# verses

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 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.


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 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.


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 For we know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.


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 Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness.


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 Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one to obey as slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, whether of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?


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 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,


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 I am speaking in human terms, because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for holiness.


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 But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death.


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 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is holiness and its end, eternal life.


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 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of her husband.


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 So then, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and though she marries another man, she is not an adulteress.


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 Likewise, my brethren, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit to God.


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 While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.


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 But now, by dying to what once held us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.


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 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, &quot;You shall not covet.&quot;


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 But sin, finding opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetous desire. For apart from the law sin lies dead.


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 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But it was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, so that through the commandment sin might become sinful beyond measure.


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 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will to do what is good, but I cannot do it.


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 but I see in my members another law, at war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members.


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 For what the law could not do, in that it was weakened through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin: he condemned sin in the flesh,


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 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.


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 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.


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 But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to him.


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 But if Christ is in you, although your body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness.


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 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you.


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 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.


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 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship by whom we cry out, &quot;Abba, Father.&quot;


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 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us.


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 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of him who subjected it in hope;


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 because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.


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 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.


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 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.


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 And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.


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 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.


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 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.


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 And those whom he predestined, he also called; those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified.


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 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also give us all things with him?


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 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who is also interceding for us.


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 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?


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 As it is written: &quot;For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.&quot;


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 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,


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


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


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


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


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 Of them are the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, forever blessed. Amen.


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


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 nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but, &quot;Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.&quot;


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 In other words, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned as descendants.


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


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


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


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 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is formed say to him who formed it, &quot;Why have you made me like this?&quot;


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 Does not the potter have right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?


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


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


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


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 And as Isaiah said: &quot;Unless the Lord of hosts had left us children, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.&quot;


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


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


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 as it is written: &quot;Behold, I lay in Zion a stone that will make men stumble, and a rock that will make them fall; and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.&quot;


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 For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God


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 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, &quot;The man who does those things shall live by them.&quot;


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


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


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 For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his mouth and so is saved.


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


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 How then can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without a preacher?


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


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 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, &quot;Lord, who has believed our message?&quot;


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


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


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 But Isaiah is very bold and says, &quot;I was found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.&quot;


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


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 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Certainly not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.


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 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?


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


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


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 What then? Israel did not obtain what it sought. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,


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


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


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 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? Certainly not! But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.


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


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


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


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


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 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the rest to share the root of the olive tree,


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 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.


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 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only by faith. So do not be proud, but stand in awe.


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 Therefore consider the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.


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 And they also, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.


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 For if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and were grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree!


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 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.


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 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: &quot;The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;


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


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 Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,


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


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 Oh, the depth of the riches and of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out!


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


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


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


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


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 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.


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 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.


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 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, &quot;Vengeance is mine, I will repay,&quot; says the Lord.


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 No, &quot;if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.&quot;


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


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 Therefore he who resists the authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.


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 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will have praise from him.


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 Pay all of them their dues: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.


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 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.


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 The commandments, &quot;You shall not commit adultery,&quot; &quot;You shall not murder,&quot; &quot;You shall not steal,&quot; &quot;You shall not covet,&quot; and any other commandment there may be, are summed up in this sentence, &quot;You shall love your neighbor as yourself.&quot;


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 And do this, knowing the hour, that now it is full time for you to wake from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.


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


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 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy.


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 Let not him who eats despise him who does not, and let not him who does not eat pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted him.


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 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will be made to stand, for the Master is able to make him stand.


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 One man esteems one day as better than another; another man esteems every day alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.


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 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.


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 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord


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


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 Why do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.


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


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 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another anymore, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in our brother


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 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.


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 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not by your eating destroy the one for whom Christ died.


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 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit;


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 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.


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 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself for what he approves.


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 But he who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.


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


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


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 May the God of patience and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus,


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


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 And again, Isaiah says: &quot;There shall be a root of Jesse; and he who shall rise to rule over the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope.&quot;


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


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


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 But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God,


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


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


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 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.


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 And so I have made it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on another man


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 but as it is written: &quot;They shall see who have not been told of him, and those who have not heard shall understand.&quot;


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


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 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through, and to be helped by you on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.


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


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


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 When therefore I have completed this, and have delivered to them this fruit, I shall go on by way of you to Spain.


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 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,


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


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 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she has need from you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself also.


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


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 greet also the church that meets in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert of Asia for Christ.


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 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.


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


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


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 I urge you, brethren, to take note of those who cause divisions and difficulties, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; avoid them.


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 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the simple.


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 For your obedience has become known to all, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.


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


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 Gaius, who is my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, our brother.


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


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 but is now revealed and made known to all nations through the prophetic writings, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith


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


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


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


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 What I mean is this, that each one of you says, &quot;I am of Paul,&quot; and &quot;I of Apollos,&quot; and &quot;I of Cephas,&quot; and &quot;I of Christ.&quot;


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 (Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.)


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


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 For it is written, &quot;I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will frustrate.&quot;


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


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 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.


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 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.


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 For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to fleshly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.


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 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong,


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 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,


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


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 When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.


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 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,


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 Yet we do speak a wisdom among the mature, a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away.


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


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 But, as it is written, &quot;No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him,&quot;


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


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


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 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.


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 But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.


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 &quot;For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?&quot; But we have the mind of Christ.


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 I gave you milk, not solid food; for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, even now you are not ready,


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 for you are still carnal. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not carnal, and are you not walking like mere men?


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 For when one says, &quot;I am of Paul,&quot; and another, &quot;I am of Apollos,&quot; are you not mere men?


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


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 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.


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 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.


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 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become a fool so that he may become wise.


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


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 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future; all belong to you,


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


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


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 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men


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 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that in us you may learn not to go beyond what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in favor of one against the other.


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 For who regards you as different? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?


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 You are already filled! You have already become rich! You have become kings without us! And indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you.


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


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 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and we are poorly clothed, and roughly treated, and homeless;


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 and we toil, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;


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 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.


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


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 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.


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


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 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: a man has his father


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 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to have mourned? Let the one who has done this be removed from your midst.


text:
 For though I am absent in body, I am present in spirit, and have already passed judgment on the one who has committed this, as if I were present.


text:
 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,


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


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


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


text:
 not at all meaning the immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.


text:
 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is an immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler


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


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


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


text:
 So if you have disputes about such matters, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?


text:
 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between his brethren,


text:
 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?


text:
 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts,


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


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


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


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


text:
 Or do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, &quot;The two shall become one flesh.&quot;


text:
 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.


text:
 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;


text:
 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.


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


text:
 I wish that all men were as I myself am. But each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.


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


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


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


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


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


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


text:
 But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him do so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. For God has called us to peace.


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


text:
 Only, let each one lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.


text:
 Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.


text:
 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what counts.


text:
 Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord


text:
 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have troubles in this flesh, and I am trying to spare you.


text:
 I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; so that from now on, those who have wives should live as though they had none,


text:
 and those who mourn, as though they were not mourning; and those who rejoice, as though they were not rejoicing; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;


text:
 and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it. For the form of this world is passing away.


text:
 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;


text:
 and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman, and the virgin, is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman is concerned about the affairs of the world, how she may please her husband.


text:
 This I say for your own benefit, not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is good and to secure undivided devotion to the Lord.


text:
 But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly toward his betrothed, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let them marry.


text:
 But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has control over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well.


