Luke 12 Cross References - Common

¹ In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trampled one another, he began to say to his disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops. ⁴ "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. ⁸ "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. ⁹ But he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. ¹¹ Now when they bring you before the synagogues and rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you are to say; ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." ¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." ¹⁴ But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" ¹⁵ And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." ¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. ¹⁷ And he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' ¹⁸ And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' ²⁰ But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have prepared?' ²¹ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." ²² Then he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his span of life? ²⁶ If you then are not able to do this very little thing, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if 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 will eat or what you will drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰ For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. ³² Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ³⁵ "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning, ³⁶ and be like men who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, so that they may open to him immediately when he comes and knocks. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master finds watching when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants. ³⁹ But know this, that if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." ⁴¹ Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to all?" ⁴² And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he is not aware of, and he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. ⁴⁷ And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not ready himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. ⁴⁸ But he who did not know, and committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask the more. ⁴⁹ "I came to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! ⁵¹ Do you think that I came to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on there will be five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." ⁵⁴ He also said to the multitudes, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, "A shower is coming'; and so it happens. ⁵⁵ And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is. ⁵⁶ You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; but how is it you do not know how to interpret this present time? ⁵⁷ "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ As you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last copper."

⁶ Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." ⁷ And they discussed among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." ⁸ But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? ⁹ Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? ¹¹ How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." ¹² Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

¹⁵ And he cautioned them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." ¹⁶ And they discussed it with one another, saying, "It is because we have no bread." ¹⁷ Being aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸ Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." ²⁰ "And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of pieces did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." ²¹ He said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

¹ Now as the people pressed around him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.

¹⁵ But the report went around concerning him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

¹⁷ And 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,

⁴⁴ Woe to you! For you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it."

⁵⁶ You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; but how is it you do not know how to interpret this present time?

²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed; they are all zealous for the law,

⁷ 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. ⁸ 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.

³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or hypocrisy.

¹ Therefore, put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

²⁶ "So do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father's will. ³⁰ But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ³² "Therefore whoever acknowledges me before men, him I will also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

²² For there is nothing hidden, except to be revealed; nor is anything secret, but that it should come to light.

¹⁷ For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.

¹⁶ on that day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

⁵ 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's hearts. Then every man will receive his praise from God.

¹⁰ 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.

¹¹ 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. ¹² 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.

²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.

³⁶ But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

¹⁴ It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of his holy ones, ¹⁵ 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."

²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

²⁴ But I do not consider my life of any account nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁸ in no way frightened by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction to them, but of salvation for you and that too, from God.

²³ and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness", and he was called the friend of God.

¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,

¹⁰ 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.

²² But I say to you that anyone who is angry with his brother shall be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be answerable to the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of hell.

⁴¹ "Then he will say to those on his left hand, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

⁴⁶ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

²³ But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

⁶ 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.

³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

⁴ 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;

⁷ and he said with a loud voice, "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."

⁴ 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."

¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father's will.

²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

³⁰ But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

¹² Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish.

³⁴ Therefore I urge you to take some food; it will give you strength, since not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you."

³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right hand, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

⁹ 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. ¹⁰ For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his mouth and so is saved.

¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

²³ No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

²⁴ 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, ²⁵ 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.

¹³ I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to my name, and did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

⁴ 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. ⁵ 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.

²³ And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers!'

³³ But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

¹² But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

²⁶ Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' ²⁷ But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!'

¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

²⁸ 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.

⁸ 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.

³¹ Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

²⁸ Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" ³⁰ because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

³⁴ And the people stood watching; but even the rulers sneered at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

¹³ Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor, I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

⁴ 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, ⁵ and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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. ⁸ But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.

²⁶ For if we sin deliberately after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ 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? ³⁰ For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

¹⁶ 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.

¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

³⁴ Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

⁹ But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹ And when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand what you are to say. But say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

²² Then he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on.

