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 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 


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 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 


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 I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit-- 


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 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 


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 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 


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 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. 


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 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 


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 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but &amp;quot;Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.&amp;quot; 


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 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 


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 For this is what the promise said: &amp;quot;About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.&amp;quot; 


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 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God&amp;apos;s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls-- 


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 For he says to Moses, &amp;quot;I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.&amp;quot; 


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 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, &amp;quot;For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.&amp;quot; 


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 You will say to me then, &amp;quot;Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?&amp;quot; 


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 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, &amp;quot;Why have you made me like this?&amp;quot; 


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 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 


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 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 


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 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory-- 


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 As indeed he says in Hosea, &amp;quot;Those who were not my people I will call &amp;apos;my people,&amp;apos; and her who was not beloved I will call &amp;apos;beloved.&amp;apos;&amp;quot; 


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 &amp;quot;And in the very place where it was said to them, &amp;apos;You are not my people,&amp;apos; there they will be called &amp;apos;sons of the living God.&amp;apos;&amp;quot; 


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 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: &amp;quot;Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 


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 And as Isaiah predicted, &amp;quot;If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.&amp;quot; 


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 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 


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 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 


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 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 


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 as it is written, &amp;quot;Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.&amp;quot; 


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 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God&amp;apos;s righteousness. 


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 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 


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 But the righteousness based on faith says, &amp;quot;Do not say in your heart, &amp;apos;Who will ascend into heaven?&amp;apos;&amp;quot; (that is, to bring Christ down) 


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 or &amp;quot;&amp;apos;Who will descend into the abyss?&amp;apos;&amp;quot; (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 


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 But what does it say? &amp;quot;The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart&amp;quot; (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 


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 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 


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 For the Scripture says, &amp;quot;Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.&amp;quot; 


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 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 


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 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 


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 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, &amp;quot;How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!&amp;quot; 


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 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, &amp;quot;Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?&amp;quot; 


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 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for &amp;quot;Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.&amp;quot; 


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 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, &amp;quot;I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.&amp;quot; 


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 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, &amp;quot;I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.&amp;quot; 


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 But of Israel he says, &amp;quot;All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.&amp;quot; 


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 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 


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 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 


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 &amp;quot;Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.&amp;quot; 


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 But what is God&amp;apos;s reply to him? &amp;quot;I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.&amp;quot; 


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 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 


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 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 


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 as it is written, &amp;quot;God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.&amp;quot; 


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 And David says, &amp;quot;Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 


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 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 


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 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! 


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 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 


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 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 


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 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 


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 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 


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 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 


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 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 


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 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God&amp;apos;s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 


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 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 


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 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. 


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 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 


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 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, &amp;quot;The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob&amp;quot;; 


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 As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 


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 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 


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 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 


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 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 


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 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 


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 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 


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 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 


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 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 


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 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. 


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 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 


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 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, &amp;quot;Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.&amp;quot; 


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 To the contrary, &amp;quot;if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.&amp;quot; 


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 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 


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 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 


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 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 


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 for he is God&amp;apos;s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God&amp;apos;s wrath on the wrongdoer. 


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 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God&amp;apos;s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 


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 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 


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 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. 


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 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 


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 For the commandments, &amp;quot;You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,&amp;quot; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: &amp;quot;You shall love your neighbor as yourself.&amp;quot; 


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 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 


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 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 


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 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 


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 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 


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 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 


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 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 


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 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 


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 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord&amp;apos;s. 


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 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 


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 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 


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 for it is written, &amp;quot;As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.&amp;quot; 


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 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 


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 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 


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 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 


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 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 


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 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 


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 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 


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 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. 


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 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 


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 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, &amp;quot;The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.&amp;quot; 


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 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 


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 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 


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 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God&amp;apos;s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 


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 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, &amp;quot;Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.&amp;quot; 


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 And again, &amp;quot;Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.&amp;quot; 


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 And again Isaiah says, &amp;quot;The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.&amp;quot; 


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


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 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 


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 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 


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 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 


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 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience--by word and deed, 


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 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God--so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 


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 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else&amp;apos;s foundation, 


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 but as it is written, &amp;quot;Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.&amp;quot; 


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 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 


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 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 


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 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 


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 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 


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 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 


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 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 


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 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 


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 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 


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 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 


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 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 


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 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 


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 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 


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 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 


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 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 


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 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 


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 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 


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 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 


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 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. 


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 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 


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 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-- 


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 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 


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 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 


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 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 


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 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 


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 For it has been reported to me by Chloe&amp;apos;s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 


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 What I mean is that each one of you says, &amp;quot;I follow Paul,&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;I follow Apollos,&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;I follow Cephas,&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;I follow Christ.&amp;quot; 


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 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 


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 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 


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 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 


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 For it is written, &amp;quot;I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.&amp;quot; 


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 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 


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 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 


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 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 


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 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 


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 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 


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


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 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 


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 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 


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 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 


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 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 


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 But, as it is written, &amp;quot;What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him&amp;quot;-- 


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 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 


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 For who knows a person&amp;apos;s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 


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 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 


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 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 


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 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 


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 &amp;quot;For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?&amp;quot; But we have the mind of Christ. 


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 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 


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 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 


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 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 


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 For when one says, &amp;quot;I follow Paul,&amp;quot; and another, &amp;quot;I follow Apollos,&amp;quot; are you not being merely human? 


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 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 


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 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 


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 each one&amp;apos;s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 


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 If anyone&amp;apos;s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 


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 If anyone destroys God&amp;apos;s temple, God will destroy him. For God&amp;apos;s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 


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 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 


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 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, &amp;quot;He catches the wise in their craftiness,&amp;quot; 


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 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, 


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 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 


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 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 


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 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. 


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 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 


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 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? 


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 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 


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 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 


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 We are fools for Christ&amp;apos;s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 


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 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. 


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 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 


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 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 


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 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 


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 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father&amp;apos;s wife. 


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 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 


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 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 


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 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 


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 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 


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 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 


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 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 


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 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 


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 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one. 


