# verses

text:
And they went away, for there was a division among them after Paul had said this one thing: Well did the Holy Spirit say by the prophet Isaiah to your fathers,


text:
Go to this people and say, Though you give ear, you will not get knowledge; and seeing, you will see, but the sense will not be clear to you:


text:
And for the space of two years, Paul was living in the house of which he had the use, and had talk with all those who went in to see him,


text:
Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ without fear, and no orders were given that he was not to do so.


text:
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends words of love to the twelve tribes of the Jews living in all parts of the earth.


text:
Because you have the knowledge that the testing of your faith gives you the power of going on in hope;


text:
But if any man among you is without wisdom, let him make his request to God, who gives freely to all without an unkind word, and it will be given to him.


text:
Let him make his request in faith, doubting nothing; for he who has doubt in his heart is like the waves of the sea, which are troubled by the driving of the wind.


text:
But the man of wealth, that he is made low; because like the flower of the grass he will come to his end.


text:
For when the sun comes up with its burning heat, the grass gets dry and the grace of its form is gone with the falling flower; so the man of wealth comes to nothing in his ways.


text:
There is a blessing on the man who undergoes testing; because, if he has God's approval, he will be given the crown of life, which the Lord has said he will give to those who have love for him.


text:
Let no man say when he is tested, I am tested by God; for it is not possible for God to be tested by evil, and he himself puts no man to such a test:


text:
Then when its time comes, desire gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is of full growth, gives birth to death.


text:
Every good and true thing is given to us from heaven, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or any shade made by turning.


text:
Of his purpose he gave us being, by his true word, so that we might be, in a sense, the first-fruits of all the things which he had made.


text:
You have knowledge of this, dear brothers. But let every man be quick in hearing, slow in words, slow to get angry;


text:
For this reason, putting away all dirty behaviour and the overweight of evil, take into your souls without pride the word which, being planted there, is able to give you salvation.


text:
Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a glass;


text:
For after looking at himself he goes away, and in a short time he has no memory of what he was like.


text:
But he who goes on looking into the true law which makes him free, being not a hearer without memory but a doer putting it into effect, this man will have a blessing on his acts.


text:
If a man seems to have religion and has no control over his tongue but lets himself be tricked by what is false, this man's religion is of no value.


text:
The religion which is holy and free from evil in the eyes of our God and Father is this: to take care of children who have no fathers and of widows who are in trouble, and to keep oneself untouched by the world.


text:
My brothers, if you have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, do not take a man's position into account.


text:
For if a man comes into your Synagogue in fair clothing and with a gold ring, and a poor man comes in with dirty clothing,


text:
And you do honour to the man in fair clothing and say, Come here and take this good place; and you say to the poor man, Take up your position there, or be seated at my feet;


text:
Give ear, my dear brothers; are not those who are poor in the things of this world marked out by God to have faith as their wealth, and for their heritage the kingdom which he has said he will give to those who have love for him?


text:
But you have put the poor man to shame. Are not the men of wealth rulers over you? do they not take you by force before their judges?


text:
But if you keep the greatest law of all, as it is given in the holy Writings, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself, you do well:


text:
But if you take a man's position into account, you do evil, and are judged as evil-doers by the law.


text:
For anyone who keeps all the law, but makes a slip in one point, is judged to have gone against it all.


text:
For he who said, Do not be untrue in married life, is the same who said, Put no man to death. Now if you are not untrue in married life, but you put a man to death, the law is broken.


text:
For the man who has had no mercy will be judged without mercy, but mercy takes pride in overcoming judging.


text:
What use is it, my brothers, for a man to say that he has faith, if he does nothing? will such a faith give him salvation?


text:
And one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warm and full of food; but you do not give them the things of which their bodies have need, what profit is there in this?


text:
But a man may say, You have faith and I have works; let me see your faith without your works, and I will make my faith clear to you by my works.


text:
You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear.


text:
Was not the righteousness of Abraham our father judged by his works, when he made an offering of Isaac his son on the altar?


text:
And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness; and he was named the friend of God.


text:
And in the same way, was not the righteousness of Rahab, the loose woman, judged by her works, when she took into her house those who were sent and let them go out by another way?


text:
For we all go wrong in a number of things. If a man never makes a slip in his talk, then he is a complete man and able to keep all his body in control.


text:
Now if we put bits of iron into horses' mouths so that they may be guided by us, we have complete control of their bodies.


text:
And again ships, though they are so great and are moved by violent winds, are turned by a very small guiding-blade, at the impulse of the man who is using it.


text:
Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, but it takes credit for great things. How much wood may be lighted by a very little fire!


text:
And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell.


text:
For every sort of beast and bird and every living thing on earth and in the sea has been controlled by man and is under his authority;


text:
But the tongue may not be controlled by man; it is an unresting evil, it is full of the poison of death.


text:
With it we give praise to our Lord and Father; and with it we put a curse on men who are made in God's image.


text:
Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not right for these things to be so.


text:
Is a fig-tree able to give us olives, my brothers, or do we get figs from a vine, or sweet water from the salt sea?


text:
But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true.


text:
For where envy is, and the desire to get the better of others, there is no order, but every sort of evil-doing.


text:
But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is.


text:
What is the cause of wars and fighting among you? is it not in your desires which are at war in your bodies?


text:
You are burning with desire, and have not your desire, so you put men to death; you are full of envy, and you are not able to get your desire, so you are fighting and making war; you have not your desire, because you do not make request for it.


text:
You make your request but you do not get it, because your request has been wrongly made, desiring the thing only so that you may make use of it for your pleasure.


text:
O you who are false to God, do you not see that the friends of this world are not God's friends? Every man desiring to be a friend of this world makes himself a hater of God.


text:
Or does it seem to you that it is for nothing that the holy Writings say, The spirit which God put into our hearts has a strong desire for us?


text:
But he gives more grace. So that the Writings say, God is against the men of pride, but he gives grace to those who make themselves low before him.


text:
For this cause be ruled by God; but make war on the Evil One and he will be put to flight before you.


text:
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Make your hands clean, you evil-doers; put away deceit from your hearts, you false in mind.


text:
Do not say evil against one another, my brothers. He who says evil against his brother or makes himself his brother's judge, says evil against the law and is judging the law: and in judging the law you become, not a doer of the law but a judge.


text:
There is only one judge and law-giver, even he who has the power of salvation and of destruction; but who are you to be your neighbour's judge?


text:
How foolish it is to say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this town, and be there for a year and do business there and get wealth:


text:
When you are not certain what will take place tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist, which is seen for a little time and then is gone.


text:
But the right thing to say would be, If it is the Lord's pleasure and if we are still living, we will do this and that.


text:
Come now, you men of wealth, give yourselves to weeping and crying because of the bitter troubles which are coming to you.


text:
Your gold and your silver are wasted and their waste will be a witness against you, burning into your flesh. You have put by your store in the last days.


text:
See, the money which you falsely kept back from the workers cutting the grass in your field, is crying out against you; and the cries of those who took in your grain have come to the ears of the Lord of armies.


text:
You have been living delicately on earth and have taken your pleasure; you have made your hearts fat for a day of destruction.


text:
You have given your decision against the upright man and have put him to death. He puts up no fight against you.


text:
Go on waiting calmly, my brothers, till the coming of the Lord, like the farmer waiting for the good fruit of the earth till the early and late rains have come.


text:
Say no hard things against one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged; see, the judge is waiting at the doors.


text:
Take as an example of pain nobly undergone and of strength in trouble, the prophets who gave to men the words of the Lord.


text:
We say that those men who have gone through pain are happy: you have the story of Job and the troubles through which he went and have seen that the Lord was full of pity and mercy in the end.


text:
But most of all, my brothers, do not take oaths, not by the heaven, or by the earth, or by any other thing: but let your Yes be Yes, and your No be No: so that you may not be judged.


text:
Is anyone among you ill? let him send for the rulers of the church; and let them say prayers over him, putting oil on him in the name of the Lord.


text:
And by the prayer of faith the man who is ill will be made well, and he will be lifted up by the Lord, and for any sin which he has done he will have forgiveness.


text:
So then, make a statement of your sins to one another, and say prayers for one another so that you may be made well. The prayer of a good man is full of power in its working.


text:
Elijah was a man of flesh and blood as we are, and he made a strong prayer that there might be no rain; and there was no rain on the earth for three years and six months.


text:
My brothers, if one of you has gone out of the way of the true faith and another has made him see his error,


text:
Be certain that he through whom a sinner has been turned from the error of his way, keeps a soul from death and is the cause of forgiveness for sins without number.


text:
Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the saints who are living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,


text:
Who, through the purpose of God, have been made holy by the Spirit, disciples of Jesus, made clean by his blood: May you have grace and peace in full measure.


text:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through his great mercy has given us a new birth and a living hope by the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead,


text:
Who, by the power of God are kept, through faith, for that salvation, which will be seen at the last day.


text:
You have cause for great joy in this, though it may have been necessary for you to be troubled for a little time, being tested in all sorts of ways,


text:
So that the true metal of your faith, being of much greater value than gold (which, though it comes to an end, is tested by fire), may come to light in praise and glory and honour, at the revelation of Jesus Christ:


text:
To whom your love is given, though you have not seen him; and the faith which you have in him, though you do not see him now, gives you joy greater than words and full of glory:


text:
For the prophets who gave the news of the grace which would come to you, made search with all care for knowledge of this salvation;


text:
Attempting to see what sort of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them was pointing to, when it gave witness to the pains which Christ would undergo and the glories which would come after them.


text:
And it was made clear to those prophets that they were God's servants not for themselves but for you, to give you word of the things which have now come to your ears from the preachers of the good news through the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; things which even angels have a desire to see.


text:
So make your minds ready, and keep on the watch, hoping with all your power for the grace which is to come to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;


text:
Like children ruled by God, do not go back to the old desires of the time when you were without knowledge:


text:
And if you give the name of Father to him who, judging every man by his acts, has no respect for a man's position, then go in fear while you are on this earth:


text:
Being conscious that you have been made free from that foolish way of life which was your heritage from your fathers, not through a payment of things like silver or gold which come to destruction,


text:
Who was marked out by God before the making of the world, but was caused to be seen in these last times for you,


text:
Who through him have faith in God who took him up again from the dead into glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.


text:
And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:


text:
Because you have had a new birth, not from the seed of man, but from eternal seed, through the word of a living and unchanging God.


text:
For it is said, All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass becomes dry and the flower dead:


text:
Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers' breasts, so that you may go on to salvation;


text:
You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.


text:
Because it is said in the Writings, See, I am placing a keystone in Zion, of great and special value; and the man who has faith in him will not be put to shame.


text:
And the value is for you who have faith; but it is said for those without faith, The very stone which the builders put on one side, was made the chief stone of the building;


text:
And, A stone of falling, a rock of trouble; the word is the cause of their fall, because they go against it, and this was the purpose of God.


text:
But you are a special people, a holy nation, priests and kings, a people given up completely to God, so that you may make clear the virtues of him who took you out of the dark into the light of heaven.


text:
In the past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; then there was no mercy for you, but now mercy has been given to you.


text:
My loved ones, I make this request with all my heart, that, as those for whom this world is a strange country, you will keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh which make war against the soul;


text:
Being of good behaviour among the Gentiles; so that though they say now that you are evil-doers, they may see your good works and give glory to God when he comes to be their judge.


text:
And those of the rulers who are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of those who do well.


text:
Because it is God's pleasure that foolish and narrow-minded men may be put to shame by your good behaviour:


text:
As those who are free, not using your free position as a cover for wrongdoing, but living as the servants of God;


text:
Servants, take orders from your masters with all respect; not only if they are good and gentle, but even if they are bad-humoured.


text:
For it is a sign of grace if a man, desiring to do right in the eyes of God, undergoes pain as punishment for something which he has not done.


text:
What credit is it if, when you have done evil, you take your punishment quietly? but if you are given punishment for doing right, and take it quietly, this is pleasing to God.


text:
This is God's purpose for you: because Jesus himself underwent punishment for you, giving you an example, so that you might go in his footsteps:


text:
To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:


text:
He took our sins on himself, giving his body to be nailed on the tree, so that we, being dead to sin, might have a new life in righteousness, and by his wounds we have been made well.


text:
Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way; but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.


text:
Wives, be ruled by your husbands; so that even if some of them give no attention to the word, their hearts may be changed by the behaviour of their wives,


text:
Do not let your ornaments be those of the body such as dressing of the hair, or putting on of jewels of gold or fair clothing;


text:
But let them be those of the unseen man of the heart, the ever-shining ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the eyes of God.


text:
And these were the ornaments of the holy women of the past, whose hope was in God, being ruled by their husbands:


text:
As Sarah was ruled by Abraham, naming him lord; whose children you are if you do well, and are not put in fear by any danger.


text:
And you husbands, give thought to your way of life with your wives, giving honour to the woman who is the feebler vessel, but who has an equal part in the heritage of the grace of life; so that you may not be kept from prayer.


text:
Last of all, see that you are all in agreement; feeling for one another, loving one another like brothers, full of pity, without pride:


text:
Not giving back evil for evil, or curse for curse, but in place of cursing, blessing; because this is the purpose of God for you that you may have a heritage of blessing.


text:
For it is said, Let the man who has a love of life, desiring to see good days, keep his tongue from evil and his lips from words of deceit:


text:
And let him be turned from evil and do good; searching for peace and going after it with all his heart.


text:
For the eyes of the Lord are on the upright, and his ears are open to their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.


text:
But you are happy if you undergo pain because of righteousness; have no part in their fear and do not be troubled;


text:
But give honour to Christ in your hearts as your Lord; and be ready at any time when you are questioned about the hope which is in you, to give an answer in the fear of the Lord and without pride;


text:
Being conscious that you have done no wrong; so that those who say evil things about your good way of life as Christians may be put to shame.


text:
Because if it is God's purpose for you to undergo pain, it is better to do so for well-doing than for evil-doing.


text:
Because Christ once went through pain for sins, the upright one taking the place of sinners, so that through him we might come back to God; being put to death in the flesh, but given life in the Spirit;


text:
Who, in the days of Noah, went against God's orders; but God in his mercy kept back the punishment, while Noah got ready the ark, in which a small number, that is to say eight persons, got salvation through water:


text:
And baptism, of which this is an image, now gives you salvation, not by washing clean the flesh, but by making you free from the sense of sin before God, through the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead;


text:
Who has gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been put under his rule.


text:
So that as Jesus was put to death in the flesh, do you yourselves be of the same mind; for the death of the flesh puts an end to sin;


text:
So that you may give the rest of your lives in the flesh, not to the desires of men, but to the purpose of God.


text:
Because for long enough, in times past, we have been living after the way of the Gentiles, given up to the desires of the flesh, to drinking and feasting and loose behaviour and unclean worship of images;


text:
And they are wondering that you no longer go with them in this violent wasting of life, and are saying evil things of you:


text:
But they will have to give an account of themselves to him who is ready to be the judge of the living and the dead.


text:
For this was the reason why the good news of Jesus was given even to the dead, so that they might be judged as men in the flesh, but might be living before God in the spirit.


text:
But the end of all things is near: so be serious in your behaviour and keep on the watch with prayer;


text:
And most of all be warm in your love for one another; because in love there is forgiveness for sins without number:


text:
Making distribution among one another of whatever has been given to you, like true servants of the unmeasured grace of God;


text:
If anyone has anything to say, let it be as the words of God; if anyone has the desire to be the servant of others, let him do it in the strength which is given by God; so that in all things God may have the glory through Jesus Christ, whose are the glory and the power for ever.


text:
Dear brothers, do not be surprised, as if it was something strange, if your faith is tested as by fire:


text:
But be glad that you are given a part in the pains of Christ; so that at the revelation of his glory you may have great joy.


text:
If men say evil things of you because of the name of Christ, happy are you; for the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you.


text:
Let no one among you undergo punishment as a taker of life, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as one who is over-interested in other men's business;


text:
But if he undergoes punishment as a Christian, that is no shame to him; let him give glory to God in this name.


text:
For the time has come for the judging, starting with the church of God; but if it makes a start with us, what will be the end of those who are not under the rule of God?


text:
And if it is hard for even the good man to get salvation, what chance has the man without religion or the sinner?


text:
For this reason let those who by the purpose of God undergo punishment, keep on in well-doing and put their souls into the safe hands of their Maker.


text:
I who am myself one of the rulers of the church, and a witness of the death of Christ, having my part in the coming glory, send this serious request to the chief men among you:


text:
Keep watch over the flock of God which is in your care, using your authority, not as forced to do so, but gladly; and not for unclean profit but with a ready mind;


text:
And in the same way, let the younger men be ruled by the older ones. Let all of you put away pride and make yourselves ready to be servants: for God is a hater of pride, but he gives grace to those who make themselves low.


text:
For this cause make yourselves low under the strong hand of God, so that when the time comes you may be lifted up;


text:
Be serious and keep watch; the Evil One, who is against you, goes about like a lion with open mouth in search of food;


text:
Do not give way to him but be strong in your faith, in the knowledge that your brothers who are in the world undergo the same troubles.


text:
And after you have undergone pain for a little time, the God of all grace who has given you a part in his eternal glory through Christ Jesus, will himself give you strength and support, and make you complete in every good thing;


text:
I have sent you this short letter by Silvanus, a true brother, in my opinion; comforting you and witnessing that this is the true grace of God; keep to it.


text:
She who is in Babylon, who has a part with you in the purpose of God, sends you her love; and so does my son Mark.


text:
Simon Peter, a servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who with us have a part in the same holy faith in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:


text:
Because by his power he has given us everything necessary for life and righteousness, through the knowledge of him who has been our guide by his glory and virtue;


text:
And through this he has given us the hope of great rewards highly to be valued; so that by them we might have our part in God's being, and be made free from the destruction which is in the world through the desires of the flesh.


text:
For if you have these things in good measure, they will make you fertile and full of fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
For the man who has not these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having no memory of how he was made clean from his old sins.


text:
For this reason, my brothers, take all the more care to make your selection and approval certain; for if you do these things you will never have a fall:


text:
For this reason I will be ready at all times to keep your memory of these things awake, though you have the knowledge of them now and are well based in your present faith.


text:
And it seems right to me, as long as I am in this tent of flesh, to keep your minds awake by working on your memory;


text:
For I am conscious that in a short time I will have to put off this tent of flesh, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.


text:
For when we gave you news of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our teaching was not based on stories put together by art, but we were eye-witnesses of his glory.


text:
For God the Father gave him honour and glory, when such a voice came to him out of the great glory, saying, This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased.


text:
And so the words of the prophets are made more certain; and it is well for you to give attention to them as to a light shining in a dark place, till the dawn comes and the morning star is seen in your hearts;


text:
Being conscious in the first place that no man by himself may give a special sense to the words of the prophets.


text:
For these words did not ever come through the impulse of men: but the prophets had them from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.


text:
But there were false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly put forward wrong teachings for your destruction, even turning away from the Lord who gave himself for them; whose destruction will come quickly, and they themselves will be the cause of it.


text:
And a great number will go with them in their evil ways, through whom the true way will have a bad name.


text:
And in their desire for profit they will come to you with words of deceit, like traders doing business in souls: whose punishment has been ready for a long time and their destruction is watching for them.


text:
For if God did not have pity for the angels who did evil, but sent them down into hell, to be kept in chains of eternal night till they were judged;


text:
And did not have mercy on the world which then was, but only kept safe Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he let loose the waters over the world of the evil-doers;


text:
And sent destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah, burning them up with fire as an example to those whose way of life might in the future be unpleasing to him;


text:
(Because the soul of that upright man living among them was pained from day to day by seeing and hearing their crimes):


text:
The Lord is able to keep the upright safe in the time of testing, and to keep evil-doers under punishment till the day of judging;


text:
But specially those who go after the unclean desires of the flesh, and make sport of authority. Ready to take chances, uncontrolled, they have no fear of saying evil of those in high places:


text:
Though the angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not make use of violent language against them before the Lord.


text:
But these men, like beasts without reason, whose natural use is to be taken and put to death, crying out against things of which they have no knowledge, will undergo that same destruction which they are designing for others;


text:
For the evil which overtakes them is the reward of their evil-doing: such men take their pleasure in the delights of the flesh even in the daytime; they are like the marks of a disease, like poisoned wounds among you, feasting together with you in joy;


text:
Having eyes full of evil desire, never having enough of sin; turning feeble souls out of the true way; they are children of cursing, whose hearts are well used to bitter envy;


text:
Turning out of the true way, they have gone wandering in error, after the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who was pleased to take payment for wrongdoing;


text:
But his wrongdoing was pointed out to him: an ass, talking with a man's voice, put a stop to the error of the prophet.


text:
These are fountains without water, and mists before a driving storm; for whom the eternal night is kept in store.


text:
For with high-sounding false words, making use of the attraction of unclean desires of the flesh, they get into their power those newly made free from those who are living in error;


text:
Saying that they will be free, while they themselves are the servants of destruction; because whatever gets the better of a man makes a servant of him.


text:
For if, after they have got free from the unclean things of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again taken in the net and overcome, their last condition is worse than their first.


text:
For it would have been better for them to have had no knowledge of the way of righteousness, than to go back again from the holy law which was given to them, after having knowledge of it.


text:
They are an example of that true saying, The dog has gone back to the food it had put out, and the pig which had been washed to its rolling in the dirty earth.


text:
My loved ones, this is now my second letter to you, and in this as in the first, I am attempting to keep your true minds awake;


text:
So that you may keep in mind the words of the holy prophets in the past, and the law of the Lord and Saviour which was given to you by his Apostles.


text:
Having first of all the knowledge that in the last days there will be men who, ruled by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things,


text:
Saying, Where is the hope of his coming? From the death of the fathers till now everything has gone on as it was from the making of the world.


text:
But in taking this view they put out of their minds the memory that in the old days there was a heaven, and an earth lifted out of the water and circled by water, by the word of God;


text:
But the present heaven and the present earth have been kept for destruction by fire, which is waiting for them on the day of the judging and destruction of evil men.


text:
But, my loved ones, keep in mind this one thing, that with the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years are no more than one day.


text:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his word, as he seems to some, but he is waiting in mercy for you, not desiring the destruction of any, but that all may be turned from their evil ways.


text:
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; and in that day the heavens will be rolled up with a great noise, and the substance of the earth will be changed by violent heat, and the world and everything in it will be burned up.


text:
Seeing then that all these things are coming to such an end, what sort of persons is it right for you to be, in all holy behaviour and righteousness,


text:
Looking for and truly desiring the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will come to an end through fire, and the substance of the earth will be changed by the great heat?


text:
But having faith in his word, we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, which will be the resting-place of righteousness.


text:
For this reason, my loved ones, as you are looking for these things, take great care that when he comes you may be in peace before him, free from sin and every evil thing.


text:
And be certain that the long waiting of the Lord is for salvation; even as our brother Paul has said in his letters to you, from the wisdom which was given to him;


text:
And as he said in all his letters, which had to do with these things; in which are some hard sayings, so that, like the rest of the holy Writings, they are twisted by those who are uncertain and without knowledge, to the destruction of their souls.


text:
For this reason, my loved ones, having knowledge of these things before they take place, take care that you are not turned away by the error of the uncontrolled, so falling from your true faith.


text:
But be increased in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May he have glory now and for ever. So be it.


text:
That which was from the first, which has come to our ears, and which we have seen with our eyes, looking on it and touching it with our hands, about the Word of life


text:
(And the life was made clear to us, and we have seen it and are witnessing to it and giving you word of that eternal life which was with the Father and was seen by us);


text:
We give you word of all we have seen and everything which has come to our ears, so that you may be united with us; and we are united with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ:


text:
This is the word which came to us from him and which we give to you, that God is light and in him there is nothing dark.


text:
If we say we are joined to him, and are walking still in the dark, our words are false and our acts are untrue:


text:
But if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, we are all united with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son makes us clean from all sin.


text:
If we say openly that we have done wrong, he is upright and true to his word, giving us forgiveness of sins and making us clean from all evil.


text:
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may be without sin. And if any man is a sinner, we have a friend and helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright one:


text:
The man who says, I have knowledge of him, and does not keep his laws, is false, and there is nothing true in him:


text:
But in every man who keeps his word, the love of God is made complete. By this we may be certain that we are in him:


text:
My loved ones, I do not give you a new law, but an old law which you had from the first; this old law is the word which came to your ears.


text:
Again, I give you a new law, which is true in him and in you; for the night is near its end and the true light is even now shining out.


text:
He who says that he is in the light, and has hate in his heart for his brother, is still in the dark.


text:
But he who has hate for his brother is in the dark, walking in the dark with no knowledge of where he is going, unable to see because of the dark.


text:
I am writing to you, fathers, because you have knowledge of him who was from the first. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the Evil One. I have sent a letter to you, children, because you have knowledge of the Father.


text:
I have sent a letter to you, fathers, because you have knowledge of him who was from the first. I have sent a letter to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God is in you, and because you have overcome the Evil One.


text:
Have no love for the world or for the things which are in the world. If any man has love for the world, the love of the Father is not in him.


text:
Because everything in the world, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but of the world.


text:
And the world and its desires is coming to an end: but he who does God's pleasure is living for ever.


text:
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you were given word that the Antichrist would come, so now a number of Antichrists have come to you; and by this we are certain that it is the last hour.


text:
They went out from us but they were not of us; if they had been of us they would still be with us: but they went out from us so that it might be made clear that they were not of us.


text:
I have not sent you this letter because you have no knowledge of what is true, but because you have knowledge, and because that which is false has nothing in common with that which is true.


text:
Who is false but he who says that Jesus is not the Christ? He is the Antichrist who has no belief in the Father or the Son.


text:
He who has no belief in the Son has not the Father: he who makes clear his belief in the Son has the Father.


text:
But as for you, keep in your hearts the things which were made clear to you from the first. If you keep these things in your hearts you will be kept in the Father and the Son.


text:
I am writing these things to you about those whose purpose is that you may be turned out of the true way.


text:
As for you, the Spirit which he gave you is still in you, and you have no need of any teacher; but as his Spirit gives you teaching about all things, and is true and not false, so keep your hearts in him, through the teaching which he has given you.


text:
And now, my children, keep your hearts in him; so that at his revelation, we may have no fear or shame before him at his coming.


text:
If you have knowledge that he is upright, it is clear to you that everyone who does righteousness is his offspring.


text:
See what great love the Father has given us in naming us the children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not see who we are, because it did not see who he was.


text:
My loved ones, now we are children of God, and at present it is not clear what we are to be. We are certain that at his revelation we will be like him; for we will see him as he is.


text:
Anyone who is in him does no sin; anyone who is a sinner has not seen him and has no knowledge of him.


text:
My little children, let no man take you out of the true way: he who does righteousness is upright, even as he is upright;


text:
The sinner is a child of the Evil One; for the Evil One has been a sinner from the first. And the Son of God was seen on earth so that he might put an end to the works of the Evil One.


text:
Anyone who is a child of God does no sin, because he still has God's seed in him; he is not able to be a sinner, because God is his Father.


text:
In this way it is clear who are the children of God and who are the children of the Evil One; anyone who does not do righteousness or who has no love for his brother, is not a child of God.


text:
Because this is the word which was given to you from the first, that we are to have love for one another;


text:
Not being of the Evil One like Cain, who put his brother to death. And why did he put him to death? Because his works were evil and his brother's works were good.


text:
We are conscious that we have come out of death into life because of our love for the brothers. He who has no love is still in death.


text:
Anyone who has hate for his brother is a taker of life, and you may be certain that no taker of life has eternal life in him.


text:
In this we see what love is, because he gave his life for us; and it is right for us to give our lives for the brothers.


text:
But if a man has this world's goods, and sees that his brother is in need, and keeps his heart shut against his brother, how is it possible for the love of God to be in him?


text:
My little children, do not let our love be in word and in tongue, but let it be in act and in good faith.


text:
When our heart says that we have done wrong; because God is greater than our heart, and has knowledge of all things.


text:
And he gives us all our requests, because we keep his laws and do the things which are pleasing in his eyes.


text:
And this is his law, that we have faith in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love for one another, even as he said to us.


text:
He who keeps his laws is in God and God is in him. And the Spirit which he gave us is our witness that he is in us.


text:
My loved ones, do not put your faith in every spirit, but put them to the test, to see if they are from God: because a great number of false prophets have gone out into the world.


text:
By this you may have knowledge of the Spirit of God: every spirit which says that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God:


text:
And every spirit which does not say this is not from God: this is the spirit of Antichrist, of which you have had word; and it is in the world even now.


text:
You are of God, my little children, and you have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.


text:
We are of God: he who has the knowledge of God gives ear to us; he who is not of God does not give ear to us. By this we may see which is the true spirit, and which is the spirit of error.


text:
My loved ones, let us have love for one another: because love is of God, and everyone who has love is a child of God and has knowledge of God.


text:
And the love of God was made clear to us when he sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.


