2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
16But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
24By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; 9but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
12And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!" 13Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites." 14Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?"
17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
10"For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11"And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.
10Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. 13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
32Then David said to Abigail: "Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33"And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand.
7Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"
7Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
10And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
10Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." 11So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? 12"Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." 13But he said, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send." 14So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said: "Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15"Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. 16"So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. 17"And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs." 18So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." 19Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead." 20Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
18And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." 19Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
10Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought each other in the camp. 11And the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed; and so they brought him to Moses. (His mother's name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 12Then they put him in custody, that the mind of the LORD might be shown to them. 13And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 14"Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15"Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16'And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death.
29"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. 30'The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31'and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.'
32"Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33"You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.
3But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4And they came near before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." Therefore, according to the commandment of the LORD, he gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers. 5Ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, 6because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead. 7And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem; and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.
21"And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. 22"For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 23"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.
6You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. 7"You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram, And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, And gave him the name Abraham;
8"Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; 9When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him. 10But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. 11My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. 12I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.
10For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
10He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? 11The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile. 12Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, And teach out of Your law,
4Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. 5Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
15He who is surety for a stranger will suffer, But one who hates being surety is secure. 16A gracious woman retains honor, But ruthless men retain riches. 17The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
15My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice--indeed, I myself; 16Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things. 17Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day; 18For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off. 19Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way. 20Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. 22Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. 23Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. 24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him. 25Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice. 26My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways.
11The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding searches him out. 12When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory; But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves. 13He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. 14Happy is the man who is always reverent, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. 15Like a roaring lion and a charging bear Is a wicked ruler over poor people. 16A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days. 17A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit; Let no one help him. 18Whoever walks blamelessly will be saved, But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall. 19He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough! 20A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. 21To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. 22A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, And does not consider that poverty will come upon him. 23He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward Than he who flatters with the tongue. 24Whoever robs his father or his mother, And says, "It is no transgression," The same is companion to a destroyer. 25He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered. 26He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.
1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD! 2Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not call back His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity. 3Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together. 4For thus the LORD has spoken to me: "As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. 5Like birds flying about, So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it."
13'Therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that you do not know, neither you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor.' 14"Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that it shall no more be said, 'The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,' 15"but, 'The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.' For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers. 16"Behold, I will send for many fishermen," says the LORD, "and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. 17"For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes. 18"And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols." 19O LORD, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things." 20Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods? 21"Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD.
10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts;
6"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
11"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3"Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4"For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5"But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6"They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7"greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' 8"But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9"Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10"And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11"But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12"And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
1Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." 8Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." 9And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10"for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
12Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13"So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' 14"But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.' 15"And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16"Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' 17"And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' 18"And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' 19"Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.' 20"Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21'For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22"And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23'Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' 24"And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' 25("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') 26'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
8For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 9For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." 12So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
1Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. 4Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. 7However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 9But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
10And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 12For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
13But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." 15See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another in the fear of God.
12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 14Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 17Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
1Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. 2I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. 4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
24I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
11Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
5Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
8"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9"I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10"Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." '
15When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him." 16So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you." ' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants." 19Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21"Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
13And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, "Why are you striking your companion?" 14Then he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" So Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known!"
6And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7"keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation."
14"You shall not remove your neighbor's landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. 15"One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. 16"If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, 17"then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. 18"And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, 19"then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. 20"And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you. 21"Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
1Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, 2and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. 3So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. 5For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. 6So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD because of the Midianites, 8that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage; 9'and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10'Also I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell." But you have not obeyed My voice.' "
11Then God said to him: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12"behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13"And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. 14"So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days."
16And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work. 17Then I said to them, "You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach." 18And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. So they said, "Let us rise up and build." Then they set their hands to this good work. 19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?" 20So I answered them, and said to them, "The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem."
2And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish- stones that are burned?" 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall." 4Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! 5Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. 6So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
2that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm. 3So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?"
2So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
29Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. 30Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, 31and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times. Remember me, O my God, for good!
1And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea. 2Now all the acts of his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.
6For affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble spring from the ground; 7Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward. 8"But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause- 9Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number. 10He gives rain on the earth, And sends waters on the fields. 11He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety. 12He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans. 13He catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. 14They meet with darkness in the daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night. 15But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand. 16So the poor have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth. 17"Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. 18For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.
1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
1O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. 2So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. 6When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
13Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; 14For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. 15She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
10Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; 11For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. 12"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.
1Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; 2She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table. 3She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city, 4"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, 5"Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed. 6Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding. 7"He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. 8Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. 9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. 10"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you. 12If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone."
20Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy. 21No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, But the wicked shall be filled with evil. 22Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. 23A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness. 24The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor. 25Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. 26The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray. 27The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man's precious possession. 28In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.
2The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all. 3A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. 4By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life. 5Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. 6Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. 7The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. 8He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail. 9He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. 10Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease. 11He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend. 12The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the faithless. 13The lazy man says, "There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!" 14The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit; He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there. 15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. 16He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty. 17Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; 18For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, 19So that your trust may be in the LORD; I have instructed you today, even you. 20Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, 21That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you?
8A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. 9What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
1Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. 2A wise man's heart is at his right hand, But a fool's heart at his left. 3Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone that he is a fool.
1The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God. 3Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. 4Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." 5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. 7The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. 9No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, 10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
1"Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law."
1Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?
5Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD. 6For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. 7"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. 9"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
9Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.
31For the Lord will not cast off forever. 32Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies. 33For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men. 34To crush under one's feet All the prisoners of the earth, 35To turn aside the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High, 36Or subvert a man in his cause-The Lord does not approve.
53They silenced my life in the pit And threw stones at me. 54The waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!" 55I called on Your name, O LORD, From the lowest pit. 56You have heard my voice: "Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help." 57You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, "Do not fear!"
25A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings. 26And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
1And He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you." 2Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. 3And He said to me: "Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 4"For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' 5"As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse-for they are a rebellious house-yet they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6"And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. 7"You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.
28All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 30The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" 31While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! 32And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses." 33That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. 34And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. 35All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" 36At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. 37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
12Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
1O Israel, return to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; 2Take words with you, And return to the LORD. Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. 3Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods.' For in You the fatherless finds mercy." 4"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him.
1And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12"Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
26"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27"Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29"and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32"For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
15But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 18"Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. 19He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; 21And in His name Gentiles will trust." 22Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
6"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7"Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 8"If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. 10"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
24"Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26"But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
11"But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"-' (that is, a gift to God), 12"then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13"making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." 14When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15"There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16"If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" 17When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19"because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?" 20And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22"thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23"All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
48So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 49And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" 50But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. 51Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
7Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8"Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
17And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, 18as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. 19And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. 20Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. 21Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh. 22Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. 23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. 24"But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation. 25Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep. 26Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
46"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? 47"Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48"He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
2So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one." 5And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 6'for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7"and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? 8"I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11"If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12"Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
24"Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25"And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26"If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28"If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30"For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
1Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4"And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
16"A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." 17Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?" 18They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying." 19Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? 20"Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21"A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22"Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. 23"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24"Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25"These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26"In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27"for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
4"I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5"And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6"I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7"Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8"For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10"And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11"Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
15So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
17He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
35"This Moses whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.
49'Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest?
2But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness-indignation and wrath, 9tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11For there is no partiality with God.
5I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! 7Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
1Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
1Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. 5Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. 6But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
2Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5For each one shall bear his own load. 6Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
32And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22"Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; 23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18"I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19"Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
2And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested." 5After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.