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 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 


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 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 


text:
 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 


text:
 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 


text:
 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 


text:
 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 


text:
 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 


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


text:
 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 


text:
 &amp;quot;All things are lawful for me,&amp;quot; but not all things are helpful. &amp;quot;All things are lawful for me,&amp;quot; but I will not be enslaved by anything. 


text:
 &amp;quot;Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food&amp;quot;--and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 


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 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 


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 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, &amp;quot;The two will become one flesh.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 


text:
 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 


text:
 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: &amp;quot;It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.&amp;quot; 


text:
 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 


text:
 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 


text:
 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 


text:
 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 


text:
 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 


text:
 To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband 


text:
 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. 


text:
 To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 


text:
 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 


text:
 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 


text:
 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. 


text:
 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? 


text:
 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 


text:
 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 


text:
 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 


text:
 Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 


text:
 For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. 


text:
 Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord&amp;apos;s mercy is trustworthy. 


text:
 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 


text:
 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 


text:
 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 


text:
 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. 


text:
 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 


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 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 


text:
 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. 


text:
 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry--it is no sin. 


text:
 But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 


text:
 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. 


text:
 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 


text:
 Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God. 


text:
 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that &amp;quot;all of us possess knowledge.&amp;quot; This &amp;quot;knowledge&amp;quot; puffs up, but love builds up. 


text:
 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that &amp;quot;an idol has no real existence,&amp;quot; and that &amp;quot;there is no God but one.&amp;quot; 


text:
 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth--as indeed there are many &amp;quot;gods&amp;quot; and many &amp;quot;lords&amp;quot;-- 


text:
 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 


text:
 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 


text:
 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 


text:
 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol&amp;apos;s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 


text:
 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 


text:
 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. 


text:
 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 


text:
 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 


text:
 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 


text:
 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? 


text:
 For it is written in the Law of Moses, &amp;quot;You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.&amp;quot; Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 


text:
 Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 


text:
 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 


text:
 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 


text:
 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. 


text:
 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 


text:
 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 


text:
 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 


text:
 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 


text:
 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 


text:
 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 


text:
 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 


text:
 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 


text:
 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 


text:
 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 


text:
 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 


text:
 For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 


text:
 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 


text:
 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, &amp;quot;The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.&amp;quot; 


text:
 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 


text:
 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 


text:
 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 


text:
 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 


text:
 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 


text:
 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 


text:
 &amp;quot;All things are lawful,&amp;quot; but not all things are helpful. &amp;quot;All things are lawful,&amp;quot; but not all things build up. 


text:
 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 


text:
 But if someone says to you, &amp;quot;This has been offered in sacrifice,&amp;quot; then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience-- 


text:
 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else&amp;apos;s conscience? 


text:
 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. 


text:
 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 


text:
 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 


text:
 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 


text:
 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 


text:
 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 


text:
 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 


text:
 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 


text:
 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 


text:
 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. 


text:
 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 


text:
 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, &amp;quot;This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.&amp;quot; 


text:
 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, &amp;quot;This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.&amp;quot; 


text:
 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord&amp;apos;s death until he comes. 


text:
 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 


text:
 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 


text:
 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home--so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. 


text:
 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says &amp;quot;Jesus is accursed!&amp;quot; and no one can say &amp;quot;Jesus is Lord&amp;quot; except in the Holy Spirit. 


text:
 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 


text:
 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 


text:
 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 


text:
 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 


text:
 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 


text:
 If the foot should say, &amp;quot;Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,&amp;quot; that would not make it any less a part of the body. 


text:
 And if the ear should say, &amp;quot;Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,&amp;quot; that would not make it any less a part of the body. 


text:
 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 


text:
 The eye cannot say to the hand, &amp;quot;I have no need of you,&amp;quot; nor again the head to the feet, &amp;quot;I have no need of you.&amp;quot; 


text:
 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 


text:
 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 


text:
 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 


text:
 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 


text:
 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 


text:
 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 


text:
 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 


text:
 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 


text:
 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 


text:
 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 


text:
 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 


text:
 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 


text:
 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 


text:
 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. 


text:
 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 


text:
 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 


text:
 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. 


text:
 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 


text:
 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. 


text:
 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 


text:
 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say &amp;quot;Amen&amp;quot; to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 


text:
 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 


text:
 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 


text:
 In the Law it is written, &amp;quot;By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 


text:
 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 


text:
 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 


text:
 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. 


text:
 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 


text:
 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 


text:
 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 


text:
 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 


text:
 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 


text:
 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 


text:
 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 


text:
 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 


text:
 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 


text:
 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 


text:
 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 


text:
 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 


text:
 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 


text:
 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 


text:
 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 


text:
 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 


text:
 For &amp;quot;God has put all things in subjection under his feet.&amp;quot; But when it says, &amp;quot;all things are put in subjection,&amp;quot; it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 


text:
 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 


text:
 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 


text:
 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, &amp;quot;Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 


text:
 But someone will ask, &amp;quot;How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?&amp;quot; 


text:
 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 


text:
 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 


text:
 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 


text:
 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 


text:
 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 


text:
 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 


text:
 Thus it is written, &amp;quot;The first man Adam became a living being&amp;quot;; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 


text:
 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 


text:
 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 


text:
 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 


text:
 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 


text:
 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 


text:
 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: &amp;quot;Death is swallowed up in victory.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 


text:
 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 


text:
 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 


text:
 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 


text:
 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 


text:
 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 


text:
 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. 


text:
 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. 


text:
 Now I urge you, brothers--you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints-- 


text:
 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 


text:
 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 


text:
 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: 


text:
 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 


text:
 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 


text:
 For as we share abundantly in Christ&amp;apos;s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 


text:
 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 


text:
 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 


text:
 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 


text:
 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 


text:
 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 


text:
 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 


text:
 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. 


text:
 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and acknowledge and I hope you will fully acknowledge-- 


text:
 just as you did partially acknowledge us--that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. 


text:
 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. 


text:
 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 


text:
 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say &amp;quot;Yes, yes&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;No, no&amp;quot; at the same time? 


text:
 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 


text:
 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 


text:
 But I call God to witness against me--it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. 


text:
 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. 


text:
 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 


text:
 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. 


text:
 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure--not to put it too severely--to all of you. 


text:
 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 


text:
 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 


text:
 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 


text:
 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. 


text:
 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 


text:
 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 


text:
 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 


text:
 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God&amp;apos;s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. 


text:
 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 


text:
 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 


text:
 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 


text:
 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 


text:
 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 


text:
 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses&amp;apos; face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 


text:
 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 


text:
 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 


text:
 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. 