¹² But before all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. And you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. ¹³ This will turn into an opportunity for you to bear testimony. ¹⁴ Therefore settle it in your minds not to meditate beforehand how you will answer;

⁵ On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; ⁶ and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they began to inquire, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

²⁷ When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised Jesuswhom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. ¹¹ Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God." ¹² They stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came on him and seized him, and brought him before the council. ¹³ They put forward false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place, and the law; ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses handed down to us." ¹⁵ And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,

¹⁰ But they could not stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

² And he said: "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, ³ and said to him, 'Leave your country and your relatives, and go into the land that I will show you.' ⁴ Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. ⁵ But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even though he had no child, he promised that he would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. ⁶ But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. ⁷ 'But I will judge the nation which they serve,' said God, 'and after that they will come out and worship me in this place.' ⁸ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. ⁹ "And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. But God was with him, ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household. ¹¹ Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. ¹³ At the second visit Josnt made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family was made known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then Josnt sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five persons in all. ¹⁵ And Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he and our fathers died. ¹⁶ They were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. ¹⁷ "But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt ¹⁸ until there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. ¹⁹ He dealt craftily with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not survive. ²⁰ At this time Moses was born, and was beautiful before God. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house; ²¹ and when he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. ²² Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. ²³ "When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. ²⁴ And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and avenged the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. ²⁵ And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. ²⁶ On the following day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong each other?' ²⁷ But the man who was wronging his neighbor pushed him aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' ²⁹ At this remark Moses fled, and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. ³⁰ "After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: ³² 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. ³³ And the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ³⁴ I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, and I will send you to Egypt.' ³⁵ This Moses whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. ³⁷ This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.' ³⁸ This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to us. ³⁹ But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, ⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, 'Make for us gods who will go before us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egyptwe do not know what has happened to him.' ⁴¹ At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. ⁴² But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices, forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ⁴³ You took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship. And I will remove you beyond Babylon.' ⁴⁴ "Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. ⁴⁵ And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua when they took the land from the nations whom God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the time of David, ⁴⁶ who found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷ But it was Solomon who built a house for him. ⁴⁸ However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: ⁴⁹ 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? ⁵⁰ Has not my hand made all these things?' ⁵¹ "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did. ⁵² Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, ⁵³ you who received the law as delivered by angels, and yet did not keep it."

⁵⁵ But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

¹ Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: ² "I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, ³ because you are especially familiar with all customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. ⁴ So then, all the Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; ⁷ the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. ⁸ Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? ⁹ I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ And that is just what I did in Jerusalem; I not only shut up many of the saints in prison, by authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. ¹² "On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ At midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. ¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' ¹⁵ And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness to the things which you have seen of me, and also to the things in which I will appear to you; ¹⁷ rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' ¹⁹ "So, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance. ²¹ For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. ²² To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen: ²³ that the Christ must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles." ²⁴ And as he was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." ²⁵ But Paul said, "I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. ²⁶ For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do." ²⁸ And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time you think to persuade me to become a Christian!" ²⁹ And Paul said, "Whether in a short or a long time, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I amexcept for these chains." ³⁰ The king rose and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, ³¹ and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment." ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."

⁴⁵ The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, "Give me also this power, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

⁵ and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a means of gain.

²⁰ When he saw their faith he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

⁵⁸ And a little later some one else saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"

¹⁵ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

¹¹ She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more."

³⁵ Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?" ³⁶ Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingship is not from here."

¹ Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge another; for in whatever point you pass judgment on him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.

³ Do you think, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do the same yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?

²⁰ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"

²⁵ "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

²² coveting, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.

¹⁴ And the ones that fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him.

³⁴ "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly like a trap.

¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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 swindlernot even to eat with such a one.

¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

³ But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ And there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For of this you can be sure, that no immoral, impure, or covetous personsuch a man is an idolaterhas any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which is idolatry.

⁶ But godliness with contentment is itself great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ 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.

² For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said, "I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you."

³ 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.

¹⁴ They have eyes full of adultery, that never cease from sin; they entice unstable souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!

⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

¹⁷ yet he did not leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."

⁴² Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

¹¹ And he answered them, "He who has two tunics, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."

²⁵ And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

⁴¹ But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.

