Romans 15 Cross References - MSB

¹ We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³ For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.” ⁴ For what was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. ⁵ Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God. ⁸ Now I tell you that Christ Jesus has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, ⁹ so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.” ¹⁰ Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” ¹¹ And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.” ¹² And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.” ¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁴ I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵ However, brothers, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me ¹⁶ to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God. ¹⁸ I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, ¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. ²⁰ In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. ²¹ Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” ²² That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. ²³ But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you, ²⁴ I hope to come to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey. ²⁵ Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there. ²⁶ For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings. ²⁸ So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. ³⁰ Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. ³¹ Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, ³² so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. ³³ The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

²⁰ Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

¹ Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.

¹⁰ We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.

²² To the weak I became like one who is weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

¹⁰ That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹ Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

¹⁰ Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.

¹ You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

¹⁹ So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

¹⁹ Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law, to win those under the law. ²¹ To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law. ²² To the weak I became like one who is weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

²⁴ No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.

³³ as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.

⁴ Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:

⁹ Slaves are to submit to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. ⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll: ⁸ I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”

⁹ because zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.

²⁰ Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.

⁵⁰ Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants, which I bear in my heart from so many people— ⁵¹ how Your enemies have taunted, O LORD, and have mocked every step of Your anointed one!

²⁵ It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

³⁹ Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

⁴² A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass from Me unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”

³⁴ Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.

³⁰ I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me.

³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

²⁹ He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”

²⁷ Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

³⁰ I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me. ³¹ But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Get up! Let us go on from here.

¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

²⁴ If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.

⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

⁸¹ My soul faints for Your salvation; I wait for Your word. ⁸² My eyes fail, looking for Your promise; I ask, “When will You comfort me?” ⁸³ Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.

²³ Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

³ Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

²⁴ For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Why would one hope for what he can already see? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.

¹¹ Now all these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

¹⁰ For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the labor of love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so. ¹¹ We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. ¹² Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. ¹³ When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself, ¹⁴ saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.” ¹⁵ And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, obtained the promise. ¹⁶ Men indeed swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. ¹⁷ So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. ¹⁸ Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

³⁵ So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. ³⁶ You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. ⁸ You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. ⁹ Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door! ¹⁰ My brothers, as an example of patience in affliction, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. He is full of compassion and mercy.

¹³ Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. ²¹ For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but holy men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

⁶ Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,

¹² Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.

⁵ For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.

³⁹ I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

¹⁹ And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,

³² The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.

¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.

³ For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.”

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus,

¹¹ Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

² and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

²⁷ Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,

² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, we must live up to the standard we have already attained, being of the same mind.

² I urge Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and courteous.

²⁰ who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

¹⁵ Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.

⁹ For then I will restore pure lips to the peoples, that all may call upon the name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.

⁹ This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

²⁹ My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

¹⁷ “Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”

²⁴ When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You are God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

⁹ so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.” ¹⁰ Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” ¹¹ And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.”

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁶ who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

⁴⁰ He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”

⁴⁸ And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he will be the greatest.”

² So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³⁷ Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.

³⁴ A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.

² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

¹ Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions. ² For one person has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats only vegetables. ³ The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him.

⁹ so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”

⁶ to the praise of His glorious grace, by which he has bestowed favor upon us in the Beloved One. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

¹² in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.

¹⁸ I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

¹⁰ on the day He comes to be glorified in His saints and regarded with wonder by all who have believed, including you who have believed our testimony. ¹¹ To this end, we always pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of His calling, and that He will powerfully fulfill your every good desire and work of faith, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

² The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations. ³ He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

¹⁵ Therefore glorify the LORD in the east. Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel in the islands of the sea. ¹⁶ From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away! Woe is me.” The treacherous betray; the treacherous deal in treachery.

²⁰ You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful, ⁵⁵ as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.” ⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

⁷⁰ as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past, ⁷¹ salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, ⁷² to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.

²⁵ And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with our fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ ²⁶ When God raised up His Servant Jesus, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

³ What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?

²⁶ He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

⁴ the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. ⁵ Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.

²³ What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory— ²⁴ including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

²² Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

³⁰ For just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,

¹⁶ to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹² What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

¹⁹ Am I suggesting, then, that an idol is anything, or that food sacrificed to an idol is anything?

²⁹ the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience?

⁵⁰ Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

²⁰ For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so in Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

⁴ But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

⁵⁰ Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.

⁴⁹ Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.

⁸ When the crowds saw this, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

²⁹ Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,

⁴³ Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries and repay those who hate Him; He will cleanse His land and His people.

¹ For the choirmaster. A song. A Psalm. Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth! ² Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. ³ Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You. ⁴ All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You; they sing praise to Your name.” Selah

³ Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. ⁴ Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples justly and lead the nations of the earth. Selah

³² Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord—Selah

¹ The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad.

³ He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. ⁴ Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth—let your cry ring out, and sing praises!

⁴ All the kings of the earth will give You thanks, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth. ⁵ They will sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.

¹⁴ They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.

¹⁰ Sing to the LORD a new song—His praise from the ends of the earth—you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who dwell in them. ¹¹ Let the desert and its cities raise their voices; let the villages of Kedar cry aloud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops. ¹² Let them give glory to the LORD and declare His praise in the islands.

¹ Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol Him, all you peoples!

¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them. ⁵ Then He rebukes them in His anger, and terrifies them in His fury: ⁶ “I have installed My King on Zion, upon My holy mountain.” ⁷ I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the LORD: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. ⁸ Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession. ⁹ You will break them with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery.” ¹⁰ Therefore be wise, O kings; be admonished, O judges of the earth. ¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ¹² Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion, when His wrath ignites in an instant. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

²⁷ All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. ²⁸ For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.