text:
 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 


text:
 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 


text:
 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 


text:
 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God&amp;apos;s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone&amp;apos;s conscience in the sight of God. 


text:
 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 


text:
 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus&amp;apos; sake. 


text:
 For God, who said, &amp;quot;Let light shine out of darkness,&amp;quot; has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 


text:
 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 


text:
 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 


text:
 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus&amp;apos; sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 


text:
 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, &amp;quot;I believed, and so I spoke,&amp;quot; we also believe, and so we also speak, 


text:
 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 


text:
 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 


text:
 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 


text:
 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 


text:
 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 


text:
 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 


text:
 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 


text:
 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 


text:
 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 


text:
 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 


text:
 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 


text:
 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 


text:
 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 


text:
 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 


text:
 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 


text:
 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 


text:
 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 


text:
 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 


text:
 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 


text:
 For he says, &amp;quot;In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.&amp;quot; Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 


text:
 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 


text:
 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 


text:
 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 


text:
 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 


text:
 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 


text:
 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, &amp;quot;I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 


text:
 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 


text:
 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 


text:
 Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 


text:
 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 


text:
 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. 


text:
 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn--fighting without and fear within. 


text:
 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 


text:
 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it--though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 


text:
 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 


text:
 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 


text:
 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 


text:
 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 


text:
 Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 


text:
 For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. 


text:
 And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 


text:
 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 


text:
 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 


text:
 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 


text:
 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 


text:
 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 


text:
 But as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you--see that you excel in this act of grace also. 


text:
 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 


text:
 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 


text:
 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 


text:
 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 


text:
 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 


text:
 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 


text:
 As it is written, &amp;quot;Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.&amp;quot; 


text:
 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. 


text:
 With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 


text:
 And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 


text:
 We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 


text:
 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord&amp;apos;s sight but also in the sight of man. 


text:
 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. 


text:
 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 


text:
 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 


text:
 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 


text:
 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated--to say nothing of you--for being so confident. 


text:
 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. 


text:
 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 


text:
 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 


text:
 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 


text:
 As it is written, &amp;quot;He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.&amp;quot; 


text:
 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 


text:
 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 


text:
 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 


text:
 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 


text:
 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!-- 


text:
 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 


text:
 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 


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 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ&amp;apos;s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ&amp;apos;s, so also are we. 


text:
 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 


text:
 For they say, &amp;quot;His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. 


text:
 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 


text:
 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 


text:
 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 


text:
 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another&amp;apos;s area of influence. 


text:
 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 


text:
 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 


text:
 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 


text:
 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. 


text:
 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God&amp;apos;s gospel to you free of charge? 


text:
 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 


text:
 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 


text:
 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 


text:
 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 


text:
 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 


text:
 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not with the Lord&amp;apos;s authority but as a fool. 


text:
 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 


text:
 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast of that. 


text:
 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 


text:
 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 


text:
 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 


text:
 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 


text:
 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 


text:
 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 


text:
 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 


text:
 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 


text:
 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- 


text:
 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 


text:
 Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 


text:
 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 


text:
 But he said to me, &amp;quot;My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.&amp;quot; Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 


text:
 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 


text:
 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 


text:
 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 


text:
 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! 


text:
 Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 


text:
 But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 


text:
 I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps? 


text:
 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 


text:
 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish--that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 


text:
 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced. 


text:
 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 


text:
 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them-- 


text:
 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 


text:
 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God. 


text:
 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 


text:
 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong--not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 


text:
 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. 


text:
 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 


text:
 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 


text:
 Paul, an apostle--not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- 


text:
 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 


text:
 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- 


text:
 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 


text:
 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 


text:
 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 


text:
 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. 


text:
 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man&amp;apos;s gospel. 


text:
 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 


text:
 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 


text:
 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 


text:
 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 


text:
 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 


text:
 They only were hearing it said, &amp;quot;He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.&amp;quot; 


text:
 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 


text:
 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in--who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery-- 


text:
 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 


text:
 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)--those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 


text:
 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 


text:
 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 


text:
 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 


text:
 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 


text:
 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 


text:
 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, &amp;quot;If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?&amp;quot; 


text:
 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 


text:
 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 


text:
 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 


text:
 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. 


text:
 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 


text:
 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 


text:
 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith-- 


text:
 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, &amp;quot;In you shall all the nations be blessed.&amp;quot; 


text:
 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, &amp;quot;Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for &amp;quot;The righteous shall live by faith.&amp;quot; 


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 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, &amp;quot;Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree&amp;quot;-- 


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 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. 


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 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 


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 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, &amp;quot;And to offsprings,&amp;quot; referring to many, but referring to one, &amp;quot;And to your offspring,&amp;quot; who is Christ. 


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 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 


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 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 


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 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 


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 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 


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 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 


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 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 


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 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 


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 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 


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 And if you are Christ&amp;apos;s, then you are Abraham&amp;apos;s offspring, heirs according to promise. 


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 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 


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 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 


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 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 


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 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, &amp;quot;Abba! Father!&amp;quot; 


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 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 


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 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 


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 What then has become of the blessing you felt? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 


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 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 


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 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 


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 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 


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 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 


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 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 


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 For it is written, &amp;quot;Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.&amp;quot; 


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 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 


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 But what does the Scripture say? &amp;quot;Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.&amp;quot; 


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 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 


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 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 


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 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 


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 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 


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 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 


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 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 


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 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: &amp;quot;You shall love your neighbor as yourself.&amp;quot; 


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 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 


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 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 


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 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 


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 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 


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 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 


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 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. 


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 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 


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 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 


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


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 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 


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 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 


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 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 


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 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 


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 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 


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 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 


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 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 


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 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 


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 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 


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 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 


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 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 


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 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 


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 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 


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 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 


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 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 


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 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 


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 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 


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 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 


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 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 


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 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 


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 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 


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 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 


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 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called &amp;quot;the uncircumcision&amp;quot; by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- 


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 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 


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 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 


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 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 


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 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 


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 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God&amp;apos;s grace that was given to me for you, 


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 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 


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 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 


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 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God&amp;apos;s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 


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 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 


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 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 


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 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 


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 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 


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 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 


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 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 


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


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 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 


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 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 


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 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 


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 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- 


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 Therefore it says, &amp;quot;When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.&amp;quot; 


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 (In saying, &amp;quot;He ascended,&amp;quot; what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 


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 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 


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 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 


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 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 


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 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 


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 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 


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 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 


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 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 


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 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 


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 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 


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 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 


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 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 


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 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 


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 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 


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 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 


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 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 


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 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 


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 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 


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 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 


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 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, &amp;quot;Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.&amp;quot; 


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 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 


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 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 


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 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 


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 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 


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 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 


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 &amp;quot;Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.&amp;quot; 


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 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 


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 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 


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 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 


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 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 


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 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 


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 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. 