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


text:
 But in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.


text:
 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.


text:
 Therefore concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.


text:
 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many &quot;gods&quot; and many &quot;lords&quot;),


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


text:
 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, being accustomed to idols, eat food as really sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.


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


text:
 Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to fall.


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 to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.


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


text:
 Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk?


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


text:
 Or is he speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.


text:
 If others share this right of support from you, do not we all the more? Nevertheless, we did not make use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.


text:
 Do you not know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?


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


text:
 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.


text:
 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!


text:
 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if it is not of my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.


text:
 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my right in the gospel.


text:
 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law


text:
 To those who are without law, I became as one without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without the law.


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


text:
 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.


text:
 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.


text:
 But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.


text:
 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;


text:
 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.


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


text:
 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.


text:
 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man. And God is faithful, who will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.


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


text:
 No, but I say that the things pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.


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


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


text:
 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising questions of conscience.


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


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


text:
 I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.


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


text:
 For if a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, let her cover her head.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


text:
 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols, however you may have been moved.


text:
 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, &quot;Jesus be cursed,&quot; and no one can say, &quot;Jesus is Lord,&quot; except by the Holy Spirit.


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


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


text:
 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as he wills.


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


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


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


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


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


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


text:
 while our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the parts that lacked it,


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


text:
 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.


text:
 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then those having gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and those speaking in various kinds of tongues.


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


text:
 If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.


text:
 If I give all I have to the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.


text:
 Love never fails; but where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.


text:
 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.


text:
 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know fully


text:
 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands him, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.


text:
 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified.


text:
 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?


text:
 If even lifeless things, such as the flute or the harp, do not give a distinction in the notes, how will any one know what is played?


text:
 So it is with you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is intelligible, how will anyone know what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.


text:
 If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the one who is speaking, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.


text:
 So it is with you; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in building up the church.


text:
 What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.


text:
 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how can any one in the position of an outsider say the &quot;Amen&quot; to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?


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


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


text:
 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; but prophecy is for believers, not for unbelievers.


text:
 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?


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


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


text:
 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you come together, each one has a hymn, or a teaching, or a revelation, or a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.


text:
 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn; and one must interpret.


text:
 But if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.


text:
 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as even the law says.


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


text:
 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord


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


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


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


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


text:
 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.


text:
 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them


text:
 Now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?


text:
 More than that, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.


text:
 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all rule and all authority and power.


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


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


text:
 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are people baptized for them?


text:
 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, &quot;Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.&quot;


text:
 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.


text:
 And that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.


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


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


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


text:
 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised imperishable;


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


text:
 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem.


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


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


text:
 Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you with nothing to fear, for he is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am.


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


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


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


text:
 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.


text:
 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the lord, with the church that is in their house.


text:
 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:


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


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


text:
 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.


text:
 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings that we suffer.


text:
 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.


text:
 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.


text:
 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.


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


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


text:
 For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with holiness and godly sincerity, not in worldly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and still more toward you.


text:
 For we write you nothing but what you can read and understand; and I hope you will understand fully,


text:
 as you have understood us in part, that you can be proud of us just as we can be of you, in the day of the Lord Jesus.


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


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


text:
 When I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a fleshly manner so that in the same breath I say, &quot;Yes, Yes&quot; and &quot;No, No&quot;?


text:
 For as many as are the promises of God, in him they are Yes. And so through him we speak our Amen to the glory of God.


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


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


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


text:
 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.


text:
 Any one whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,


text:
 Now when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord,


text:
 I still had no rest in my mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took my leave of them and went on to Macedonia.


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


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


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


text:
 For we are not, like so many, peddling the word of God; but as men of sincerity, as from God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.


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


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


text:
 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves; but our competence is from God,


text:
 who has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.


text:
 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,


text:
 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness exceed it in glory.


text:
 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of the radiance that was fading away.


text:
 But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because only in Christ is it removed.


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


text:
 But we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man


text:
 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.


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


text:
 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.


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


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


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


text:
 For all this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.


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


text:
 For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,


text:
 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are unseen are eternal.


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


text:
 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.


text:
 Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.


text:
 Therefore we are always of good courage; and we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,


text:
 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.


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


text:
 We are not again commending ourselves to you, but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you may have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.


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


text:
 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.


text:
 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a fleshly point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a fleshly point of view, we regard him thus no longer.


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


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


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


text:
 We are therefore ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.


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


text:
 For he says, &quot;At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.&quot; Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.


text:
 But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, distresses,


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


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


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


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


text:
 Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.


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


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


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


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


text:
 I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. With all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.


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


text:
 now I rejoice, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance; for you became sorrowful as God intended, so that you suffered no loss through us.


text:
 For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.


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 For behold what this very thing, godly sorrow, has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what readiness to see justice done! At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.


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


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


text:
 For if I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting before Titus has proved true.


text:
 And his affection goes out all the more to you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.


text:
 Now, brethren, we want you to know about the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,


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


text:
 For I testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, they gave of their own free will,


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


text:
 So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, he would also complete in you this work of grace.


text:
 I am not speaking this as a command, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.


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


text:
 And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire.


text:
 Now finish the work, so that your readiness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.


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


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


text:
 As it is written, &quot;He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.&quot;


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


text:
 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his preaching of the gospel;


text:
 and not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work which we are carrying on, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will.


text:
 for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.


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


text:
 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; and as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.


text:
 Therefore openly before the churches, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.


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


text:
 But I am sending the brethren so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be;


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


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


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


text:
 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, so that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may have an abundance for every good work.


text:
 As it is written, &quot;He has scattered abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.&quot;


text:
 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will multiply the harvest of your righteousness.


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


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


text:
 Because of the test of this service, you will glorify God by your obedience in your confession of the gospel of Christ, and by the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others;


text:
 I beg you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.


text:
 For the weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds.


text:
 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,


text:
 For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame.


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


text:
 Let such people realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.


text:
 For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.


text:
 But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has apportioned to us, a field that reaches even to you.


text:
 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you; we were the first to come even as far as you with the gospel of Christ.


text:
 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast of work already done in another man


text:
 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.


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


text:
 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.


text:
 But even if I am unskilled in speech, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.


text:
 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?


text:
 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.


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


text:
 And what I am doing, I will also continue to do, in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things of which they boast.


text:
 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their deeds.


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


text:
 For you put up with anyone if he makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or exalts himself, or strikes you in the face.


text:
 To my shame, I must say that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast about


text:
 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the open sea.


text:
 I have been on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brethren;


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 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.


text:
 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me,


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


text:
 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know


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


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


text:
 And to keep me from being too elated because of the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated.


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


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


text:
 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you in all perseverance, with signs and wonders and mighty works.


text:
 For in what respect were you inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!


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


text:
 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you the more, am I to be loved the less?


text:
 But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery!


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


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


text:
 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you what I wish you to be, and you may not find me what you wish me to be; I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.


text:
 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will have to mourn over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, immorality, and lewdness which they have practiced.


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


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 I warned those who sinned in the past and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present the second time, that if I come again I will not spare them


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


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


text:
 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you


text:
 I write these things while I am absent, in order that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority which the Lord gave me for building you up, and not for tearing you down.


text:
 Finally, brethren, farewell. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.


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


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


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


text:
 which is really not another gospel; but there are some who are disturbing you, and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.


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


text:
 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed!