text:
And this is love, not that we had love for God, but that he had love for us, and sent his Son to be an offering for our sins.


text:
No man has ever seen God: if we have love for one another, God is in us and his love is made complete in us:


text:
And we have seen and had faith in the love which God has for us. God is love, and everyone who has love is in God, and God is in him.


text:
In this way love is made complete in us, so that we may be without fear on the day of judging, because as he is, so are we in this world.


text:
There is no fear in love: true love has no room for fear, because where fear is, there is pain; and he who is not free from fear is not complete in love.


text:
If a man says, I have love for God, and has hate for his brother, his words are false: for how is the man who has no love for his brother whom he has seen, able to have love for God whom he has not seen?


text:
And this is the word which we have from him, that he who has love for God is to have the same love for his brother.


text:
Everyone who has faith that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God: and everyone who has love for the Father has love for his child.


text:
In this way, we are certain that we have love for the children of God, when we have love for God and keep his laws.


text:
Anything which comes from God is able to overcome the world: and the power by which we have overcome the world is our faith.


text:
This is he who came by water and by blood, Jesus Christ; not by water only but by water and by blood.


text:
If we take the witness of men to be true, the witness of God is greater: because this is the witness which God has given about his Son.


text:
He who has faith in the Son of God has the witness in himself: he who has not faith in God makes him false, because he has not faith in the witness which God has given about his Son.


text:
I have put these things in writing for you who have faith in the name of the Son of God, so that you may be certain that you have eternal life.


text:
And we are certain that if we make any request to him which is right in his eyes, he will give ear to us:


text:
And if we are certain that he gives ear to all our requests, we are equally certain that we will get our requests.


text:
If a man sees his brother doing a sin which is not bad enough for death, let him make a prayer to God, and God will give life to him whose sin was not bad enough for death. There is a sin whose punishment is death: I do not say that he may make such a request then.


text:
We are certain that one who is a child of God will do no sin, but the Son of God keeps him so that he is not touched by the Evil One.


text:
And we are certain that the Son of God has come, and has given us a clear vision, so that we may see 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.


text:
I, a ruler in the church, send word to the noble sister who is of God's selection, and to her children, for whom I have true love; and not only I, but all who have knowledge of what is true;


text:
May grace, mercy, and peace be with us from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in all true love.


text:
It gave me great joy to see some of your children walking in the true way, even as we were ordered to do by the Father.


text:
And now, my sister, I make a request to you, not sending you a new law, but the law which we had from the first, that we have love for one another.


text:
And love is the keeping of his laws. This is the law which was given to you from the first, so that you might keep it.


text:
Because a number of false teachers have gone out into the world, who do not give witness that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Such a one is a false teacher and Antichrist.


text:
Keep watch over yourselves, so that you do not make our work of no effect, but may get your full reward.


text:
Anyone who goes on and does not keep to the teaching of Christ, has not God: he who keeps to the teaching has the Father and the Son.


text:
If anyone comes to you not having this teaching, do not take him into your house or give him words of love:


text:
Having much to say to you, it is not my purpose to put it all down with paper and ink: but I am hoping to come to you, and to have talk with you face to face, so that your joy may be full.


text:
My loved one, it is my prayer that you may do well in all things, and be healthy in body, even as your soul does well.


text:
For it gave me great joy when some of the brothers came and gave witness that you had the true faith and were walking in the true way.


text:
Who have given witness to the church of your love for them: and you will do well to send them on their way well cared for, as is right for servants of God:


text:
So it is right for us to take in such men as guests, so that we may take our part in the work of the true faith.


text:
I sent a letter to the church, but Diotrephes, whose desire is ever to have the first place among them, will not have us there.


text:
So if I come, I will keep in mind the things he does, talking against us with evil words: and as if this was not enough, he does not take the brothers into his house, and those who are ready to take them in, he keeps from doing so, putting them out of the church if they do.


text:
My loved one, do not be copying what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God: he who does evil has not seen God.


text:
Demetrius has the approval of all men and of what is true: and we give the same witness, and you are certain that our witness is true.


text:
But I am hoping to see you in a short time, and to have talk with you face to face. May you have peace. Your friends here send you their love. Give my love to our friends by name.


text:
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James, to those of God's selection who have been made holy by God the Father and are kept safe for Jesus Christ:


text:
My loved ones, while my thoughts were full of a letter which I was going to send you about our common salvation, it was necessary for me to send you one requesting you with all my heart to go on fighting strongly for the faith which has been given to the saints once and for ever.


text:
For certain men have come among you secretly, marked out before in the holy Writings for this evil fate, men without the fear of God, turning his grace into an unclean thing, and false to our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.


text:
Now it is my purpose to put you in mind, though you once had knowledge of all these things, of how the Lord, having taken a people safely out of Egypt, later sent destruction on those who had no faith;


text:
And the angels who did not keep to their kingdom but went out from the place which was theirs, he has put in eternal chains and in dark night till the great day of the judging.


text:
Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the towns near them, having like these, given themselves up to unclean desires and gone after strange flesh, have been made an example, undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.


text:
In the same way these dreamers make the flesh unclean, having no respect for authorities, and say evil of rulers.


text:
Now when Michael, one of the chief angels, was fighting against the Evil One for the body of Moses, fearing to make use of violent words against him, he only said, May the Lord be your judge.


text:
But these men say evil about such things as they have no knowledge of; and the things of which they have natural knowledge, like beasts without reason, are the cause of their destruction.


text:
A curse on them! They have gone in the way of Cain, running uncontrolled into the error of Balaam for reward, and have come to destruction by saying evil against the Lord, like Korah.


text:
These men are unseen rocks at your love-feasts, when they take part in them with you, keepers of sheep who without fear take the food of the sheep; clouds without water rushing before the wind, wasted trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots,


text:
Violent waves of the sea, streaming with their shame, wandering stars for whom the darkest night is kept in store for ever.


text:
The prophet Enoch, who was the seventh after Adam, said of these men, The Lord came with tens of thousands of his saints,


text:
To be the judge of all, and to give a decision against all those whose lives are unpleasing to him, because of the evil acts which they have done, and because of all the hard things which sinners without fear of God have said against him.


text:
These are the men who make trouble, ever desiring change, going after evil pleasures, using high-sounding words, respecting men's position in the hope of reward.


text:
But you, my loved ones, keep in memory the words which were said before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,


text:
How they said to you, In the last days there will be men who, guided by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things.


text:
But you, my loved ones, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, and making prayers in the Holy Spirit,


text:
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for life eternal through the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
And to some give salvation, pulling them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the clothing which is made unclean by the flesh.


text:
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to give you a place in his glory, free from all evil, with great joy,


text:
To the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, let us give glory and honour and authority and power, before all time and now and for ever. So be it.


text:
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an Apostle by the selection of God, given authority as a preacher of the good news,


text:
But was marked out as Son of God in power by the Holy Spirit through the coming to life again of the dead; Jesus Christ our Lord,


text:
Through whom grace has been given to us, sending us out to make disciples to the faith among all nations, for his name:


text:
To all those who are in Rome, loved by God, marked out as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
First of all, I give praise to my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because news of your faith has gone into all the world.


text:
For God is my witness, whose servant I am in spirit in the good news of his Son, that you are at all times in my memory and in my prayers,


text:
For I have a strong desire to see you, and to give you some grace of the spirit, so that you may be made strong;


text:
You may be certain, my brothers, that it has frequently been in my mind to come to you (but till now I was kept from it), so that I might have some fruit from you in the same way as I have had it from the other nations.


text:
For which reason I have the desire, as far as I am able, to give the knowledge of the good news to you who are in Rome.


text:
For I have no feeling of shame about the good news, because it is the power of God giving salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first, and then to the Greek.


text:
For in it there is the revelation of the righteousness of God from faith to faith: as it is said in the holy Writings, The man who does righteousness will be living by his faith.


text:
For there is a revelation of the wrath of God from heaven against all the wrongdoing and evil thoughts of men who keep down what is true by wrongdoing;


text:
For from the first making of the world, those things of God which the eye is unable to see, that is, his eternal power and existence, are fully made clear, he having given the knowledge of them through the things which he has made, so that men have no reason for wrongdoing:


text:
Because, having the knowledge of God, they did not give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense, were made dark.


text:
And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and things which go on the earth.


text:
For this reason God gave them up to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies with one another:


text:
Because by them the true word of God was changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honour to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it.


text:
For this reason God gave them up to evil passions, and their women were changing the natural use into one which is unnatural:


text:
And in the same way the men gave up the natural use of the woman and were burning in their desire for one another, men doing shame with men, and getting in their bodies the right reward of their evil-doing.


text:
And because they had not the mind to keep God in their knowledge, God gave them up to an evil mind, to do those things which are not right;


text:
Being full of all wrongdoing, evil, desire for the goods of others, hate, envy, putting to death, fighting, deceit, cruel ways, evil talk, and false statements about others;


text:
Hated by God, full of pride, without respect, full of loud talk, given to evil inventions, not honouring father or mother,


text:
Who, though they have knowledge of the law of God, that the fate of those who do these things is death, not only go on doing these things themselves, but give approval to those who do them.


text:
So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things.


text:
But you who are judging another for doing what you do yourself, are you hoping that God's decision will not take effect against you?


text:
Or is it nothing to you that God had pity on you, waiting and putting up with you for so long, not seeing that in his pity God's desire is to give you a change of heart?


text:
But by your hard and unchanged heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of the revelation of God's judging in righteousness;


text:
To those who go on with good works in the hope of glory and honour and salvation from death, he will give eternal life:


text:
But to those who, from a love of competition, are not guided by what is true, will come the heat of his wrath,


text:
All those who have done wrong without the law will get destruction without the law: and those who have done wrong under the law will have their punishment by the law;


text:
For it is not the hearers of the law who will be judged as having righteousness before God, but only the doers:


text:
For when the Gentiles without the law have a natural desire to do the things in the law, they are a law to themselves;


text:
Because the work of the law is seen in their hearts, their sense of right and wrong giving witness to it, while their minds are at one time judging them and at another giving them approval;


text:
In the day when God will be a judge of the secrets of men, as it says in the good news of which I am a preacher, through Jesus Christ.


text:
And have knowledge of his desires, and are a judge of the things which are different, having the learning of the law,


text:
You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours?


text:
You who say that a man may not be untrue to his wife, are you true to yours? you who are a hater of images, do you do wrong to the house of God?


text:
You who take pride in the law, are you doing wrong to the honour of God by behaviour which is against the law?


text:
For the name of God is shamed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is said in the holy Writings.


text:
It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not.


text:
If those who have not circumcision keep the rules of the law, will it not be credited to them as circumcision?


text:
And they, by their keeping of the law without circumcision, will be judges of you, by whom the law is broken though you have the letter of the law and circumcision.


text:
The true Jew is not one who is only so publicly, and circumcision is not that which may be seen in the flesh:


text:
But he is a Jew who is a secret one, whose circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.


text:
In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged.


text:
But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)?


text:
But if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner?


text:
Let us not do evil so that good may come (a statement which we are falsely said by some to have made), because such behaviour will have its right punishment.


text:
What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin;


text:
They have all gone out of the way, there is no profit in any of them; there is not one who does good, not so much as one:


text:
Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips:


text:
Now, we have knowledge that what the law says is for those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all men may be judged by God:


text:
Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.


text:
But now without the law there is a revelation of the righteousness of God, to which witness is given by the law and the prophets;


text:
That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another,


text:
And they may have righteousness put to their credit, freely, by his grace, through the salvation which is in Christ Jesus:


text:
Whom God has put forward as the sign of his mercy, through faith, by his blood, to make clear his righteousness when, in his pity, God let the sins of earlier times go without punishment;


text:
And to make clear his righteousness now, so that he might himself be upright, and give righteousness to him who has faith in Jesus.


text:
What reason, then, is there for pride? It is shut out. By what sort of law? of works? No, but by a law of faith.


text:
If God is one; and he will give righteousness because of faith to those who have circumcision, and through faith to those who have not circumcision.


text:
Do we, then, through faith make the law of no effect? in no way: but we make it clear that the law is important.


text:
But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.


text:
But to him who without working has faith in him who gives righteousness to the evil-doer, his faith is put to his account as righteousness.


text:
As David says that there is a blessing on the man to whose account God puts righteousness without works, saying,


text:
Is this blessing, then, for the circumcision only, or in the same way for those who have not circumcision? for we say that the faith of Abraham was put to his account as righteousness.


text:
How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it:


text:
And he was given the sign of circumcision as a witness of the faith which he had before he underwent circumcision: so that he might be the father of all those who have faith, though they have not circumcision, and so that righteousness might be put to their account;


text:
And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision.


text:
For God's word, that the earth would be his heritage, was given to Abraham, not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.


text:
For if they who are of the law are the people who get the heritage, then faith is made of no use, and the word of God has no power;


text:
For this reason it is of faith, so that it may be through grace; and so that the word of God may be certain to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,


text:
(As it is said in the holy Writings, I have made you a father of a number of nations) before him in whom he had faith, that is, God, who gives life to the dead, and to whom the things which are not are as if they were.


text:
Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be.


text:
And not being feeble in faith though his body seemed to him little better than dead (he being about a hundred years old) and Sarah was no longer able to have children:


text:
Still, he did not give up faith in the undertaking of God, but was made strong by faith, giving glory to God,


text:
But for us in addition, to whose account it will be put, if we have faith in him who made Jesus our Lord come back again from the dead,


text:
Who was put to death for our evil-doing, and came to life again so that we might have righteousness.


text:
For which reason, because we have righteousness through faith, let us be at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;


text:
Through whom, in the same way, we have been able by faith to come to this grace in which we now are; and let us have joy in hope of the glory of God.


text:
And not only so, but let us have joy in our troubles: in the knowledge that trouble gives us the power of waiting;


text:
And hope does not put to shame; because our hearts are full of the love of God through the Holy Spirit which is given to us.


text:
Now it is hard for anyone to give his life even for an upright man, though it might be that for a good man someone would give his life.


text:
But God has made clear his love to us, in that, when we were still sinners, Christ gave his life for us.


text:
Much more, if we now have righteousness by his blood, will salvation from the wrath of God come to us through him.


text:
For if, when we were haters of God, the death of his Son made us at peace with him, much more, now that we are his friends, will we have salvation through his life;


text:
And not only so, but we have joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we are now at peace with God.


text:
For this reason, as through one man sin came into the world, and death because of sin, and so death came to all men, because all have done evil:


text:
Because, till the law came, sin was in existence, but sin is not put to the account of anyone when there is no law to be broken.


text:
But still death had power from Adam till Moses, even over those who had not done wrong like Adam, who is a picture of him who was to come.


text:
But the free giving of God is not like the wrongdoing of man. For if, by the wrongdoing of one man death came to numbers of men, much more did the grace of God, and the free giving by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, come to men.


text:
And the free giving has not the same effect as the sin of one: for the effect of one man's sin was punishment by the decision of God, but the free giving had power to give righteousness to wrongdoers in great number.


text:
For, if by the wrongdoing of one, death was ruling through the one, much more will those to whom has come the wealth of grace and the giving of righteousness, be ruling in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.


text:
So then, as the effect of one act of wrongdoing was that punishment came on all men, even so the effect of one act of righteousness was righteousness of life for all men.


text:
Because, as numbers of men became sinners through the wrongdoing of one man, even so will great numbers get righteousness through the keeping of the word of God by one man.


text:
And the law came in addition, to make wrongdoing worse; but where there was much sin, there was much more grace:


text:
That, as sin had power in death, so grace might have power through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


text:
Or are you without the knowledge that all we who had baptism into Christ Jesus, had baptism into his death?


text:
We have been placed with him among the dead through baptism into death: so that as Christ came again from the dead by the glory of the Father, we, in the same way, might be living in new life.


text:
For, if we have been made like him in his death, we will, in the same way, be like him in his coming to life again;


text:
Being conscious that our old man was put to death on the cross with him, so that the body of sin might be put away, and we might no longer be servants to sin.


text:
Having knowledge that because Christ has come back from the dead, he will never again go down to the dead; death has no more power over him.


text:
For this cause do not let sin be ruling in your body which is under the power of death, so that you give way to its desires;


text:
And do not give your bodies to sin as the instruments of wrongdoing, but give yourselves to God, as those who are living from the dead, and your bodies as instruments of righteousness to God.


text:
Are you not conscious that you are the servants of him to whom you give yourselves to do his desire? if to sin, the end being death, or if to do the desire of God, the end being righteousness.


text:
But praise be to God that though you were the servants of sin, you have now given yourselves freely to that form of teaching under which you were placed;


text:
I am using words in the way of men, because your flesh is feeble: as you gave your bodies as servants to what is unclean, and to evil to do evil, so now give them as servants to righteousness to do what is holy.


text:
What fruit had you at that time in the things which are now a shame to you? for the end of such things is death.


text:
But now, being free from sin, and having been made servants to God, you have your fruit in that which is holy, and the end is eternal life.


text:
Is it not clear, my brothers (I am using an argument to those who have knowledge of the law), that the law has power over a man as long as he is living?


text:
For the woman who has a husband is placed by the law under the power of her husband as long as he is living; but if her husband is dead, she is free from the law of the husband.


text:
So if, while the husband is living, she is joined to another man, she will get the name of one who is untrue to her husband: but if the husband is dead, she is free from the law, so that she is not untrue, even if she takes another man.


text:
In the same way, my brothers, you were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, even to him who came again from the dead, so that we might give fruit to God.


text:
For when we were in the flesh, the evil passions which came into being through the law were working in our bodies to give the fruit of death.


text:
But now we are free from the law, having been made dead to that which had power over us; so that we are servants in the new way of the spirit, not in the old way of the letter.


text:
What then is to be said? is the law sin? in no way. But I would not have had knowledge of sin but for the law: for I would not have been conscious of desire if the law had not said, You may not have a desire for what is another's.


text:
But sin, taking its chance through that which was ordered by the law, was working in me every form of desire: because without the law sin is dead.


text:
And there was a time when I was living without the law: but when the law gave its orders, sin came to life and put me to death;


text:
Was then that which is good, death to me? In no way. But the purpose was that sin might be seen to be sin by working death to me through that which is good; so that through the orders of the law sin might seem much more evil.


text:
For we are conscious that the law is of the spirit; but I am of the flesh, given into the power of sin.


text:
And I have no clear knowledge of what I am doing, for that which I have a mind to do, I do not, but what I have hate for, that I do.


text:
For I am conscious that in me, that is, in my flesh, there is nothing good: I have the mind but not the power to do what is right.


text:
For the good which I have a mind to do, I do not: but the evil which I have no mind to do, that I do.


text:
But I see another law in my body, working against the law of my mind, and making me the servant of the law of sin which is in my flesh.


text:
I give praise to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So with my mind I am a servant to the law of God, but with my flesh to the law of sin.


text:
For what the law was not able to do because it was feeble through the flesh, God, sending his Son in the image of the evil flesh, and as an offering for sin, gave his decision against sin in the flesh:


text:
So that what was ordered by the law might be done in us, who are living, not in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit.


text:
For those who are living in the way of the flesh give their minds to the things of the flesh, but those who go in the way of the Spirit, to the things of the Spirit.


text:
Because the mind of the flesh is opposite to God; it is not under the law of God, and is not able to be:


text:
You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God is in you. But if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is not one of his.


text:
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.


text:
But if the Spirit of him who made Jesus come again from the dead is in you, he who made Christ Jesus come again from the dead will in the same way, through his Spirit which is in you, give life to your bodies which now are under the power of death.


text:
For if you go in the way of the flesh, death will come on you; but if by the Spirit you put to death the works of the body, you will have life.


text:
For you did not get the spirit of servants again to put you in fear, but the spirit of sons was given to you, by which we say, Abba, Father.


text:
And if we are children, we have a right to a part in the heritage; a part in the things of God, together with Christ; so that if we have a part in his pain, we will in the same way have a part in his glory.


text:
I am of the opinion that there is no comparison between the pain of this present time and the glory which we will see in the future.


text:
For every living thing was put under the power of change, not by its desire, but by him who made it so, in hope


text:
That all living things will be made free from the power of death and will have a part with the free children of God in glory.


text:
And not only so, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we have sorrow in our minds, waiting for the time when we will take our place as sons, that is, the salvation of our bodies.


text:
For our salvation is by hope: but hope which is seen is not hope: for who is hoping for what he sees?


text:
And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say;


text:
And he who is the searcher of hearts has knowledge of the mind of the Spirit, because he is making prayers for the saints in agreement with the mind of God.


text:
And we are conscious that all things are working together for good to those who have love for God, and have been marked out by his purpose.


text:
Because those of whom he had knowledge before they came into existence, were marked out by him to be made like his Son, so that he might be the first among a band of brothers:


text:
And those who were marked out by him were named; and those who were named were given righteousness; and to those to whom he gave righteousness, in the same way he gave glory.


text:
He who did not keep back his only Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not with him freely give us all things?


text:
Who will give a decision against us? It is Christ Jesus who not only was put to death, but came again from the dead, who is now at the right hand of God, taking our part.


text:
Who will come between us and the love of Christ? Will trouble, or pain, or cruel acts, or the need of food or of clothing, or danger, or the sword?


text:
As it is said in the holy Writings, Because of you we are put to death every day; we are like sheep ready for destruction.


text:
For I am certain that not death, or life, or angels, or rulers, or things present, or things to come, or powers,


text:
Or things on high, or things under the earth, or anything which is made, will be able to come between us and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


text:
I say what is true in Christ, and not what is false, my mind giving witness with me in the Holy Spirit,


text:
Who are Israelites: who have the place of sons, and the glory, and the agreements with God, and the giving of the law, and the worship, and the hope offered by God:


text:
Whose are the fathers, and of whom came Christ in the flesh, who is over all, God, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it.


text:
But it is not as if the word of God was without effect. For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel:


text:
And they are not all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, In Isaac will your seed be named.


text:
That is, it is not the children of the flesh, but the children of God's undertaking, who are named as the seed.


text:
Before the children had come into existence, or had done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose and his selection might be effected, not by works, but by him whose purpose it is,


text:
For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and pity on whom I will have pity.


text:
For the holy Writings say to Pharaoh, For this same purpose did I put you on high, so that I might make my power seen in you, and that there might be knowledge of my name through all the earth.


text:
But you will say to me, Why does he still make us responsible? who is able to go against his purpose?


text:
But, O man, who are you, to make answer against God? May the thing which is made say to him who made it, Why did you make me so?


text:
Or has not the potter the right to make out of one part of his earth a vessel for honour, and out of another a vessel for shame?


text:
What if God, desiring to let his wrath and his power be seen, for a long time put up with the vessels of wrath which were ready for destruction:


text:
And to make clear the wealth of his glory to vessels of mercy, which he had before made ready for glory,


text:
As he says in Hosea, They will be named my people who were not my people, and she will be loved who was not loved.


text:
And in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there they will be named the sons of the living God.


text:
And Isaiah says about Israel, Even if the number of the children of Israel is as the sand of the sea, only a small part will get salvation:


text:
And, as Isaiah had said before, If the Lord of armies had not given us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.


text:
What then may we say? That the nations who did not go after righteousness have got righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:


text:
Why? Because they were not searching for it by faith, but by works. They came up against the stone which was in the way;


text:
As it is said, See, I am putting in Zion a stone causing a fall, and a rock in the way: but he who has faith in him will not be put to shame.


text:
Because, not having knowledge of God's righteousness, and desiring to give effect to their righteousness, they have not put themselves under the righteousness of God.


text:
But the righteousness which is of faith says these words, Say not in your heart, Who will go up to heaven? (that is, to make Christ come down:)


text:
But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart: that is, the word of faith of which we are the preachers:


text:
Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation:


text:
For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation.


text:
And the Jew is not different from the Greek: for there is the same Lord of all, who is good to all who have hope in his name:


text:
But how will they give worship to him in whom they have no faith? and how will they have faith in him of whom they have not had news? and how will they have news without a preacher?


text:
And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As it is said, How beautiful are the feet of those who give the glad news of good things.


text:
But they have not all given ear to the good news. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has had faith in our word?


text:
But I say, Did not the word come to their ears? Yes, certainly: Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.


text:
But I say, Had Israel no knowledge? First Moses says, You will be moved to envy by that which is not a nation, and by a foolish people I will make you angry.


text:
And Isaiah says without fear, Those who were not searching for me made discovery of me; and I was seen by those whose hearts were turned away from me.


text:
But about Israel he says; All the day my hands have been stretched out to a people whose hearts were turned away, and who put themselves against my word.


text:
So I say, Has God put his people on one side? Let there be no such thought. For I am of Israel, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.


text:
God has not put away the people of his selection. Or have you no knowledge of what is said about Elijah in the holy Writings? how he says words to God against Israel,


text:
Lord, they have put your prophets to death, and made waste your altars, and now I am the last, and they are searching for me to take away my life.


text:
But what answer does God make to him? I have still seven thousand men whose knees have not been bent to Baal.


text:
What then? That which Israel was searching for he did not get, but those of the selection got it and the rest were made hard.


text:
As it was said in the holy Writings, God gave them a spirit of sleep, eyes which might not see, and ears which have no hearing, to this day.


text:
And David says, Let their table be made a net for taking them, and a stone in their way, and a punishment:


text:
So I say, Were their steps made hard in order that they might have a fall? In no way: but by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, so that they might be moved to envy.


text:
Now, if their fall is the wealth of the world, and their loss the wealth of the Gentiles, how much greater will be the glory when they are made full?


text:
But I say to you, Gentiles, in so far as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I make much of my position:


text:
If in any way those who are of my flesh may be moved to envy, so that some of them may get salvation by me.


text:
For, if by their putting away, the rest of men have been made friends with God, what will their coming back again be, but life from the dead?


text:
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, an olive-tree of the fields, were put in among them, and were given a part with them in the root by which the olive-tree is made fertile,


text:
Do not be uplifted in pride over the branches: because it is not you who are the support of the root, but it is by the root that you are supported.


text:
Truly, because they had no faith they were broken off, and you have your place by reason of your faith. Do not be lifted up in pride, but have fear;


text:
See then that God is good but his rules are fixed: to those who were put away he was hard, but to you he has been good, on the condition that you keep in his mercy; if not, you will be cut off as they were.


text:
And they, if they do not go on without faith, will be united to the tree again, because God is able to put them in again.


text:
For if you were cut out of a field olive-tree, and against the natural use were united to a good olive-tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be united again with the olive-tree which was theirs?


text:
For it is my desire, brothers, that this secret may be clear to you, so that you may not have pride in your knowledge, that Israel has been made hard in part, till all the Gentiles have come in;


text:
And so all Israel will get salvation: as it is said in the holy Writings, There will come out of Zion the One who makes free; by him wrongdoing will be taken away from Jacob:


text:
As far as the good news is in question, they are cut off from God on account of you, but as far as the selection is in question, they are loved on account of the fathers.


text:
For as you, in time past, were not under the rule of God, but now have got mercy through their turning away,


text:
So in the same way these have gone against the orders of God, so that by the mercy given to you they may now get mercy.


text:
O how deep is the wealth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! no one is able to make discovery of his decisions, and his ways may not be searched out.


text:
For this reason I make request to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you will give your bodies as a living offering, holy, pleasing to God, which is the worship it is right for you to give him.


text:
And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.


text:
But I say to every one of you, through the grace given to me, not to have an over-high opinion of himself, but to have wise thoughts, as God has given to every one a measure of faith.


text:
And having different qualities by reason of the grace given to us, such as the quality of a prophet, let it be made use of in relation to the measure of our faith;


text:
Or the position of a Deacon of the church, let a man give himself to it; or he who has the power of teaching, let him make use of it;


text:
He who has the power of comforting, let him do so; he who gives, let him give freely; he who has the power of ruling, let him do it with a serious mind; he who has mercy on others, let it be with joy.


text:
Be in harmony with one another. Do not have a high opinion of yourselves, but be in agreement with common people. Do not give yourselves an air of wisdom.


text:
Do not give punishment for wrongs done to you, dear brothers, but give way to the wrath of God; for it is said in the holy Writings, Punishment is mine, I will give reward, says the Lord.


text:
But if one who has hate for you is in need of food or of drink, give it to him, for in so doing you will put coals of fire on his head.


text:
Let everyone put himself under the authority of the higher powers, because there is no power which is not of God, and all powers are ordered by God.


text:
For which reason everyone who puts himself against the authority puts himself against the order of God: and those who are against it will get punishment for themselves.


text:
For rulers are not a cause of fear to the good work but to the evil. If you would have no fear of the authority, do good and you will have praise;


text:
For he is the servant of God to you for good. But if you do evil, have fear; for the sword is not in his hand for nothing: he is God's servant, making God's punishment come on the evil-doer.


text:
So put yourselves under the authority, not for fear of wrath, but because you have the knowledge of what is right.


text:
For the same reason, make payment of taxes; because the authority is God's servant, to take care of such things at all times.


