) the person repeatedly and continually knocking it will repeatedly be (or: proceed in being) opened up.

¹ Now He went on [and] told them a parable (an illustration cast alongside) with a view facing the [circumstances for] them, [that] it is of necessity at all times to be constantly thinking, speaking and active with an aim toward goodness, ease and well-being (or: keep praying), and not to give in to the bad or worthless [situation or conditions] (or: to dwell within an ugly mood or a disposition of poor quality; or: to respond badly in [something]), ² proceeding in saying, "A certain judge was living within a certain city [who was] not in the habit of fearing or reverencing God, and also was not normally respecting (turning himself back upon so as to concern himself for) people. ³ "Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept on coming (or: going) to him, repeatedly saying, 'Decide the case from our custom and take up my cause by avenging and vindicating me from my adversary at law (or: plaintiff)!' ⁴ "And yet for some time he continued unwilling and would not. But after these [repeated pleas] he said within himself, 'Although (or: Even if) I am not normally fearing, being wary of or reverencing God nor respecting or concerned about people, ⁵ "'yet in fact, because of the [situation with] this widow constantly holding wearisome labor at the side for me (or: continually furnishing me with trouble and vexation while affording me personal cuts; or: = keeps pestering me), I will proceed deciding the case for her and continue avenging her (or: giving her a favorable ruling), so that with [her] continual coming, unto [the] end [of the matter], she may not repeatedly hit me in the face [with it] (or: = treat me severely and wear me out with pestering).'" ⁶ So the Lord said, "Listen to, and hear, what the judge of the disregard for what is right (the injustice; the actions which were not in accord with the way pointed out; = the dishonesty) is here saying! ⁷ "Now [think about it]! Would (or: Should) not God by all means make the situation right (or: do that which will bring the fairness, equity and justice) for His picked out and chosen people – those constantly crying, or calling, out to Him day and night – and will He continue long in rushing with passion upon them (= will he continue to delay acting and keep them waiting)? (or: and He will be continuing with forbearance and patient endurance on them). ⁸ "I am now telling you that He will proceed quickly making the situation right (doing that which will bring fairness, equity and justice) concerning them. But more than this, at the coming of the Son of the Man (= Adam's Son; = the anticipated messianic figure), will He really (or: in fact; consequently) continue finding trust upon the Land (or: faith and loyalty on the earth)?"

⁹ "And so I, Myself, continue saying to you folks, Be continuously asking – and it will continue being given to you. Be constantly seeking and trying to find – and you folks will be constantly finding. Repeatedly knock (or: Keep on knocking) and it will repeatedly be (or: proceed in being) opened up to (or: for; in; among) you people. ¹⁰ "You see, everyone continuously asking is continuously receiving; and the person constantly seeking is constantly finding; and to (or: for; in) the person repeatedly and continually knocking it will repeatedly be (or: proceed in being) opened up.

⁹ So – not being people [who are] let loose out from (or: set free from out of) [the laboring] (or: not being made unstrung or exhausted so as to be relaxing [from laboring]) – we should not in worthlessness be remiss (or: act badly by failing; be despondent; in bad quality, give up) in habitually doing (making; constructing; producing) the beautiful (the fine; the ideal; the noble), for in our own appropriate situation (or: in our own appointed season; or: to or by our own fitness and proportion) we will progressively gather in a harvest (or: will continue reaping).