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


text:
 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.


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


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


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


text:
 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,


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


text:
 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.


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 they only heard it said, &quot;He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.&quot;


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 I went up because of a revelation; and I set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who were of reputation, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.


text:
 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.


text:
 And from those who were reputed to be something (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)


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


text:
 (for he who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles),


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


text:
 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and separate himself, fearing the party of the circumcision.


text:
 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.


text:
 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of them all, &quot;If you, being a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?


text:
 yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law will no flesh be justified.


text:
 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not!


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


text:
 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died for nothing.&quot;


text:
 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?


text:
 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?


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


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


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


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


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


text:
 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, &quot;And to seeds,&quot; as referring to many, but rather to one, &quot;And to your seed,&quot; that is, Christ.


text:
 What I mean is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.


text:
 For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.


text:
 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.


text:
 Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given which could impart life, then righteousness would indeed have come by the law.


text:
 But the Scripture has bound everyone under sin, so that that what was promised by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.


text:
 Now before faith came, we were bound under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed.


text:
 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.


text:
 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of all the estate;


text:
 Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, &quot;Abba! Father!&quot;


text:
 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things? Do you desire to be enslaved all over again?


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


text:
 What has become of the satisfaction you felt? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.


text:
 But the son by the slave was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.


text:
 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.


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


text:
 For it is written, &quot;Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; for the children of the desolate are more numerous than the children of her who has a husband.&quot;


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


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


text:
 It was for freedom that Christ has set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.


text:
 I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.


text:
 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen away from grace.


text:
 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.


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


text:
 But if I, brethren, still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.


text:
 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.


text:
 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you would.


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


text:
 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.


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


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


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


text:
 Those who want to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.


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


text:
 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.


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


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


text:
 just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him. In love


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 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,


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


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 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,


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


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


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


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 For this reason, ever since I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,


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


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 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,


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 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might


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


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


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 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.


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 Among them we all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.


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


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


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 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God


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


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 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called &quot;Uncircumcision&quot; by the so-called &quot;Circumcision,&quot; which is performed in the flesh by human hands


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


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


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 by abolishing in his flesh the hostility, which is the Law of commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,


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 and might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, by which he put to death the hostility.


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


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 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,


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


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


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


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 and to make plain to everyone the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;


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


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


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


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


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


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


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 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,


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


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


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 (In saying, &quot;He ascended,&quot; what does it mean except that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?


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


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


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 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.


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 But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him, who is the head, into Christ,


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 from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each part, causes the growth of the body and builds itself up in love.


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


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


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 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, greedy for the practice of every kind of impurity.


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 You were taught, with regard to your former manner of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful lusts;


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 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, each one of you must speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.


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 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but rather must labor, doing useful work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with those in need.


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 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building others up according to the need of the moment, that it may impart grace to those who hear.


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


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


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 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.


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 And there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather let there be thanksgiving.


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


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 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.


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 For this reason it is said, &quot;Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.&quot;


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


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 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is himself the Savior.


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 that he might present the church to himself in all her glory, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and blameless.


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 So husbands ought also to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.


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


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 &quot;For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.&quot;


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


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


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 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;


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 not in the way of eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.


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


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


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 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.


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 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.


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 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,


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 in addition to all this, taking up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.


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 Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and petition. And with this in view, keep alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,


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 and also pray for me, that in the opening of my mouth, utterance may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,


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


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


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


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 For I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.


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


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 And this is my prayer, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,


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 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.


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


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 so that my imprisonment for Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,


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 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have been encouraged to speak the word of God without fear.


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 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, but thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.


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


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


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


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 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I do not know.


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


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


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 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,


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 in no way frightened by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction to them, but of salvation for you


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


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 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,


text:
 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.


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 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.


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


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


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


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 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.


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 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news of you.


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 But you know that he has proved his worth, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.


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 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;


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


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 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may have less anxiety.


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 because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.


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 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.


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 Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those mutilators of the body.


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


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


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


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


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 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ


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 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death;


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 Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.


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 Brethren, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,


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 Let those of us who are mature have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you.


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 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who live according to the pattern you have in us.


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


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


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 But our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;


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


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


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 Yes, and I ask you also, true yoke-fellow, to help these women who have struggled at my side in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.


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


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


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 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.


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 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.


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 I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you had no opportunity.


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 I know how to be in need, and I also know how to have plenty; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and want.


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 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that in the first preaching of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you only;


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 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.


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 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.


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 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints,


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


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 which has come to you, just as in all the world it is bearing fruit and growing, even as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth;


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 as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,


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 For this reason also, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,


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 so that you will live a life worthy of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.


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


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


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 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,


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 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities


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 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might have the first place in everything.


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


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 yet he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death, in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach


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 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a minister.


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 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share for the sake of his body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ


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 Of this church I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,


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 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.


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 To them God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.


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 We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.


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 For I want you to know how greatly I strive for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh,


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 that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understanding and the knowledge of God


text:
 For even though I am absent in flesh, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.


text:
 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with thanksgiving.


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 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to human tradition, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.


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 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;


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 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.


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 When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our sins,


text:
 having canceled the certificate of debt, which stood against us with its decrees. He took what was hostile away from us, nailing it to the cross.


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 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them through him.


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 Therefore let no one judge you in questions of food or drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.


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 Let no one disqualify you for the prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, puffed up without cause by his fleshly mind,


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 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.


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 If with Christ you died to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you still belonged to it, do you submit to regulations such as,


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 (referring to things which are all destined perish with use), according to human commandments and teachings?


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 These indeed have an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value against fleshly indulgence.


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 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.


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 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which is idolatry.


text:
 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.


text:
 Here there is no Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free, but Christ is all, and in all.


text:
 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord forgave you, so you also must forgive.


text:
 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.


text:
 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.


text:
 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


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 Slaves, in everything obey those who are your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.


text:
 knowing that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.


text:
 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.


text:
 And pray for us as well, that God may open a door to us for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains,


text:
 Let your speech always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.


text:
 Tychicus will tell you all about my affairs. He is a beloved brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.


text:
 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts;


text:
 and with him Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of yourselves. They will tell you everything that has taken place here.


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 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, and also Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you have received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him.)


text:
 and also Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved to be a comfort to me.


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 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a servant of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.


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 I testify for him that he has worked hard for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.


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 When this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read the letter from Laodicea.