text:
Give to all what is their right: taxes to him whose they are, payment to him whose right it is, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour is to be given.


text:
Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for he who has love for his neighbour has kept all the law.


text:
And this, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not put to death, Do not take what is another's, Do not have desire for what is another's, and if there is any other order, it is covered by this word, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.


text:
See then that the time has come for you to be awake from sleep: for now is your salvation nearer than when you first had faith.


text:
The night is far gone, and the day is near: so let us put off the works of the dark, arming ourselves with light,


text:
With right behaviour as in the day; not in pleasure-making and drinking, not in bad company and unclean behaviour, not in fighting and envy.


text:
Let not him who takes food have a low opinion of him who does not: and let not him who does not take food be a judge of him who does; for he has God's approval.


text:
Who are you to make yourself a judge of another man's servant? it is to his master that he is responsible for good or bad. Yes, his place will be safe, because the Lord is able to keep him from falling.


text:
This man puts one day before another: to that man they are the same. Let every man be certain in his mind.


text:
He who keeps the day, keeps it to the Lord; and he who takes food, takes it as to the Lord, for he gives praise to God; and he who does not take food, to the Lord he takes it not, and gives praise to God.


text:
As long as we have life we are living to the Lord; or if we give up our life it is to the Lord; so if we are living, or if our life comes to an end, we are the Lord's.


text:
And for this purpose Christ went into death and came back again, that he might be the Lord of the dead and of the living.


text:
But you, why do you make yourself your brother's judge? or again, why have you no respect for your brother? because we will all have to take our place before God as our judge.


text:
For it is said in the holy Writings, By my life, says the Lord, to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give worship to God.


text:
Then let us not be judges of one another any longer: but keep this in mind, that no man is to make it hard for his brother, or give him cause for doubting.


text:
I am conscious of this, and am certain in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself; but for the man in whose opinion it is unclean, for him it is unclean.


text:
And if because of food your brother is troubled, then you are no longer going on in the way of love. Do not let your food be destruction to him for whom Christ went into death.


text:
For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.


text:
So then, let us go after the things which make peace, and the things by which we may be a help to one another.


text:
Do not let the work of God come to nothing on account of food. All things are certainly clean; but it is evil for that man who by taking food makes it hard for another.


text:
It is better not to take meat or wine or to do anything which might be a cause of trouble to your brother.


text:
The faith which you have, have it to yourself before God. Happy is the man who is not judged by that to which he gives approval.


text:
But he who is in doubt is judged if he takes food, because he does it not in faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.


text:
For Christ did not give pleasure to himself, but, as it is said, The bitter words of those who were angry with you came on me.


text:
Now those things which were put down in writing before our time were for our learning, so that through quiet waiting and through the comfort of the holy Writings we might have hope.


text:
Now may the God who gives comfort and strength in waiting make you of the same mind with one another in harmony with Christ Jesus:


text:
Now I say that Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision to give effect to the undertakings given by God to the fathers,


text:
And so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercy; as it is said, For this reason I will give praise to you among the Gentiles, and I will make a song to your name.


text:
And again Isaiah says, There will be the root of Jesse, and he who comes to be the ruler over the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles put their hope.


text:
Now may the God of hope make you full of joy and peace through faith, so that all hope may be yours in the power of the Holy Spirit.


text:
And I myself am certain of you, brothers, that you are full of what is good, complete in all knowledge, able to give direction to one another.


text:
But I have, in some measure, less fear in writing to you to put these things before you again, because of the grace which was given to me by God,


text:
To be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, doing the work of a priest in the good news of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles might be pleasing to God, being made holy by the Holy Spirit.


text:
And I will keep myself from talking of anything but those things which Christ has done by me to put the Gentiles under his rule in word and in act,


text:
By signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have given all the good news of Christ;


text:
Making it my purpose not to take the good news where Christ was named, so that my work might not be resting on that of others;


text:
But as it is said in the holy Writings, They will see, to whom the news of him had not been given, and those to whose ears it had not come will have knowledge.


text:
But now, having no longer any place in these parts and having had for a number of years a great desire to come to you,


text:
Whenever I go to Spain (for it is my hope to see you on my way, and to be sent on there by you, if first I may in some measure have been comforted by your company)--


text:
For it has been the good pleasure of those of Macedonia and Achaia to send a certain amount of money for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.


text:
Yes, it has been their good pleasure; and they are in their debt. For if the Gentiles have had a part in the things of the Spirit which were theirs, it is right for them, in the same way, to give them help in the things of the flesh.


text:
Now I make request to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you will be working together with me in your prayers to God for me;


text:
So that I may be kept safe from those in Judaea who have not put themselves under the rule of God, and that the help which I am taking for Jerusalem may be pleasing to the saints;


text:
That you will take her in kindly, after the way of the saints, as one who is the Lord's, and give her help in anything in which she may have need of you: because she has been a help to a great number and to myself.


text:
Who for my life put their necks in danger; to whom not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are in debt:


text:
And say a kind word to the church which is in their house. Give my love to my dear Epaenetus, who is the first fruit of Asia to Christ.


text:
Give my love to Andronicus and Junia, my relations, who were in prison with me, who are noted among the Apostles, and who were in Christ before me.


text:
Give my love to Apelles, who has the approval of Christ. Say a kind word to those who are of the house of Aristobulus.


text:
Give my love to Herodion, my relation. Say a kind word to those of the house of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.


text:
Give my love to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Give my love to my dear Persis, who did much work in the Lord.


text:
Give my love to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.


text:
Now, it is my desire, brothers, that you will take note of those who are causing division and trouble among you, quite against the teaching which was given to you: and keep away from them.


text:
For such people are not servants of the Lord Christ, but of their stomachs; and by their smooth and well-said words the hearts of those who have no knowledge of evil are tricked.


text:
For all have knowledge of how you do what you are ordered. For this reason I have joy in you, but it is my desire that you may be wise in what is good, and without knowledge of evil.


text:
And the God of peace will be crushing Satan under your feet before long. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


text:
Timothy, who is working with me, sends his love to you, so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relations.


text:
Gaius, with whom I am living, whose house is open to all the church, sends his love, so does Erastus, the manager of the accounts of the town, and Quartus, the brother.


text:
Now to him who is able to make you strong in agreement with the good news which I gave you and the preaching of Jesus Christ, in the light of the revelation of that secret which has been kept through times eternal,


text:
But is now made clear; and by the writings of the prophets, by the order of the eternal God, the knowledge of it has been given to all the nations, so that they may come under the rule of the faith;


text:
To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, saints by the selection of God, with all those who in every place give honour to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:


text:
I give praise to my God for you at all times, because of the grace of God which has been given to you in Christ Jesus;


text:
Now I make request to you, my brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you will all say the same thing, and that there may be no divisions among you, so that you may be in complete agreement, in the same mind and in the same opinion.


text:
Because it has come to my knowledge, through those of the house of Chloe, that there are divisions among you, my brothers.


text:
That is, that some of you say, I am of Paul; some say, I am of Apollos; some say, I am of Cephas; and some say, I am Christ's.


text:
Is there a division in Christ? was Paul nailed to the cross for you? or were you given baptism in the name of Paul?


text:
And I gave baptism to the house of Stephanas; but I am not certain that any others had baptism from me.


text:
For Christ sent me, not to give baptism, but to be a preacher of the good news: not with wise words, for fear that the cross of Christ might be made of no value.


text:
For the word of the cross seems foolish to those who are on the way to destruction; but to us who are on the way to salvation it is the power of God.


text:
As it says in the holy Writings, I will put an end to the wisdom of the wise, and will put on one side the designs of those who have knowledge.


text:
Where is the wise? where is he who has knowledge of the law? where is the man of this world who has a love of discussion? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?


text:
For because, by the purpose of God, the world, with all its wisdom, had not the knowledge of God, it was God's pleasure, by so foolish a thing as preaching, to give salvation to those who had faith in him.


text:
But we give the good news of Christ on the cross, a hard thing to the Jews, and a foolish thing to the Gentiles;


text:
Because what seems foolish in God is wiser than men; and what seems feeble in God is stronger than men.


text:
For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble:


text:
But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong;


text:
And the low things of the world, and the things without honour, did God make selection of, yes, even the things which are not, so that he might make as nothing the things which are:


text:
But God has given you a place in Christ Jesus, through whom God has given us wisdom and righteousness and salvation, and made us holy:


text:
So that, as it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.


text:
And when I came to you, my brothers, I did not come with wise words of knowledge, putting before you the secret of God.


text:
For I had made the decision to have knowledge of nothing among you but only of Jesus Christ on the cross.


text:
And in my preaching there were no honeyed words of wisdom, but I was dependent on the power of the Spirit to make it clear to you:


text:
But still we have wisdom for those who are complete in knowledge, though not the wisdom of this world, and not of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing:


text:
But we give the news of the secret wisdom of God, which he had kept in store before the world came into existence, for our glory;


text:
Of which not one of the rulers of this world had knowledge: for if they had, they would not have put the Lord of glory on the cross:


text:
But as it says in the holy Writings, Things which the eye saw not, and which had not come to the ears or into the heart of man, such things as God has made ready for those who have love for him.


text:
But God has given us the revelation of these things through his Spirit, for the Spirit makes search into all things, even the deep things of God.


text:
For who has knowledge of the things of a man but the spirit of the man which is in him? in the same way, no one has knowledge of the things of God but the Spirit of God.


text:
But we have not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which comes from God, so that we may have knowledge of the things which are freely given to us by God.


text:
And these are the things which we say, not in the language of man's wisdom, but in words given to us by the Spirit, judging the things of the spirit by the help of the Spirit.


text:
For the natural man is not able to take in the things of the Spirit of God: for they seem foolish to him, and he is not able to have knowledge of them, because such knowledge comes only through the Spirit.


text:
For who has knowledge of the mind of the Lord, so as to be his teacher? But we have the mind of Christ.


text:
And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.


text:
I gave you milk and not meat, because you were, then, unable to take it, and even now you are not able;


text:
Because you are still in the flesh: for when there is envy and division among you, are you not still walking after the way of the flesh, even as natural men?


text:
For when one says, I am of Paul; and another says, I am of Apollos; are you not talking like natural men?


text:
What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? They are but servants who gave you the good news as God gave it to them.


text:
Now the planter and the waterer are working for the same end: but they will have their separate rewards in the measure of their work.


text:
In the measure of the grace given to me, I, as a wise master-builder, have put the base in position, and another goes on building on it. But let every man take care what he puts on it.


text:
For there is no other base for the building but that which has been put down, which is Jesus Christ.


text:
Every man's work will be made clear in that day, because it will be tested by fire; and the fire itself will make clear the quality of every man's work.


text:
If the fire puts an end to any man's work, it will be his loss: but he will get salvation himself, though as by fire.


text:
If anyone makes the house of God unclean, God will put an end to him; for the house of God is holy, and you are his house.


text:
Let no man have a false idea. If any man seems to himself to be wise among you, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise.


text:
For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God. As it is said in the holy Writings, He who takes the wise in their secret designs:


text:
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;


text:
Let us be judged as servants of Christ, and as those who are responsible for the secret things of God.


text:
But it is a small thing to me that I am judged by you or by man's judging; I am not even a judge of myself.


text:
For I am not conscious of any wrong in myself; but this does not make me clear, for it is the Lord who is my judge.


text:
For this reason let there be no judging before the time, till the Lord comes, who will make clear the secret things of the dark, and the designs of the heart; and then will every man have his praise from God.


text:
My brothers, it is because of you that I have taken Apollos and myself as examples of these things, so that in us you might see that it is not wise to go farther than what is in the holy Writings, so that no one of you may be lifted up against his brother.


text:
For who made you better than your brother? or what have you that has not been given to you? but if it has been given to you, what cause have you for pride, as if it had not been given to you?


text:
For even now you are full, even now you have wealth, you have been made kings without us: truly, I would be glad if you were kings, so that we might be kings with you.


text:
For it seems to me that God has put us the Apostles last of all, as men whose fate is death: for we are put on view to the world, and to angels, and to men.


text:
We are made to seem foolish for Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are feeble, but you are strong; you have glory, but we have shame.


text:
Even to this hour we are without food, drink, and clothing, we are given blows and have no certain resting-place;


text:
And with our hands we do the hardest work: when they give us curses we give blessings, when we undergo punishment we take it quietly;


text:
When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.


text:
I am not saying these things to put you to shame, but so that, as my dear children, you may see what is right.


text:
For even if you had ten thousand teachers in Christ, you have not more than one father: for in Christ Jesus I have given birth to you through the good news.


text:
For this cause I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and true child in the Lord; he will make clear to you my ways in Christ, even as I am teaching everywhere in every church.


text:
But I will come to you in a short time, if it is pleasing to the Lord, and I will take note, not of the word of those who are full of pride, but of the power.


text:
What is your desire? is my coming to be with punishment, or is it to be in love and a gentle spirit?


text:
It is said, in fact, that there is among you a sin of the flesh, such as is not seen even among the Gentiles, that one of you has his father's wife.


text:
And in place of feeling sorrow, you are pleased with yourselves, so that he who has done this thing has not been sent away from among you.


text:
For I myself, being present in spirit though not in body, have come to a decision about him who has done this thing;


text:
In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you have come together with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,


text:
That this man is to be handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may have forgiveness in the day of the Lord Jesus.


text:
This pride of yours is not good. Do you not see that a little leaven makes a change in all the mass?


text:
Take away, then, the old leaven, so that you may be a new mass, even as you are without leaven. For Christ has been put to death as our Passover.


text:
Let us then keep the feast, not with old leaven, and not with the leaven of evil thoughts and acts, but with the unleavened bread of true thoughts and right feelings.


text:
In my letter I said to you that you were not to keep company with those who go after the desires of the flesh;


text:
But I had not in mind the sinners who are outside the church, or those who have a desire for and take the property of others, or those who give worship to images; for it is not possible to keep away from such people without going out of the world completely:


text:
But the sense of my letter was that if a brother had the name of being one who went after the desires of the flesh, or had the desire for other people's property, or was in the way of using violent language, or being the worse for drink, or took by force what was not his, you might not keep company with such a one, or take food with him.


text:
For it is no business of mine to be judging those who are outside; but it is yours to be judging those who are among you;


text:
How is it, that if any one of you has a cause at law against another, he takes it before a Gentile judge and not before the saints?


text:
Is it not certain that the saints will be the judges of the world? if then the world will be judged by you, are you unable to give a decision about the smallest things?


text:
Is it not certain that we are to be the judges of angels? how much more then of the things of this life?


text:
If then there are questions to be judged in connection with the things of this life, why do you put them in the hands of those who have no position in the church?


text:
I say this to put you to shame. Is there not among you one wise man who may be able to give a decision between his brothers?


text:
More than this, it is not to your credit to have causes at law with one another at all. Why not put up with wrong? why not undergo loss?


text:
Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,


text:
Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.


text:
And such were some of you; but you have been washed, you have been made holy, you have been given righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.


text:
I am free to do all things; but not all things are wise. I am free to do all things; but I will not let myself come under the power of any.


text:
Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will put an end to them together. But the body is not for the desires of the flesh, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body:


text:
Do you not see that your bodies are part of the body of Christ? how then may I take what is a part of the body of Christ and make it a part of the body of a loose woman? such a thing may not be.


text:
Or do you not see that he who is joined to a loose woman is one body with her? for God has said, The two of them will become one flesh.


text:
Keep away from the desires of the flesh. Every sin which a man does is outside of the body; but he who goes after the desires of the flesh does evil to his body.


text:
Or are you not conscious that your body is a house for the Holy Spirit which is in you, and which has been given to you by God? and you are not the owners of yourselves;


text:
Now, as to the things in your letter to me: It is good for a man to have nothing to do with a woman.


text:
The wife has not power over her body, but the husband; and in the same way the husband has not power over his body, but the wife.


text:
Do not keep back from one another what is right, but only for a short time, and by agreement, so that you may give yourselves to prayer, and come together again; so that Satan may not get the better of you through your loss of self-control.


text:
It is my desire that all men might be even as I am. But every man has the power of his special way of life given him by God, one in this way and one in that.


text:
But if they have not self-control let them get married; for married life is better than the burning of desire.


text:
But to the married I give orders, though not I but the Lord, that the wife may not go away from her husband


text:
(Or if she goes away from him, let her keep unmarried, or be united to her husband again); and that the husband may not go away from his wife.


text:
But to the rest I say, and not the Lord; If a brother has a wife who is not a Christian, and it is her desire to go on living with him, let him not go away from her.


text:
And if a woman has a husband who is not a Christian, and it is his desire to go on living with her, let her not go away from her husband.


text:
For the husband who has not faith is made holy through his Christian wife, and the wife who is not a Christian is made holy through the brother: if not, your children would be unholy, but now are they holy.


text:
But if the one who is not a Christian has a desire to go away, let it be so: the brother or the sister in such a position is not forced to do one thing or the other: but it is God's pleasure that we may be at peace with one another.


text:
For how may you be certain, O wife, that you will not be the cause of salvation to your husband? or you, O husband, that you may not do the same for your wife?


text:
Only, as the Lord has given to a man, and as is the purpose of God for him, so let him go on living. And these are my orders for all the churches.


text:
If any man who is a Christian has had circumcision, let him keep so; and if any man who is a Christian has not had circumcision, let him make no change.


text:
If you were a servant when you became a Christian, let it not be a grief to you; but if you have a chance to become free, make use of it.


text:
For he who was a servant when he became a Christian is the Lord's free man; and he who was free when he became a Christian is the Lord's servant.


text:
Now about virgins I have no orders from the Lord: but I give my opinion as one to whom the Lord has given mercy to be true to him.


text:
If you are married to a wife, make no attempt to get free from her: if you are free from a wife, do not take a wife.


text:
If you get married it is not a sin; and if an unmarried woman gets married it is not a sin. But those who do so will have trouble in the flesh. But I will not be hard on you.


text:
But I say this, my brothers, the time is short; and from now it will be wise for those who have wives to be as if they had them not;


text:
And for those who are in sorrow, to give no signs of it; and for those who are glad, to give no signs of joy; and for those who are getting property, to be as if they had nothing;


text:
And for those who make use of the world, not to be using it fully; for this world's way of life will quickly come to an end.


text:
But it is my desire for you to be free from cares. The unmarried man gives his mind to the things of the Lord, how he may give pleasure to the Lord:


text:
But the married man gives his attention to the things of this world, how he may give pleasure to his wife.


text:
And the wife is not the same as the virgin. The virgin gives her mind to the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and in spirit: but the married woman takes thought for the things of the world, how she may give pleasure to her husband.


text:
Now I say this for your profit; not to make things hard for you, but because of what is right, and so that you may be able to give all your attention to the things of the Lord.


text:
But if, in any man's opinion, he is not doing what is right for his virgin, if she is past her best years, and there is need for it, let him do what seems right to him; it is no sin; let them be married.


text:
But the man who is strong in mind and purpose, who is not forced but has control over his desires, does well if he comes to the decision to keep her a virgin.


text:
It is right for a wife to be with her husband as long as he is living; but when her husband is dead, she is free to be married to another; but only to a Christian.


text:
But it will be better for her to keep as she is, in my opinion: and it seems to me that I have the Spirit of God.


text:
Now about things offered to images: we all seem to ourselves to have knowledge. Knowledge gives pride, but love gives true strength.


text:
If anyone seems to himself to have knowledge, so far he has not the right sort of knowledge about anything;


text:
So, then, as to the question of taking food offered to images, we are certain that an image is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.


text:
For though there are those who have the name of gods, in heaven or on earth, as there are a number of gods and a number of lords,


text:
There is for us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we have our being through him.


text:
Still, all men have not that knowledge: but some, being used till now to the image, are conscious that they are taking food which has been offered to the image; and because they are not strong in the faith, their minds are troubled.


text:
But God's approval of us is not based on the food we take: if we do not take it we are no worse for it; and if we take it we are no better.


text:
For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images?


text:
And so, through your knowledge, you are the cause of destruction to your brother, for whom Christ underwent death.


text:
And in this way, doing evil to the brothers, and causing trouble to those whose faith is feeble, you are sinning against Christ.


text:
For this reason, if food is a cause of trouble to my brother, I will give up taking meat for ever, so that I may not be a cause of trouble to my brother.


text:
Am I not free? am I not an Apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are you not my work in the Lord?


text:
If to others I am not an Apostle, at least I am one to you: for the fact that you are Christians is the sign that I am an Apostle.


text:
Have we no right to take about with us a Christian wife, like the rest of the Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?


text:
Who ever goes to war without looking to someone to be responsible for his payment? who puts in vines and does not take the fruit of them? or who takes care of sheep without drinking of their milk?


text:
For it says in the law of Moses, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. Is it for the oxen that God is giving orders?


text:
Or has he us in mind? Yes, it was said for us; because it is right for the ploughman to do his ploughing in hope, and for him who is crushing the grain to do his work hoping for a part in the fruits of it.


text:
If we have been planting the things of the Spirit for you, does it seem a great thing for you to give us a part in your things of this world?


text:
If others have a part in this right over you, have we not even more? But we did not make use of our right, so that we might put nothing in the way of the good news of Christ.


text:
Do you not see that the servants of the holy things get their living from the Temple, and the servants of the altar have their part in the food which is offered on the altar?


text:
Even so did the Lord give orders that the preachers of the good news might get their living from the good news.


text:
But I have not made use of any of these things: and I am not writing this in the hope that it may be so for me: for it would be better for me to undergo death, than for any man to make this pride of mine of no effect.


text:
For if I am a preacher of the good news, I have no cause for pride in this; because I am forced to do so, for a curse is on me if I do not.


text:
What then is my reward? This, that when I am giving the good news, I may give it without payment, not making use of my rights as a preacher of the good news.


text:
For though I was free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that more might have salvation.


text:
And to the Jews I was as a Jew, so that I might give the good news to them; to those under the law I was the same, not as being myself under the law, but so that I might give the good news to those under the law.


text:
To those without the law I was as one without the law, not as being without law to God, but as under law to Christ, so that I might give the good news to those without the law.


text:
To the feeble, I was as one who is feeble, so that they might have salvation: I have been all things to all men, so that some at least might have salvation.


text:
Do you not see that in a running competition all take part, but only one gets the reward? So let your minds be fixed on the reward.


text:
And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown.


text:
But I give blows to my body, and keep it under control, for fear that, after having given the good news to others, I myself might not have God's approval.


text:
For it is my desire, my brothers, that you may keep in mind how all our fathers were under the cloud, and they all went through the sea;


text:
And the same holy drink: for they all took of the water from the holy rock which came after them: and the rock was Christ.


text:
Now these things were for an example to us, so that our hearts might not go after evil things, as they did.


text:
Then do not go after false gods, as some of them did; as it is said in the holy Writings, After resting and feasting, the people got up to take their pleasure.


text:
Again, let us not give way to the desires of the flesh, as some of them did, of whom twenty-three thousand came to their end in one day.


text:
Now these things were done as an example; and were put down in writing for our teaching, on whom the last days have come.


text:
You have been put to no test but such as is common to man: and God is true, who will not let any test come on you which you are not able to undergo; but he will make with the test a way out of it, so that you may be able to go through it.


text:
The cup of blessing which we take, does it not give us a part in the blood of Christ? and is not the broken bread a taking part in the body of Christ?


text:
Because we, being a number of persons, are one bread, we are one body: for we all take part in the one bread.


text:
See Israel after the flesh: do not those who take as food the offerings of the altar take a part in the altar?


text:
What I say is that the things offered by the Gentiles are offered to evil spirits and not to God; and it is not my desire for you to have any part with evil spirits.


text:
It is not possible for you, at the same time, to take the cup of the Lord and the cup of evil spirits; you may not take part in the table of the Lord and the table of evil spirits.


text:
We are free to do all things, but there are things which it is not wise to do. We are free to do all things, but not all things are for the common good.


text:
If a Gentile makes a feast for you, and you are pleased to go as a guest, take whatever is put before you, without question of right or wrong.


text:
But if anyone says to you, This food has been used as an offering, do not take it, on account of him who said it, and on account of his sense of right and wrong:


text:
Right and wrong, I say, not for you, but for the other man; for the fact that I am free is not dependent on another man's sense of right or wrong.


text:
So then, if it is a question of food or drink, or any other thing, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.


text:
Even as I give way to all men in all things, not looking for profit for myself, but for the good of others, that they may get salvation.


text:
Now I am pleased to see that you keep me in memory in all things, and that you give attention to the teaching which was handed down from me to you.


text:
But it is important for you to keep this fact in mind, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.


text:
Every man who takes part in prayer, or gives teaching as a prophet, with his head covered, puts shame on his head.


text:
But every woman who does so with her head unveiled, puts shame on her head: for it is the same as if her hair was cut off.


text:
For if a woman is not veiled, let her hair be cut off; but if it is a shame to a woman to have her hair cut off, let her be veiled.


text:
For it is not right for a man to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.


text:
For this reason it is right for the woman to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels.


text:
Be judges yourselves of the question: does it seem right for a woman to take part in prayer unveiled?


text:
But if any man will not be ruled in this question, this is not our way of doing things, and it is not done in the churches of God.


text:
But in giving you this order, there is one thing about which I am not pleased: it is that when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.


text:
For first of all, it has come to my ears that when you come together in the church, there are divisions among you, and I take the statement to be true in part.


text:
For divisions are necessary among you, in order that those who have God's approval may be clearly seen among you.


text:
For when you take your food, everyone takes his meal before the other; and one has not enough food, and another is the worse for drink.


text:
What? have you not houses to take your meals in? or have you no respect for the church of God, putting the poor to shame? What am I to say to you? am I to give you praise? certainly not.


text:
For it was handed down to me from the Lord, as I gave it to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when Judas was false to him, took bread,


text:
And when it had been broken with an act of praise, he said, This is my body which is for you: do this in memory of me.


text:
In the same way, with the cup, after the meal, he said, This cup is the new testament in my blood: do this, whenever you take it, in memory of me.


text:
If, then, anyone takes the bread or the cup of the Lord in the wrong spirit, he will be responsible for the body and blood of the Lord.


text:
For a man puts himself in danger, if he takes part in the holy meal without being conscious that it is the Lord's body.


text:
But if punishment does come, it is sent by the Lord, so that we may be safe when the world is judged.


text:
So then, my brothers, when you come together to the holy meal of the Lord, let there be waiting for one another.


text:
If any man is in need of food, let him take his meal in his house; so that you may not come together to your damage. And the rest I will put in order when I come.


text:
You are conscious that when you were Gentiles, in whatever way you were guided, you went after images without voice or power.


text:
So it is my desire for you to be clear about this; that no one is able to say by the Spirit of God that Jesus is cursed; and no one is able to say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.


text:
For to one are given words of wisdom through the Spirit; and to another words of knowledge through the same Spirit:


text:
To another faith in the same Spirit; and to another the power of taking away disease, by the one Spirit;


text:
And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:


text:
But all these are the operations of the one and the same Spirit, giving to every man separately as his pleasure is.


text:
For through the baptism of the one Spirit we were all formed into one body, Jews or Greeks, servants or free men, and were all made full of the same Spirit.


text:
If the foot says, Because I am not the hand, I am not a part of the body; it is no less a part of the body.


text:
And if the ear says, Because I am not the eye, I am not a part of the body; it is a part of the body all the same.


text:
If all the body was an eye, where would be the hearing? if all was hearing, where would be the smelling?


text:
And the eye may not say to the hand, I have no need of you: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.


text:
And to those parts of the body which seem to have less honour we give all the more honour; and to those parts of the body which are a cause of shame to us we give the greater respect;


text:
But those parts of the body which are beautiful have no need of such care: and so the body has been joined together by God in such a way as to give more honour to those parts which had need of it;


text:
So that there might be no division in the body; but all the parts might have the same care for one another.


text:
And if there is pain in one part of the body, all the parts will be feeling it; or if one part is honoured, all the parts will be glad.


text:
And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.


text:
But let your desires be turned to the more important things given by the Spirit. And now I am pointing out to you an even better way.


text:
If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell.


text:
And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.


text:
And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.


text:
Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;


text:
Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;


text:
Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.


text:
When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.


text:
For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me.


text:
Go after love; still desiring to have the things which the Spirit gives, but most of all that you may have the prophet's power.


text:
For he who makes use of tongues is not talking to men but to God; because no one has the sense of what he is saying; but in the Spirit he is talking of secret things.


text:
He who makes use of tongues may do good to himself; but he who gives the prophet's word does good to the church.


text:
Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.


text:
But, now, my brothers, if I come to you using tongues, what profit will it be to you, if I do not give you a revelation, or knowledge, or the word of the prophet, or teaching?


text:
Even things without life, having a voice, such as a music-pipe or other instrument, if they do not give out different sounds, who may be certain what is being played?


text:
So if you, in using a strange tongue, say words which have no sense, how will anyone take in what you are saying? for you will be talking to the air.


text:
But if the sense of the voice is not clear to me, I am like a man from a strange country to him who is talking, and he will be the same to me.