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 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 


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 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 


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 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 


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 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 


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 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 


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 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 


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 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 


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 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. 


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 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 


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 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 


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 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 


text:
 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 


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 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 


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 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 


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 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 


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 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 


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 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, 


text:
 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 


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 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 


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 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 


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 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 


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 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 


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 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 


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 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 


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 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 


text:
 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 


text:
 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 


text:
 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 


text:
 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 


text:
 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 


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 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 


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 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 


text:
 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 


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 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 


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 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 


text:
 But you know Timothy&amp;apos;s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 


text:
 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 


text:
 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 


text:
 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 


text:
 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. 


text:
 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. 


text:
 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh-- 


text:
 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 


text:
 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 


text:
 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 


text:
 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- 


text:
 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 


text:
 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 


text:
 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 


text:
 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 


text:
 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 


text:
 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 


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 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 


text:
 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 


text:
 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 


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 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 


text:
 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 


text:
 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 


text:
 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 


text:
 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 


text:
 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 


text:
 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 


text:
 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 


text:
 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 


text:
 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 


text:
 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 


text:
 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 


text:
 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing--as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 


text:
 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 


text:
 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 


text:
 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 


text:
 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 


text:
 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 


text:
 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 


text:
 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. 


text:
 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 


text:
 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 


text:
 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 


text:
 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 


text:
 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ&amp;apos;s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 


text:
 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 


text:
 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 


text:
 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 


text:
 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 


text:
 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God&amp;apos;s mystery, which is Christ, 


text:
 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 


text:
 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 


text:
 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 


text:
 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 


text:
 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 


text:
 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 


text:
 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 


text:
 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. 


text:
 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 


text:
 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 


text:
 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 


text:
 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- 


text:
 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? 


text:
 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. 


text:
 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 


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 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 


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 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 


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 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 


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 Put on then, as God&amp;apos;s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 


text:
 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 


text:
 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 


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


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 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 


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 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 


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 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 


text:
 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison-- 


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 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 


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 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 


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 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 


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 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. 


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 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions--if he comes to you, welcome him), 


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 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 


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 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 


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 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 


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 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 


text:
 And say to Archippus, &amp;quot;See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.&amp;quot; 


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 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 


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 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 


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 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 


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 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 


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 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 


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 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 


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 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 


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 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 


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 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 


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 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed--God is witness. 


text:
 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 


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 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 


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 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 


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 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 


text:
 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. 


text:
 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 


text:
 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 


text:
 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 


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 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved--so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God&amp;apos;s wrath has come upon them at last! 


text:
 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 


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 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 


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 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God&amp;apos;s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 


text:
 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 


text:
 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. 


text:
 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you-- 


text:
 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 


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 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 


text:
 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 


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 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 


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 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 


text:
 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 


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 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 


text:
 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 


text:
 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 


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 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 


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 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 


text:
 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 


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 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 


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 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 


text:
 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 


text:
 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 


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 While people are saying, &amp;quot;There is peace and security,&amp;quot; then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 


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 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 


text:
 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 


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 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 


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 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 


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 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 


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 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 


text:
 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 


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 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 


text:
 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. 


text:
 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering-- 


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 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 


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 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 


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 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 


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 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 


text:
 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 


text:
 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 


text:
 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 


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 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 


text:
 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 


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 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 


text:
 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 


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 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 


text:
 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 


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 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 


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 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 


text:
 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 


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 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 


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 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. 


text:
 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 


text:
 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 


text:
 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 


text:
 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 


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 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 


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 nor did we eat anyone&amp;apos;s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 


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 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 


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 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 


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 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 


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 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 


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 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 


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 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 


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 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 


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 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 


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 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 


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 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. 


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 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 


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 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 


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 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 


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 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 


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 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 


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 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 


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 To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 


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 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 


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 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. 


text:
 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 


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 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 


text:
 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 


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 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 


text:
 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 


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 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 


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 Yet she will be saved through childbearing--if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. 


text:
 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 


text:
 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God&amp;apos;s church? 


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 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 


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 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 


text:
 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 


text:
 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 


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 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 


text:
 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 


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 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 


text:
 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. 


text:
 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 


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 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 


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 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 


text:
 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 


text:
 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 


text:
 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 


text:
 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 


text:
 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 


text:
 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. 


text:
 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 


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 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 


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 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 


text:
 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 


text:
 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 


text:
 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 


text:
 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 


text:
 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 


text:
 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows. 


text:
 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 


text:
 For the Scripture says, &amp;quot;You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,&amp;quot; and, &amp;quot;The laborer deserves his wages.&amp;quot; 


text:
 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 


text:
 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 


text:
 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 


text:
 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 


text:
 The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 


text:
 Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 


text:
 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things. 


text:
 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 


text:
 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 


text:
 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 


text:
 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 


text:
 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 


text:
 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 


text:
 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 


text:
 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 


text:
 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 


text:
 which he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 


text:
 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 


text:
 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 


text:
 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 


text:
 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called &amp;quot;knowledge,&amp;quot; 


text:
 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 


text:
 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 


text:
 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 


text:
 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 


text:
 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 


text:
 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 


text:
 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 


text:
 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 


text:
 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 


text:
 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 


text:
 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 


text:
 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 


text:
 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!--and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. 


text:
 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 


text:
 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 


text:
 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 


text:
 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 


text:
 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 


text:
 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 


text:
 But God&amp;apos;s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: &amp;quot;The Lord knows those who are his,&amp;quot; and, &amp;quot;Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 


text:
 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 


text:
 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 


text:
 And the Lord&amp;apos;s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 


text:
 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 


text:
 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 


text:
 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 


text:
 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 


text:
 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 


text:
 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. 