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 Say to Archippus, &quot;See to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.&quot;


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 Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace and peace to you.


text:
 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
 for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.


text:
 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit;


text:
 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we have no need to say anything.


text:
 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,


text:
 but after we had already suffered and been shamefully treated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in the face of great opposition.


text:
 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts.


text:
 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.


text:
 Having so fond an affection for you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.


text:
 For you remember our labor and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God.


text:
 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless we behaved toward you believers;


text:
 for you know how, as a father with his own children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you


text:
 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.


text:
 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,


text:
 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men,


text:
 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last.


text:
 But since we were taken away from you, brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face.


text:
 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming?


text:
 so that no one would be unsettled by these afflictions. You yourselves know that we have been destined for this.


text:
 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.


text:
 For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.


text:
 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you


text:
 for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith;


text:
 For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you in return for all the joy which we feel for your sake before our God,


text:
 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?


text:
 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,


text:
 so that he may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.


text:
 Finally, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more.


text:
 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that is, that you should abstain from sexual immorality;


text:
 and that no man transgress and wrong his brother in this matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.


text:
 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.


text:
 Now concerning love of the brethren you have no need to have any one write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another;


text:
 and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to do so more and more.


text:
 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you,


text:
 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anyone.


text:
 But we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.


text:
 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.


text:
 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.


text:
 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.


text:
 Then we who are alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.


text:
 While people are saying, &quot;Peace and safety,&quot; then destruction will come upon them suddenly as labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.


text:
 But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.


text:
 But we ask you, brethren, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,


text:
 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.


text:
 And we urge you, brethren, admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.


text:
 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
 Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:


text:
 We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.


text:
 Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you are enduring.


text:
 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,


text:
 inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.


text:
 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,


text:
 when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed


text:
 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power,


text:
 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we beg you, brethren,


text:
 not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.


text:
 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,


text:
 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.


text:
 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.


text:
 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.


text:
 The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders,


text:
 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.


text:
 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.


text:
 He called you to this through our gospel, that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.


text:
 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,


text:
 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it did also with you,


text:
 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will continue to do the things which we command.


text:
 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who is living in idleness and not according to the tradition which you received from us.


text:
 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,


text:
 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.


text:
 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: &quot;If anyone will not work, he shall not eat.&quot;


text:
 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, not doing any work at all, but acting like busybodies.


text:
 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and earn their own bread to eat.


text:
 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.


text:
 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.


text:
 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write.


text:
 to Timothy, my true child in the faith: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.


text:
 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,


text:
 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than the divine training


text:
 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.


text:
 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.


text:
 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers


text:
 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,


text:
 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.


text:
 Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor, I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;


text:
 and the grace of our Lord was overflowing for me, with the faith and love that are found in Christ Jesus.


text:
 It is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners


text:
 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.


text:
 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.


text:
 I give you this command, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies once made about you, that by them you may fight the good fight,


text:
 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.


text:
 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men,


text:
 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.


text:
 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.


text:
 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or quarreling.


text:
 I also want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and sensibly, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly garments,


text:
 But women will be saved through the bearing of children, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-restraint.


text:
 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,


text:
 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall into the same condemnation as the devil.


text:
 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.


text:
 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, and not fond of sordid gain;


text:
 The women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.


text:
 For those who have served well as deacons gain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.


text:
 if I am delayed, you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.


text:
 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: he was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.


text:
 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,


text:
 who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.


text:
 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving;


text:
 If you point out these things to the brethren, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed.


text:
 For bodily training is of some value, but godliness is of value in all things, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.


text:
 For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.


text:
 Let no one look down on your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.


text:
 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you through prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands on you.


text:
 Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in them, for if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.


text:
 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice their religion in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.


text:
 Now she who is a real widow, and who has been left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.


text:
 If any one does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.


text:
 A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one husband,


text:
 and she must be well known for her good deeds, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, relieved those in distress, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.


text:
 But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to marry,


text:
 Besides, they learn to be idle, going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.


text:
 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their homes, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach.


text:
 If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them, and let not the church be burdened, so that it may assist those who are real widows.


text:
 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.


text:
 For the scripture says, &quot;You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,&quot; and, &quot;The laborer deserves his wages.&quot;


text:
 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning.


text:
 I charge you, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, doing nothing out of favoritism.


text:
 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.


text:
 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.


text:
 The sins of some men are obvious, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins appear later.


text:
 Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be spoken against.


text:
 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but they must serve them all the better, because those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties.


text:
 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness,


text:
 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, which produce envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions,


text:
 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a means of gain.


text:
 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.


text:
 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.


text:
 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.


text:
 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.


text:
 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession before Pontius Pilate,


text:
 who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.


text:
 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with everything to enjoy.


text:
 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that life which is life indeed.


text:
 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,


text:
 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,


text:
 I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.


text:
 For I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure is in you as well.


text:
 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.


text:
 So do not be ashamed to testify of our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the power of God,


text:
 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and the grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,


text:
 but has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.


text:
 For this reason I also suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.


text:
 Follow the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.


text:
 You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.


text:
 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;


text:
 And the things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.


text:
 No soldier in active service gets entangled in civilian affairs, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.


text:
 Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.


text:
 for which I am suffering even to the point of wearing chains like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.


text:
 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.


text:
 Remind them of these things, and charge them in the presence of God to avoid disputing about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.


text:
 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.


text:
 who have gone astray from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and upset the faith of some.


text:
 In a large house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware, and some for noble use, some for ignoble.


text:
 If anyone cleanses himself from what is ignoble, he will be a vessel for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.


text:
 Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.


text:
 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God will grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,


text:
 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.


text:
 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,


text:
 For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, weighed down with sins and swayed by various impulses,


text:
 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.


text:
 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.


text:
 You, however, know all about my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,


text:
 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, yet the Lord rescued me from them all.


text:
 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, knowing from whom you learned it,


text:
 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.


text:
 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness;


text:
 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:


text:
 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.


text:
 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires,


text:
 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.


text:
 In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.


text:
 for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.


text:
 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and the books, especially the parchments.


text:
 At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.


text:
 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion


text:
 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.


text:
 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.


text:
 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior,


text:
 to Titus, my true child in a common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.


text:
 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might straighten out what was left unfinished, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you,


text:
 namely, if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, and his children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild or rebellious.


text:
 he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to refute those who contradict it.


text:
 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision.


text:
 They must be silenced, because they are upsetting whole families by teaching things they ought not to teach for the sake of sordid gain.


text:
 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, &quot;Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.&quot;


text:
 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are corrupted and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.


text:
 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds; they are detestable and disobedient, unfit for any good deed.


text:
 The older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to much wine, but they are to teach what is good,


text:
 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.


text:
 Show yourself in all respects an example of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, seriousness,


text:
 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.


text:
 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not to talk back to them,


text:
 and not to steal, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in everything they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.


text:
 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this present age,


text:
 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,


text:
 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, zealous for good deeds.


text:
 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,


text:
 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by men and hating one another.


text:
 he saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but because of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,


text:
 This is a trustworthy saying; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for men.


text:
 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and quarrels about the Law, for they are unprofitable and useless.


text:
 Warn a man who is factious once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him,


text:
 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.


text:
 Our people must also learn to devote themselves to good deeds, so that they may help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.


text:
 All who are with me send you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.


text:
 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,


text:
 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints,


text:
 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing that is ours in Christ.


text:
 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.


text:
 I would have been glad to keep him with me, so that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel;


text:
 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.


text:
 Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, that you might have him back for ever,


text:
 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.


text:
 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope through your prayers to be granted to you.


text:
 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the world.


text:
 He is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his being, and upholds all things by the word of his power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,


text:
 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.


text:
 For to which of the angels did God ever say, &quot;You are my son, today I have begotten you&quot;? And again, &quot;I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me&quot;?


text:
 But of the Son he says, &quot;Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.


text:
 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.&quot;


text:
 And, &quot;You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands;


text:
 you will roll them up like a mantle; and like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.&quot;


text:
 But to which of the angels has he ever said, &quot;Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a stool for your feet&quot;?


text:
 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to serve for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?


text:
 For if the message spoken by angels was valid, and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment,


text:
 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him,


text:
 while God also bore witness, by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will.


text:
 But there is a place where someone has testified, &quot;What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?


text:
 and put everything in subjection under his feet.&quot; Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subject to him.