text:
So if you are desiring the things which the Spirit gives, let your minds be turned first to the things which are for the good of the church.


text:
For this reason, let the man who has the power of using tongues make request that he may, at the same time, be able to give the sense.


text:
What then? let my prayer be from the spirit, and equally from the mind; let my song be from the spirit, and equally from mind.


text:
For if you give a blessing with the spirit, how will the man who has no knowledge say, So be it, after your prayer, seeing that he has not taken in what you are saying?


text:
For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.


text:
But in the church it would be better for me to make use of five words of which the sense was clear, so that others might have profit, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.


text:
My brothers, do not be children in mind: in evil be as little children, but in mind be of full growth.


text:
In the law it is said, By men of other tongues and by strange lips will my words come to this people; and not even so will they give ear to me, says the Lord.


text:
For this reason tongues are for a sign, not to those who have faith, but to those who have not: but the prophet's word is for those who have faith, and not for the rest who have not.


text:
If, then, the church has come together, and all are using tongues, and there come in men without knowledge or faith, will they not say that you are unbalanced?


text:
But if all are teaching as prophets, and a man without faith or knowledge comes in, he is tested by all, he is judged by all;


text:
The secrets of his heart are made clear; and he will go down on his face and give worship to God, saying that God is truly among you.


text:
What is it then, my brothers? when you come together everyone has a holy song, or a revelation, or a tongue, or is giving the sense of it. Let everything be done for the common good.


text:
If any man makes use of a tongue, let it not be more than two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let someone give the sense:


text:
But if there is no one to give the sense, let him keep quiet in the church; and let his words be to himself and to God.


text:
And let the prophets give their words, but not more than two or three, and let the others be judges of what they say.


text:
For God is not a God whose ways are without order, but a God of peace; as in all the churches of the saints.


text:
Let women keep quiet in the churches: for it is not right for them to be talking; but let them be under control, as it says in the law.


text:
And if they have a desire for knowledge about anything, let them put questions to their husbands privately: for talking in the church puts shame on a woman.


text:
If any man seems to himself to be a prophet or to have the Spirit, let him take note of the things which I am writing to you, as being the word of the Lord.


text:
So then, my brothers, let it be your chief desire to be prophets; but let no one be stopped from using tongues.


text:
Now I am going to make clear to you, my brothers, what the good news was which I gave to you, and which you took, and on which your faith is based,


text:
By which you have salvation; that is to say, the form in which it was given to you, if it is fixed in your minds, and if your faith in it is not without effect.


text:
For I gave to you first of all what was handed down to me, how Christ underwent death for our sins, as it says in the Writings;


text:
And he was put in the place of the dead; and on the third day he came back from the dead, as it says in the Writings;


text:
Then by more than five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, but some are sleeping;


text:
For I am the least of the Apostles, having no right to be named an Apostle, because of my cruel attacks on the church of God.


text:
But by the grace of God, I am what I am: and his grace which was given to me has not been for nothing; for I did more work than all of them; though not I, but the grace of God which was with me.


text:
If then it is I who am the preacher, or they, this is our word, and to this you have given your faith.


text:
Now if the good news says that Christ came back from the dead, how do some of you say that there is no coming back from the dead?


text:
And if Christ did not come again from the dead, then our good news and your faith in it are of no effect.


text:
Yes, and we are seen to be false witnesses of God; because we gave witness of God that by his power Christ came again from the dead: which is not true if there is no coming back from the dead.


text:
For if it is not possible for the dead to come to life again, then Christ has not come to life again:


text:
But every man in his right order: Christ the first-fruits; then those who are Christ's at his coming.


text:
Then comes the end, when he will give up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have put an end to all rule and to all authority and power.


text:
For, as it says, He has put all things under his feet. But when he says, All things are put under him, it is clear that it is not said about him who put all things under him.


text:
And when all things have been put under him, then will the Son himself be under him who put all things under him, so that God may be all in all.


text:
Again, what will they do who are given baptism for the dead? if the dead do not come back at all, why are people given baptism for them?


text:
If, after the way of men, I was fighting with beasts at Ephesus, what profit is it to me? If the dead do not come to life again, let us take our pleasure in feasting, for tomorrow we come to an end.


text:
Be awake to righteousness and keep yourselves from sin; for some have no knowledge of God: I say this to put you to shame.


text:
Foolish man, it is necessary for the seed which you put into the earth to undergo death in order that it may come to life again:


text:
And when you put it into the earth, you do not put in the body which it will be, but only the seed, of grain or some other sort of plant;


text:
All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one flesh of men, another of beasts, another of birds, and another of fishes.


text:
And there are bodies of heaven and bodies of earth, but the glory of the one is different from that of the other.


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


text:
It is planted in shame; it comes again in glory: feeble when it is planted, it comes again in power:


text:
It is planted a natural body; it comes again as a body of the spirit. If there is a natural body, there is equally a body of the spirit.


text:
Those who are of the earth are like the man who was from the earth: and those who are of heaven are like the one from heaven.


text:
And in the same way as we have taken on us the image of the man from the earth, so we will take on us the image of the one from heaven.


text:
Now I say this, my brothers, that it is not possible for flesh and blood to have a part in the kingdom of God; and death may not have a part in life.


text:
See, I am giving you the revelation of a secret: we will not all come to the sleep of death, but we will all be changed.


text:
In a second, in the shutting of an eye, at the sound of the last horn: for at that sound the dead will come again, free for ever from the power of death, and we will be changed.


text:
For this body which comes to destruction will be made free from the power of death, and the man who is under the power of death will put on eternal life.


text:
But when this has taken place, then that which was said in the Writings will come true, Death is overcome by life.


text:
For this cause, my dear brothers, be strong in purpose and unmoved, ever giving yourselves to the work of the Lord, because you are certain that your work is not without effect in the Lord.


text:
Now about the giving of money for the saints, as I gave orders to the churches of Galatia, so do you.


text:
On the first day of the week, let every one of you put by him in store, in measure as he has done well in business, so that it may not be necessary to get money together when I come.


text:
And when I come, I will send the men of your selection with letters to take the money you have got together to Jerusalem.


text:
But I may be with you for a time, or even for the winter, so that you may see me on my way, wherever I go.


text:
For it is not my desire to see you now, on my way; because it is my hope to be with you for some time, if that is the Lord's pleasure.


text:
Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear; because he is doing the Lord's work, even as I am:


text:
See then that he has the honour which is right. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me: for I am looking for him with the brothers.


text:
But as for Apollos, the brother, I had a great desire for him to come to you with the brothers, but it was not his pleasure to come now; but he will come when he has a chance.


text:
Now I make my request to you, my brothers, for you have knowledge that the house of Stephanas is the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they have made themselves the servants of the saints,


text:
And I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for they have done what was needed to make your work complete.


text:
The churches of Asia send their love to you. So do Aquila and Prisca, with the church which is in their house.


text:
Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God, and Timothy the brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:


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


text:
Who gives us comfort in all our troubles, so that we may be able to give comfort to others who are in trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.


text:
For as we undergo more of the pain which Christ underwent, so through Christ does our comfort become greater.


text:
But if we are troubled, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which takes effect through your quiet undergoing of the same troubles which we undergo:


text:
And our hope for you is certain; in the knowledge that as you take part in the troubles, so you will take part in the comfort.


text:
For it is our desire that you may not be without knowledge of our trouble which came on us in Asia, that the weight of it was very great, more than our power, so that it seemed that we had no hope even of life:


text:
Yes, we ourselves have had the answer of death in ourselves, so that our hope might not be in ourselves, but in God who is able to give life to the dead:


text:
Who gave us salvation from so great a death: on whom we have put our hope that he will still go on to give us salvation;


text:
You at the same time helping together by your prayer for us; so that for what has been given to us through a number of persons, praise may go up to God for us from all of them.


text:
For our glory is in this, in the knowledge which we have that our way of life in the world, and most of all in relation to you, has been holy and true in the eyes of God; not in the wisdom of the flesh, but in the grace of God.


text:
For in our letters we say no other things to you, but those which you are reading, and to which you give agreement, and, it is my hope, will go on doing so to the end:


text:
Even as you have been ready, in part, to say that we are your glory, in the same way that you are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.


text:
And being certain of this, it was my purpose to come to you before, so that you might have a second grace;


text:
And by way of Corinth to go into Macedonia, and from there to come back again to you, so that you might send me on my way to Judaea.


text:
If then I had such a purpose, did I seem to be changing suddenly? or am I guided in my purposes by the flesh, saying, Yes, today, and, No, tomorrow?


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


text:
For he is the Yes to all the undertakings of God: and by him all the words of God are made certain and put into effect, to the glory of God through us.


text:
Now he who makes our faith strong together with you, in Christ, and has given us of his grace, is God;


text:
And it is he who has put his stamp on us, even the Spirit, as the sign in our hearts of the coming glory.


text:
Not that we have authority over your faith, but we are helpers of your joy: for it is faith which is your support.


text:
And I said this very thing in my letter, for fear that when I came I might have sorrow from those from whom it was right for me to have joy; being certain of this, that my joy is the joy of you all.


text:
For out of much trouble and pain of heart and much weeping I sent my letter to you; not to give you sorrow, but so that you might see how great is the love which I have to you.


text:
But if anyone has been a cause of sorrow, he has been so, not to me only, but in some measure to all of you (I say this that I may not be over-hard on you).


text:
So that now, on the other hand, it is right for him to have forgiveness and comfort from you, for fear that his sorrow may be over-great.


text:
And for the same reason I sent you a letter so that I might be certain of your desire to do my orders in all things.


text:
But if you give forgiveness to anyone, I do the same: for if I have given forgiveness for anything, I have done it because of you, in the person of Christ;


text:
Now when I came to Troas for the good news of Christ, and there was an open door for me in the Lord,


text:
I had no rest in my spirit because Titus my brother was not there: so I went away from them, and came into Macedonia.


text:
But praise be to God who makes us strong to overcome in Christ, and makes clear through us in every place the value of the knowledge of him.


text:
For we are a sweet perfume of Christ to God in those who are getting salvation and in those who are going to destruction;


text:
To the one it is a perfume of death to death; to the other a perfume of life to life. And who is enough for such things?


text:
For we are not like the great number who make use of the word of God for profit: but our words are true, as from God, being said as before God in Christ.


text:
Do we seem to be again attempting to put ourselves in the right? or have we need, as some have, of letters of approval to you or from you?


text:
You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge;


text:
For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh.


text:
Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;


text:
Who has made us able to be servants of a new agreement; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter gives death, but the Spirit gives life.


text:
For if the operation of the law, giving death, recorded in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the eyes of the children of Israel had to be turned away from the face of Moses because of its glory, a glory which was only for a time:


text:
For if the operation of the law, producing punishment, had its glory, how much greater will be the operation of the Spirit causing righteousness?


text:
For the glory of the first no longer seems to be glory, because of the greater glory of that which comes after.


text:
For if the order which was for a time had its glory, much more will the eternal order have its glory.


text:
And are not like Moses, who put a veil on his face, so that the children of Israel might not see clearly to the end of the present order of things:


text:
But their minds were made hard: for to this very day at the reading of the old agreement the same veil is still unlifted; though it is taken away in Christ.


text:
But we all, with unveiled face giving back as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord who is the Spirit.


text:
For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong:


text:
And we have given up the secret things of shame, not walking in false ways, and not making use of the word of God with deceit; but by the revelation of what is true, as before God, we have the approval of every man's sense of right and wrong.


text:
Because the god of this world has made blind the minds of those who have not faith, so that the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, might not be shining on them.


text:
For our preaching is not about ourselves, but about Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants through Jesus.


text:
Seeing that it is God who said, Let light be shining out of the dark, who has put in our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.


text:
But we have this wealth in vessels of earth, so that it may be seen that the power comes not from us but from God;


text:
Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them;


text:
In our bodies there is ever the mark of the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our bodies.


text:
For, while living, we are still being given up to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our flesh, though it is under the power of death.


text:
But having the same spirit of faith, as it is said in the Writings, The words of my mouth came from the faith in my heart; in the same way, our words are the outcome of our faith;


text:
Because we are certain that he who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead, will do the same for us, and will give us a place in his glory with you.


text:
For we go through all things on account of you, because the greater the number to whom the grace is given, the greater is the praise to the glory of God.


text:
For which cause we do not give way to weariness; but though our outer man is getting feebler, our inner man is made new day by day.


text:
For our present trouble, which is only for a short time, is working out for us a much greater weight of glory;


text:
While our minds are not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal.


text:
For we are conscious that if this our tent of flesh is taken down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in heaven.


text:
For truly, we who are in this tent do give out cries of weariness, for the weight of care which is on us; not because we are desiring to be free from the body, but so that we may have our new body, and death may be overcome by life.


text:
Now he who has made us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a witness of what is to come.


text:
So, then, we are ever without fear, and though conscious that while we are in the body we are away from the Lord,


text:
For we all have to come before Christ to be judged; so that every one of us may get his reward for the things done in the body, good or bad.


text:
Having in mind, then, the fear of the Lord, we put these things before men, but God sees our hearts; and it is my hope that we may seem right in your eyes.


text:
We are not again requesting your approval, but we are giving you the chance of taking pride in us, so that you may be able to give an answer to those whose glory is in seeming, and not in the heart.


text:
For it is the love of Christ which is moving us; because we are of the opinion that if one was put to death for all, then all have undergone death;


text:
And that he underwent death for all, so that the living might no longer be living to themselves, but to him who underwent death for them and came back from the dead.


text:
For this reason, from this time forward we have knowledge of no man after the flesh: even if we have had knowledge of Christ after the flesh, we have no longer any such knowledge.


text:
So if any man is in Christ, he is in a new world: the old things have come to an end; they have truly become new.


text:
But all things are of God, who has made us at peace with himself through Christ, and has given to us the work of making peace;


text:
That is, that God was in Christ making peace between the world and himself, not putting their sins to their account, and having given to us the preaching of this news of peace.


text:
So we are the representatives of Christ, as if God was making a request to you through us: we make our request to you, in the name of Christ, be at peace with God.


text:
For him who had no knowledge of sin God made to be sin for us; so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.


text:
We then, working together with God, make our request to you not to take the grace of God to no purpose.


text:
(For he says, I have given ear to you at a good time, and I have been your helper in a day of salvation: see, now is the good time; now is the day of salvation):


text:
Giving no cause for trouble in anything, so that no one may be able to say anything against our work;


text:
But in everything making it clear that we are the servants of God, in quiet strength, in troubles, in need, in sorrow,


text:
In the true word, in the power of God; with the arms of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,


text:
Unnoted, but still kept fully in mind; as near to death, but still living; as undergoing punishment, but not put to death;


text:
As full of sorrow, but ever glad; as poor, but giving wealth to others; as having nothing, but still having all things.


text:
Now to give me back payment of the same sort (I am talking as to my children), let your hearts be wide open to me.


text:
Do not keep company with those who have not faith: for what is there in common between righteousness and evil, or between light and dark?


text:
And what agreement is there between Christ and the Evil One? or what part has one who has faith with one who has not?


text:
And what agreement has the house of God with images? for we are a house of the living God; even as God has said, I will be living among them, and walking with them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.


text:
For which cause, Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and let no unclean thing come near you; and I will take you for myself,


text:
And will be a Father to you; and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord, the Ruler of all.


text:
Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God.


text:
Let your hearts be open to us: we have done no man wrong, no man has been damaged by us, we have made no profit out of any man,


text:
It is not with the purpose of judging you that I say this: for I have said before that you are in our hearts for life and death together.


text:
My words to you are without fear, I am full of pride on account of you: I have great comfort and joy in all our troubles.


text:
For even when we had come into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; there were fightings outside and fears inside.


text:
And not by his coming only, but by the comfort which he had in you, while he gave us word of your desire, your sorrow, your care for me; so that I was still more glad.


text:
For though my letter gave you pain, I have no regret for it now, though I had before; for I see that the letter gave you pain, but only for a time.


text:
Now I am glad, not that you had sorrow, but that your sorrow was the cause of a change of heart; for yours was a holy sorrow so that you might undergo no loss by us in anything.


text:
For the sorrow which God gives is the cause of salvation through a change of heart, in which there is no reason for grief: but the sorrow of the world is a cause of death.


text:
For you see what care was produced in you by this very sorrow of yours before God, what clearing of yourselves, what wrath against sin, what fear, what desire, what serious purpose, what punishment. In everything you have made it clear that you are free from sin in this business.


text:
So though I sent you a letter, it was not only because of the man who did the wrong, or because of him to whom the wrong was done, but so that your true care for us might be made clear in the eyes of God.


text:
So we have been comforted: and we had the greater joy in our comfort because of the joy of Titus, for his spirit had been made glad by you all.


text:
For I was not put to shame in anything in which I may have made clear to him my pride in you; but as we said nothing to you but what was true, so the good things which I said to Titus about you were seen by him to be true.


text:
And his love to you is the more increased by his memory of you all, how you gave way to his authority, and how you took him to your hearts with fear and honour.


text:
And now we give you news, brothers, about the grace of God which has been given to the churches of Macedonia;


text:
How while they were undergoing every sort of trouble, and were in the greatest need, they took all the greater joy in being able to give freely to the needs of others.


text:
For I give them witness, that as they were able, and even more than they were able, they gave from the impulse of their hearts,


text:
Seriously requesting us that they might have a part in this grace of being servants to the needs of the saints:


text:
And going even farther than our hope, they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us after the purpose of God.


text:
So that we made a request to Titus that, as he had made a start before, so he might make this grace complete in you.


text:
And that as you are full of every good thing, of faith, of the word, of knowledge, of a ready mind, and of love to us, so you may be full of this grace in the same way.


text:
I am not giving you an order, but using the ready mind of others as a test of the quality of your love.


text:
For you see the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how though he had wealth, he became poor on your account, so that through his need you might have wealth.


text:
And in this I give my opinion: for it is to your profit, who were the first to make a start a year before, not only to do this, but to make clear that your minds were more than ready to do it.


text:
Then make the doing of it complete; so that as you had a ready mind, you may give effect to it as you are able.


text:
For if there is a ready mind, a man will have God's approval in the measure of what he has, and not of what he has not.


text:
But so that things may be equal; that from those things of which you have more than enough at the present time their need may be helped, and that if you are in any need they may be a help to you in the same way, making things equal.


text:
As it says in the Writings, He who had taken up much had nothing over and he who had little had enough.


text:
For while he gladly gave ear to our request, he was interested enough to go to you from the impulse of his heart.


text:
And with him we have sent a brother whose praise in the good news has gone through all the churches;


text:
And not only so, but he was marked out by the churches to go with us in the grace of this giving which we have undertaken to the glory of the Lord and to make clear that our mind was ready:


text:
And so that no man might be able to say anything against us in the business of this giving which has been put into our hands:


text:
For the business has been so ordered by us as to have the approval, not only of the Lord, but of men.


text:
And we have sent with them our brother, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.


text:
If any question comes up about Titus, he is my brother-worker, working with me for you; or about the others, they are the representatives of the churches to the glory of Christ.


text:
Make clear then to them, as representatives of the churches, the quality of your love, and that the things which we have said about you are true.


text:
For I have before made clear to those of Macedonia my pride in your ready mind, saying to them that Achaia has been ready for a year back; and a great number have been moved to do the same by your example.


text:
But I have sent the brothers, so that the good things we said about you may be seen to be true, and that, as I said, you may be ready:


text:
For fear that, if any from Macedonia come with me, and you are not ready, we (not to say, you) might be put to shame in this thing.


text:
So it seemed to me wise for the brothers to go before, and see that the amount which you had undertaken to give was ready, so that it might be a cause for praise, and not as if we were making profit out of you.


text:
But in the Writings it says, He who puts in only a small number of seeds, will get in the same; and he who puts them in from a full hand, will have produce in full measure from them.


text:
Let every man do after the purpose of his heart; not giving with grief, or by force: for God takes pleasure in a ready giver.


text:
And God is able to give you all grace in full measure; so that ever having enough of all things, you may be full of every good work:


text:
As it is said in the Writings, He has sent out far and wide, he has given to the poor; his righteousness is for ever.


text:
And he who gives seed for putting into the field and bread for food, will take care of the growth of your seed, at the same time increasing the fruits of your righteousness;


text:
For this work of giving not only takes care of the needs of the saints, but is the cause of much praise to God;


text:
For when, through this work of giving, they see what you are, they give glory to God for the way in which you have given yourselves to the good news of Christ, and for the wealth of your giving to them and to all;


text:
While their hearts go out to you in love and in prayer for you, because of the great grace of God which is in you.


text:
Now I, Paul, myself make request to you by the quiet and gentle behaviour of Christ, I who am poor in spirit when with you, but who say what is in my mind to you without fear when I am away from you:


text:
Yes, I make my request to you, so that when I am with you I may not have to make use of the authority which may be needed against some to whom we seem to be walking after the flesh.


text:
(For the arms with which we are fighting are not those of the flesh, but are strong before God for the destruction of high places);


text:
Putting an end to reasonings, and every high thing which is lifted up against the knowledge of God, and causing every thought to come under the authority of Christ;


text:
Being ready to give punishment to whatever is against his authority, after you have made it clear that you are completely under his control.


text:
Give attention to the things which are before you. If any man seems to himself to be Christ's, let him keep in mind that we are as much Christ's as he is.


text:
For though I might take pride in our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for your destruction), it will not be a cause of shame to me:


text:
For his letters, they say, have weight and are strong; but in body he is feeble, and his way of talking has little force.


text:
Let those who say this keep in mind that, what we are in word by letters when we are away, so will we be in act when we are present.


text:
For we will not make comparison of ourselves with some of those who say good things about themselves: but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and making comparison of themselves with themselves, are not wise.


text:
We will not give glory to ourselves in over-great measure, but after the measure of the rule which God has given us, a measure which comes even to you.


text:
For we have no need to make ourselves seem more than we are, as if our authority did not come as far as to you: for we came even as far as you with the good news of Christ:


text:
Not taking credit to ourselves for what is not our business, that is, for the work of others; but having hope that, with the growth of your faith, we may get the credit for an increase which is the effect of our work,


text:
So that we may be able to go on and take the good news to countries still farther away than you are, and not take credit for another man's work in making things ready to our hand.


text:
For the Lord's approval of a man is not dependent on his opinion of himself, but on the Lord's opinion of him.


text:
For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.


text:
But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ.


text:
For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.


text:
But though I am rough in my way of talking, I am not so in knowledge, as we have made clear to all by our acts among you.


text:
Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?


text:
And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.


text:
As the true word of Christ is in me, I will let no man take from me this my cause of pride in the country of Achaia.


text:
But what I do, that I will go on doing, so that I may give no chance to those who are looking for one; so that, in the cause of their pride, they may be seen to be the same as we are.


text:
So it is no great thing if his servants make themselves seem to be servants of righteousness; whose end will be the reward of their works.


text:
I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself.


text:
What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.


text:
You put up with a man if he makes servants of you, if he makes profit out of you, if he makes you prisoners, if he puts himself in a high place, if he gives you blows on the face.


text:
I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.


text:
Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death.


text:
Three times I was whipped with rods, once I was stoned, three times the ship I was in came to destruction at sea, a night and a day I have been in the water;


text:
In frequent travels, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from outlaws, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the town, in dangers in the waste land, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers;


text:
In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.


text:
In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches.


text:
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true.


text:
In Damascus, the ruler under Aretas the king kept watch over the town of the people of Damascus, in order to take me:


text:
As it is necessary for me to take glory to myself, though it is not a good thing, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.


text:
I have knowledge of a man in Christ, fourteen years back (if he was in the body, or out of the body, I am not able to say, but God only), who was taken up to the third heaven.


text:
And I have knowledge of such a man (if he was in the body, or out of the body, I am not able to say, but God only),


text:
How he was taken up into Paradise, and words came to his ears which may not be said, and which man is not able to say.


text:
On account of such a one I will have glory: for myself I will take no glory, but only in my feeble body.


text:
For if I had a desire to take credit to myself, it would not be foolish, for I would be saying what is true: but I will not, for fear that I might seem to any man more than he sees me to be, or has word from me that I am.


text:
And because the revelations were so very great, in order that I might not be overmuch lifted up, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, one sent from Satan to give me pain.


text:
And he said to me, My grace is enough for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble. Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me.


text:
So I take pleasure in being feeble, in unkind words, in needs, in cruel attacks, in troubles, on account of Christ: for when I am feeble, then am I strong.


text:
I have been forced by you to become foolish, though it was right for my praise to have come from you: for in no way was I less than the chief of the Apostles, though I am nothing.


text:
Truly the signs of an Apostle were done among you in quiet strength, with wonders and acts of power.


text:
For what is there in which you were made less than the other churches, but in the one thing that I was not a trouble to you? Let me have forgiveness for this wrong.


text:
This is now the third time that I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a trouble to you: my desire is for you, not for your property: for it is not the children's business to make store for their fathers, but the fathers for the children.


text:
And I will gladly give all I have for your souls. If I have the more love for you, am I to be loved the less?


text:
But let it be so, that I was not a trouble to you myself; but (someone may say) being false, I took you with deceit.


text:
I gave orders to Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus make any profit out of you? were we not guided by the same Spirit, in the same ways?


text:
It may seem to you that all this time we have been attempting to put ourselves in the right; but we are saying these things before God in Christ. For all things, dear brothers, are for your profit.


text:
For I have a fear that, when I come, you may not be answering to my desire, and that I may not be answering to yours; that there may be fighting, hate, angry feeling, divisions, evil talk about others, secrets, thoughts of pride, outbursts against authority;


text:
And that when I come again, my God may put me to shame among you, and I may have grief for those who have done wrong before and have had no regret for their unclean ways, and for the evil desires of the flesh to which they have given way.


text:
This is the third time that I am coming to you. From the mouth of two or three witnesses will every word be made certain.


text:
I said before, and still say it before I come, as being present for the second time, though I am still away from you, to those who have done wrong before, and to all the others, that if I come again I will not have pity;


text:
Seeing that you are looking for a sign of Christ giving out his word in me; who is not feeble in relation to you, but is strong in you:


text:
For he was feeble in that he was put to death on the cross, but he is living by the power of God. And we are feeble in him, but we will be living with him through the power of God in relation to you.


text:
Make a test of yourselves, if you are in the faith; make certain of yourselves. Or are you not conscious in yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, if you are truly Christ's?


text:
Now our prayer to God is that you may do no evil; not in order that it may be put to our credit, but so that you may do what is right, whatever we may seem.


text:
For we are glad when we are feeble and you are strong: and this is our prayer, even that you may be made complete.


text:
For this cause I am writing these things while I am away, so that there may be need for me, when I am present, to make use of sharp measures, by the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for destruction.


text:
Let this be my last word, brothers; be glad; be complete; be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace with one another: and the God of love and peace will be with you.