text:
 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 


text:
 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra--which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 


text:
 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 


text:
 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 


text:
 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 


text:
 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 


text:
 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 


text:
 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 


text:
 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 


text:
 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 


text:
 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 


text:
 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 


text:
 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 


text:
 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion&amp;apos;s mouth. 


text:
 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 


text:
 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. 


text:
 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God&amp;apos;s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 


text:
 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; 


text:
 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 


text:
 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you-- 


text:
 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 


text:
 For an overseer, as God&amp;apos;s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 


text:
 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. 


text:
 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 


text:
 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 


text:
 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, &amp;quot;Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.&amp;quot; 


text:
 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 


text:
 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. 


text:
 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 


text:
 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 


text:
 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 


text:
 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 


text:
 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 


text:
 Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 


text:
 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. 


text:
 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 


text:
 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 


text:
 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 


text:
 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 


text:
 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 


text:
 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 


text:
 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 


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


text:
 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 


text:
 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 


text:
 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 


text:
 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. 


text:
 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. 


text:
 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 


text:
 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 


text:
 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. 


text:
 yet for love&amp;apos;s sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus-- 


text:
 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 


text:
 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 


text:
 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 


text:
 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it--to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 


text:
 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. 


text:
 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 


text:
 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 


text:
 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 


text:
 For to which of the angels did God ever say, &amp;quot;You are my Son, today I have begotten you&amp;quot;? Or again, &amp;quot;I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son&amp;quot;? 


text:
 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, &amp;quot;Let all God&amp;apos;s angels worship him.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Of the angels he says, &amp;quot;He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.&amp;quot; 


text:
 But of the Son he says, &amp;quot;Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 


text:
 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And, &amp;quot;You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 


text:
 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And to which of the angels has he ever said, &amp;quot;Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet&amp;quot;? 


text:
 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? 


text:
 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 


text:
 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 


text:
 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. 


text:
 It has been testified somewhere, &amp;quot;What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 


text:
 putting everything in subjection under his feet.&amp;quot; Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 


text:
 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 


text:
 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 


text:
 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 


text:
 saying, &amp;quot;I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And again, &amp;quot;I will put my trust in him.&amp;quot; And again, &amp;quot;Behold, I and the children God has given me.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 


text:
 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 


text:
 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 


text:
 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God&amp;apos;s house. 


text:
 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses--as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 


text:
 Now Moses was faithful in all God&amp;apos;s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 


text:
 but Christ is faithful over God&amp;apos;s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. 


text:
 Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, &amp;apos;They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.&amp;apos; 


text:
 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 


text:
 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called &amp;quot;today,&amp;quot; that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 


text:
 As it is said, &amp;quot;Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 


text:
 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 


text:
 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 


text:
 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, &amp;quot;As I swore in my wrath, &amp;apos;They shall not enter my rest,&amp;apos;&amp;quot; although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 


text:
 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: &amp;quot;And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 


text:
 again he appoints a certain day, &amp;quot;Today,&amp;quot; saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, &amp;quot;Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 


text:
 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 


text:
 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 


text:
 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 


text:
 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 


text:
 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 


text:
 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 


text:
 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 


text:
 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, &amp;quot;You are my Son, today I have begotten you&amp;quot;; 


text:
 as he says also in another place, &amp;quot;You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.&amp;quot; 


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


text:
 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 


text:
 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. 


text:
 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 


text:
 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 


text:
 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 


text:
 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 


text:
 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 


text:
 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. 


text:
 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things--things that belong to salvation. 


text:
 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 


text:
 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 


text:
 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 


text:
 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 


text:
 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 


text:
 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 


text:
 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 


text:
 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 


text:
 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. 


text:
 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 


text:
 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 


text:
 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. 


text:
 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 


text:
 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 


text:
 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 


text:
 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 


text:
 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 


text:
 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 


text:
 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 


text:
 For it is witnessed of him, &amp;quot;You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.&amp;quot; 


text:
 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 


text:
 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 


text:
 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: &amp;quot;The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, &amp;apos;You are a priest forever.&amp;apos;&amp;quot; 


text:
 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 


text:
 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 


text:
 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 


text:
 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 


text:
 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. 


text:
 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 


text:
 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 


text:
 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 


text:
 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, &amp;quot;See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.&amp;quot; 


text:
 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 


text:
 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 


text:
 For he finds fault with them when he says: &amp;quot;Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 


text:
 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 


text:
 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 


text:
 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, &amp;apos;Know the Lord,&amp;apos; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 


text:
 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. 


text:
 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 


text:
 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron&amp;apos;s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 


text:
 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 


text:
 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 


text:
 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 


text:
 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 


text:
 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 


text:
 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. 


text:
 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 


text:
 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 


text:
 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 


text:
 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 


text:
 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 


text:
 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 


text:
 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 


text:
 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 


text:
 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 


text:
 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 


text:
 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 


text:
 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 


text:
 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 


text:
 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. 


text:
 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 


text:
 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 


text:
 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, &amp;quot;Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 


text:
 Then I said, &amp;apos;Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.&amp;apos;&amp;quot; 


text:
 When he said above, &amp;quot;You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings&amp;quot; (these are offered according to the law), 


text:
 then he added, &amp;quot;Behold, I have come to do your will.&amp;quot; He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 


text:
 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 


text:
 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 


text:
 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 


text:
 &amp;quot;This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,&amp;quot; 


text:
 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 


text:
 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 


text:
 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 


text:
 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 


text:
 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 


text:
 For we know him who said, &amp;quot;Vengeance is mine; I will repay.&amp;quot; And again, &amp;quot;The Lord will judge his people.&amp;quot; 


text:
 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 


text:
 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 


text:
 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 


text:
 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 


text:
 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.&amp;quot; 


text:
 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. 


text:
 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. 


text:
 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 


text:
 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 


text:
 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 


text:
 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 


text:
 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 


text:
 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 


text:
 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 


text:
 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. 


text:
 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 


text:
 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 


text:
 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. 


text:
 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 


text:
 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 


text:
 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 


text:
 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. 


text:
 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king&amp;apos;s edict. 


text:
 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh&amp;apos;s daughter, 


text:
 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 


text:
 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 


text:
 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 


text:
 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. 


text:
 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. 


text:
 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. 