text:
 But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.


text:
 For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.


text:
 For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren,


text:
 saying, &quot;I will declare your name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.&quot;


text:
 And again, &quot;I will put my trust in him.&quot; And again, &quot;Here am I, and the children God has given me.&quot;


text:
 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil,


text:
 Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.


text:
 Therefore, holy brethren, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.


text:
 Yet Jesus has been counted worthy of as much more glory than Moses as the builder of a house has more honor than the house.


text:
 Take care, brethren, lest there be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.


text:
 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called &quot;Today,&quot; so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.


text:
 while it is said, &quot;Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.&quot;


text:
 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?


text:
 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear lest any one of you be judged to have come short of it.


text:
 For we also have had the good news preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.


text:
 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: &quot;And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.&quot;


text:
 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had the good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,


text:
 God again set a certain day, &quot;Today,&quot; saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, &quot;Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.&quot;


text:
 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience.


text:
 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.


text:
 And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.


text:
 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.


text:
 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.


text:
 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.


text:
 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.


text:
 He can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is beset with weakness.


text:
 Because of this he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.


text:
 So also Christ did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but it was he who said to him, &quot;You are my son, today I have begotten you&quot;;


text:
 as he says also in another place, &quot;You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.&quot;


text:
 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his godly fear.


text:
 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of God


text:
 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their sense trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.


text:
 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,


text:
 with instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.


text:
 For it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,


text:
 and then have fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put him to an open shame.


text:
 For land which drinks the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.


text:
 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.


text:
 Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that accompany salvation.


text:
 For God is not so unjust as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.


text:
 And we desire each one of you to show the same diligence in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end,


text:
 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.


text:
 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,


text:
 Men swear by one greater than themselves, and in all their disputes the oath is final for confirmation.


text:
 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath,


text:
 so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.


text:
 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,


text:
 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.


text:
 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him.


text:
 And to him Abraham gave a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.


text:
 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.


text:
 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, though these also are descended from Abraham.


text:
 But this man whose genealogy is not derived from them received a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.


text:
 In this case tithes are received by mortal men, but in that case by one of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.


text:
 Now if perfection could have been through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not one designated according to the order of Aaron?


text:
 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.


text:
 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.


text:
 who has become a priest not on the basis of a law of carnal requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.


text:
 (for the law made nothing perfect); and on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.


text:
 Those who formerly became priests took their office without an oath, but he became a priest with an oath through the One who said to him, &quot;The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,


text:
 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office;


text:
 Therefore he is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.


text:
 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens.


text:
 He does not need, like those high priests, to offer up daily sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because he did this once for all when he offered up himself.


text:
 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.


text:
 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,


text:
 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; and so it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.


text:
 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law.


text:
 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary; for when Moses was about to erect the tabernacle, he was instructed by God, saying, &quot;See that you make everything according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.&quot;


text:
 But as it is, he has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.


text:
 For he finds fault with them when he says: &quot;The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;


text:
 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and so I paid no heed to them, says the Lord.


text:
 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.


text:
 When he said, &quot;A new covenant,&quot; he has made the first obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.


text:
 For there was a tabernacle prepared, the first one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place.


text:
 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron


text:
 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. But of these things we cannot now speak in detail.


text:
 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tabernacle, performing their ritual duties.


text:
 But into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.


text:
 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the holy place had not yet been disclosed as long as the outer tabernacle was still standing.


text:
 This is symbolic for the present time. According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,


text:
 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, he entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation.


text:
 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the holy place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.


text:
 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,


text:
 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?


text:
 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.


text:
 For a will is in force only when somebody has died, since it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.


text:
 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,


text:
 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship.


text:
 Indeed, under the law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.


text:
 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.


text:
 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.


text:
 Nor was it that he should offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own.


text:
 For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.


text:
 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him.


text:
 For since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near.


text:
 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? If the worshipers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any consciousness of sins.


text:
 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: &quot;Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;


text:
 When he said above, &quot;You did not desire, nor did you take pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings&quot; (these are offered according to the law),


text:
 then he said, &quot;Behold, I have come to do your will.&quot; He takes away the first in order to establish the second.


text:
 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.


text:
 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.


text:
 &quot;This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,&quot;


text:
 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.


text:
 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the Day drawing near.


text:
 For if we sin deliberately after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,


text:
 Anyone who has rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.


text:
 How much severer punishment do you think a man will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as an unclean thing the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?


text:
 For we know him who said, &quot;Vengeance is mine, I will repay.&quot; And again, &quot;The Lord will judge his people.&quot;


text:
 But remember the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings,


text:
 sometimes being publicly exposed to insult and persecution; and at other times standing side by side with those who were so treated.


text:
 For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.


text:
 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.


text:
 But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.&quot;


text:
 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls.


text:
 By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.


text:
 By faith Abel offered God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his gifts. And through faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.


text:
 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. For before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God.


text:
 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.


text:
 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in godly fear prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.


text:
 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.


text:
 By faith he lived in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise;


text:
 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, because she considered him faithful who had promised.


text:
 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.


text:
 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from a distance, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.


text:
 And if they had been thinking of that country from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.


text:
 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.


text:
 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son,


text:
 He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.


text:
 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.


text:
 By faith Joseph, when he was at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites, and gave orders concerning his bones.


text:
 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king


text:
 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.


text:
 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.


text:
 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king; for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.


text:
 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.


text:
 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.


text:
 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies.


text:
 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,


text:
 who through faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of justice, received promises, shut the mouths of lions,


text:
 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned to strength, who became mighty in war, and put foreign armies to flight.


text:
 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.


text:
 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated


text:
 because God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.


text:
 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,


text:
 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.


text:
 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.


text:
 It is for discipline that you endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?


text:
 If you are left without discipline, in which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.


text:
 Besides this, we have had fathers of our flesh to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?


text:
 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.


text:
 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.


text:
 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.


text:
 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness spring up and cause trouble, and by it many become defiled;


text:
 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.


text:
 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,


text:
 and the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further word be spoken to them.


text:
 For they could not endure the order that was given, &quot;If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.&quot;


text:
 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the joyful assembly


text:
 and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,


text:
 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks better than the blood of Abel.


text:
 See to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less shall we escape, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?


text:
 Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, &quot;Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also heaven.&quot;


text:
 This phrase, &quot;Yet once more,&quot; indicates the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that what cannot be shaken may remain.


text:
 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe,


text:
 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.


text:
 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves are also in the body.


text:
 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous.


text:
 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said, &quot;I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you.&quot;


text:
 So we say with confidence, &quot;The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?&quot;


text:
 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.


text:
 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.


text:
 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.


text:
 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.


text:
 Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this with joy, and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.


text:
 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.


text:
 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant,


text:
 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.


text:
 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I will see you if he comes soon.


text:
 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: greetings.


text:
 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.


text:
 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.


text:
 But he must ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.


text:
 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.


text:
 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls and its beauty is destroyed. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.


text:
 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.


text:
 Let no one say when he is tempted, &quot;I am being tempted by God&quot;; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone.


text:
 Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is full-grown, it brings forth death.


text:
 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.


text:
 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.


text:
 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger,


text:
 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness, in humility receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.


text:
 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;


text:
 But one who looks intently into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer that acts, this man will be blessed in what he does.