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


text:
Paul, an Apostle (not from men, and not through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who made him come back from the dead),


text:
Who gave himself for our sins, so that he might make us free from this present evil world, after the purpose of our God and Father:


text:
I am surprised that you are being so quickly turned away from him whose word came to you in the grace of Christ, to good news of a different sort;


text:
Which is not another sort: only there are some who give you trouble, desiring to make changes in the good news of Christ.


text:
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to be a preacher to you of good news other than that which we have given you, let there be a curse on him.


text:
As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man is a preacher to you of any good news other than that which has been given to you, let there be a curse on him.


text:
Am I now using arguments to men, or God? or is it my desire to give men pleasure? if I was still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.


text:
For I did not get it from man, and I was not given teaching in it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.


text:
For news has come to you of my way of life in the past in the Jews' religion, how I was cruel without measure to the church of God, and did great damage to it:


text:
And I went farther in the Jews' religion than a number of my generation among my countrymen, having a more burning interest in the beliefs handed down from my fathers.


text:
But when it was the good pleasure of God, by whom I was marked out even from my mother's body, through his grace,


text:
To give the revelation of his Son in me, so that I might give the news of him to the Gentiles; then I did not take the opinion of flesh and blood,


text:
And I went not up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me; but I went away into Arabia, and again I came back to Damascus.


text:
Only it came to their ears that he who at one time was cruel to us is now preaching the faith which before had been attacked by him;


text:
Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me.


text:
And I went up by revelation; and I put before them the good news which I was preaching among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were of good name, so that the work which I was or had been doing might not be without effect.


text:
And that because of the false brothers let in secretly, who came searching out our free condition which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might make servants of us;


text:
To whom we gave way not even for an hour; so that the true words of the good news might still be with you.


text:
But from those who seemed to be important (whatever they were has no weight with me: God does not take man's person into account): those who seemed to be important gave nothing new to me;


text:
But, quite the opposite, when they saw that I had been made responsible for preaching the good news to those without circumcision, even as Peter had been for those of the circumcision


text:
(Because he who was working in Peter as the Apostle of the circumcision was working no less in me among the Gentiles);


text:
When they saw the grace which was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who had the name of being pillars, gave to me and Barnabas their right hands as friends so that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision;


text:
Only it was their desire that we would give thought to the poor; which very thing I had much in mind to do.


text:
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I made a protest against him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.


text:
For before certain men came from James, he did take food with the Gentiles: but when they came, he went back and made himself separate, fearing those who were of the circumcision.


text:
But when I saw that they were not living uprightly in agreement with the true words of the good news, I said to Cephas before them all, If you, being a Jew, are living like the Gentiles, and not like the Jews, how will you make the Gentiles do the same as the Jews?


text:
Being conscious that a man does not get righteousness by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we had faith in Christ Jesus, so that we might get righteousness by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law will no flesh get righteousness.


text:
But if, while we were desiring to get righteousness through Christ, we ourselves were seen to be sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? In no way!


text:
I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me.


text:
I do not make the grace of God of no effect: because if righteousness is through the law, then Christ was put to death for nothing.


text:
O foolish Galatians, by what strange powers have you been tricked, to whom it was made clear that Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross?


text:
Give me an answer to this one question, Did the Spirit come to you through the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?


text:
He who gives you the Spirit, and does works of power among you, is it by the works of law, or by the hearing of faith?


text:
And the holy Writings, seeing before the event that God would give the Gentiles righteousness by faith, gave the good news before to Abraham, saying, In you will all the nations have a blessing.


text:
For all who are of the works of the law are under a curse: because it is said in the Writings, A curse is on everyone who does not keep on doing all the things which are ordered in the book of the law.


text:
Now that no man gets righteousness by the law in the eyes of God, is clear; because, The upright will be living by faith.


text:
Christ has made us free from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: because it is said in the Writings, A curse on everyone who is put to death by hanging on a tree:


text:
So that on the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; in order that we through faith might have the Spirit which God had undertaken to give.


text:
Brothers, as men would say, even a man's agreement, when it has been made certain, may not be put on one side, or have additions made to it.


text:
Now to Abraham were the undertakings given, and to his seed. He says not, And to seeds, as of a great number; but as of one, he says, And to your seed, which is Christ.


text:
Now this I say: The law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, does not put an end to the agreement made before by God, so as to make the undertaking without effect.


text:
Because if the heritage is by the law, it is no longer dependent on the word of God; but God gave it to Abraham by his word.


text:
What then is the law? It was an addition made because of sin, till the coming of the seed to whom the undertaking had been given; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a go-between.


text:
Is the law then against the words of God? in no way; because if there had been a law which was able to give life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.


text:
However, the holy Writings have put all things under sin, so that that for which God gave the undertaking, based on faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who have such faith.


text:
But before faith came, we were kept in prison under the law, waiting for the revelation of the faith which was to come.


text:
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and yours is the heritage by the right of God's undertaking given to Abraham.


text:
But I say that as long as the son is a child, he is in no way different from a servant, though he is lord of all;


text:
And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, saying, Abba, Father.


text:
But now that you have come to have knowledge of God, or more truly, God has knowledge of you, how is it that you go back again to the poor and feeble first things, desiring to be servants to them again?


text:
My desire for you, brothers, is that you may be as I am, because I am as you are. You have done me no wrong;


text:
And you did not have a poor opinion of me because of the trouble in my flesh, or put shame on it; but you took me to your hearts as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.


text:
Where then is that happy condition of yours? because I give you witness, that, if possible, you would have taken out your eyes and given them to me.


text:
Their interest in you is not good; but their desire is that you may be shut out, so that you may go after them.


text:
But it is good to have an interest in a good cause at all times, and not only when I am present with you.


text:
Because it is in the Writings, that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant-woman, and one by the free woman.


text:
Now the son by the servant-woman has his birth after the flesh; but the son by the free woman has his birth through the undertaking of God.


text:
Which things have a secret sense; because these women are the two agreements; one from the mountain of Sinai, giving birth to servants, which is Hagar.


text:
Now this Hagar is the mountain Sinai in Arabia, and is the image of the Jerusalem which now is: which is a servant with her children.


text:
For it is in the Writings, You who have never given birth, be glad; give cries of joy, you who have had no birth-pains; for the children of her who has been given up by her husband are more than those of the woman who has a husband.


text:
But as in those days he who had birth after the flesh was cruel to him who had birth after the Spirit, even so it is now.


text:
What then do the Writings say? Send away the servant-woman and her son; for the son of the servant-woman will not have a part in the heritage with the son of the free woman.


text:
Christ has truly made us free: then keep your free condition and let no man put a yoke on you again.


text:
Yes, I give witness again to every man who undergoes circumcision, that he will have to keep all the law.


text:
You are cut off from Christ, you who would have righteousness by the law; you are turned away from grace.


text:
Because in Christ Jesus, having circumcision or not having circumcision are equally of no profit; but only faith working through love.


text:
I am certain about you in the Lord, that you will be of no other mind; but he who is troubling you will have his punishment, whoever he is.


text:
But I, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still attacked? then has the shame of the cross been taken away.


text:
Because you, brothers, were marked out to be free; only do not make use of your free condition to give the flesh its chance, but through love be servants one to another.


text:
For all the law is made complete in one word, even in this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.


text:
But if you are given to fighting with one another, take care that you are not the cause of destruction one to another.


text:
But I say, Go on in the Spirit, and you will not come under the rule of the evil desires of the flesh.


text:
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; because these are opposite the one to the other; so that you may not do the things which you have a mind to do.


text:
Now the works of the flesh are clear, which are these: evil desire, unclean things, wrong use of the senses,


text:
Worship of images, use of strange powers, hates, fighting, desire for what another has, angry feelings, attempts to get the better of others, divisions, false teachings,


text:
Envy, uncontrolled drinking and feasting, and such things: of which I give you word clearly, even as I did in the past, that they who do such things will have no part in the kingdom of God.


text:
And those who are Christ's have put to death on the cross the flesh with its passions and its evil desires.


text:
Brothers, if a man is taken in any wrongdoing, you who are of the Spirit will put such a one right in a spirit of love; keeping watch on yourself, for fear that you yourself may be tested.


text:
But let every man make test of his work, and then will his cause for glory be in himself only, and not in his neighbour.


text:
Be not tricked; God is not made sport of: for whatever seed a man puts in, that will he get back as grain.


text:
Because he who puts in the seed of the flesh will of the flesh get the reward of death; but he who puts in the seed of the Spirit will of the Spirit get the reward of eternal life.


text:
And let us not get tired of well-doing; for at the right time we will get in the grain, if we do not give way to weariness.


text:
So then, as we have the chance, let us do good to all men, and specially to those who are of the family of the faith.


text:
Those who have the desire to seem important in the flesh, put force on you to undergo circumcision; only that they may not be attacked because of the cross of Christ.


text:
Because even those who undergo circumcision do not themselves keep the law; but they would have you undergo circumcision, so that they may have glory in your flesh.


text:
But far be it from me to have glory in anything, but only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which this world has come to an end on the cross for me, and I for it.


text:
For having circumcision is nothing, and not having circumcision is nothing, but only a new order of existence.


text:
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the purpose of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and those who have faith in Christ Jesus:


text:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us every blessing of the Spirit in the heavens in Christ:


text:
Even as he made selection of us in him from the first, so that we might be holy and free from all evil before him in love:


text:
As we were designed before by him for the position of sons to himself, through Jesus Christ, in the good pleasure of his purpose,


text:
In whom we have salvation through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, through the wealth of his grace,


text:
Having made clear to us the secret of his purpose, in agreement with the design which he had in mind, to put into his hands


text:
The ordering of the times when they are complete, so that all things might come to a head in Christ, the things in heaven and the things on the earth; in him, I say,


text:
In whom we have a heritage, being marked out from the first in his purpose who does all things in agreement with his designs;


text:
In whom you, having been given the true word, the good news of your salvation, and through your faith in him, were given the sign of the Holy Spirit of hope,


text:
Which is the first-fruit of our heritage, till God gets back that which is his, to the praise of his glory.


text:
For this cause I, having had news of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and which you make clear to all the saints,


text:
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;


text:
And that having the eyes of your heart full of light, you may have knowledge of what is the hope of his purpose, what is the wealth of the glory of his heritage in the saints,


text:
And how unlimited is his power to us who have faith, as is seen in the working of the strength of his power,


text:
Far over all rule and authority and power and every name which is named, not only in the present order, but in that which is to come:


text:
And he has put all things under his feet, and has made him to be head over all things to the church,


text:
In which you were living in the past, after the ways of this present world, doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air, the spirit who is now working in those who go against the purpose of God;


text:
Among whom we all at one time were living in the pleasures of our flesh, giving way to the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and the punishment of God was waiting for us even as for the rest.


text:
Even when we were dead through our sins, gave us life together with Christ (by grace you have salvation),


text:
That in the time to come he might make clear the full wealth of his grace in his mercy to us in Christ Jesus:


text:
For by his act we were given existence in Christ Jesus to do those good works which God before made ready for us so that we might do them.


text:
For this reason keep it in mind that in the past you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are looked on as being outside the circumcision by those who have circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;


text:
That you were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel's rights as a nation, having no part in God's agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world.


text:
For he is our peace, who has made the two into one, and by whom the middle wall of division has been broken down,


text:
Having in his flesh put an end to that which made the division between us, even the law with its rules and orders, so that he might make in himself, of the two, one new man, so making peace;


text:
And that the two might come into agreement with God in one body through the cross, so putting an end to that division.


text:
So then you are no longer as those who have no part or place in the kingdom of God, but you are numbered among the saints, and of the family of God,


text:
Which in other generations was not given to the sons of men, but the revelation of it has now been made to his holy Apostles and prophets in the Spirit;


text:
Which is that the Gentiles have a part in the heritage, and in the same body, and in the same hope in Christ through the good news,


text:
Of which I was made a preacher, through that grace of God which was given to me in the measure of the working of his power.


text:
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, was this grace given, so that I might make clear to the Gentiles the good news of the unending wealth of Christ:


text:
And make all men see what is the ordering of the secret which from the first has been kept in God who made all things;


text:
So that now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavens might be made clear through the church the wide-shining wisdom of God,


text:
For this reason it is my prayer that you may not become feeble because of my troubles for you, which are your glory.


text:
That in the wealth of his glory he would make you strong with power through his Spirit in your hearts;


text:
So that Christ may have his place in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and based in love,


text:
And to have knowledge of the love of Christ which is outside all knowledge, so that you may be made complete as God himself is complete.


text:
Now to him who is able to do in full measure more than all our desires or thoughts, through the power which is working in us,


text:
To him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations for ever and ever. So be it.


text:
I then, the prisoner in the Lord, make this request from my heart, that you will see that your behaviour is a credit to the position which God's purpose has given you,


text:
There is one body and one Spirit, even as you have been marked out by God in the one hope of his purpose for you;


text:
He who went down is the same who went up far over all the heavens so that he might make all things complete.)


text:
And he gave some as Apostles, and some, prophets; and some, preachers of the good news; and some to give care and teaching;


text:
For the training of the saints as servants in the church, for the building up of the body of Christ:


text:
Till we all come to the harmony of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to full growth, to the full measure of Christ:


text:
So that we may be no longer children, sent this way and that, turned about by every wind of teaching, by the twisting and tricks of men, by the deceits of error;


text:
Through whom all the body, being rightly formed and united together, by the full working of every part, is increased to the building up of itself in love.


text:
This I say, then, and give witness in the Lord, that you are to go no longer in the way of the Gentiles whose minds are turned to that which has no profit,


text:
Whose thoughts are dark, to whom the life of God is strange because they are without knowledge, and their hearts have been made hard;


text:
Who having no more power of feeling, have given themselves up to evil passions, to do all unclean things with overmuch desire.


text:
If in fact you gave ear to him, and were given teaching in him, even as what is true is made clear in Jesus:


text:
That you are to put away, in relation to your earlier way of life, the old man, which has become evil by love of deceit;


text:
And put on the new man, to which God has given life, in righteousness and a true and holy way of living.


text:
And so, putting away false words, let everyone say what is true to his neighbour: for we are parts one of another.


text:
Let him who was a thief be so no longer, but let him do good work with his hands, so that he may have something to give to him who is in need.


text:
Let no evil talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for giving necessary teaching, and for grace to those who give ear.


text:
Let all bitter, sharp and angry feeling, and noise, and evil words, be put away from you, with all unkind acts;


text:
And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.


text:
And be living in love, even as Christ had love for you, and gave himself up for us, an offering to God for a perfume of a sweet smell.


text:
But evil acts of the flesh and all unclean things, or desire for others' property, let it not even be named among you, as is right for saints;


text:
And let there be no low behaviour, or foolish talk, or words said in sport, which are not right, but in place of them the giving of praise.


text:
Being certain of this, that no man who gives way to the passions of the flesh, no unclean person, or one who has desire for the property of others, or who gives worship to images, has any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and God.


text:
Do not be turned from the right way by foolish words; for because of these things the punishment of God comes on those who do not put themselves under him.


text:
For you at one time were dark, but now are light in the Lord: let your behaviour be that of children of light


text:
And have no company with the works of the dark, which give no fruit, but make their true quality clear;


text:
But all things, when their true quality is seen, are made clear by the light: because everything which is made clear is light.


text:
For this reason he says, Be awake, you who are sleeping, and come up from among the dead, and Christ will be your light.


text:
Joining with one another in holy songs of praise and of the Spirit, using your voice in songs and making melody in your heart to the Lord;


text:
Giving praise at all times for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father;


text:
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.


text:
And as the church is under Christ's authority, so let wives be under the rule of their husbands in all things.


text:
Husbands, have love for your wives, even as Christ had love for the church, and gave himself for it;


text:
And might take it for himself, a church full of glory, not having one mark or fold or any such thing; but that it might be holy and complete.


text:
Even so it is right for husbands to have love for their wives as for their bodies. He who has love for his wife has love for himself:


text:
For no man ever had hate for his flesh; but he gives it food and takes care of it, even as Christ does for the church;


text:
For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.


text:
But do you, everyone, have love for his wife, even as for himself; and let the wife see that she has respect for her husband.


text:
And, you fathers, do not make your children angry: but give them training in the teaching and fear of the Lord.


text:
Servants, do what is ordered by those who are your natural masters, having respect and fear for them, with all your heart, as to Christ;


text:
Not only under your master's eye, as pleasers of men; but as servants of Christ, doing the pleasure of God from the heart;


text:
In the knowledge that for every good thing anyone does, he will have his reward from the Lord, If he is a servant or if he is free.


text:
And, you masters, do the same things to them, not making use of violent words: in the knowledge that their Master and yours is in heaven, and he has no respect for a man's position.


text:
Take up God's instruments of war, so that you may be able to keep your position against all the deceits of the Evil One.


text:
For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens.


text:
For this reason take up all the arms of God, so that you may be able to be strong in the evil day, and, having done all, to keep your place.


text:
Take your place, then, having your body clothed with the true word, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness;


text:
With prayers and deep desires, making requests at all times in the Spirit, and keeping watch, with strong purpose, in prayer for all the saints,


text:
And for me, that words may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make clear without fear the secret of the good news,


text:
For which I am a representative in chains, and that I may say without fear the things which it is right for me to say.


text:
But so that you may have knowledge of my business, and how I am, Tychicus, the well-loved brother and tested servant in the Lord, will give you news of all things:


text:
Whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, so that you may have knowledge of our position, and that he may give comfort to your hearts.


text:
Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons of the church:


text:
For I am certain of this very thing, that he by whom the good work was started in you will make it complete till the day of Jesus Christ:


text:
So it is right for me to take thought for you all in this way, because I have you in my heart; for in my chains, and in my arguments before the judges in support of the good news, making clear that it is true, you all have your part with me in grace.


text:
So that you may give your approval to the best things; that you may be true and without wrongdoing till the day of Christ;


text:
Being full of the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.


text:
Now it is my purpose to make clear to you, brothers, that the cause of the good news has been helped by my experiences;


text:
So that it became clear through all the Praetorium, and to all the rest, that I was a prisoner on account of Christ;


text:
And most of the brothers in the Lord, taking heart because of my chains, are all the stronger to give the word of God without fear.


text:
But those are preaching Christ in a spirit of competition, not from their hearts, but with the purpose of giving me pain in my prison.


text:
What then? only that in every way, falsely or truly, the preaching of Christ goes on; and in this I am glad, and will be glad.


text:
For I am conscious that this will be for my salvation, through your prayer and the giving out of the stored wealth of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,


text:
In the measure of my strong hope and belief that in nothing will I be put to shame, but that without fear, as at all times, so now will Christ have glory in my body, by life or by death.


text:
But if I go on living in the flesh--if this is the fruit of my work--then I do not see what decision to make.


text:
I am in a hard position between the two, having a desire to go away and be with Christ, which is very much better:


text:
And being certain of this, I am conscious that I will go on, yes, and go on with you all, for your growth and joy in the faith;


text:
Only let your behaviour do credit to the good news of Christ, so that if I come and see you or if I am away from you, I may have news of you that you are strong in one spirit, working together with one soul for the faith of the good news;


text:
Having no fear of those who are against you; which is a clear sign of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God;


text:
Because to you it has been given in the cause of Christ not only to have faith in him, but to undergo pain on his account:


text:
If then there is any comfort in Christ, any help given by love, any uniting of hearts in the Spirit, any loving mercies and pity,


text:
Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in harmony and of one mind;


text:
Doing nothing through envy or through pride, but with low thoughts of self let everyone take others to be better than himself;


text:
To whom, though himself in the form of God, it did not seem that to take for oneself was to be like God;


text:
And being seen in form as a man, he took the lowest place, and let himself be put to death, even the death of the cross.


text:
For this reason God has put him in the highest place and has given to him the name which is greater than every name;


text:
So that at the name of Jesus every knee may be bent, of those in heaven and those on earth and those in the underworld,


text:
So then, my loved ones, as you have at all times done what I say, not only when I am present, but now much more when I am not with you, give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts;


text:
So that you may be holy and gentle, children of God without sin in a twisted and foolish generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,


text:
Offering the word of life; so that I may have glory in you in the day of Christ, because my running was not for nothing and my work was not without effect.


text:
And even if I am offered like a drink offering, giving myself for the cause and work of your faith, I am glad and have joy with you all:


text:
But I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may be comforted when I have news of you.


text:
But his quality is clear to you; how, as a child is to its father, so he was a help to me in the work of the good news.


text:
Him then I am hoping to send as quickly as possible, when I am able to see how things will go for me:


text:
But it seemed to me necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, who has taken part with me in the work and in the fight, and your servant, sent by you for help in my need;


text:
Because his heart was with you all, and he was greatly troubled because you had news that he was ill:


text:
For in fact he was ill almost to death: but God had mercy on him; and not only on him but on me, so that I might not have grief on grief.


text:
I have sent him, then, the more gladly, so that when you see him again, you may be happy and I may have the less sorrow.


text:
Because for the work of Christ he was near to death, putting his life in danger to make your care for me complete.


text:
For the rest, my brothers, be glad in the Lord. Writing the same things to you is no trouble to me, and for you it is safe.


text:
For we are the circumcision, who give worship to God and have glory in Jesus Christ, and have no faith in the flesh:


text:
Even though I myself might have faith in the flesh: if any other man has reason to have faith in the flesh, I have more:


text:
Being given circumcision on the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in relation to the law, a Pharisee:


text:
In bitter hate I was cruel to the church; I kept all the righteousness of the law to the last detail.


text:
Yes truly, and I am ready to give up all things for the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, which is more than all: for whom I have undergone the loss of all things, and to me they are less than nothing, so that I may have Christ as my reward,


text:
And be seen in him, not having my righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:


text:
That I may have knowledge of him, and of the power of his coming back from the dead, and a part with him in his pains, becoming like him in his death;


text:
Not as if I had even now got the reward or been made complete: but I go on in the hope that I may come to the knowledge of that for which I was made the servant of Christ Jesus.


text:
Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before,


text:
Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you:


text:
Brothers, take me as your example, and take note of those who are walking after the example we have given.


text:
For there are those, of whom I have given you word before, and do so now with sorrow, who are haters of the cross of Christ;


text:
Whose end is destruction, whose god is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, whose minds are fixed on the things of the earth.


text:
For our country is in heaven; from where the Saviour for whom we are waiting will come, even the Lord Jesus Christ:


text:
By whom this poor body of ours will be changed into the image of the body of his glory, in the measure of the working by which he is able to put all things under himself.


text:
So my brothers, well loved and very dear to me, my joy and crown, be strong in the Lord, my loved ones.


text:
And I make request to you, true helper in my work, to see to the needs of those women who took part with me in the good news, with Clement and the rest of my brother-workers whose names are in the book of life.


text:
And the peace of God, which is deeper than all knowledge, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


text:
For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honour, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, give thought to these things.


text:
The things which came to you by my teaching and preaching, and which you saw in me, these things do, and the God of peace will be with you.


text:
But I am very glad in the Lord that your care for me has come to life again; though you did in fact take thought for me, but you were not able to give effect to it.


text:
But I will not say anything about my needs, for I am able, wherever I am, to be dependent on myself.


text:
It is the same to me if I am looked down on or honoured; everywhere and in all things I have the secret of how to be full and how to go without food; how to have wealth and how to be in need.


text:
And you have knowledge, Philippians, that when the good news first came to you, when I went away from Macedonia, no church took part with me in the business of giving to the saints, but you only;


text:
I have all things and more than enough: I am made full, having had from Epaphroditus the things which came from you, a perfume of a sweet smell, an offering well pleasing to God.


text:
Give words of love to every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their love.


text:
Through the hope which is in store for you in heaven; knowledge of which was given to you before in the true word of the good news,


text:
Which has come to you; and which in all the world is giving fruit and increase, as it has done in you from the day when it came to your ears and you had true knowledge of the grace of God;


text:
For this reason, we, from the day when we had word of it, keep on in prayer for you, that you may be full of the knowledge of his purpose, with all wisdom and experience of the Spirit,


text:
Living uprightly in the approval of the Lord, giving fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;


text:
Full of strength in the measure of the great power of his glory, so that you may undergo all troubles with joy;


text:
Who has made us free from the power of evil and given us a place in the kingdom of the Son of his love;


text:
For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers; all things were made by him and for him;


text:
And he is the head of the body, the church: the starting point of all things, the first to come again from the dead; so that in all things he might have the chief place.


text:
Through him uniting all things with himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, uniting all things which are on earth or in heaven.


text:
And you, who in the past were cut off and at war with God in your minds through evil works, he has now made one


text:
In the body of his flesh through death, so that you might be holy and without sin and free from all evil before him:


text:
If you keep yourselves safely based in the faith, not moved from the hope of the good news which came to you, and which was given to every living being under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.


text:
Now I have joy in my pain because of you, and in my flesh I undergo whatever is still needed to make the sorrows of Christ complete, for the salvation of his body, the church;


text:
Of which I became a servant by the purpose of God which was given to me for you, to give effect to the word of God,


text:
The secret which has been kept from all times and generations, but has now been made clear to his saints,


text:
To whom God was pleased to give knowledge of the wealth of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:


text:
Whom we are preaching; guiding and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that every man may be complete in Christ;


text:
And for this purpose I am working, using all my strength by the help of his power which is working in me strongly.


text:
For it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh;


text:
So that their hearts may be comforted, and that being joined together in love, they may come to the full wealth of the certain knowledge of the secret of God, even Christ,


text:
For though I am not present in the flesh, still I am with you in the spirit, seeing with joy your order, and your unchanging faith in Christ.


text:
Rooted and based together in him, strong in the faith which the teaching gave you, giving praise to God at all times.


text:
Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ:


text:
In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;


text:
Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead.


text:
And you, being dead through your sins and the evil condition of your flesh, to you, I say, he gave life together with him, and forgiveness of all our sins;


text:
Having put an end to the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his cross;


text:
Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it.


text:
For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths:


text:
Let no man take your reward from you by consciously making little of himself and giving worship to angels; having his thoughts fixed on the things which he has seen, being foolishly lifted up in his natural mind,


text:
And not joined to the Head, from whom all the body, being given strength and kept together through its joins and bands, has its growth with the increase of God.


text:
If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders


text:
These things seem to have a sort of wisdom in self-ordered worship and making little of oneself, and being cruel to the body, not honouring it by giving it its natural use.


text:
If then you have a new life with Christ, give your attention to the things of heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.


text:
Then put to death your bodies which are of the earth; wrong use of the flesh, unclean things, passion, evil desires and envy, which is the worship of strange gods;


text:
But now it is right for you to put away all these things; wrath, passion, bad feeling, curses, unclean talk;


text:
Do not make false statements to one another; because you have put away the old man with all his doings,


text:
Where there is no Greek or Jew, no one with circumcision or without circumcision, no division between nations, no servant or free man: but Christ is all and in all.


text:
As saints of God, then, holy and dearly loved, let your behaviour be marked by pity and mercy, kind feeling, a low opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, and a power of undergoing all things;


text:
Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:


text:
And let the peace of Christ be ruling in your hearts, as it was the purpose of God for you to be one body; and give praise to God at all times.


text:
Let the word of Christ be in you in all wealth of wisdom; teaching and helping one another with songs of praise and holy words, making melody to God with grace in your hearts.


text:
And whatever you do, in word or in act, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving praise to God the Father through him.


text:
Children, do the orders of your fathers and mothers in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord.


text:
Servants, in all things do the orders of your natural masters; not only when their eyes are on you, as pleasers of men, but with all your heart, fearing the Lord:


text:
Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ.


text:
For the wrongdoer will have punishment for the wrong he has done, without respect for any man's position.


text:
And making prayer for us, that God may give us an open door for the preaching of the word, the secret of Christ, for which I am now in chains;


text:
Let your talk be with grace, mixed with salt, so that you may be able to give an answer to everyone.


text:
Tychicus will give you news of all my business: he is a dear brother and true servant and helper in the word;


text:
And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may have news of how we are, and so that he may give your hearts comfort;


text:
And with him I have sent Onesimus, the true and well-loved brother, who is one of you. They will give you word of everything which is taking place here.


text:
Aristarchus, my brother-prisoner, sends his love to you, and Mark, a relation of Barnabas (about whom you have been given orders: if he comes to you, be kind to him),


text:
And Jesus, whose other name is Justus; these are of the circumcision: they are my only brother-workers for the kingdom of God, who have been a comfort to me.


text:
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his love, ever taking thought for you in his prayers, that you may be complete and fully certain of all the purpose of God.


text:
For I give witness of him that he has undergone much trouble for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.


text:
And when this letter has been made public among you, let the same be done in the church of Laodicea; and see that you have the letter from Laodicea.


text:
I, Paul, give you this word of love in my handwriting. Keep in memory that I am a prisoner. Grace be with you.


text:
Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.


text:
Having ever in mind your work of faith and acts of love and the strength of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;


text:
Because our good news came to you, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Spirit, so that you were completely certain of it; even as you saw what our behaviour to you was like from our love to you.


text:
And you took us and the Lord as your example, after the word had come to you in much trouble, with joy in the Holy Spirit;


text:
For not only was the word of the Lord sounding out from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God is made clear; so that we have no need to say anything.


text:
For they themselves give the news of how we came among you; and how you were turned from images to God, to the worship of a true and living God,


text:
Waiting for his Son from heaven, who came back from the dead, even Jesus, our Saviour from the wrath to come.


text:
But after we had first undergone much pain and been cruelly attacked as you saw, at Philippi, by the help of God we gave you the good news without fear, though everything was against us.


text:
But even as the good news was given to us by the approval of God, so we give it out; not as pleasing men, but God by whom our hearts are tested.


text:
For it is common knowledge among you that we never made use of smooth-sounding false words, and God is witness that at no time were we secretly desiring profit for ourselves,


text:
Or looking for glory from men, from you or from others, when we might have made ourselves a care to you as Apostles of Christ.


text:
Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us.


text:
For you have the memory, my brothers, of our trouble and care; how, working night and day, so that we might not be a trouble to any of you, we gave you the good news of God.


text:
You are witnesses, with God, how holy and upright and free from all evil was our way of life among you who have faith;


text:
Even as you saw how, like a father with his children, we were teaching and comforting you all, and giving witness,


text:
And for this cause we still give praise to God, that, when the word came to your ears through us, you took it, not as the word of man, but, as it truly is, the word of God, which has living power in you who have faith.


text:
For you, my brothers, took as your examples the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; because you underwent the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Jews;


text:
Who put to death the Lord Jesus and the prophets, violently driving us out; who are unpleasing to God and against all men;


text:
Who, to make the measure of their sins complete, kept us from giving the word of salvation to the Gentiles: but the wrath of God is about to come on them in the fullest degree.


text:
But we, my brothers, being away from you for a short time, in body but not in heart, had all the more desire to see your face;


text:
For which reason we made attempts to come to you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan kept us from coming.


text:
For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Are not even you, before our Lord Jesus, at his coming?