text:
 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-- 


text:
 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 


text:
 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 


text:
 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 


text:
 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-- 


text:
 of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 


text:
 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. 


text:
 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 


text:
 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 


text:
 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 


text:
 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? &amp;quot;My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 


text:
 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 


text:
 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 


text:
 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 


text:
 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 


text:
 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 


text:
 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 


text:
 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no &amp;quot;root of bitterness&amp;quot; springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 


text:
 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. 


text:
 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 


text:
 For they could not endure the order that was given, &amp;quot;If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.&amp;quot; 


text:
 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 


text:
 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 


text:
 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 


text:
 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 


text:
 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, &amp;quot;Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.&amp;quot; 


text:
 This phrase, &amp;quot;Yet once more,&amp;quot; indicates the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made--in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 


text:
 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 


text:
 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 


text:
 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 


text:
 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 


text:
 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, &amp;quot;I will never leave you nor forsake you.&amp;quot; 


text:
 So we can confidently say, &amp;quot;The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?&amp;quot; 


text:
 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 


text:
 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 


text:
 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 


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


text:
 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 


text:
 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. 


text:
 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 


text:
 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 


text:
 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 


text:
 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. 


text:
 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 


text:
 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 


text:
 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 


text:
 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 


text:
 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 


text:
 Let no one say when he is tempted, &amp;quot;I am being tempted by God,&amp;quot; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 


text:
 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 


text:
 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 


text:
 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 


text:
 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 


text:
 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 


text:
 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 


text:
 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person&amp;apos;s religion is worthless. 


text:
 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. 


text:
 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 


text:
 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 


text:
 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, &amp;quot;You sit here in a good place,&amp;quot; while you say to the poor man, &amp;quot;You stand over there,&amp;quot; or, &amp;quot;Sit down at my feet,&amp;quot; 


text:
 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 


text:
 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 


text:
 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, &amp;quot;You shall love your neighbor as yourself,&amp;quot; you are doing well. 


text:
 For he who said, &amp;quot;Do not commit adultery,&amp;quot; also said, &amp;quot;Do not murder.&amp;quot; If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 


text:
 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 


text:
 and one of you says to them, &amp;quot;Go in peace, be warmed and filled,&amp;quot; without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 


text:
 But someone will say, &amp;quot;You have faith and I have works.&amp;quot; Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 


text:
 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, &amp;quot;Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness&amp;quot;--and he was called a friend of God. 


text:
 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 


text:
 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 


text:
 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 


text:
 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 


text:
 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 


text:
 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 


text:
 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 


text:
 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 


text:
 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 


text:
 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. 


text:
 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 


text:
 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 


text:
 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 


text:
 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 


text:
 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 


text:
 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 


text:
 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, &amp;quot;He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us&amp;quot;? 


text:
 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, &amp;quot;God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 


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


text:
 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? 


text:
 Come now, you who say, &amp;quot;Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit&amp;quot;-- 


text:
 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 


text:
 Instead you ought to say, &amp;quot;If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 


text:
 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 


text:
 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 


text:
 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 


text:
 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 


text:
 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 


text:
 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 


text:
 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your &amp;quot;yes&amp;quot; be yes and your &amp;quot;no&amp;quot; be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. 


text:
 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 


text:
 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 


text:
 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 


text:
 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 


text:
 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 


text:
 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 


text:
 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 


text:
 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 


text:
 who by God&amp;apos;s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 


text:
 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 


text:
 so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 


text:
 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 


text:
 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 


text:
 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 


text:
 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 


text:
 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 


text:
 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one&amp;apos;s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 


text:
 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 


text:
 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 


text:
 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 


text:
 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 


text:
 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 


text:
 for &amp;quot;All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 


text:
 but the word of the Lord remains forever.&amp;quot; And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 


text:
 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-- 


text:
 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 


text:
 For it stands in Scripture: &amp;quot;Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.&amp;quot; 


text:
 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, &amp;quot;The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,&amp;quot; 


text:
 and &amp;quot;A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.&amp;quot; They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 


text:
 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 


text:
 Once you were not a people, but now you are God&amp;apos;s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 


text:
 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 


text:
 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 


text:
 Be subject for the Lord&amp;apos;s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 


text:
 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 


text:
 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 


text:
 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 


text:
 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 


text:
 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 


text:
 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 


text:
 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 


text:
 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 


text:
 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 


text:
 Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear-- 


text:
 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God&amp;apos;s sight is very precious. 


text:
 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 


text:
 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. 


text:
 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 


text:
 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 


text:
 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 


text:
 For &amp;quot;Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 


text:
 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.&amp;quot; 


text:
 But even if you should suffer for righteousness&amp;apos; sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 


text:
 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 


text:
 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 


text:
 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God&amp;apos;s will, than for doing evil. 


text:
 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 


text:
 because they formerly did not obey, when God&amp;apos;s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 


text:
 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 


text:
 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. 


text:
 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 


text:
 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 


text:
 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 


text:
 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 


text:
 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. 


text:
 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 


text:
 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God&amp;apos;s varied grace: 


text:
 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 


text:
 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 


text:
 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ&amp;apos;s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 


text:
 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 


text:
 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 


text:
 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 


text:
 And &amp;quot;If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?&amp;quot; 


text:
 Therefore let those who suffer according to God&amp;apos;s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 


text:
 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 


text:
 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 


text:
 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for &amp;quot;God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 


text:
 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 


text:
 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 


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


text:
 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 


text:
 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 


text:
 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 


text:
 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 


text:
 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 


text:
 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 


text:
 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 


text:
 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 


text:
 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 


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 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 


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 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 


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 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 


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 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. 


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 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 


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 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, &amp;quot;This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,&amp;quot; 


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 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 


text:
 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone&amp;apos;s own interpretation. 


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 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 


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 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 


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 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 


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 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 


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 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 


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 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 


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 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 


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 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 


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 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 


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 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 


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 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 


text:
 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. 


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 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 


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 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 


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 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet&amp;apos;s madness. 


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 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 


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 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 


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 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 


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 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 


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 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 


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 What the true proverb says has happened to them: &amp;quot;The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.&amp;quot; 


text:
 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 


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 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 


text:
 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 


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 They will say, &amp;quot;Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.&amp;quot; 


text:
 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 


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 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 


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 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 


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 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 


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 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 


text:
 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 


text:
 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 


text:
 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 


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 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 


text:
 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 


text:
 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 


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 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 


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 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 


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 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- 


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 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-- 


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 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 


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 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 


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 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 


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 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 


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 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 


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 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 


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 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 


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 Whoever says &amp;quot;I know him&amp;quot; but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 


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 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 


text:
 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 


text:
 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 


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 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 


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 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name&amp;apos;s sake. 