text:
 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man


text:
 Religion that is pure and undefiled in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.


text:
 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in shabby clothes,


text:
 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes and say, &quot;Have a seat here in a good place,&quot; and you say to the poor man, &quot;You stand there,&quot; or, &quot;Sit by my feet,&quot;


text:
 Listen, my beloved brethren: has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?


text:
 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court?


text:
 If you really fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, &quot;You shall love your neighbor as yourself,&quot; you are doing well.


text:
 For he who said, &quot;Do not commit adultery,&quot; said also, &quot;Do not murder.&quot; If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.


text:
 What good is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has no works? Can such faith save him?


text:
 and one of you says to them, &quot;Go in peace, be warmed and filled,&quot; and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?


text:
 But someone will say, &quot;You have faith and I have works.&quot; Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.


text:
 and the scripture was fulfilled which says, &quot;Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness&quot;, and he was called the friend of God.


text:
 In the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?


text:
 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.


text:
 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.


text:
 Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.


text:
 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!


text:
 And the tongue is a fire, a world of evil among the members of the body. The tongue corrupts our whole person, sets the whole course of our life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.


text:
 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.


text:
 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God.


text:
 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.


text:
 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his deeds in the humility of wisdom.


text:
 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.


text:
 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or hypocrisy.


text:
 What causes quarrels and fights among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members?


text:
 You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.


text:
 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.


text:
 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.


text:
 Or do you think that the Scripture says without reason: &quot;He jealously desires the Spirit which he has made to dwell in us&quot;?


text:
 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, &quot;God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.&quot;


text:
 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.


text:
 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.


text:
 Come now, you who say, &quot;Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.&quot;


text:
 Yet you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.


text:
 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.


text:
 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out against you; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.


text:
 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.


text:
 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rains.


text:
 Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.


text:
 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.


text:
 Behold, we call those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.


text:
 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation.


text:
 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;


text:
 and the prayer offered in faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.


text:
 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.


text:
 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.


text:
 let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.


text:
 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen exiles in the Dispersion, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,


text:
 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling with his blood: may grace and peace be yours in abundance.


text:
 Blessed be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,


text:
 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, kept in heaven for you,


text:
 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


text:
 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,


text:
 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you inquired and searched carefully,


text:
 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.


text:
 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven


text:
 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be sober in spirit, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


text:
 You know that you were redeemed from the futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,


text:
 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.


text:
 Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.


text:
 Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart.


text:
 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.


text:
 For, &quot;All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,


text:
 Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,


text:
 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.


text:
 For it stands in scripture: &quot;Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.&quot;


text:
 To you therefore who believe, this is precious, but for those who do not believe, &quot;The very stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,&quot;


text:
 and, &quot;A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall;&quot; they stumble because they disobey the word


text:
 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.


text:
 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against your soul.


text:
 Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.


text:
 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are overbearing.


text:
 For what credit is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you patiently endure? But if when you do right and suffer for it you patiently endure, you have favor with God.


text:
 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.


text:
 when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he uttered no threats, but he trusted himself to him who judges justly.


text:
 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.


text:
 For you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.


text:
 You wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives,


text:
 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God


text:
 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, and were submissive to their own husbands;


text:
 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children if you do what is right and are not frightened by any fear.


text:
 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with honor as the weaker partner, since you are joint heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.


text:
 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble in spirit.


text:
 Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but give a blessing instead; for to this you were called, that you may inherit a blessing.


text:
 For, &quot;He who would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.


text:
 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.&quot;


text:
 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,


text:
 but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect;


text:
 and keep a clear conscience, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.


text:
 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit;


text:
 who formerly did not obey, when the patience of God waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.


text:
 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels and authorities and powers subject to him.


text:
 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,


text:
 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God.


text:
 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.


text:
 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they abuse you;


text:
 For this reason the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they might live in the spirit according to the will of God.


text:
 Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belongs the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.


text:
 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.


text:
 But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.


text:
 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.


text:
 yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God.


text:
 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?


text:
 And &quot;if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?&quot;


text:
 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed,


text:
 Likewise you that are younger men be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for &quot;God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.&quot;


text:
 Be sober, be alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.


text:
 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren throughout the world.


text:
 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.


text:
 With the help of Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.


text:
 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:


text:
 His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence.


text:
 By these he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and become partakers of the divine nature.


text:
 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
 For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.


text:
 Therefore, brethren, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall;


text:
 so there will be an entrance richly provided for you into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


text:
 Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.


text:
 since I know that the putting aside of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.


text:
 And I will see to it that after my departure you will be able at any time to call these things to mind.


text:
 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.


text:
 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, &quot;This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.&quot;


text:
 And we have the prophetic word made more sure, and you will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.


text:
 for no prophecy was ever made by the act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.


text:
 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.


text:
 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words; from long ago their condemnation has not been idle, and their destruction has not been asleep.


text:
 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;


text:
 and if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;


text:
 and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter;


text:
 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),


text:
 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,


text:
 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desire and despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to revile the glorious ones,


text:
 whereas angels, though greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.


text:
 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed, reviling in matters of which they are ignorant, will be destroyed in the same destruction with them,


text:
 suffering wrong for their wrongdoing. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you.


text:
 They have eyes full of adultery, that never cease from sin; they entice unstable souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!


text:
 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;


text:
 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm; for them the blackest darkness has been reserved.


text:
 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity, they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error.


text:
 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved.


text:
 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.


text:
 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.


text:
 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, &quot;A dog turns back to its own vomit,&quot; and, &quot;A sow, after having washed, returns to wallowing in the mire.&quot;


text:
 This is now the second letter that I have written to you, beloved, and in both of them I have aroused your sincere mind by way of reminder;


text:
 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles.


text:
 First of all you must understand this, that scoffers will come in the last days, with scoffing, following their own lusts


text:
 and saying, &quot;Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.&quot;


text:
 They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and by means of water,


text:
 But by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.


text:
 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.


text:
 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.


text:
 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.


text:
 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy lives and godliness,


text:
 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and the elements will melt with intense heat!


text:
 But according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.


text:
 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless.


text:
 And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you.


text:
 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.


text:
 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your own steadfastness.


text:
 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.


text:
 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have touched, concerning the Word of life


text:
 the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us


text:
 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.


text:
 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.


text:
 If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth.


text:
 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.


text:
 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.


text:
 My little children, I write this to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.


text:
 And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.


text:
 He who says, &quot;I know him,&quot; but does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.


text:
 But whoever keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in him:


text:
 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.


text:
 Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.


text:
 But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.


text:
 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.


text:
 I wrote to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I wrote to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.


text:
 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.


text:
 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come; by this we know that it is the last hour.


text:
 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that it might be plain that none of them were of us.


text:
 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.


text:
 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.


text:
 Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.


text:
 But the anointing which you have received from him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.


text:
 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.


text:
 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God! And so we are! The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.


text:
 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.


text:
 He who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.


text:
 By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.


text:
 and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother


text:
 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.


text:
 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.


text:
 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.


text:
 And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he has commanded us.


text:
 Now those who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.


text:
 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.


text:
 By this you know the Spirit of God: every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,


text:
 and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, of which you have heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already.