text:
At last our desire to have news of you was so strong that, while we ourselves were waiting at Athens,


text:
We sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the good news of Christ, to give you strength and comfort in your faith;


text:
So that no man might be moved by these troubles; because you see that these things are part of God's purpose for us.


text:
And when we were with you, we said to you that trouble was before us; and so it came about, as you see.


text:
For this reason, when I was no longer able to keep quiet, I sent to get news of your faith, fearing that you might be tested by the Evil One and that our work might come to nothing.


text:
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has given us good news of your faith and love, and that you have happy memories of us, desiring greatly to see us, even as we do to see you;


text:
For this cause, brothers, in all our trouble and grief we were comforted about you because of your faith;


text:
For how great is the praise which we give to God for you, and how great the joy with which we are glad because of you before our God;


text:
Night and day requesting God again and again that we may see your face and make your faith complete.


text:
And the Lord give you increase of love in fullest measure to one another and to all men, even as our love to you;


text:
So that your hearts may be strong and free from all sin before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.


text:
And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more.


text:
For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh;


text:
And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.


text:
Whoever, then, goes against this word, goes against not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.


text:
But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary;


text:
And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more;


text:
And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;


text:
But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope.


text:
For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.


text:
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.


text:
Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first;


text:
Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord.


text:
When they say, There is peace and no danger, then sudden destruction will come on them, as birth-pains on a woman with child; and they will not be able to get away from it.


text:
For those who are sleeping do so in the night; and those who are the worse for drink are so in the night;


text:
But let us, who are of the day, be serious, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and on our heads, the hope of salvation.


text:
But we make this request to you, my brothers: give attention to those who are working among you, who are over you in the Lord to keep order among you;


text:
And our desire is that you will keep control over those whose lives are not well ordered, giving comfort to the feeble-hearted, supporting those with little strength, and putting up with much from all.


text:
And may the God of peace himself make you holy in every way; and may your spirit and soul and body be free from all sin at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
I give orders in the name of the Lord that all the brothers are to be present at the reading of this letter.


text:
Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:


text:
It is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, because of the great increase of your faith, and the wealth of your love for one another;


text:
So that we ourselves take pride in you in the churches of God for your untroubled mind and your faith in all the troubles and sorrows which you are going through;


text:
Which is a clear sign of the decision which God in his righteousness has made; to give you a part in his kingdom, for which you have undergone this pain;


text:
For it is an act of righteousness on God's part to give trouble as their reward to those who are troubling you,


text:
And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with the angels of his power in flames of fire,


text:
To give punishment to those who have no knowledge of God, and to those who do not give ear to the good news of our Lord Jesus:


text:
Whose reward will be eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his strength,


text:
At his coming, when he will have glory in his saints, and will be a cause of wonder in all those who had faith (because our witness among you had effect) in that day.


text:
For this reason, you are ever in our prayers, that you may seem to our God such as may have a part in his purpose and that by his power he will make all his good purpose, and the work of faith, complete;


text:
So that glory may be given to the name of our Lord Jesus through you, and you may have glory in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
Now as to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our meeting with him, it is our desire, my brothers,


text:
That you may not be moved in mind or troubled by a spirit, or by a word, or by a letter as from us, with the suggestion that the day of the Lord is even now come;


text:
Give no belief to false words: because there will first be a falling away from the faith, and the revelation of the man of sin, the son of destruction,


text:
Who puts himself against all authority, lifting himself up over all which is named God or is given worship; so that he takes his seat in the Temple of God, putting himself forward as God.


text:
And now it is clear to you what is keeping back his revelation till the time comes for him to be seen.


text:
For the secret of evil is even now at work: but there is one who is keeping back the evil till he is taken out of the way.


text:
And then will come the revelation of that evil one, whom the Lord Jesus will put to death with the breath of his mouth, and give to destruction by the revelation of his coming;


text:
Even the one whose coming is marked by the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,


text:
And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation.


text:
And for this cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false:


text:
But it is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because it was the purpose of God from the first that you might have salvation, being made holy by the Spirit and by faith in what is true:


text:
And in this purpose he gave you a part through the good news of which we were the preachers, even that you might have part in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
So then, brothers, be strong in purpose, and keep the teaching which has been given to you by word or by letter from us.


text:
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who had love for us and has given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,


text:
For the rest, my brothers, let there be prayer for us that the word of the Lord may go forward with increasing glory, even as it does with you;


text:
And we have faith in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things about which we give you orders.


text:
Now we give you orders, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from all those whose behaviour is not well ordered and in harmony with the teaching which they had from us.


text:
For you yourselves are used to taking us as your example, because our life among you was ruled by order,


text:
And we did not take food from any man for nothing, but were working hard night and day not to be a trouble to any of you:


text:
Not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, so that you might do the same.


text:
For even when we were with you we gave you orders, saying, If any man does no work, let him not have food.


text:
For it has come to our ears that there are some among you whose behaviour is uncontrolled, who do no work at all, but are over-interested in the business of others.


text:
Now to such we give orders and make request in the Lord Jesus, that, working quietly, they get their living.


text:
And if any man does not give attention to what we have said in this letter, take note of that man, and keep away from him, so that he may be shamed.


text:
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with you all.


text:
These words of love to you at the end are in my writing, Paul's writing, and this is the mark of every letter from me.


text:
To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.


text:
It was my desire, when I went on into Macedonia, that you might make a stop at Ephesus, to give orders to certain men not to put forward a different teaching,


text:
Or to give attention to stories and long lists of generations, from which come questionings and doubts, in place of God's ordered way of life which is in faith;


text:
But the effect of the order is love coming from a clean heart, and a knowledge of what is right, and true faith:


text:
Desiring to be teachers of the law, though they have no knowledge of what they say or of the statements which they make so certainly.


text:
With the knowledge that the law is made, not for the upright man, but for those who have no respect for law and order, for evil men and sinners, for the unholy and those who have no religion, for those who put their fathers or mothers to death, for takers of life,


text:
For those who go after loose women, for those with unnatural desires, for those who take men prisoners, who make false statements and false oaths, and those who do any other things against the right teaching,


text:
I give praise to him who gave me power, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he took me to be true, making me his servant,


text:
Though I had said violent words against God, and done cruel acts, causing great trouble: but I was given mercy, because I did it without knowledge, not having faith;


text:
It is a true saying, in which all may put their faith, that Christ Jesus came into the world to give salvation to sinners, of whom I am the chief:


text:
But for this reason I was given mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might make clear all his mercy, as an example to those who in the future would have faith in him to eternal life.


text:
Now to the King eternal, ever-living, unseen, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. So be it.


text:
This order I give to you, Timothy my son, in harmony with the words of the prophets about you, so that by them you may be strong, fighting the good fight,


text:
Keeping faith, and being conscious of well-doing; for some, by not doing these things, have gone wrong in relation to the faith:


text:
Such are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given up to Satan, so that they may say no more evil words against God.


text:
For kings and all those in authority; so that we may have a calm and quiet life in all fear of God and serious behaviour.


text:
And of this I became a preacher and an Apostle (what I say is true, not false,) and a teacher of the Gentiles in the true faith.


text:
It is my desire, then, that in every place men may give themselves to prayer, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or argument.


text:
And that women may be dressed in simple clothing, with a quiet and serious air; not with twisted hair and gold or jewels or robes of great price;


text:
In my opinion it is right for a woman not to be a teacher, or to have rule over a man, but to be quiet.


text:
But if they go on in faith and love and holy self-control, she will be kept safe at the time of childbirth.


text:
The Bishop, then, is to be a man of good name, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, serious-minded, having respect for order, opening his house freely to guests, a ready teacher;


text:
Not one newly taken into the church, for fear that, through his high opinion of himself, he may come into the same sin as the Evil One.


text:
And he is to have a good name among those outside the church, so that nothing may be said against him and he may not be taken by the designs of the Evil One.


text:
Deacons, in the same way, are to be serious in their behaviour, not false in word, not given to taking much wine or greatly desiring the wealth of this world;


text:
And let these first be put to the test; then let them become Deacons if there is nothing against them.


text:
Women are to be serious in behaviour, saying no evil of others, controlling themselves, true in all things.


text:
For those who have done good work as Deacons get for themselves a good position and become free from fear in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.


text:
But if I am long in coming, this will make clear to you what behaviour is right for men in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of what is true.


text:
And without argument, great is the secret of religion: He who was seen in the flesh, who was given God's approval in the spirit, was seen by the angels, of whom the good news was given among the nations, in whom the world had faith, who was taken up in glory.


text:
But the Spirit says clearly that in later times some will be turned away from the faith, giving their minds to spirits of deceit, and the teachings of evil spirits,


text:
Through the false ways of men whose words are untrue, whose hearts are burned as with a heated iron;


text:
Who keep men from being married and from taking food which God made to be taken with praise by those who have faith and true knowledge.


text:
If you keep these things before the minds of the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the right teaching which has been your guide:


text:
For the training of the body is of profit for a little, but religion is of profit in every way, giving hope for the life which now is, and for that which is to come.


text:
And this is the purpose of all our work and our fighting, because our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and specially of those who have faith.


text:
Let no one make little of you because you are young, but be an example to the church in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in holy living.


text:
Till I come, give attention to the reading of the holy Writings, to comforting the saints, and to teaching.


text:
Make use of that grace in you, which was given to you by the word of the prophets, when the rulers of the church put their hands on you.


text:
Have a care for these things; give yourself to them with all your heart, so that all may see how you go forward.


text:
Give attention to yourself and your teaching. Go on in these things; for in doing so you will get salvation for yourself and for those who give hearing to you.


text:
Do not say sharp words to one who has authority in the church, but let your talk be as to a father, and to the younger men as to brothers:


text:
But if any widow has children or children's children, let these see that it is right to take care of their family and their fathers and mothers: for this is pleasing in the eyes of God.


text:
Now she who is truly a widow and without family puts her hope in God, giving herself to prayer day and night.


text:
If anyone has no care for his family and those in his house, he is false to the faith, and is worse than one who has no faith.


text:
Let no woman be numbered among the widows who is under sixty years old, and only if she has been the wife of one man,


text:
And if witness is given of her good works; if she has had the care of children, if she has been kind to travellers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those who are in trouble, giving herself to good works.


text:
But to the younger widows say No: for when their love is turned away from Christ, they have a desire to be married;


text:
And they get into the way of doing no work, going about from house to house; and not only doing no work, but talking foolishly, being over-interested in the business of others, saying things which they have no right to say.


text:
So it is my desire that the younger widows may be married and have children, controlling their families, and giving the Evil One no chance to say anything against them,


text:
If any woman of the faith has relations who are widows, let her give them help, so that the care of them does not come on the church, and so it may give help to those who are truly widowed.


text:
Let rulers whose rule is good be honoured twice over, specially those whose work is preaching and teaching.


text:
For the Writings say, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. And, The worker has a right to his reward.


text:
Do not take as true any statement made against one in authority, but only if two or three give witness to it.


text:
I give you orders before God and Christ Jesus and the angels of God's selection, to keep these orders without giving thought to one side more than another.


text:
Do not put hands on any man without thought, and have no part in other men's sins: keep yourself clean.


text:
Do not take only water as your drink, but take a little wine for the good of your stomach, and because you are frequently ill.


text:
The sins of some men are clearly seen, going before them to be judged; but with others, their sins go after them.


text:
In the same way, there are good works which are clearly seen; and those which are not so, may not be kept secret.


text:
Let all who are servants under the yoke give all honour to their masters, so that no evil may be said against the name of God and his teaching.


text:
And let those whose masters are of the faith have respect for them because they are brothers, working for them the more readily, because those who take part in the good work are of the faith and are dear. Give orders and teaching about these things.


text:
If any man gives different teaching, not in agreement with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the teaching which is in agreement with true religion,


text:
He has an over-high opinion of himself; being without knowledge, having only an unhealthy love of questionings and wars of words, from which come envy, fighting, cruel words, evil thoughts,


text:
Bitter talk of men who, being evil in mind and dead to what is true, take the faith to be a way of making profit.


text:
But those who have a desire for wealth are falling into danger, and are taken as in a net by a number of foolish and damaging desires, through which men are overtaken by death and destruction.


text:
For the love of money is a root of all evil: and some whose hearts were fixed on it have been turned away from the faith, and been wounded with unnumbered sorrows.


text:
But you, O man of God, keep yourself from these things, and go after righteousness, religion, faith, love, a quiet mind, gentle behaviour.


text:
Be fighting the good fight of the faith; take for yourself the life eternal, for which you were marked out, and of which you gave witness in the eyes of all.


text:
I give you orders before God, the giver of life, and Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate gave witness to the faith,


text:
To keep the word untouched by evil, clear from all shame, till the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ:


text:
Which at the right time he will make clear, who is the eternal and only Ruler, King of kings, and Lord of lords;


text:
Who only has life for ever, living in light to which no man may come near; whom no man has seen or is able to see: to whom be honour and power for ever. So be it.


text:
Give orders to those who have money and goods in this life, not to be lifted up in their minds, or to put their hope in the uncertain chances of wealth, but in God who gives us in full measure all things for our use;


text:
O Timothy, take good care of that which is given to you, turning away from the wrong and foolish talk and arguments of that knowledge which is falsely so named;


text:
Through which some, who gave their minds to it, have been turned away from the faith. Grace be with you.


text:
Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God, in the hope of the life which is in Christ Jesus,


text:
To Timothy, my well-loved child: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.


text:
I give praise to God, whose servant I have been, with a heart free from sin, from the time of my fathers, because in my prayers at all times the thought of you is with me, night and day


text:
Having in mind your true faith, which first was in your mother's mother Lois, and in your mother Eunice, and, I am certain, is now in you.


text:
For this reason I say to you, Let that grace of God which is in you, given to you by my hands, have living power.


text:
Have no feeling of shame, then, for the witness of our Lord or for me, his prisoner: but undergo all things for the good news in the measure of the power of God;


text:
Who gave us salvation, marking us out for his purpose, not on account of our works, but in the measure of his purpose and his grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,


text:
But has now been made clear by the revelation of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who put an end to death and made life unending come to light through the good news,


text:
And for which I undergo these things: but I have no feeling of shame. For I have knowledge of him in whom I have faith, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have given into his care till that day.


text:
Keep the form of those true words which you had from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.


text:
May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus because he frequently gave me help, and had no feeling of shame because I was in chains;


text:
(May he have the Lord's mercy in that day); and of all he did for me at Ephesus you have full knowledge.


text:
And the things which I have said to you before a number of witnesses, give to those of the faith, so that they may be teachers of others.


text:
A fighting man, when he is with the army, keeps himself free from the business of this life so that he may be pleasing to him who has taken him into his army.


text:
Keep in mind Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, who came back from the dead, as my good news gives witness:


text:
In which I put up with the hardest conditions, even prison chains, like one who has done a crime; but the word of God is not in chains.


text:
But I undergo all things for the saints, so that they may have salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.


text:
If we go on to the end, then we will be ruling with him: if we say we have no knowledge of him, then he will say he has no knowledge of us:


text:
Put these things before them, giving them orders in the name of the Lord to keep themselves from fighting about words, which is of no profit, only causing error in their hearers.


text:
Let it be your care to get the approval of God, as a workman who has no cause for shame, giving the true word in the right way.


text:
Men whose ideas are all false, who say that the coming back from the dead has even now taken place, overturning the faith of some.


text:
But God's strong base is unchanging, having this sign, The Lord has knowledge of those who are his: and, Let everyone by whom the name of the Lord is named be turned away from evil.


text:
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but others of wood and earth, and some which are honoured and some without honour.


text:
If a man makes himself clean from these, he will be a vessel for honour, made holy, ready for the master's use, ready for every good work.


text:
But keep yourself from those desires of the flesh which are strong when the body is young, and go after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those whose prayers go up to the Lord from a clean heart.


text:
For it is not right for the Lord's servant to make trouble, but he is to be gentle to all, ready in teaching, putting up with wrong,


text:
Gently guiding those who go against the teaching; if by chance God may give them a change of heart and true knowledge,


text:
And so they may get themselves free from the net of the Evil One, being made the prisoners of the Lord's servant, for the purpose of God.


text:
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, uplifted in pride, given to bitter words, going against the authority of their fathers, never giving praise, having no religion,


text:
Without natural love, bitter haters, saying evil of others, violent and uncontrolled, hating all good,


text:
For these are they who go secretly into houses, making prisoners of foolish women, weighted down with sin, turned from the way by their evil desires,


text:
And as James and Jambres went against Moses, so do these go against what is true: men of evil minds, who, tested by faith, are seen to be false.


text:
But they will go no farther: for their foolish behaviour will be clear to all men, as theirs was in the end.


text:
But you took as your example my teaching, behaviour, purpose, and faith; my long waiting, my love, my quiet undergoing of trouble;


text:
My punishments and pain; the things which came to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; the cruel attacks made on me: and the Lord made me free from them all.


text:
Yes, and all whose purpose is to be living in the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, will be cruelly attacked.


text:
But see that you keep to the teaching you have been given and the things of which you are certain, conscious of who has been your teacher;


text:
And that from the time when you were a child, you have had knowledge of the holy Writings, which are able to make you wise to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus.


text:
Every holy Writing which comes from God is of profit for teaching, for training, for guiding, for education in righteousness:


text:
I give you orders, before God and Christ Jesus, who will be the judge of the living and the dead, and by his revelation and his kingdom;


text:
Be preaching the word at all times, in every place; make protests, say sharp words, give comfort, with long waiting and teaching;


text:
For the time will come when they will not take the true teaching; but, moved by their desires, they will get for themselves a great number of teachers for the pleasure of hearing them;


text:
But be self-controlled in all things, do without comfort, go on preaching the good news, completing the work which has been given you to do.


text:
From now on, the crown of righteousness is made ready for me, which the Lord, the upright judge, Will give to me at that day: and not only to me, but to all those who have had love for his revelation.


text:
For Demas has gone away from me, for love of this present life, and has gone to Thessalonica: Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.


text:
The coat which I did not take from Troas and which is with Carpus, get when you come, and the books, specially the papers.


text:
At my first meeting with my judges, no one took my part, but all went away from me. May it not be put to their account.


text:
But the Lord was by my side and gave me strength; so that through me the news might be given out in full measure, and all the Gentiles might give ear: and I was taken out of the mouth of the lion.


text:
The Lord will keep me safe from every evil work and will give me salvation in his kingdom in heaven: to whom be glory for ever and ever. So be it.


text:
Do your best to come before the winter. Eubulus sends you his love, and Pudens and Linus and Claudia, and all the brothers.


text:
Paul, a servant of God, and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, in agreement with the faith of the saints of God and the full knowledge of what is true in harmony with religion,


text:
In the hope of eternal life, which was made certain before eternal time, by the word of God who is ever true;


text:
Who, in his time, made clear his word in the good news, of which, by the order of God our Saviour, I became a preacher;


text:
To Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.


text:
I did not take you with me when I went away from Crete, so that you might do what was necessary to put things in order there, placing men in authority over the churches in every town, as I said to you;


text:
Men having a good record, husbands of one wife, whose children are of the faith, children of whom it may not be said that they are given to loose living or are uncontrolled.


text:
For it is necessary for a Bishop to be a man of virtue, as God's servant; not pushing himself forward, not quickly moved to wrath or blows, not desiring profit for himself;


text:
But opening his house freely to guests; a lover of what is good, serious-minded, upright, holy, self-controlled;


text:
Keeping to the true word of the teaching, so that he may be able to give comfort by right teaching and overcome the arguments of the doubters.


text:
For there are men who are not ruled by law; foolish talkers, false teachers, specially those of the circumcision,


text:
By whom some families have been completely overturned; who take money for teaching things which are not right; these will have to be stopped.


text:
One of their prophets has said, The men of Crete are ever false, evil beasts, lovers of food, hating work.


text:
To the clean in heart all things are clean: but to those who are unclean and without faith nothing is clean; they become unclean in mind and in thought.


text:
They say that they have knowledge of God, while by their acts they are turning their backs on him; they are hated by all, hard-hearted, and judged to be without value for any good work.


text:
That old men are to be simple in their tastes, serious, wise, true in faith, in love, and of a quiet mind.


text:
That old women are to be self-respecting in behaviour, not saying evil of others, not given to taking much wine, teachers of that which is good,


text:
To be wise in mind, clean in heart, kind; working in their houses, living under the authority of their husbands; so that no evil may be said of the word of God.


text:
In all things see that you are an example of good works; holy in your teaching, serious in behaviour,


text:
Saying true and right words, against which no protest may be made, so that he who is not on our side may be put to shame, unable to say any evil of us.


text:
Servants are to be under the authority of their masters, pleasing them in all things, without argument;


text:
Not taking what is not theirs, but giving clear signs of their good faith, in all things doing credit to the teaching of God our Saviour.


text:
Training us so that, turning away from evil and the desires of this world, we may be living wisely and uprightly in the knowledge of God in this present life;


text:
Who gave himself for us, so that he might make us free from all wrongdoing, and make for himself a people clean in heart and on fire with good works.


text:
On all these points give teaching and help, and make clear what is right with all authority. Let all men give you honour.


text:
Make clear to them that they are to put themselves under rulers and authorities, to do what they are ordered, to be ready for every good work,


text:
To say no evil of any man, not to be fighters, to give way to others, to be gentle in behaviour to all men.


text:
For in the past we were foolish, hard in heart, turned from the true way, servants of evil desires and pleasures, living in bad feeling and envy, hated and hating one another.


text:
Not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but in the measure of his mercy, he gave us salvation, through the washing of the new birth and the giving of new life in the Holy Spirit,


text:
So that, having been given righteousness through grace, we might have a part in the heritage, the hope of eternal life.


text:
This is a true saying; and it is my desire that you may give certain witness about these things, so that those who have had faith in God may give attention to good works. These things are good and of profit to men;


text:
But have nothing to do with foolish questionings, and lists of generations, and fights and arguments about the law; for they are of no profit and foolish.


text:
A man whose opinions are not those of the church, after a first and second protest, is to be kept out of your society;


text:
When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis: for it is my purpose to be there for the winter.


text:
Send Zenas, the man of law, and Apollos on their journey with all care, so that they may be in need of nothing.


text:
And let our people go on with good works for necessary purposes, so that they may not be without fruit.


text:
All who are with me send you their love. Give our love to our friends in the faith. Grace be with you all.


text:
Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear helper in the faith,


text:
And to Apphia, our sister, and to Archippus, our brother in God's army, and to the church in your house:


text:
That the faith which you have in common with them may be working with power, in the knowledge of every good thing in you, for Christ.


text:
For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother.


text:
Still, because of love, in place of an order, I make a request to you, I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner of Christ Jesus:


text:
Though my desire was to keep him with me, to be my servant in the chains of the good news, in your place:


text:
But without your approval I would do nothing; so that your good works might not be forced, but done freely from your heart.


text:
For it is possible that for this reason he was parted from you for a time, so that you might have him for ever;


text:
No longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother, very dear to me specially, but much more to you, in the flesh as well as in the Lord.


text:
I, Paul, writing this myself, say, I will make payment to you: and I do not say to you that you are in debt to me even for your life.


text:
Being certain that you will do my desire, I am writing to you, in the knowledge that you will do even more than I say.


text:
In times past the word of God came to our fathers through the prophets, in different parts and in different ways;


text:
But now, at the end of these days, it has come to us through his Son, to whom he has given all things for a heritage, and through whom he made the order of the generations;


text:
Who, being the outshining of his glory, the true image of his substance, supporting all things by the word of his power, having given himself as an offering making clean from sins, took his seat at the right hand of God in heaven;


text:
Having become by so much better than the angels, as the name which is his heritage is more noble than theirs.


text:
To which of the angels did God say at any time, You are my Son, this day I have given you being? or, I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?


text:
And again, when he is sending his only Son into the world, he says, Let all the angels of God give him worship.


text:
But of the Son he says, Your seat of power, O God, is for ever and ever; and the rod of your kingdom is a rod of righteousness.


text:
You have been a lover of righteousness and a hater of evil; and so God, your God, has put the oil of joy on your head more than on the heads of those who are with you.


text:
They will be rolled up like a cloth, even like a robe, and they will be changed: but you are the same and your years will have no end.


text:
But of which of the angels has he said at any time, Take your seat at my right hand till I put all those who are against you under your feet?


text:
Are they not all helping spirits, who are sent out as servants to those whose heritage will be salvation?


text:
For this reason there is the more need for us to give attention to the things which have come to our ears, for fear that by chance we might be slipping away.


text:
Because if the word which came through the angels was fixed, and in the past every evil act against God's orders was given its full punishment;


text:
What will come on us, if we do not give our minds to such a great salvation? a salvation of which our fathers first had knowledge through the words of the Lord, and which was made certain to us by those to whom his words came;


text:
And God was a witness with them, by signs and wonders, and by more than natural powers, and by his distribution of the Holy Spirit at his pleasure.


text:
But a certain writer has given his witness, saying, What is man, that you keep him in mind? what is the son of man, that you take him into account?


text:
You made him a little lower than the angels; you gave him a crown of glory and honour, and made him ruler over all the works of your hands:


text:
You put all things under his feet. For in making man the ruler over all things, God did not put anything outside his authority; though we do not see everything under him now.


text:
But we see him who was made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, crowned with glory and honour, because he let himself be put to death so that by the grace of God he might undergo death for all men.


text:
Because it was right for him, for whom and through whom all things have being, in guiding his sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation complete through pain.


text:
For he who makes holy and those who are made holy are all of one family; and for this reason it is no shame for him to give them the name of brothers,


text:
Saying, I will give the knowledge of your name to my brothers, I will make a song of praise to you before the church.


text:
And again he says, I will put my faith in him. And again, See, I am here, and the children which God has given to me.


text:
And because the children are flesh and blood, he took a body himself and became like them; so that by his death he might put an end to him who had the power of death, that is to say, the Evil One;


text:
Because of this it was necessary for him to be made like his brothers in every way, so that he might be a high priest full of mercy and keeping faith in everything to do with God, making offerings for the sins of the people.


text:
For this reason, holy brothers, marked out to have a part in heaven, give thought to Jesus the representative and high priest of our faith;


text:
And it was right for this man to have more honour than Moses, even as the builder of a house has more honour than the house.


text:
And Moses certainly kept faith as a servant, in all his house, and as a witness of those things which were to be said later;


text:
But Christ as a son, over his house; whose house are we, if we keep our hearts fixed in the glad and certain hope till the end.


text:
So that I was angry with this generation, and I said, Their hearts are in error at all times, and they have no knowledge of my ways;


text:
My brothers, take care that there is not by chance in any one of you an evil heart without belief, turning away from the living God:


text:
But give comfort to one another every day as long as it is still Today; so that no one among you may be made hard by the deceit of sin:


text:
For if we keep the substance of the faith which we had at the start, even till the end, we have a part with Christ;


text:
As it is said, Today if you will let his voice come to your ears, be not hard of heart, as when you made him angry.


text:
Who made him angry when his voice came to them? was it not all those who came out of Egypt with Moses?


text:
And with whom was he angry for forty years? was it not with those who did evil, who came to their deaths in the waste land?


text:
And to whom did he make an oath that they might not come into his rest? was it not to those who went against his orders?


text:
Let us then, though we still have God's word that we may come into his rest, go in fear that some of you may be unable to do so.


text:
And, truly, the good news came to us, even as it did to them; but the hearing of the word did them no good, because they were not united in faith with the true hearers.


text:
For those of us who have belief come into his rest; even as he has said, As I said in my oath when I was angry, They may not come into my rest: though the works were done from the time of the making of the world.


text:
For in one place he has said of the seventh day, And God had rest from all his works on the seventh day;


text:
So that as it is clear that some have to go in, and that the first hearers of the good news were not able to go in because they went against God's orders,


text:
After a long time, again naming a certain day, he says in David, Today (as he had said before), Today if you will let his voice come to your ears, be not hard of heart,


text:
Because of this, let us have a strong desire to come into that rest, and let no one go after the example of those who went against God's orders.


text:
For the word of God is living and full of power, and is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the heart.


text:
And there is nothing made which is not completely clear to him; there is nothing covered, but all things are open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.


text:
Having then a great high priest, who has made his way through the heavens, even Jesus the Son of God, let us be strong in our faith.


text:
For we have not a high priest who is not able to be touched by the feelings of our feeble flesh; but we have one who has been tested in all points as we ourselves are tested, but without sin.


text:
Then let us come near to the seat of grace without fear, so that mercy may be given to us, and we may get grace for our help in time of need.


text:
Every high priest who is taken from among men is given his position to take care of the interests of men in those things which have to do with God, so that he may make offerings for sins.


text:
He is able to have feeling for those who have no knowledge and for those who are wandering from the true way, because he himself is feeble;


text:
In the same way Christ did not take for himself the glory of being made a high priest, but was given it by him who said, You are my Son, this day I have given you being:


text:
Who in the days of his flesh, having sent up prayers and requests with strong crying and weeping to him who was able to give him salvation from death, had his prayer answered because of his fear of God.