²⁹ And do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink, nor have an anxious mind.

³³ Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

³ The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.

⁹ And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

²² When Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

¹⁷ And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, be in authority over ten cities.'

³⁷ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"

³⁰ He brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.

⁶ The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one must give just as he has purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ 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. ⁹ As it is written, "He has scattered abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. ¹² 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. ¹³ 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; ¹⁴ while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁶ 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.

²¹ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

⁴ For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor regard man,

⁶ And the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge says.

¹⁵ This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

¹⁹ "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

¹⁹ "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day.

³² If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

⁶ But she who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

⁴ treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

¹³ Come now, you who say, "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." ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

¹ Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. ² Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ 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.

⁵ You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

³ 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.

⁷ As she glorified herself and played the wanton, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'A queen I sit, and I am not a widow, mourning I will never see.'

⁴⁸ But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of, ⁵¹ and he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁴⁰ You foolish ones! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?

²² So the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom.

³ While people are saying, "Peace and safety," then destruction will come upon them suddenly as labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of it.

¹⁴ 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.

¹⁹ "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

²⁴ But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

¹¹ If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will trust you with the true riches?

⁵ But by your hardness and your impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ 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.

⁵ 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?

⁹ 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.

²⁵ "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and 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 span of life? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell 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 the Gentiles seek after all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

³² 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;

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

¹⁸ The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to throw the cargo overboard; ¹⁹ and on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.

³⁸ When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea.

³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

²⁶ And the king was exceedingly sorry; but, because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.

⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

³⁰ For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. ³² Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his span of life?

³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

²⁸ And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell 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?

¹⁰ and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. ¹¹ 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.

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?

²⁶ And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

⁸ But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to me."

²⁰ So he said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."

²⁵ He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him?"

²⁴ For, "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,

³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

⁷ And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they give, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. ⁸ Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you.

³⁵ And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "Nothing."

⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

¹ "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

¹⁴ So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

³² Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

¹⁷ Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

¹⁷ 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,

⁵ not in the passion of lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

² so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God. ³ 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. ⁴ In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they abuse you;

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well.

⁴² but only one thing is needed. And Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

²⁷ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal."

³¹ What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

⁸ 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.

¹⁵ "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

²⁵ At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. ²⁷ "All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage! It is I; do not be afraid."

¹² What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains in search of the one that went astray? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right hand, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

²¹ At that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for so it was your good pleasure.

²⁶ but you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one shall snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one."

³⁶ Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingship is not from here."

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, 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." ¹⁶ He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, 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.

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined, he also called; those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified. ³¹ What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² 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?

⁵ he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸ which he lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

¹³ for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

⁵ This is evidence of God's righteous judgment, so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.

¹¹ 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,

²⁸ 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,

³ 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, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who are protected by God's power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

¹¹ so there will be an entrance richly provided for you into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

⁶ and has made us a kingdom and priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

⁵ 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.

²¹ Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief; and as he had the money box, he used to take what was put into it.

⁴⁵ and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as anyone had need.

³⁴ For there was not a needy person among them, For all who were owners of land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the sales ³⁵ and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

² for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.

¹⁷ 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.

²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

¹ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on the things above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

¹ "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

⁴ but the wise took oil in their flasks with their lamps. ⁵ While the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a cry: 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' ⁹ But the wise replied, 'No, there may not be enough for both us and you; go rather to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

¹⁵ 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,

¹³ 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.

¹ And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ² "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who arranged a marriage for his son, ³ and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; but they were not willing to come. ⁴ Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding.'" ⁵ But they made light of it and went off, one to his own farm, another to his business. ⁶ And the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to the highways, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' ¹⁰ And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹ But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. ¹² And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen."

⁴² Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this, that if the owner of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

¹ "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴ but the wise took oil in their flasks with their lamps. ⁵ While the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a cry: 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' ⁹ But the wise replied, 'No, there may not be enough for both us and you; go rather to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us!' ¹² But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' ¹³ Therefore keep watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵ Watch thereforefor you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning ³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷ So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and blessed God, and said: ²⁹ "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; ³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation

⁷ 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. ⁸ You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

¹³ I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, ¹⁴ since I know that the putting aside of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will see to it that after my departure you will be able at any time to call these things to mind.