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


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 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 


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 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 


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 For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. 


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 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 


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 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 


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 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 


text:
 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 


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 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 


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 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 


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 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie--just as it has taught you, abide in him. 


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 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 


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 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. 


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 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 


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 Beloved, we are God&amp;apos;s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 


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 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 


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 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 


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 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 


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 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God&amp;apos;s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 


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 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 


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 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother&amp;apos;s righteous. 


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 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 


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 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 


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 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 


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 But if anyone has the world&amp;apos;s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God&amp;apos;s love abide in him? 


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 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 


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 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 


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 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. 


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 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 


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 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 


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 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 


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 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 


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 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 


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 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 


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 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 


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 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 


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 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 


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 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 


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 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 


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 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 


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 If anyone says, &amp;quot;I love God,&amp;quot; and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 


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 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 


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 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 


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 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. 


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 This is he who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 


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 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 


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 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 


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 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 


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 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 


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 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 


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 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life--to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 


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 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 


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 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 


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 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 


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 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father&amp;apos;s Son, in truth and love. 


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 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 


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 And now I ask you, dear lady--not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning--that we love one another. 


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 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 


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 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 


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 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 


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 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 


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 Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 


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 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 


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 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 


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 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 


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 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 


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 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 


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 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. 


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 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 


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 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. 


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 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. (1:15) Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, every one of them. 


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 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 


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 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 


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 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 


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 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 


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 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day-- 


text:
 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. 


text:
 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 


text:
 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, &amp;quot;The Lord rebuke you.&amp;quot; 


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 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 


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 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam&amp;apos;s error and perished in Korah&amp;apos;s rebellion. 


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 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 


text:
 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. 


text:
 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, &amp;quot;Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 


text:
 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.&amp;quot; 


text:
 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. 


text:
 They said to you, &amp;quot;In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.&amp;quot; 


text:
 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 


text:
 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. 


text:
 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 


text:
 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. 


text:
 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 


text:
 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 


text:
 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. 


text:
 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 


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 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 


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 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 


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 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 


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 &amp;quot;I am the Alpha and the Omega,&amp;quot; says the Lord God, &amp;quot;who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.&amp;quot; 


text:
 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 


text:
 saying, &amp;quot;Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 


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 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 


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 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 


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 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 


text:
 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, &amp;quot;Fear not, I am the first and the last, 


text:
 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 


text:
 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 


text:
 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 


text:
 &amp;quot;To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: &amp;apos;The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 


text:
 &amp;quot;&amp;apos;I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 


text:
 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name&amp;apos;s sake, and you have not grown weary. 


text:
 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 


text:
 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.&amp;apos; 


text:
 &amp;quot;And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: &amp;apos;The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 


text:
 &amp;quot;&amp;apos;I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 


text:
 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 


text:
 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.&amp;apos; 


text:
 &amp;quot;And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: &amp;apos;The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 


text:
 &amp;quot;&amp;apos;I know where you dwell, where Satan&amp;apos;s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 


text:
 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 


text:
 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 


text:
 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.&amp;apos; 


text:
 &amp;quot;And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: &amp;apos;The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 


text:
 &amp;quot;&amp;apos;I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 


text:
 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 


text:
 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 


text:
 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 


text:
 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 


text:
 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 


text:
 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 


text:
 &amp;quot;And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: &amp;apos;The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. &amp;quot;&amp;apos;I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 


text:
 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 


text:
 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 


text:
 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 


text:
 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 


text:
 &amp;quot;And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: &amp;apos;The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 


text:
 &amp;quot;&amp;apos;I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 


text:
 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I have loved you. 


text:
 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 


text:
 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 


text:
 &amp;quot;And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: &amp;apos;The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God&amp;apos;s creation. 


text:
 &amp;quot;&amp;apos;I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 


text:
 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 


text:
 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 


text:
 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 


text:
 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 


text:
 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, &amp;quot;Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 


text:
 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 


text:
 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 


text:
 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 


text:
 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 


text:
 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, &amp;quot;Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 


text:
 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 


text:
 &amp;quot;Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 


text:
 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, &amp;quot;Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?&amp;quot; 


text:
 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 


text:
 And one of the elders said to me, &amp;quot;Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 


text:
 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 


text:
 And they sang a new song, saying, &amp;quot;Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 


text:
 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 


text:
 saying with a loud voice, &amp;quot;Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, &amp;quot;To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And the four living creatures said, &amp;quot;Amen!&amp;quot; and the elders fell down and worshiped. 


text:
 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, &amp;quot;Come!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. 


text:
 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. 


text:
 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, &amp;quot;Come!&amp;quot; And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 


text:
 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, &amp;quot;A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!&amp;quot; 


text:
 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, &amp;quot;Come!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider&amp;apos;s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. 


text:
 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 


text:
 They cried out with a loud voice, &amp;quot;O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. 


text:
 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 


text:
 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 


text:
 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 


text:
 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 


text:
 calling to the mountains and rocks, &amp;quot;Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 


text:
 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 


text:
 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 


text:
 saying, &amp;quot;Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.&amp;quot; 


text:
 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 


text:
 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 


text:
 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 


text:
 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed. 


text:
 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 


text:
 and crying out with a loud voice, &amp;quot;Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 


text:
 saying, &amp;quot;Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, &amp;quot;Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?&amp;quot; 


text:
 I said to him, &amp;quot;Sir, you know.&amp;quot; And he said to me, &amp;quot;These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 


text:
 &amp;quot;Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 


text:
 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 


text:
 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 


text:
 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 


text:
 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. 


text:
 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. 


text:
 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 


text:
 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 


text:
 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter. 


text:
 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night. 


text:
 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, &amp;quot;Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 


text:
 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. 


text:
 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 


text:
 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 


text:
 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 


text:
 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. 


text:
 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 


text:
 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 


text:
 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 


text:
 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. 


text:
 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 


text:
 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, &amp;quot;Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.&amp;quot; 


text:
 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 


text:
 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions&amp;apos; heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 


text:
 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 


text:
 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. 