text:
And though he was a Son, through the pain which he underwent, the knowledge came to him of what it was to be under God's orders;


text:
And when he had been made complete, he became the giver of eternal salvation to all those who are under his orders;


text:
And though by this time it would be right for you to be teachers, you still have need of someone to give you teaching about the first simple rules of God's revelation; you have become like babies who have need of milk, and not of solid food.


text:
But solid food is for men of full growth, even for those whose senses are trained by use to see what is good and what is evil.


text:
For this reason let us go on from the first things about Christ to full growth; not building again that on which it is based, that is, the turning of the heart from dead works, and faith in God,


text:
The teaching of baptisms, and of the putting on of hands, and of the future life of the dead, and of the judging on the last day.


text:
As for those who at one time saw the light, tasting the good things from heaven, and having their part in the Holy Spirit,


text:
And then let themselves be turned away, it is not possible for their hearts to be made new a second time; because they themselves put the Son of God on the cross again, openly shaming him.


text:
For a land, drinking in the frequent rain and producing good plants for those for whom it is worked, has a blessing from God:


text:
But if it sends up thorns and evil plants, it is of no use and is ready to be cursed; its only end is to be burned.


text:
But, my loved ones, though we say this, we are certain that you have better things in you, things which go with salvation;


text:
For God is true, and will not put away from him the memory of your work and of your love for his name, in the help which you gave and still give to the saints.


text:
So that you may not be slow in heart, but may take as your example those to whom God has given their heritage, because of their faith and their long waiting.


text:
For men at all times make their oaths by what is greater; and any argument is ended by the decision of the oath.


text:
So that when it was God's desire to make it specially clear to those who by his word were to have the heritage, that his purpose was fixed, he made it more certain with an oath;


text:
So that we, who have gone in flight from danger to the hope which has been put before us, may have a strong comfort in two unchanging things, in which it is not possible for God to be false;


text:
And this hope is like a strong band for our souls, fixed and certain, and going in to that which is inside the veil;


text:
For this Melchizedek, the king of Salem, a priest of the Most High God, who gave Abraham his blessing, meeting him when he came back after putting the kings to death,


text:
And to whom Abraham gave a tenth part of everything which he had, being first named King of righteousness, and then in addition, King of Salem, that is to say, King of peace;


text:
Being without father or mother, or family, having no birth or end to his life, being made like the Son of God, is a priest for ever.


text:
Now see how great this man was, to whom our father Abraham gave a tenth part of what he had got in the fight.


text:
And it is true that by the law, those of the sons of Levi who have the position of priests may take a tenth part of the people's goods; that is to say, they take it from their brothers though these are the sons of Abraham.


text:
But this man, who was not of their family, took the tenth from Abraham, and gave a blessing to him to whom God had given his undertaking.


text:
Now at the present time, men over whom death has power take the tenth; but then it was taken by one of whom it is witnessed that he is living.


text:
Now if it was possible for things to be made complete through the priests of the house of Levi (for the law was given to the people in connection with them), what need was there for another priest who was of the order of Melchizedek and not of the order of Aaron?


text:
For he of whom these things are said comes of another tribe, of which no man has ever made offerings at the altar.


text:
Because it is clear that our Lord comes out of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests from that tribe.


text:
(Because the law made nothing complete), and in its place there is a better hope, through which we come near to God.


text:
(For those were made priests without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by him who says of him, The Lord gave his oath, which he will not take back, that you are a priest for ever);


text:
And it is true that there have been a great number of those priests, because death does not let them go on for ever;


text:
So that he is fully able to be the saviour of all who come to God through him, because he is ever living to make prayer to God for them.


text:
It was right for us to have such a high priest, one who is holy and without evil, doing no wrong, having no part with sinners, and made higher than the heavens:


text:
Who has no need to make offerings for sins every day, like those high priests, first for himself, and then for the people; because he did this once and for ever when he made an offering of himself.


text:
The law makes high priests of men who are feeble; but the word of the oath, which was made after the law, gives that position to a Son, in whom all good is for ever complete.


text:
Now of the things we are saying this is the chief point: We have such a high priest, who has taken his place at the right hand of God's high seat of glory in heaven,


text:
Now every high priest is given authority to take to God the things which are given and to make offerings; so that it is necessary for this man, like them, to have something for an offering.


text:
If he had been on earth he would not have been a priest at all, because there are other priests who make the offerings ordered by the law;


text:
Being servants of that which is a copy and an image of the things in heaven, as Moses, when he was about to make the Tent, had special orders from God: for, See, he said, that you make everything like the design which you saw in the mountain.


text:
But now his position as priest is higher. because through him God has made a better agreement with man, based on the giving of better things.


text:
For if that first agreement had been as good as possible, there would have been no place for a second.


text:
For, protesting against them, he says, See, the days are coming when I will make a new agreement with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah;


text:
Not like the agreement which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand, to be their guide out of the land of Egypt; for they did not keep the agreement with me, and I gave them up, says the Lord.


text:
For this is the agreement which I will make with the people of Israel after those days: I will put my laws into their minds, writing them in their hearts: and I will be their God, and they will be my people:


text:
And there will be no need for every man to be teaching his brother, or his neighbour, saying, This is the knowledge of the Lord: for they will all have knowledge of me, great and small.


text:
When he says, A new agreement, he has made the first agreement old. But anything which is getting old and past use will not be seen much longer.


text:
For the first Tent was made ready, having in it the vessels for the lights and the table and the ordering of the bread; and this is named the holy place.


text:
Having a vessel of gold in it for burning perfumes, and the ark of the agreement, which was covered with gold and which had in it a pot made of gold for the manna, and Aaron's rod which put out buds, and the stones with the writing of the agreement;


text:
And over it were the winged ones of glory with their wings covering the mercy-seat; about which it is not possible now to say anything in detail.


text:
Now while these things were in existence, the priests went into the first Tent at all times, for prayer and the making of offerings.


text:
But only the high priest went into the second, once a year, not without making an offering of blood for himself and for the errors of the people:


text:
The Holy Spirit witnessing by this that the way into the holy place had not at that time been made open, while the first Tent was still in being;


text:
And this is an image of the present time; when the offerings which are given are not able to make the heart of the worshipper completely clean,


text:
Because they are only rules of the flesh, of meats and drinks and washings, which have their place till the time comes when things will be put right.


text:
But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things of the future, through this greater and better Tent, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this world,


text:
And has gone once and for ever into the holy place, having got eternal salvation, not through the blood of goats and young oxen, but through his blood.


text:
For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the dust from the burning of a young cow, being put on the unclean, make the flesh clean:


text:
How much more will the blood of Christ, who, being without sin, made an offering of himself to God through the Holy Spirit, make your hearts clean from dead works to be servants of the living God?


text:
And for this cause it is through him that a new agreement has come into being, so that after the errors under the first agreement had been taken away by his death, the word of God might have effect for those who were marked out for an eternal heritage.


text:
For when Moses had given all the rules of the law to the people, he took the blood of goats and young oxen, with water and red wool and hyssop, and put it on the book itself and on all the people,


text:
And by the law almost all things are made clean with blood, and without blood there is no forgiveness.


text:
For this cause it was necessary to make the copies of the things in heaven clean with these offerings; but the things themselves are made clean with better offerings than these.


text:
For Christ did not go into a holy place which had been made by men's hands as the copy of the true one; but he went into heaven itself, and now takes his place before the face of God for us.


text:
And he did not have to make an offering of himself again and again, as the high priest goes into the holy place every year with blood which is not his;


text:
For then he would have undergone a number of deaths from the time of the making of the world: but now he has come to us at the end of the old order, to put away sin by the offering of himself.


text:
So Christ, having at his first coming taken on himself the sins of men, will be seen a second time, without sin, by those who are waiting for him, for their salvation.


text:
For the law, being only a poor copy of the future good things, and not the true image of those things, is never able to make the people who come to the altar every year with the same offerings completely clean.


text:
For if this had been possible, would there not have been an end of those offerings, because the worshippers would have been made completely clean and would have been no longer conscious of sins?


text:
So that when he comes into the world, he says, You had no desire for offerings, but you made a body ready for me;


text:
Then I said, See, I have come to do your pleasure, O God (as it is said of me in the roll of the book).


text:
After saying, You had no desire for offerings, for burned offerings or offerings for sin (which are made by the law) and you had no pleasure in them,


text:
Then he said, See, I have come to do your pleasure. He took away the old order, so that he might put the new order in its place.


text:
By that pleasure we have been made holy, by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for ever.


text:
And every priest takes his place at the altar day by day, doing what is necessary, and making again and again the same offerings which are never able to take away sins.


text:
And has been waiting there from that time, till all who are against him are made a foot-rest for his feet.


text:
This is the agreement which I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws in their hearts, writing them in their minds; he said,


text:
So then, my brothers, being able to go into the holy place without fear, because of the blood of Jesus,


text:
Let us go in with true hearts, in certain faith, having our hearts made free from the sense of sin and our bodies washed with clean water:


text:
Not giving up our meetings, as is the way of some, but keeping one another strong in faith; and all the more because you see the day coming near.


text:
For if we do evil on purpose after we have had the knowledge of what is true, there is no more offering for sins,


text:
But only a great fear of being judged, and of the fire of wrath which will be the destruction of the haters of God.


text:
A man who has gone against the law of Moses is put to death without pity on the word of two or three witnesses:


text:
But will not the man by whom the Son of God has been crushed under foot, and the blood of the agreement with which he was washed clean has been taken as an unholy thing, and who has had no respect for the Spirit of grace, be judged bad enough for a very much worse punishment?


text:
For we have had experience of him who says, Punishment is mine, I will give reward. And again, The Lord will be judge of his people.


text:
But give thought to the days after you had seen the light, when you went through a great war of troubles;


text:
In part, in being attacked by angry words and cruel acts, before the eyes of everyone, and in part, in being united with those who were attacked in this way.


text:
For you had pity on those who were in prison, and had joy in the loss of your property, in the knowledge that you still had a better property and one which you would keep for ever.


text:
For, having done what was right in God's eyes, you have need of waiting before his word has effect for you.


text:
But the upright man will be living by his faith; and if he goes back, my soul will have no pleasure in him.


text:
But we are not of those who go back to destruction; but of those who have faith even to the salvation of the soul.


text:
By faith it is clear to us that the order of events was fixed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made from things which only seem to be.


text:
By faith Abel made a better offering to God than Cain, and he had witness through it of his righteousness, God giving his approval of his offering: and his voice still comes to us through it though he is dead.


text:
By faith Enoch was taken up to heaven so that he did not see death; he was seen no longer, for God took him away: for before he was taken, witness had been given that he was well-pleasing to God:


text:
And without faith it is not possible to be well-pleasing to him, for it is necessary for anyone who comes to God to have the belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of all those who make a serious search for him.


text:
By faith Noah, being moved by the fear of God, made ready an ark for the salvation of his family, because God had given him news of things which were not seen at the time; and through it the world was judged by him, and he got for his heritage the righteousness which is by faith.


text:
By faith Abraham did as God said when he was ordered to go out into a place which was to be given to him as a heritage, and went out without knowledge of where he was going.


text:
By faith he was a wanderer in the land of the agreement, as in a strange land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who had a part with him in the same heritage:


text:
And by faith Sarah herself had power to give birth, when she was very old, because she had faith in him who gave his word;


text:
So that from one man, who was near to death, came children in number as the stars in heaven, or as the sand by the seaside, which may not be numbered.


text:
All these came to their end in faith, not having had the heritage; but having seen it with delight far away, they gave witness that they were wanderers and not of the earth.


text:
And truly if they had kept in mind the country from which they went out, they would have had chances of turning back.


text:
But now their desire is for a better country, that is to say, for one in heaven; and so it is no shame to God to be named their God; for he has made ready a town for them.


text:
By faith Abraham made an offering of Isaac, when he was tested: and he with whom the agreement had been made gave up as an offering the only son of his body,


text:
Judging that God was able to give life even to the dead; and because of this he did get him back as if from death.


text:
By faith Jacob gave a blessing to the two sons of Joseph, when he was near to death; and gave God worship, supported by his stick.


text:
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, said that the children of Israel would go out of Egypt; and gave orders about his bones.


text:
By faith Moses was kept secretly by his father and mother for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a fair child; and they had no fear of the king's orders.


text:
Feeling that it was better to undergo pain with the people of God, than for a short time to have a taste of the pleasures of sin;


text:
Judging a part in the shame of Christ to be better than all the wealth of Egypt; for he was looking forward to his reward.


text:
By faith he went out of Egypt, not being turned from his purpose by fear of the wrath of the king; for he kept on his way, as seeing him who is unseen.


text:
By faith he kept the Passover, and put the sign of the blood on the houses, so that the angel of destruction might not put their oldest sons to death.


text:
By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it had been dry land, though the Egyptians were overcome by the water when they made an attempt to do the same.


text:
By faith Rahab, the loose woman, was not put to death with those who had gone against God's orders, because she had taken into her house in peace those sent to see the land.


text:
What more am I to say? For there would not be time to give the stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets:


text:
Who through faith overcame kingdoms, did righteousness, got their reward, kept the mouths of lions shut,


text:
Put out the power of fire, got safely away from the edge of the sword, were made strong when they had been feeble, became full of power in war, and put to flight the armies of the nations.


text:
Women had their dead given back to them living; others let themselves be cruelly attacked, having no desire to go free, so that they might have a better life to come;


text:
They were stoned, they were cut up with knives, they were tested, they were put to death with the sword, they went about in sheepskins and in goatskins; being poor and in pain and cruelly attacked,


text:
Wandering in waste places and in mountains and in holes in the rocks; for whom the world was not good enough.


text:
And not one of these got the good things of the agreement, though they all had a good record through faith,


text:
Because God had kept some better thing for us, so that it was not possible for them to become complete without us.


text:
For this reason, as we are circled by so great a cloud of witnesses, putting off every weight, and the sin into which we come so readily, let us keep on running in the way which is marked out for us,


text:
Having our eyes fixed on Jesus, the guide and end of our faith, who went through the pains of the cross, not caring for the shame, because of the joy which was before him, and who has now taken his place at the right hand of God's seat of power.


text:
Give thought to him who has undergone so much of the hate of sinners against himself, so that you may not be tired and feeble of purpose.


text:
And you have not kept in mind the word which says to you as to sons, My son, do not make little of the Lord's punishment, and do not give up hope when you are judged by him;


text:
For the Lord sends punishment on his loved ones; everyone whom he takes as his son has experience of his rod.


text:
It is for your training that you undergo these things; God is acting to you as a father does to his sons; for what son does not have punishment from his father?


text:
But if you have not that punishment of which we all have our part, then you are not true sons, but children of shame.


text:
And again, if the fathers of our flesh gave us punishment and had our respect, how much more will we be under the authority of the Father of spirits, and have life?


text:
For they truly gave us punishment for a short time, as it seemed good to them; but he does it for our profit, so that we may become holy as he is.


text:
At the time all punishment seems to be pain and not joy: but after, those who have been trained by it get from it the peace-giving fruit of righteousness.


text:
For this cause let the hands which are hanging down be lifted up, and let the feeble knees be made strong,


text:
And make straight roads for your feet, so that the feeble may not be turned out of the way, but may be made strong.


text:
Let your desire be for peace with all men, and to be made holy, without which no man may see the Lord;


text:
Looking with care to see that no man among you in his behaviour comes short of the grace of God; for fear that some bitter root may come up to be a trouble to you, and that some of you may be made unclean by it;


text:
And that there may not be any evil liver, or any man without respect for God, like Esau, who let his birthright go for a plate of food.


text:
For you have knowledge that even long after, when he was desiring the blessing for his heritage, he was turned away, though he made his request frequently and with weeping; because the past might not be changed.


text:
You have not come to a mountain which may be touched, and is burning with fire, and to a black cloud, and a dark smoke, and a violent wind,


text:
And to the sound of a horn, and the voice of words, the hearers of which made request that not a word more might be said to them:


text:
For the order which said, If the mountain is touched even by a beast, the beast is to be stoned, seemed hard to them;


text:
But you have come to the mountain of Zion, to the place of the living God, to the Jerusalem which is in heaven, and to an army of angels which may not be numbered,


text:
To the great meeting and church of the first of those who are named in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of good men made complete,


text:
And to Jesus by whom the new agreement has been made between God and man, and to the sign of the blood which says better things than Abel's blood.


text:
See that you give ear to his voice which comes to you. For if those whose ears were shut to the voice which came to them on earth did not go free from punishment, what chance have we of going free if we give no attention to him whose voice comes from heaven?


text:
Whose voice was the cause of the shaking of the earth; but now he has made an oath, saying, There will be still one more shaking, not only of the earth, but of heaven.


text:
And the words, Still one more, make it clear that there will be a taking away of those things which are shaking, as of things which are made, so that there may be only those things of which no shaking is possible.


text:
If then, we have a kingdom which will never be moved, let us have grace, so that we may give God such worship as is pleasing to him with fear and respect:


text:
Take care to keep open house: because in this way some have had angels as their guests, without being conscious of it.


text:
Keep in mind those who are in chains, as if you were chained with them, and those who are in trouble, as being yourselves in the body.


text:
Let married life be honoured among all of you and not made unclean; for men untrue in married life will be judged by God.


text:
Be free from the love of money and pleased with the things which you have; for he himself has said, I will be with you at all times.


text:
So that we say with a good heart, The Lord is my helper; I will have no fear: what is man able to do to me?


text:
Keep in mind those who were over you, and who gave you the word of God; seeing the outcome of their way of life, let your faith be like theirs.


text:
Do not be turned away by different strange teachings, because it is good for your hearts to be made strong by grace, and not by meats, which were of no profit to those who took so much trouble over them.


text:
For the bodies of the beasts whose blood is taken into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the circle of the tents.


text:
For this reason Jesus was put to death outside the walls, so that he might make the people holy by his blood.


text:
Let us then make offerings of praise to God at all times through him, that is to say, the fruit of lips giving witness to his name.


text:
Give ear to those who are rulers over you, and do as they say: for they keep watch over your souls, ready to give an account of them; let them be able to do this with joy and not with grief, because that would be of no profit to you.


text:
Make prayers for us, for we are certain that our hearts are free from the sense of sin, desiring the right way of life in all things.


text:
Now may the God of peace, who made that great keeper of his flock, even our Lord Jesus, come back from the dead through the blood of the eternal agreement,


text:
Make you full of every good work and ready to do all his desires, working in us whatever is pleasing in his eyes through Jesus Christ; and may the glory be given to him for ever and ever. So be it.


text:
But, brothers, take kindly the words which I have said for your profit; for I have not sent you a long letter.


text:
Our brother Timothy has been let out of prison; and if he comes here in a short time, he and I will come to you together.


text:
Give words of love from me to those who are rulers over you, and to all the saints. Those who are in Italy send you their love.


text:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him so that his servants might have knowledge of the things which will quickly take place: and he sent and made it clear by his angel to his servant John;


text:
Who gave witness of the word of God, and of the witness of Jesus Christ, even of all the things which he saw.


text:
A blessing be on the reader, and on those who give ear to the prophet's words, and keep the things which he has put in the book: for the time is near.


text:
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and was and is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his high seat;


text:
And from Jesus Christ, the true witness, the first to come back from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who had love for us and has made us clean from our sins by his blood;


text:
And has made us to be a kingdom and priests to his God and Father; to him let glory and power be given for ever and ever. So be it.


text:
See, he comes with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those by whom he was wounded; and all the tribes of the earth will be sorrowing because of him. Yes, so be it.


text:
I, John, your brother, who have a part with you in the trouble and the kingdom and the quiet strength of Jesus, was in the island which is named Patmos, for the word of God and the witness of Jesus.


text:
Saying, What you see, put in a book, and send it to the seven churches; to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.


text:
And turning to see the voice which said these words to me, I saw seven gold vessels with lights burning in them;


text:
And in the middle of them one like a son of man, clothed with a robe down to his feet, and with a band of gold round his breasts.


text:
And his head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;


text:
And his feet like polished brass, as if it had been burned in a fire; and his voice was as the sound of great waters.


text:
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword: and his face was like the sun shining in its strength.


text:
And when I saw him, I went down on my face at his feet as one dead. And he put his right hand on me, saying, Have no fear; I am the first and the last and the Living one;


text:
Put in writing, then, the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will be after these;


text:
The secret of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold vessels with burning lights. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven lights are the seven churches.


text:
To the angel of the church in Ephesus say: These things says he who has the seven stars in his right hand, who is walking in the middle of the seven gold lights:


text:
I have knowledge of your doings, and of your hard work and long waiting, and that you will not put up with evil men, and have put to the test those who say they are Apostles and are not, and have seen that they are false;


text:
And you have the power of waiting, and have undergone trouble because of my name, without weariness.


text:
So keep in mind where you were at first, and be changed in heart and do the first works; or I will come to you, and will take away your light from its place, if your hearts are not changed.


text:
He who has ears, let him give ear to what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give of the fruit of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.


text:
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna say: These things says the first and the last, who was dead and is living:


text:
I have knowledge of your troubles and how poor you are (but you have true wealth), and the evil words of those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are a Synagogue of Satan.


text:
Have no fear of the things which you will have to undergo: see, the Evil One will send some of you into prison, so that you may be put to the test; and you will have great trouble for ten days. Be true till death, and I will give you the crown of life.


text:
He who has ears, let him give ear to what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not come under the power of the second death.


text:
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos say: These things says he who has the sharp two-edged sword:


text:
I have knowledge that your living-place is where Satan has his seat: and you are true to my name, and were not turned away from your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my true witness, who was put to death among you, where Satan has his place.


text:
But I have some things against you, because you have with you those who keep the teaching of Balaam, by whose suggestion Balak made the children of Israel go out of the right way, taking food which was offered to false gods, and going after the desires of the flesh.


text:
See, then, that you have a change of heart; or I will come to you quickly, and will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.


text:
He who has ears, let him give ear to what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give of the secret manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name, of which no one has knowledge but he to whom it is given.


text:
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira say: These things says the Son of God, whose eyes are like a flame of fire, and his feet like polished brass:


text:
I have knowledge of your works, and your love and faith and help and strength in trouble, and that your last works are more than the first.


text:
But I have this against you, that you let the woman Jezebel say she is a prophet and give false teaching, making my servants go after the desires of the flesh and take food offered to false gods.


text:
See, I will put her into a bed, and those who make themselves unclean with her, into great trouble, if they go on with her works.


text:
And I will put her children to death; and all the churches will see that I am he who makes search into the secret thoughts and hearts of men: and I will give to every one of you the reward of your works.


text:
But to you I say, to the rest in Thyatira, even to those who have not this teaching, and have no knowledge of the secrets of Satan, as they say; I put on you no other weight.


text:
And he will be ruling them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of the potter they will be broken, even as I have power from my Father:


text:
And to the angel of the church in Sardis say: These things says he who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I have knowledge of your works, that you seem to be living but are dead.


text:
Be on the watch, and make strong the rest of the things which are near to death; because as judged by me your works have not come up to God's measure.


text:
Keep in mind, then, the teaching which was given to you, and be ruled by it and have a change of heart. If then you do not keep watch, I will come like a thief, and you will have no knowledge of the hour when I will come on you.


text:
But you have some names in Sardis who have kept clean their robes; and as a reward they will go in white with me.


text:
He who overcomes will be dressed in white, and I will not take his name from the book of life, and I will give witness to his name before my Father, and before his angels.


text:
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia say: These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, opening the door so that it may be shut by no one, and shutting it so that it may be open to no one.


text:
I have knowledge of your works (see, I have put before you an open door which may be shut by no one), and that you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have been true to my name.


text:
See, I will make those of the Synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews, and are not, but say what is false; I will make them come and give worship before your feet, and see my love for you.


text:
Because you have kept my word in quiet strength, I will keep you from the hour of testing which is coming on all the world, to put to the test those who are on earth.


text:
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the house of my God, and he will go out no more: and I will put on him the name of my God, and the name of the town of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.


text:
And to the angel of the church in Laodicea say: These things says the true and certain witness, the head of God's new order:


text:
I have knowledge of your works, that you are not cold or warm: it would be better if you were cold or warm.


text:
For you say, I have wealth, and have got together goods and land, and have need of nothing; and you are not conscious of your sad and unhappy condition, that you are poor and blind and without clothing.


text:
If you are wise you will get from me gold tested by fire, so that you may have true wealth; and white robes to put on, so that your shame may not be seen; and oil for your eyes, so that you may see.


text:
To all those who are dear to me, I give sharp words and punishment: then with all your heart have sorrow for your evil ways.


text:
See, I am waiting at the door and giving the sign; if my voice comes to any man's ears and he makes the door open, I will come in to him, and will take food with him and he with me.


text:
To him who overcomes I will give a place with me on my high seat, even as I overcame, and am seated with my Father on his high seat.


text:
After these things I saw a door open in heaven, and the first voice came to my ears, like the sound of a horn, saying, Come up here, and I will make clear to you the things which are to come.


text:
And to my eyes he was like a jasper and a sardius stone: and there was an arch of light round the high seat, like an emerald.


text:
And round about the high seat were four and twenty seats: and on them I saw four and twenty rulers seated, clothed in white robes; and on their heads crowns of gold.


text:
And out of the high seat came flames and voices and thunders. And seven lights of fire were burning before the high seat, which are the seven Spirits of God;


text:
And before the high seat there was, as it seemed, a clear sea of glass; and in the middle of the high seat, and round about it, four beasts full of eyes round about.


text:
And the first beast was like a lion, and the second like an ox, and the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.


text:
And the four beasts, having every one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and inside: and without resting day and night, they say, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, Ruler of all, who was and is and is to come.


text:
And when the beasts give glory and honour to him who is seated on the high seat, to him who is living for ever and ever,


text:
The four and twenty rulers go down on their faces before him who is seated on the high seat, and give worship to him who is living for ever and ever, and take off their crowns before the high seat, saying,


text:
It is right, our Lord and our God, for you to have glory and honour and power: because by you were all things made, and by your desire they came into being.


text:
And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the high seat, a book with writing inside it and on the back, shut with seven stamps of wax.


text:
And I saw a strong angel saying in a loud voice, Who is able to make the book open, and to undo its stamps?


text:
And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to get the book open, or to see what was in it.


text:
And one of the rulers said to me, Do not be sad: see, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome, and has power to undo the book and its seven stamps.


text:
And I saw in the middle of the high seat and of the four beasts, and in the middle of the rulers, a Lamb in his place, which seemed as if it had been put to death, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.


text:
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty rulers went down on their faces before the Lamb, having every one an instrument of music, and gold vessels full of perfumes, which are the prayers of the saints.


text:
And their voices are sounding in a new song, saying, It is right for you to take the book and to make it open: for you were put to death and have made an offering to God of your blood for men of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation,


text:
And I saw, and there came to my ears the sound of a great number of angels round about the high seat and the beasts and the rulers; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;


text:
Saying with a great voice, It is right to give to the Lamb who was put to death, power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing.


text:
And to my ears came the voice of everything in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and of all things which are in them, saying, To him who is seated on the high seat, and to the Lamb, may blessing and honour and glory and power be given for ever and ever.


text:
And I saw when the Lamb undid one of the stamps, and the voice of one of the four beasts came to my ears, saying as with a voice of thunder, Come and see.


text:
And I saw a white horse, and he who was seated on it had a bow; and there was given to him a crown: and he went out with power to overcome.


text:
And when the second stamp was undone, the voice of the second beast came to my ears, saying, Come and see.


text:
And another horse came out, a red horse; and it was given to him who was seated on it to take peace from the earth, so that people might put one another to death: and there was given to him a great sword.


text:
And when the third stamp was undone, the voice of the third beast came to my ears, saying, Come and see. And I saw a black horse; and he who was seated on it had scales in his hand.


text:
And a voice came to my ears, from the middle of the four beasts, saying, A measure of grain for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny: and see that you do no damage to the oil and the wine.


text:
And when the fourth stamp was undone, the voice of the fourth beast came to my ears, saying, Come and see.


text:
And I saw a grey horse, and the name of him who was seated on it was Death; and Hell came after him. And there was given to them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to put to destruction by the sword, and by taking away their food, and by death, and by the beasts of the earth.


text:
And when the fifth stamp was undone, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been put to death for the word of God, and for the witness which they kept.


text:
And they gave a great cry, saying, How long will it be, O Ruler, holy and true, before you take your place as judge and give punishment for our blood to those on the earth?


text:
And there was given to every one a white robe, and they were ordered to take their rest for a little time, till the number was complete of the other servants, their brothers, who would be put to death, even as they had been.


text:
And I saw when the sixth stamp was undone, and there was a great earth-shock; and the sun became black as haircloth, and all the moon became as blood;


text:
And the stars of heaven were falling to the earth, like green fruit from a tree before the force of a great wind.


text:
And the heaven was taken away like the roll of a book when it is rolled up; and all the mountains and islands were moved out of their places.