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


text:
 We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us; he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.


text:
 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.


text:
 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.


text:
 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.


text:
 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.


text:
 So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.


text:
 In this love is perfected among us, that we may have confidence for the Day of Judgment, because as he is so are we in this world.


text:
 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. And he who fears is not made perfect in love.


text:
 If anyone says, &quot;I love God,&quot; and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.


text:
 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.


text:
 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.


text:
 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world


text:
 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God which he has borne witness of his Son.


text:
 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given of his Son.


text:
 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.


text:
 And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.


text:
 And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.


text:
 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.


text:
 We know that anyone born of God does not sin; but he who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.


text:
 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.


text:
 The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth,


text:
 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father.


text:
 And now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.


text:
 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in love.


text:
 For many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.


text:
 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.


text:
 Anyone who runs ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.


text:
 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting;


text:
 Though I have much to write to you, I do not want to use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.


text:
 Beloved, I pray that you may be in good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.


text:
 For I greatly rejoiced when some of the brethren arrived and testified to the truth of your life, and how you are walking in truth.


text:
 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers;


text:
 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.


text:
 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.


text:
 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping against us with evil words. And not satisfied with that, he refuses himself to welcome the brethren, and also stops those who want to welcome them and puts them out of the church.


text:
 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.


text:
 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.


text:
 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.


text:
 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:


text:
 Beloved, although I was very eager to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.


text:
 For certain persons have crept in secretly, those who were long ago marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.


text:
 Now I desire to remind you, though you were once for all fully informed, that the Lord who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.


text:
 And the angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, he has kept in eternal chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day,


text:
 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise acted immorally and indulged in strange flesh, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.


text:
 Yet in the same way these men in their dreamings defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile the glorious ones.


text:
 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a reviling judgment, but said, &quot;The Lord rebuke you!&quot;


text:
 But these men revile whatever they do not understand; and the things that they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals do, by these things they are destroyed.


text:
 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for the sake of gain they have rushed headlong into the Balaam


text:
 These are the men who are blemishes in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted;


text:
 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever.


text:
 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, &quot;Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of his holy ones,


text:
 to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.&quot;


text:
 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for their own advantage.


text:
 they said to you, &quot;In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly lusts.&quot;


text:
 keep yourselves in the love of God; wait anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.


text:
 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.


text:
 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with great joy,


text:
 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.


text:
 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place. And he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,


text:
 Blessed is he who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.


text:
 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,


text:
 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,


text:
 and has made us a kingdom and priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.


text:
 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so. Amen.


text:
 &quot; &quot;I am the Alpha and the Omega,&quot; says the Lord God, &quot;who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.&quot;&quot;


text:
 I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.


text:
 saying, &quot;Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.&quot;


text:
 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,


text:
 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a Son of Man, clothed with a robe down to the feet and girded round his chest with a golden band.


text:
 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters;


text:
 he held in his right hand seven stars, out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in its strength.


text:
 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, &quot;Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, &quot;


text:
 and the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore! And I have the keys of death and Hades.


text:
 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.


text:
 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot bear evil men, but you have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and have found them to be false;


text:
 Remember then from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.


text:
 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.


text:
 I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and I know the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.


text:
 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful even until death, and I will give you the crown of life.


text:
 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.


text:
 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to practice sexual immorality.


text:
 Repent therefore, or else I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.


text:
 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna. And I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it.


text:
 I know your works, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that your works are now more than at the first.


text:
 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.


text:
 So I will cast her on a sickbed, and I will throw those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her ways.


text:
 And I will strike her children dead. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works.


text:
 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I will not lay upon you any other burden;


text:
 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God.


text:
 Remember therefore what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.


text:
 Yet you have a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.


text:
 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.


text:
 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word, and have not denied my name.


text:
 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie


text:
 Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.


text:
 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall never go out of it. And I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write on him my new name.


text:
 Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments to clothe you, and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.


text:
 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.


text:
 To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.


text:
 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the voice, which I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, &quot;Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.&quot;


text:
 At once I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, with one sitting on the throne.


text:
 And he who sat there was like jasper and carnelian in appearance, and round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.


text:
 Round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.


text:
 From the throne come flashes of lightning, and voices and peals of thunder. And before the throne were seven lamps of fire, which are the seven spirits of God;


text:
 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the center, around the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.


text:
 The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.


text:
 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to sing, &quot;Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.&quot;


text:
 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,


text:
 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, saying,


text:
 &quot;You are worthy, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.&quot;


text:
 I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.


text:
 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, &quot;Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?&quot;


text:
 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.


text:
 Then one of the elders said to me, &quot;Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.&quot;


text:
 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as if it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.


text:
 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.


text:
 And they sang a new song, saying, &quot;Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals; for you were slain, and with your blood purchased men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.


text:
 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,


text:
 saying with a loud voice, &quot;Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!&quot;


text:
 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying, &quot;To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!&quot;


text:
 Then I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals. And I heard one of the four living creatures say, as with a voice of thunder, &quot;Come!&quot;


text:
 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.


text:
 And out came a horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another; and to him was given a great sword.


text:
 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, &quot;Come.&quot; And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and its rider had a pair of scales in his hand.


text:
 And I heard what sounded like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, &quot;A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine!&quot;


text:
 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, &quot;Come!&quot;


text:
 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained;


text:
 they cried out with a loud voice, &quot;O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?&quot;


text:
 Then each of them were given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be completed, who were to be killed as they had been.


text:
 I looked when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;


text:
 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.


text:
 The sky vanished like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.


text:
 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,


text:
 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, &quot;Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;


text:
 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind would blow on the earth or the sea or on any tree.


text:
 Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the earth and sea,


text:
 saying, &quot;Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.&quot;


text:
 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:


text:
 From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,


text:
 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,


text:
 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,


text:
 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.


text:
 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;


text:
 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, &quot;Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.&quot;


text:
 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God,


text:
 saying, &quot;Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.&quot;


text:
 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, &quot;Who are these, clothed in white robes, and where have they come from?&quot;


text:
 I said to him, &quot;Sir, you know.&quot; And he said to me, &quot;These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.


text:
 Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.


text:
 They will hunger no more, nor thirst anymore; the sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat.


text:
 For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.&quot;


text:
 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.


text:
 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth; and there were peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.


text:
 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.


text:
 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood,


text:
 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.


text:
 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became Wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.


text:
 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them darkened. And a third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.


text:
 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, &quot;Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the blasts of the other trumpets of the three angels who are about to sound!&quot;


text:
 And the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star which had fallen from heaven to earth; and he was given the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit.


text:
 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up from the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit.


text:
 Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth.


text:
 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those of mankind who have not the seal of God on their foreheads.


text:
 They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion, when it stings a man.


text:
 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death will fly from them.


text:
 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; and their faces were like human faces,


text:
 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.


text:
 They have tails like scorpions, and stings, and their power to hurt men for five months lies in their tails.


text:
 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.


text:
 Then the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,


text:
 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, &quot;Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.&quot;


text:
 And the four angels, who had been held ready for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.


text:
 And this was how I saw the horses in my vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and sulfur.


text:
 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.


text:
 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.


text:
 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshipping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;


text:
 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.


text:
 He had a little scroll which was open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land,


text:
 and he cried out with a loud voice, like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.


text:
 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying, &quot;Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.&quot;


text:
 and swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be no more delay,


text:
 but in the days of the trumpet of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God will be finished, as he announced to his servants the prophets.


text:
 Then the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, &quot;Go, take the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.&quot;


text:
 So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, &quot;Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.&quot;


text:
 And I was told, &quot;You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.&quot;


text:
 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, &quot;Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there.