text:
 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 


text:
 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. 


text:
 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 


text:
 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 


text:
 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 


text:
 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, &amp;quot;Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.&amp;quot; 


text:
 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 


text:
 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. 


text:
 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, &amp;quot;Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.&amp;quot; 


text:
 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, &amp;quot;Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 


text:
 And I was told, &amp;quot;You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, &amp;quot;Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 


text:
 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 


text:
 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 


text:
 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 


text:
 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 


text:
 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 


text:
 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 


text:
 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 


text:
 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 


text:
 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, &amp;quot;Come up here!&amp;quot; And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 


text:
 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 


text:
 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, &amp;quot;The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 


text:
 saying, &amp;quot;We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. 


text:
 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then God&amp;apos;s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. 


text:
 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 


text:
 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 


text:
 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 


text:
 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 


text:
 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. 


text:
 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 


text:
 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 


text:
 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, &amp;quot;Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 


text:
 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 


text:
 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 


text:
 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 


text:
 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 


text:
 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 


text:
 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. 


text:
 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 


text:
 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear&amp;apos;s, and its mouth was like a lion&amp;apos;s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 


text:
 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 


text:
 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, &amp;quot;Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?&amp;quot; 


text:
 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 


text:
 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 


text:
 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 


text:
 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 


text:
 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. 


text:
 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 


text:
 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 


text:
 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 


text:
 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 


text:
 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 


text:
 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 


text:
 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. 


text:
 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father&amp;apos;s name written on their foreheads. 


text:
 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 


text:
 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 


text:
 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 


text:
 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 


text:
 And he said with a loud voice, &amp;quot;Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, &amp;quot;Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, &amp;quot;If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 


text:
 he also will drink the wine of God&amp;apos;s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 


text:
 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. 


text:
 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, &amp;quot;Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Blessed indeed,&amp;quot; says the Spirit, &amp;quot;that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 


text:
 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, &amp;quot;Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, &amp;quot;Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.&amp;quot; 


text:
 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 


text:
 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse&amp;apos;s bridle, for 1,600 stadia. 


text:
 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. 


text:
 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire--and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 


text:
 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, &amp;quot;Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! 


text:
 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.&amp;quot; 


text:
 and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. 


text:
 And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, 


text:
 and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. 


text:
 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, &amp;quot;Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.&amp;quot; 


text:
 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. 


text:
 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. 


text:
 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 


text:
 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, &amp;quot;Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. 


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 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And I heard the altar saying, &amp;quot;Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!&amp;quot; 


text:
 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. 


text:
 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 


text:
 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 


text:
 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 


text:
 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 


text:
 (&amp;quot;Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!&amp;quot;) 


text:
 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, &amp;quot;It is done!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 


text:
 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 


text:
 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. 


text:
 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, &amp;quot;Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 


text:
 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 


text:
 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 


text:
 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: &amp;quot;Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth&amp;apos;s abominations.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 


text:
 But the angel said to me, &amp;quot;Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 


text:
 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 


text:
 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 


text:
 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 


text:
 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 


text:
 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 


text:
 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And the angel said to me, &amp;quot;The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 


text:
 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 


text:
 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 


text:
 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.&amp;quot; 


text:
 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 


text:
 And he called out with a mighty voice, &amp;quot;Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. 


text:
 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, &amp;quot;Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 


text:
 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. 


text:
 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, &amp;apos;I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.&amp;apos; 


text:
 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 


text:
 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, &amp;quot;Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.&amp;quot; 


text:
 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 


text:
 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 


text:
 &amp;quot;The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!&amp;quot; 


text:
 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 


text:
 &amp;quot;Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 


text:
 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.&amp;quot; And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 


text:
 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, &amp;quot;What city was like the great city?&amp;quot; 


text:
 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, &amp;quot;Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. 


text:
 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, &amp;quot;So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; 


text:
 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, 


text:
 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 


text:
 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.&amp;quot; 


text:
 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, &amp;quot;Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 


text:
 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Once more they cried out, &amp;quot;Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, &amp;quot;Amen. Hallelujah!&amp;quot; 


text:
 And from the throne came a voice saying, &amp;quot;Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, &amp;quot;Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 


text:
 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 


text:
 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure&amp;quot;-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 


text:
 And the angel said to me, &amp;quot;Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.&amp;quot; And he said to me, &amp;quot;These are the true words of God.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, &amp;quot;You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.&amp;quot; For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 


text:
 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 


text:
 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 


text:
 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 


text:
 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 


text:
 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, &amp;quot;Come, gather for the great supper of God, 


text:
 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 


text:
 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 


text:
 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. 


text:
 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 


text:
 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 


text:
 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. 


text:
 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 


text:
 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 


text:
 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. 


text:
 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 


text:
 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 


text:
 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 


text:
 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 


text:
 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 


text:
 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 


text:
 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 


text:
 And if anyone&amp;apos;s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. 


text:
 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 


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


text:
 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, &amp;quot;Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 


text:
 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And he who was seated on the throne said, &amp;quot;Behold, I am making all things new.&amp;quot; Also he said, &amp;quot;Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And he said to me, &amp;quot;It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 


text:
 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.&amp;quot; 


text:
 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, &amp;quot;Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.&amp;quot; 


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


text:
 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- 


text:
 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 


text:
 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 


text:
 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 


text:
 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 


text:
 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel&amp;apos;s measurement. 


text:
 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 


text:
 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 


text:
 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. 


text:
 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 


text:
 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb&amp;apos;s book of life. 


text:
 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 


text:
 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 


text:
 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 


text:
 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. 


text:
 And he said to me, &amp;quot;These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.&amp;quot; 


text:
 &amp;quot;And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.&amp;quot; 


text:
 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 


text:
 but he said to me, &amp;quot;You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.&amp;quot; 


text:
 And he said to me, &amp;quot;Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 


text:
 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.&amp;quot; 


text:
 &amp;quot;Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. 


text:
 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 


text:
 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 


text:
 &amp;quot;I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.&amp;quot; 


text:
 The Spirit and the Bride say, &amp;quot;Come.&amp;quot; And let the one who hears say, &amp;quot;Come.&amp;quot; And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 


text:
 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 


text:
 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 


text:
 He who testifies to these things says, &amp;quot;Surely I am coming soon.&amp;quot; Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 