text:
And the kings of the earth, and the rulers, and the chief captains, and the men of wealth, and the strong, and every servant and free man, took cover in the holes and the rocks of the mountains;


text:
And they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Come down on us, covering us from the face of him who is seated on the high seat, and from the wrath of the Lamb:


text:
After this I saw four angels in their places at the four points of the earth, keeping back the four winds in their hands, so that there might be no moving of the wind on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.


text:
And I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the mark of the living God: and he said with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to do damage to the earth and the sea,


text:
Do no damage to the earth, or the sea, or the trees, till we have put a mark on the servants of our God.


text:
And there came to my ears the number of those who had the mark on their brows, a hundred and forty-four thousand, who were marked out of every tribe of the people of Israel.


text:
Of the tribe of Judah were marked twelve thousand: of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand: of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand:


text:
Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand: of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand: of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand:


text:
Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand: of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand: of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand:


text:
Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand: of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand: of the tribe of Benjamin were marked twelve thousand.


text:
After these things I saw a great army of people more than might be numbered, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and languages, taking their places before the high seat and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and with branches in their hands,


text:
And all the angels were round about the high seat, and about the rulers and the four beasts; and they went down on their faces before the high seat, and gave worship to God, saying,


text:
So be it. Let blessing and glory and wisdom and praise and honour and power and strength be given to our God for ever and ever. So be it.


text:
And one of the rulers made answer, saying to me, These who have on white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?


text:
And I said to him, My lord, you have knowledge. And he said to me, These are they who came through the great testing, and their robes have been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.


text:
This is why they are before the high seat of God; and they are his servants day and night in his house: and he who is seated on the high seat will be a tent over them.


text:
They will never be in need of food or drink: and they will never again be troubled by the burning heat of the sun:


text:
For the Lamb who is on the high seat will be their keeper and their guide to fountains of living water: and God will make glad their eyes for ever.


text:
And another angel came and took his place at the altar, having a gold vessel for burning perfume; and there was given to him much perfume, so that he might put it with the prayers of all the saints on the gold altar which was before the high seat.


text:
And the smoke of the perfume, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.


text:
And the angel took the vessel; and he made it full of the fire of the altar, and sent it down on the earth: and there came thunders and voices and flames and a shaking of the earth.


text:
And at the sounding of the first, a rain of ice and fire, mixed with blood, was sent on the earth: and a third part of the earth, and of the trees, and all green grass was burned up.


text:
And at the sounding of the second angel, it was as if a great mountain burning with fire was sent into the sea: and a third part of the sea became blood,


text:
And destruction came on a third part of the living things which were in the sea, and on a third part of the ships.


text:
And at the sounding of the third angel, there went down from heaven a great star, burning like a flame, and it came on a third part of the rivers, and on the fountains of water.


text:
And the name of the star is Wormwood: and a third part of the waters became bitter; and a number of men came to their end because of the waters, for they were made bitter.


text:
And at the sounding of the fourth angel, a third part of the sun, and of the moon, and of the stars was made dark, so that there was no light for a third part of the day and of the night.


text:
And there came to my ears the cry of an eagle in flight in the middle of heaven, saying with a great voice, Trouble, trouble, trouble, to all on the earth, because of the other voices of the horns of the three angels, whose sounding is still to come.


text:
And at the sounding of the fifth angel I saw a star falling from heaven to the earth: and there was given to him the key of the great deep.


text:
And he made the great deep open and a smoke went up from it, like the smoke of a great oven; and the sun and the air were made dark because of the smoke.


text:
And from the smoke locusts came out on the earth; and power was given them, like the power of scorpions.


text:
And they were ordered to do no damage to the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only to such men as have not the mark of God on their brows.


text:
And orders were given them not to put them to death, but to give them great pain for five months: and their pain was as the pain from the wound of a scorpion.


text:
And in those days men will be hoping for death, and it will not come to them; and they will have a great desire for death, and death will go in flight from them.


text:
And the forms of the locusts were like horses made ready for war; and on their heads they had crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.


text:
And they had breastplates like iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of carriages, like an army of horses rushing to the fight.


text:
And they have pointed tails like scorpions; and in their tails is their power to give men wounds for five months.


text:
They have over them as king the angel of the great deep: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek language Apollyon.


text:
And at the sounding of the sixth angel a voice came to my ears from the horns of the gold altar which is before God,


text:
Saying to the sixth angel who had the horn, Make free the four angels who are chained at the great river Euphrates.


text:
And the four angels were made free, who were ready for the hour and day and month and year, that they might put to death a third part of men.


text:
And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: the number of them came to my ears.


text:
And so I saw the horses in the vision, and those who were seated on them, having breastplates of fire and glass and of burning stone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and a smell of burning.


text:
By these evils a third part of men was put to death, by the fire, and the smoke, and the burning smell which came out of their mouths.


text:
For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails: because their tails are like snakes, and have heads, and with them they give wounds.


text:
And the rest of the people, who were not put to death by these evils, were not turned from the works of their hands, but went on giving worship to evil spirits, and images of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood which have no power of seeing or hearing or walking:


text:
And they had no regret for putting men to death, or for their use of secret arts, or for the evil desires of the flesh, or for taking the property of others.


text:
And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and an arch of coloured light was round his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;


text:
And he had in his hand a little open book: and he put his right foot on the sea, and his left on the earth;


text:
And he gave a loud cry, like the angry voice of a lion: and at his cry the voices of the seven thunders were sounding.


text:
And when the seven thunders had given out their voices, I was about to put their words down: and a voice from heaven came to my ears, saying, Keep secret the things which the seven thunders said, and do not put them in writing.


text:
And the angel which I saw taking his position on the sea and on the earth, put up his right hand to heaven,


text:
And took his oath by him who is living for ever and ever, who made the heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there would be no more waiting:


text:
But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when the sound of his horn is about to come, then will the secret of God be complete, of which he gave the good news to his servants the prophets.


text:
And the voice came to me again from heaven, saying, Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who has his place on the sea and on the earth.


text:
And I went to the angel, and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said to me: Put it in your mouth; and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.


text:
And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and did as he said; and it was sweet as honey in my mouth: and when I had taken it, my stomach was made bitter.


text:
And they said to me, You are to give word again of what is coming in the future to the peoples and nations and languages and kings.


text:
And there was given to me a measuring rod: and one said, Go up and take the measure of the house of God, and the altar, and the worshippers in it.


text:
But do not take the measure of the space outside the house; because it has been given to the nations: and the holy town will be under their feet for forty-two months.


text:
And I will give orders to my two witnesses, and they will be prophets for a thousand, two hundred and sixty days, clothed with haircloth.


text:
And if any man would do them damage, fire comes out of their mouth and puts an end to those who are working against them: and if any man has a desire to do them damage, in this way will he be put to death.


text:
These have the power to keep the heaven shut, so that there may be no rain in the days when they are prophets: and they have power over the waters to make them into blood, and to send every sort of disease on the earth as their pleasure is.


text:
And when they have come to the end of their witness, the beast which comes up out of the great deep will make war on them and overcome them and put them to death.


text:
And their dead bodies will be in the open street of the great town, which in the spirit is named Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was put to death on the cross.


text:
And the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will be looking on their dead bodies three days and a half, and will not let their dead bodies be put in the earth.


text:
And those who are on the earth will have pleasure and delight over them; and they will send offerings one to another because these two prophets gave great trouble to all on the earth.


text:
And after three days and a half the breath of life from God went into them, and they got up on their feet; and great fear came on those who saw them.


text:
And a great voice from heaven came to their ears, saying to them, Come up here. And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and were seen by those desiring their death.


text:
And in that hour there was a great earth-shock and a tenth part of the town came to destruction; and in the earth-shock seven thousand persons came to their end: and the rest were in fear, and gave glory to the God of heaven.


text:
And at the sounding of the seventh angel there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he will have rule for ever and ever.


text:
And the four and twenty rulers, who are seated before God on their high seats, went down on their faces and gave worship to God, saying,


text:
We give you praise, O Lord God, Ruler of all, who is and who was; because you have taken up your great power and are ruling your kingdom.


text:
And the nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and the time of reward for your servants, the prophets, and for the saints, and for those in whom is the fear of your name, small and great, and the time of destruction for those who made the earth unclean.


text:
And the house of God which is in heaven was open; and the ark of his agreement was seen in his house, and there were flames and voices and thunders and an earth-shock and a rain of ice.


text:
And a great sign was seen in heaven: a A woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.


text:
And there was seen another sign in heaven; a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.


text:
And his tail was pulling a third part of the stars of heaven down to the earth, and the dragon took his place before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when the birth had taken place he might put an end to her child.


text:
And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who was to have rule over all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was taken up to God and to his high seat.


text:
And the woman went in flight to the waste land, where she has a place made ready by God, so that there they may give her food a thousand, two hundred and sixty days.


text:
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going out to the fight with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels made war,


text:
And the great dragon was forced down, the old snake, who is named the Evil One and Satan, by whom all the earth is turned from the right way; he was forced down to the earth, and his angels were forced down with him.


text:
And a great voice in heaven came to my ears, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: because he who says evil against our brothers before our God day and night is forced down.


text:
And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb and the word of their witness; and loving not their lives they freely gave themselves up to death.


text:
Be glad then, O heavens, and you who are in them. But there is trouble for the earth and the sea: because the Evil One has come down to you, being very angry, having the knowledge that he has but a short time.


text:
And when the dragon saw that he was forced down to the earth, he made cruel attacks on the woman who gave birth to the male child.


text:
And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, so that she might go in flight into the waste land, to her place, where she is given food for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the snake.


text:
And the snake sent out of his mouth after the woman a river of water, so that she might be taken away by the stream.


text:
And the earth gave help to the woman, and with open mouth took up the river which the dragon sent out of his mouth.


text:
And the dragon was angry with the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her seed, who keep the orders of God, and the witness of Jesus:


text:
And he took his place on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads unholy names.


text:
And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority.


text:
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been given a death-wound; and his death-wound was made well: and all the earth was wondering at the beast.


text:
And they gave worship to the dragon, because he gave authority to the beast; and worshipping the beast, they said, Who is like the beast? and who is able to go to war with him?


text:
And there was given to him a mouth to say words of pride against God; and there was given to him authority to go on for forty-two months.


text:
And his mouth was open to say evil against God, and against his name and his Tent, even against those who are in heaven.


text:
And it was given to him to make war on the saints and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and language and nation.


text:
And all who are on the earth will give him worship, everyone whose name has not been from the first in the book of life of the Lamb who was put to death.


text:
If any man sends others into prison, into prison he will go: if any man puts to death with the sword, with the sword will he be put to death. Here is the quiet strength and the faith of the saints.


text:
And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and his voice was like that of a dragon.


text:
And he makes use of all the authority of the first beast before his eyes. And he makes the earth and those who are in it give worship to the first beast, whose death-wound was made well.


text:
And he does great signs, even making fire come down from heaven on the earth before the eyes of men.


text:
And those who are on the earth are turned from the true way by him through the signs which he was given power to do before the beast; giving orders to those who are on the earth to make an image to the beast, who was wounded by the sword, and came to life.


text:
And he had power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that words might come from the image of the beast, and that he might have all those who did not give worship to the image of the beast put to death.


text:
And he gives to all, small and great, the poor and those who have wealth, the free and those who are not free, a mark on their right hand or on their brows;


text:
So that no man might be able to do trade but he who has the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.


text:
Here is wisdom. He who has knowledge let him get the number of the beast; because it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty-six.


text:
And I saw the Lamb on the mountain of Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, marked on their brows with his name and the name of his Father.


text:
And a voice from heaven came to my ears, like the sound of great waters, and the sound of loud thunder: and the voice which came to me was like the sound of players, playing on instruments of music.


text:
And they made as it seemed a new song before the high seat, and before the four beasts and the rulers: and no man might have knowledge of the song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, even those from the earth whom God has made his for a price.


text:
These are they who have not made themselves unclean with women; for they are virgins. These are they who go after the Lamb wherever he goes. These were taken from among men to be the first fruits to God and to the Lamb.


text:
And I saw another angel in flight between heaven and earth, having eternal good news to give to those who are on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people,


text:
Saying with a loud voice, Have fear of God and give him glory; because the hour of his judging is come; and give worship to him who made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of water.


text:
And a second angel came after, saying, Destruction has come to Babylon the great, which gave to all the nations the wine of the wrath of her evil ways.


text:
And a third angel came after them, saying with a loud voice, If any man gives worship to the beast and his image, and has his mark on his brow or on his hand,


text:
To him will be given of the wine of God's wrath which is ready unmixed in the cup of his wrath and he will have cruel pain, burning with fire before the holy angels and before the Lamb:


text:
And the smoke of their pain goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, who give worship to the beast and his image, and have on them the mark of his name.


text:
And a voice from heaven came to my ears, saying, Put in writing, There is a blessing on the dead who from now on come to their end in the Lord: yes, says the Spirit, that they may have rest from their troubles; for their works go with them.


text:
And I saw a white cloud, and on the cloud I saw one seated, like a son of man, having on his head a crown of gold, and in his hand a sharp curved blade.


text:
And another angel came out from the house of God, crying with a loud voice to him who was seated on the cloud, Put in your blade, and let the grain be cut: because the hour for cutting it is come; for the grain of the earth is over-ready.


text:
And he who was seated on the cloud sent in his blade on the earth; and the grain of the earth was cut.


text:
And another angel came out from the altar, who has power over fire; and he gave a loud cry to him who had the sharp curved blade, saying, Put in your sharp blade, and let the grapes of the vine of the earth be cut; for her grapes are fully ready.


text:
And the angel sent his blade into the earth, and the vine of the earth was cut, and he put it into the great wine-crusher of the wrath of God.


text:
And the grapes were crushed under foot outside the town, and blood came out from them, even to the head-bands of the horses, two hundred miles.


text:
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and strange; seven angels having the seven last punishments, for in them the wrath of God is complete.


text:
And I saw a sea which seemed like glass mixed with fire; and those who had overcome the beast and his image and the number of his name, were in their places by the sea of glass, with God's instruments of music in their hands.


text:
And they give the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and full of wonder are your works, O Lord God, Ruler of all; true and full of righteousness are your ways, eternal King.


text:
What man is there who will not have fear before you, O Lord, and give glory to your name? because you only are holy; for all the nations will come and give worship before you; for your righteousness has been made clear.


text:
And the seven angels who had the seven punishments came out from the house of God, clothed with linen, clean and bright and with bands of gold about their breasts.


text:
And one of the four beasts gave to the seven angels seven gold vessels full of the wrath of God, who is living for ever and ever.


text:
And the house of God was full of smoke from the glory of God, and from his power, and no one was able to go into the house of God, till the seven punishments of the seven angels were ended.


text:
And a great voice out of the house of God came to my ears, saying to the seven angels, Go, and let that which is in the seven vessels of the wrath of God come down on the earth.


text:
And the first went, and let what was in his vessel come down on the earth; and it became an evil poisoning wound on the men who had the mark of the beast, and who gave worship to his image.


text:
And the second let what was in his vessel come out into the sea; and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea came to an end.


text:
And the third let what was in his vessel come out into the rivers and the fountains of water; and they became blood.


text:
And the voice of the angel of the waters came to my ears, saying, True and upright is your judging, O Holy One, who is and was from all time:


text:
For they made the blood of saints and prophets come out like a stream, and blood have you given them for drink; which is their right reward.


text:
And a voice came from the altar, saying, Even so, O Lord God, Ruler of all, true and full of righteousness is your judging.


text:
And the fourth let what was in his vessel come out on the sun; and power was given to it that men might be burned with fire.


text:
And men were burned with great heat: and they said evil things against the name of the God who has authority over these punishments; and they were not turned from their evil ways to give him glory.


text:
And the fifth let what was in his vessel come out on the high seat of the beast; and his kingdom was made dark; and they were biting their tongues for pain.


text:
And they said evil things against the God of heaven because of their pain and their wounds; and they were not turned from their evil works.


text:
And the sixth let what was in his vessel come out on the great river Euphrates; and it became dry, so that the way might be made ready 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 evil spirits, working signs; who go out even to the kings of all the earth, to get them together to the war of the great day of God, the Ruler of all.


text:
(See, I come as a thief. Happy is he who is watching and keeps his robes, so that he may not go unclothed, and his shame be seen.)


text:
And the seventh let what was in his vessel come out on the air; and there came out a great voice from the house of God, from the high seat, saying, It is done.


text:
And there were flames and voices and thunders; and there was a great earth-shock so that never, from the time when men were on the earth, had there been so great an earth-shock, so full of power.


text:
And the great town was cut into three parts, and the towns of the nations came to destruction: and Babylon the great came into mind before God, to be given the cup of the wine of his wrath.


text:
And great drops of ice, every one about the weight of a talent, came down out of heaven on men: and men said evil things against God because of the punishment of the ice-drops; for it is very great.


text:
And one of the seven angels who had the seven vessels came and said to me, Come here, so that you may see the judging of the evil woman who is seated on the great waters;


text:
With whom the kings of the earth made themselves unclean, and those who are on the earth were full of the wine of her evil desires.


text:
And he took me away in the Spirit into a waste land: and I saw a woman seated on a bright red beast, full of evil names, having seven heads and ten horns,


text:
And the woman was clothed in purple and bright red, with ornaments of gold and stones of great price and jewels; and in her hand was a gold cup full of evil things and her unclean desires;


text:
And on her brow was a name, SECRET, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE EVIL WOMEN AND OF THE UNCLEAN THINGS OF THE EARTH.


text:
And I saw the woman overcome as with the wine of the blood of the saints, and the blood of those put to death because of Jesus. And when I saw her, I was overcome with a great wonder.


text:
And the angel said to me, Why were you surprised? I will make clear to you the secret of the woman, and of the beast on which she is seated, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.


text:
The beast which you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the great deep, and to go into destruction. And those who are on the earth, whose names have not been put in the book of life from the first, will be full of wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and still will be.


text:
Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman is seated:


text:
And they are seven kings; the five have come to an end, the one is, the other has not come; and when he comes, he will have to go on for a little time.


text:
And the beast which was, and is not, is himself the eighth, and is of the seven; and he goes into destruction.


text:
And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which still have been given no kingdom; but they are given authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour.


text:
These will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with him are named, marked out, and true.


text:
And he said to me, The waters which you saw, where the evil woman is seated, are peoples, and armies, and nations and languages.


text:
And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will be turned against the evil woman, and will make her waste and uncovered, and will take her flesh for food, and will have her burned with fire.


text:
Because God has put it in their hearts to do his purpose, and to be of one mind, giving their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God have effect and are complete.


text:
After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was bright with his glory.


text:
And he gave a loud cry, saying, Babylon the great has come down from her high place, she has come to destruction and has become a place of evil spirits, and of every unclean spirit, and a hole for every unclean and hated bird.


text:
For through the wine of the wrath of her evil desires all the nations have come to destruction; and the kings of the earth made themselves unclean with her, and the traders of the earth had their wealth increased by the power of her evil ways.


text:
And another voice from heaven came to my ears, saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you may have no part in her sins and in her punishments.


text:
Give to her as she gave, even an increased reward for her works; in the cup which was mixed by her, let there be mixed as much again for herself.


text:
As she gave glory to herself, and became more evil in her ways, in the same measure give her pain and weeping: for she says in her heart, I am seated here a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see sorrow.


text:
For this reason in one day will her troubles come, death and sorrow and need of food; and she will be completely burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who is her judge.


text:
And the kings of the earth, who made themselves unclean with her, and in her company gave themselves up to evil, will be weeping and crying over her, when they see the smoke of her burning,


text:
Watching from far away, for fear of her punishment, saying, Sorrow, sorrow for Babylon, the great town, the strong town! for in one hour you have been judged.


text:
And the traders of the earth are weeping and crying over her, because no man has any more desire for their goods,


text:
Gold, and silver, and stones of great price, and jewels, and delicate linen, and robes of purple and silk and red; and perfumed wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of fair wood, and of brass, and iron, and stone;


text:
And sweet-smelling plants, and perfumes, and wine, and oil, and well crushed grain, and cattle and sheep; and horses and carriages and servants; and souls of men.


text:
And the fruit of your soul's desire has gone from you, and all things delicate and shining have come to an end and will never again be seen.


text:
The traders in these things, by which their wealth was increased, will be watching far off for fear of her punishment, weeping and crying;


text:
Saying, Sorrow, sorrow for the great town, she who was clothed in delicate linen, and purple, and red; with ornaments of gold and stones of great price and jewels!


text:
For in one hour such great wealth has come to nothing. And every shipmaster, and all who are sailing on the sea, and sailors and all who get their living by the sea, were watching from far away,


text:
And they put dust on their heads, and were sad, weeping and crying, and saying, Sorrow, sorrow for the great town, in which was increased the wealth of all who had their ships on the sea because of her great stores! for in one hour she is made waste.


text:
Be glad over her, heaven, and you saints, and Apostles, and prophets; because she has been judged by God on your account.


text:
And a strong angel took up a stone like the great stone with which grain is crushed, and sent it into the sea, saying, So, with a great fall, will Babylon, the great town, come to destruction, and will not be seen any more at all.


text:
And the voice of players and makers of music will never again be sounding in you: and no worker, expert in art, will ever again be living in you; and there will be no sound of the crushing of grain any more at all in you;


text:
And never again will the shining of lights be seen in you; and the voice of the newly-married man and the bride will never again be sounding in you: for your traders were the lords of the earth, and by your evil powers were all the nations turned out of the right way.


text:
And in her was seen the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been put to death on the earth.


text:
After these things there came to my ears a sound like the voice of a great band of people in heaven, saying, Praise to the Lord; salvation and glory and power be to our God:


text:
For true and upright are his decisions; for by him has the evil woman been judged, who made the earth unclean with the sins of her body; and he has given her punishment for the blood of his servants.


text:
And the four and twenty rulers and the four beasts went down on their faces and gave worship to God who was seated on the high seat, saying, Even so, praise to the Lord.


text:
And a voice came from the high seat, saying, Give praise to our God, all you his servants, small and great, in whom is the fear of him.


text:
And there came to my ears the voice of a great army, like the sound of waters, and the sound of loud thunders, saying, Praise to the Lord: for the Lord our God, Ruler of all, is King.


text:
Let us be glad with delight, and let us give glory to him: because the time is come for the Lamb to be married, and his wife has made herself ready.


text:
And to her it was given to be clothed in delicate linen, clean and shining: for the clean linen is the righteousness of the saints.


text:
And he said to me, Put in the book, Happy are the guests at the bride-feast of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true words of God.


text:
And I went on my face before his feet to give him worship. And he said to me, See you do it not: I am a brother-servant with you and with your brothers who keep the witness of Jesus: give worship to God: for the witness of Jesus is the spirit of the prophet's word.


text:
And the heaven was open; and I saw a white horse, and he who was seated on it was named Certain and True; and he is judging and making war in righteousness.


text:
And his eyes are a flame of fire, and crowns are on his head; and he has a name in writing, of which no man has knowledge but himself.


text:
And the armies which are in heaven went after him on white horses, clothed in delicate linen, white and clean.


text:
And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword, with which he overcomes the nations: and he has rule over them with a rod of iron: and he is crushing with his feet the grapes of the strong wrath of God the Ruler of all.


text:
And I saw an angel taking his place in the sun; and he was crying with a loud voice, saying to all the birds in flight in the heavens, Come together to the great feast of God;


text:
So that you may take for your food the flesh of kings, and of captains, and of strong men, and of horses and of those who are seated on them, and the flesh of all men, free and unfree, small and great.


text:
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, come together to make war against him who was seated on the horse and against his army.


text:
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who did the signs before him, by which they were turned from the true way who had the mark of the beast, and who gave worship to his image: these two were put living into the sea of ever-burning fire.


text:
And the rest were put to death with the sword of him who was on the horse, even the sword which came out of his mouth: and all the birds were made full with their flesh.


text:
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the great deep and a great chain in his hand.


text:
And he took the dragon, the old snake, which is the Evil One and Satan, and put chains on him for a thousand years,


text:
And put him into the great deep, and it was shut and locked over him, so that he might put the nations in error no longer, till the thousand years were ended: after this he will be let loose for a little time.


text:
And I saw high seats, and they were seated on them, and the right of judging was given to them: and I saw the souls of those who were put to death for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and those who did not give worship to the beast, or to his image, and had not his mark on their brows or on their hands; and they were living and ruling with Christ a thousand years.


text:
The rest of the dead did not come to life again till the thousand years were ended. This is the first coming back from the dead.


text:
Happy and holy is he who has a part in this first coming: over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will be ruling with him a thousand years.


text:
And will go out to put in error the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to get them together to the war, the number of whom is like the sands of the sea.


text:
And they went up over the face of the earth, and made a circle about the tents of the saints, and the well loved town: and fire came down out of heaven for their destruction.


text:
And the Evil One who put them in error was sent down into the sea of ever-burning fire, where the beast and the false prophet are, and their punishment will go on day and night for ever and ever.


text:
And I saw a great white seat, and him who was seated on it, before whose face the earth and the heaven went in flight; and there was no place for them.


text:
And I saw the dead, great and small, taking their places before the high seat; and the books were open, and another book was open, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by the things which were in the books, even by their works.


text:
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hell gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man by his works.


text:
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were gone; and there was no more sea.


text:
And I saw the holy town, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, like a bride made beautiful for her husband.


text:
And there came to my ears a great voice out of the high seat, saying, See, the Tent of God is with men, and he will make his living-place with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.


text:
And he will put an end to all their weeping; and there will be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain; for the first things have come to an end.


text:
And he who is seated on the high seat said, See, I make all things new. And he said, Put it in the book; for these words are certain and true.


text:
And he said to me, It is done. I am the First and the Last, the start and the end. I will freely give of the fountain of the water of life to him who is in need.


text:
He who overcomes will have these things for his heritage; and I will be his God, and he will be my son.


text:
But those who are full of fear and without faith, the unclean and takers of life, those who do the sins of the flesh, and those who make use of evil powers or who give worship to images, and all those who are false, will have their part in the sea of ever-burning fire which is the second death.


text:
And one of the seven angels who had the seven vessels in which were the seven last punishments, came and said to me, Come here, and see the bride, the Lamb's wife.


text:
And he took me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and let me see the holy town Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,


text:
Having the glory of God: and her light was like a stone of great price, a jasper stone, clear as glass:


text:
She had a wall great and high, with twelve doors, and at the doors twelve angels; and names on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.


text:
And on the east were three doors; and on the north three doors; and on the south three doors; and on the west three doors.


text:
And the wall of the town had twelve bases, and on them the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.


text:
And he who was talking with me had a gold measuring-rod to take the measure of the town, and of its doors, and its wall.


text:
And the town is square, as wide as it is long; and he took the measure of the town with the rod, one thousand and five hundred miles: it is equally long and wide and high.


text:
And he took the measure of its wall, one hundred and forty-four cubits, after the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.


text:
The bases of the wall of the town had ornaments of all sorts of beautiful stones. The first base was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;


text:
The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.


text:
And the twelve doors were twelve pearls; every door was made of one pearl; and the street of the town was clear gold, as clear as glass.


text:
And the town has no need of the sun, or of the moon, to give it light: for the glory of God did make it light, and the light of it is the Lamb.


text:
And nothing unclean may come into it, or anyone whose works are cursed or false; but only those whose names are in the Lamb's book of life.


text:
And I saw a river of water of life, clear as glass, coming out of the high seat of God and of the Lamb,


text:
In the middle of its street. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, having twelve sorts of fruits, giving its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree give life to the nations.


text:
And there will be no more curse: and the high seat of God and of the Lamb will be there; and his servants will be worshipping him;


text:
And there will be no more night; and they have no need of a light or of the shining of the sun; for the Lord God will give them light: and they will be ruling for ever and ever.


text:
And he said to me, These words are certain and true: and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to make clear to his servants the things which are now to come about.


text:
And I, John, am he who saw these things and to whose ears they came. And when I had seen and given ear, I went down on my face to give worship at the feet of the angel who made these things clear to me.


text:
And he said to me, See you do it not; I am a brother-servant with you and with your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book: give worship to God.


text:
And he said to me, Let not the words of this prophet's book be kept secret, because the time is near.


text:
Let the evil man go on in his evil: and let the unclean be still unclean: and let the upright go on in his righteousness: and let the holy be holy still.


text:
A blessing on those whose robes are washed, so that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may go in by the doors into the town.


text:
Outside are the dogs, and those who make use of evil powers, those who make themselves unclean, and the takers of life, and those who give worship to images, and everyone whose delight is in what is false.


text:
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give witness to you of these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star.


text:
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him who gives ear, say, Come. And let him who is in need come; and let everyone desiring it take of the water of life freely.


text:
For I say to every man to whose ears have come the words of this prophet's book, If any man makes an addition to them, God will put on him the punishments which are in this book:


text:
And if any man takes away from the words of this book, God will take away from him his part in the tree of life and the holy town, even the things which are in this book.