²⁰ But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God; wait anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

²⁰ 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.

⁴² Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

⁴⁵ "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. ⁴⁷ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

²⁰ So he who had received the five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents.' ²¹ His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.' ²² He also who had received the two talents came and said, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents.' ²³ His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.'

⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

⁸ Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare my supper, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'?

³⁶ Watch at all times, and pray always that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, him my Father will honor.

⁴ rose from supper, laid aside his garments, took a towel and girded himself. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

⁹ But, as it is written, "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him,"

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

²³ I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better;

⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ 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.

¹ 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, ² shepherd the flock of God that is under your care, serving as overseersnot under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; ³ not as lording it over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless.

²¹ 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.

¹⁷ 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."

³ 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. ⁴ 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.

¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them."

⁶ But at midnight there was a cry: 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.

¹⁹ "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

² For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, "Peace and safety," then destruction will come upon them suddenly as labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

¹⁰ 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.

³ 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.

¹⁵ ("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.")

⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

¹³ Therefore keep watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

³³ Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵ Watch thereforefor you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning ³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.

³⁴ "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Watch at all times, and pray always that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

¹¹ 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.

¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

⁶ So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

¹² 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! ¹³ But according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless.

⁷ 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.

³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

³⁷ Then he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?

⁷ The end of all things is near; therefore be clear minded and sober for your prayers.

⁸ Be sober, be alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

⁵² And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been instructed for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

⁸ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'

⁴⁵ "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.

¹³ When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."

¹ He also said to his disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. ² So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' ³ The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.' ⁵ So he called in each one of his master's debtors, and he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' ⁶ And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' ⁷ Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' ⁸ So the master commended the dishonest steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. ⁹ And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. ¹⁰ He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. ¹¹ If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will trust you with the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in what is another's, who will give you what is your own? ¹³ No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." ¹⁴ The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him. ¹⁵ He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. ¹⁶ The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. ¹⁷ But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one dot of the law to fail. ¹⁸ Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. ¹⁹ "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹ longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴ And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.' ²⁵ But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus received evil things; but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' ²⁷ And he said, ' Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' ²⁹ Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' ³⁰ And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' ³¹ He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"

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 what they had gained by trading. ¹⁶ Then came the first, saying, ' Master, your mina has earned ten minas more.' ¹⁷ And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, be in 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.'

²⁸ Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with the blood of his Own.

¹ This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

¹⁵ 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.

¹⁷ The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.

⁷ For the overseer must be blameless as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not fond of sordid gain,

⁵ Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later,

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁰ As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.

⁴⁷ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

²⁹ And I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

¹⁸ 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.

⁶ And the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

⁴⁸ But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of,

¹⁸ 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.

²⁰ 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.

¹⁸ For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

³ 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. ⁴ 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;

¹³ 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.

¹⁹ They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved.

⁹ I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. ¹⁰ 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.

¹² 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; ¹³ wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

⁷ 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, ⁸ 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. ⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear. ¹⁰ 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.

¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ 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, ¹⁷ 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.

⁶ for they shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve it."

⁵ And on her forehead was written a name of mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." ⁶ 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.

⁷ As she glorified herself and played the wanton, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'A queen I sit, and I am not a widow, mourning I will never see.' ⁸ 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.

²⁴ And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth."

²² On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' ²³ And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers!'

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil, ⁴² and will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

⁵¹ and he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' ²⁰ But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have prepared?'

⁴⁰ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

²² But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

¹² I tell you, it will be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town. ¹³ "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades!

⁴¹ Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

⁴⁸ He who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will condemn him on the last day.

²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates me hates my Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

¹¹ Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin."

³⁰ The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶ 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?