text:
 But leave out the court outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given over to the nations; and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months.


text:
 And I will grant power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.&quot;


text:
 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out from their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.


text:
 These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.


text:
 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.


text:
 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.


text:
 For three days and a half men from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb.


text:
 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.


text:
 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.


text:
 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, &quot;Come up here.&quot; And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.


text:
 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.


text:
 Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, &quot;The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.&quot;


text:
 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God,


text:
 saying, &quot;We give thanks to you, O Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.


text:
 And the nations raged, and your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding your servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth.&quot;


text:
 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;


text:
 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.


text:
 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child when it was born.


text:
 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to his throne.


text:
 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.


text:
 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back,


text:
 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world


text:
 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, &quot;Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.


text:
 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even to the death.


text:
 Rejoice then, O heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!&quot;


text:
 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.


text:
 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is to be nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.


text:
 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood.


text:
 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon had poured out of his mouth.


text:
 Then the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.


text:
 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on his horns, and on his heads were blasphemous names.


text:
 The beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.


text:
 One of its heads seemed to have a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder.


text:
 Men worshipped the dragon, because he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, &quot;Who is like the beast, and who can make war against him?&quot;


text:
 And the beast was given a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.


text:
 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.


text:
 Also it was given power to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation,


text:
 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.


text:
 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the endurance and faith of the saints.


text:
 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon.


text:
 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.


text:
 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which he was given power to do in the presence of the beast. He ordered them to make an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.


text:
 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.


text:
 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to be given a mark on their right hand or the forehead,


text:
 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.


text:
 This calls for wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; its number is six hundred and sixty-six.


text:
 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father


text:
 I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.


text:
 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.


text:
 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.


text:
 Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;


text:
 and he said with a loud voice, &quot;Fear God, and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come; worship him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of water.&quot;


text:
 And another angel, a second, followed, saying, &quot;Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all the nations drink the wine of her impure passion.&quot;


text:
 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, &quot;If any one worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,


text:
 And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.&quot;


text:
 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.


text:
 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.


text:
 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, &quot;Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.&quot;


text:
 Then another angel came out from the altar, the one who has power over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, &quot;Put in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because its grapes are ripe.&quot;


text:
 So the angel swung his sickle on the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God.


text:
 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press, as high as the horses


text:
 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, because with them the wrath of God is finished.


text:
 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea of glass, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps of God


text:
 and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, &quot;Great and marvelous are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the ages!


text:
 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.&quot;


text:
 and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes.


text:
 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.


text:
 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.


text:
 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, &quot;Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.&quot;


text:
 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and foul and loathsome sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image.


text:
 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.


text:
 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.


text:
 And I heard the angel of the waters say, &quot;Righteous are you, who are and who were, O Holy One, because you judged these things;


text:
 for they shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.&quot;


text:
 And I heard the altar saying, &quot;Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and just are your judgments.&quot;


text:
 Men were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.


text:
 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness; men gnawed their tongues in agony


text:
 and they cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and they did not repent of their deeds.


text:
 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the East.


text:
 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;


text:
 for they are spirits of demons, performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.


text:
 (&quot;Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.&quot;)


text:
 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, &quot;It is done!&quot;


text:
 And there were flashes of lightning and voices and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be on the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.


text:
 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.


text:
 Huge hailstones, about a hundred pounds each, fell from heaven upon men. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.


text:
 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, &quot;Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,


text:
 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.&quot;


text:
 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.


text:
 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,


text:
 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery, &quot;BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.&quot;


text:
 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.


text:
 And the angel said to me, &quot;Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.


text:
 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, because he was and is not and will come.


text:
 And they are also seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.


text:
 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive 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 Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with him are the called and chosen and faithful.&quot;


text:
 And he said to me, &quot;The waters you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.


text:
 And the ten horns you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot; they will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire,


text:
 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and giving over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.


text:
 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor.


text:
 And he called out with a mighty voice, &quot;Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every unclean spirit, a haunt of every unclean and hateful bird.


text:
 For all nations have drunk the wine of her impure passion, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich with the wealth of her wantonness.&quot;


text:
 Then I heard another voice from heaven, saying, &quot;Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins and receive of her plagues;


text:
 Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix a double portion for her.


text:
 As she glorified herself and played the wanton, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning; for she says in her heart,


text:
 Therefore in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.


text:
 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and were wanton with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning;


text:
 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;


text:
 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and chariots; and slaves and human souls.


text:
 The fruit you longed for has gone from you, and all your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.


text:
 The merchants of these things, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,


text:
 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her!&quot;


text:
 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, &quot;So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.


text:
 And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a millstone will not be heard in you any longer;


text:
 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.


text:
 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth.&quot;


text:
 After this I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, &quot;Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,


text:
 for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.&quot;


text:
 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who is seated on the throne, saying, &quot;Amen. Hallelujah!&quot;


text:
 And a voice came from the throne, saying, &quot;Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great.&quot;


text:
 Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying, &quot;Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.


text:
 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory! For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.


text:
 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean&quot;; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.


text:
 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, &quot;You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.&quot;


text:
 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.


text:
 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name written on him which no one knows but himself.


text:
 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses, and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.


text:
 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he treads the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.


text:
 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he cried to all the birds that fly in midheaven, &quot;Come, gather for the great supper of God,


text:
 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.&quot;


text:
 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who sits on the horse and against his army.


text:
 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with sulfur.


text:
 And the rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.


text:
 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the abyss and a great chain.


text:
 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,


text:
 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any more, until the thousand years were ended. After these things he must be released for a short time.


text:
 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was given. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony to Jesus and because of the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.


text:
 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.


text:
 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.


text:
 and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, that is, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the seashore.


text:
 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them.


text:
 And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.


text:
 Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; from his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.


text:
 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.


text:
 The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done.


text:
 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.


text:
 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.


text:
 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.


text:
 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, &quot;Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. And he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;


text:
 he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.&quot;


text:
 And he who sits on the throne said, &quot;Behold, I am making all things new.&quot; And he said, &quot;Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.&quot;


text:
 Then he said to me, &quot;It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life without cost.


text:
 But as for the cowardly, the unbelieving, the immoral, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.&quot;


text:
 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and spoke to me, saying, &quot;Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.&quot;


text:
 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,


text:
 having the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.


text:
 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.


text:
 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.


text:
 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.


text:
 The one who talked with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its walls.


text:
 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and width and height are equal.


text:
 The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,


text:
 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.


text:
 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.


text:
 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.


text:
 Nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb


text:
 Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb,


text:
 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.


text:
 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him.


text:
 And there will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light; and they will reign for ever and ever.


text:
 And he said to me, &quot;These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants the things which must soon take place.&quot;


text:
 &quot;And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.&quot;


text:
 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.


text:
 But he said to me, &quot;Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.&quot;


text:
 And he said to me, &quot;Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.


text:
 He who does wrong, let him do wrong still; and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he who does right, let him do right still; and he who is holy, let him be holy still.&quot;


text:
 &quot;Behold, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to render to every man according to what he has done. &quot;


text:
 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.


text:
 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.


text:
 &quot;I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.&quot;


text:
 The Spirit and the Bride say, &quot;Come.&quot; And let him who hears say, &quot;Come.&quot; And let him who is thirsty come; let him who wishes take the water of life without price.


text:
 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,


text:
 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are described in this book.