¹⁷ Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

¹² For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

¹⁴ "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also, he who had the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground, and hid his master's money. ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ So he who had received the five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents.' ²¹ His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.' ²² He also who had received the two talents came and said, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents.' ²³ His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.' ²⁴ Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' ²⁶ But his master answered 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 Then 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 the ten talents. ²⁹ For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

² So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'

¹⁰ He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. ¹¹ If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will trust you with the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in what is another's, who will give you what is your own?

²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

¹² All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴ When Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts accusing or else excusing them ¹⁶ on that day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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.

¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

²⁰ O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,

³ 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,

¹ Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

¹⁰ Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire."

⁵³ As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for him, to catch at something he might say.

⁵¹ Do you think that I came to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on there will be five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three.

³¹ At that very time some Pharisees came, and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." ³² And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.' ³³ Nevertheless I must journey today and tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." ⁴⁰ He answered, "I tell you, if these keep silent, the stones would cry out."

⁴ we must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. Night is coming, when no one can work.

⁸ The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" ⁹ Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

¹⁷ The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. ¹⁸ For this reason the people went to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign. ¹⁹ The Pharisees then said to one another, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, The world has gone after him!"

¹⁷ Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, ¹⁸ "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn him to death, ¹⁹ and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." ²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons and, kneeling down, asked something of him. ²¹ And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." ²² But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."

³² They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And he took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him. ³³ "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; ³⁴ and they will mock him, and spit on him, and scourge him, and kill him. And after three days he will rise." ³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." ³⁶ And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" ³⁷ And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and the other at your left, in your glory." ³⁸ But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

³⁴ Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work.

⁶ Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. ⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify of it that its works are evil. ⁸ You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come."

¹⁰ But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but in secret.

³⁹ Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped from their hands. ⁴⁰ He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. ⁴¹ And many came to him and they said, "John performed no sign, but all that John said about this man was true."

²⁷ "Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

¹¹ Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?"

³⁰ So when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished!" And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

²² And now, behold, bound in the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,

³⁴ "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set a man 'against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'

⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains. ⁹ Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away, and will betray one another, and hate one another.

⁴⁹ "I came to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

⁴¹ Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Will the Christ come from Galilee? ⁴² Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from David, and from Bethlehem, the town where David was?" ⁴³ So there was a division among the people because of him.

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.

¹⁹ There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is mad. Why listen to him?" ²¹ Others said, "These are not the sayings of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

¹⁸ "If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all this they will do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know him who sent me.

² They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

⁴³ When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. ⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. ⁴⁶ Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

¹ Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue, and so spoke that a great number believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. ³ So they spent a long time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. ⁴ But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

²⁴ Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.

²¹ Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ²² And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁰ And then many will fall away, and will betray one another, and hate one another.

² He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.' ³ And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.

¹² saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'

²⁵ At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to babes.

³ And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

³² "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.

⁴² saying, "If you had known, even you, this day, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation."

²⁴ And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also announced these days. ²⁵ You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' ²⁶ For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."

⁴ But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

¹⁰ And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: ¹¹ not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." ¹² Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" ¹³ He answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

²¹ And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will be done.

³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.

³⁰ When they are sprouting, you see and know for yourselves that summer is already near.

²⁴ Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

⁴⁰ And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this perverse generation."

²⁶ "Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. ²⁷ For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning him. ²⁸ Though they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead; ³¹ and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. ³² And we preach to you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, ³³ he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you.' ³⁴ As for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to decay, he spoke in this way: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.' ³⁵ Therefore he also says in another Psalm, 'You will not let your Holy One see decay.' ³⁶ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers and saw decay; ³⁷ but he whom God raised did not see decay. ³⁸ Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

¹⁴ Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,

²³ Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go. First be reconciled to your brother; and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him to court, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

³⁰ But he refused, and went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

²⁴ "Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ When once the owner of the house has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open for us.' He will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' ²⁷ But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!' ²⁸ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² And if not, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace.

² For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

⁷ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear his voice, ⁸ do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, ⁹ where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. ¹⁰ Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their hearts; and they have not known my ways.' ¹¹ As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" ¹² Take care, brethren, lest there be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

¹⁹ in which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison,

⁷ When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison

³⁴ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

⁴² And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny.

²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

³ 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.