⁸ May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth. ⁹ May the nomads bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust. ¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

¹⁷ May his name endure forever; may his name continue as long as the sun shines. In him may all nations be blessed; may they call him blessed.

¹ Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.

¹⁰ On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.

¹ “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. ² He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets. ³ A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. ⁴ He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”

⁶ He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

¹⁹ O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited nothing but lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.

⁵ This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD. ⁶ He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. ⁷ But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.

⁴⁴ In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

¹⁴ And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

¹ In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. ² And many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ³ Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor will they train anymore for war.

⁴ He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.

²¹ In His name the nations will put their hope.”

¹⁹ If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men.

¹² in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. ¹³ And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

¹² For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.

²¹ Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God.

⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”

¹² You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

⁸ O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are You like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays but a night?

¹⁶ The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

⁵ Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus,

⁴ My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,

⁵ because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with great conviction—just as you know we lived among you for your sake.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and our God and Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the command of God our Savior and of the Lord Jesus Christ our hope,

¹¹ We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

⁸ Though you have not known Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

⁵ For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge,

¹ Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

⁷ But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

¹⁰ For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols?

⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit,

² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

⁹ for the fruit of the Spirit consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.

¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

⁸ and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit. ⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to the Lord.

¹¹ Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.

⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.

³ Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good. ⁴ In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children,

²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

¹² Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!

⁹ Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation.

²⁴ And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹² Therefore I will not neglect to remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.

²¹ I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

²⁰ But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. ²² And indeed, have mercy on some, making a distinction; ²³ save others with fear by snatching them from the fire, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

⁵ Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.

⁶ We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.

¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

¹⁵ But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood,

⁹ And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power. ⁸ Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

¹¹ that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. ¹² And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service. ¹³ I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

⁶ By pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, nourished by the words of faith and sound instruction that you have followed.

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

¹⁴ Remind the believers of these things, charging them before the Lord to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin.

¹ Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,

²² I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly.

¹⁰ As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

¹² Through Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.

¹² Therefore I will not neglect to remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. ¹³ I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body, ¹⁴ because I know that this tent will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will make every effort to ensure that after my departure, you will be able to recall these things at all times.

¹ Beloved, this is now my second letter to you. Both of them are reminders to stir you to wholesome thinking ² by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets and commanded by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

¹² I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I am writing to you, children, because you know the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

¹³ I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God.

³ Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. ⁴ For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny God our only Master and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵ Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after the Lord had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe.

¹⁹ I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So they will proclaim My glory among the nations. ²⁰ And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”

¹⁵ “Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

²⁴ But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course with joy and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

³² And now I commit you, brothers, to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

²¹ Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

¹⁷ I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 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 an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

¹ Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—

⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. ²⁷ And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

¹³ I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry

¹ Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

¹⁸ I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,

²⁹ I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

⁵ Who then is Paul? And who is Apollos? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.

¹ So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

²⁰ Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

⁵ And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God.

²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in worse beatings, in more imprisonments, in frequent danger of death.

⁷ On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. ⁸ For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles.

⁵ Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?

¹⁸ For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

²² And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

¹⁸ I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

² As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.

⁹ Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

²³ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹¹ that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

⁷ For this reason I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth in Christ; I am not lying about anything.

¹¹ to which I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

¹⁶ And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

² If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. ¹⁵ For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

⁴ Such confidence before God is ours through Christ. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God. ⁶ And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

⁴ Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.

¹⁶ I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. ¹⁷ In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool. ¹⁸ Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise. ²⁰ In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face. ²¹ To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in worse beatings, in more imprisonments, in frequent danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. ²⁶ In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers, ²⁷ in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure. ²⁸ Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief? ³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

¹ I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to gain, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

¹¹ I have become a fool in my boasting, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. ¹² The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance. ¹³ In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! ¹⁴ See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵ And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery. ¹⁷ Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps? ¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up. ²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarrels, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.

³ For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

¹⁷ For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.

¹ Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

¹⁴ Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it. Amen.

²⁷ When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

⁴ On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported all that God had done through them.

¹² The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

¹⁹ Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰ First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone throughout the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.

¹⁷ But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.

²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—

⁶ I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ⁷ So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

¹ Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone. ³ It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

¹ As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

⁴ The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you. ¹⁴ We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well, ¹⁶ so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory. ¹⁷ Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

⁶ Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,

⁸ For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles.

¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.

⁹ And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.

²² Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

¹⁸ My little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

⁹ But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

²⁸ But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

⁴⁸ Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

²⁸ So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. ²⁹ He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.

⁴ So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.

¹⁴ And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down.

⁵¹ So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.

⁶ they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,

¹⁰ In a loud voice Paul called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.

²⁰ But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. And the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

²⁵ And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

⁶ After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. ⁷ And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit would not permit them. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹ During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. ¹¹ Therefore we sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

¹⁸ She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.

¹⁰ As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

¹⁵ Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

¹ After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

¹⁹ When he reached Ephesus, Paul parted ways with Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews.

¹ While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples

¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were brought to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.

¹ When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia. ² After traveling through that area and speaking many words of encouragement, he arrived in Greece,

⁶ And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.

²⁰ I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,

¹⁷ Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’ ¹⁹ ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. ²⁰ And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval to his death and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ ²¹ Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. ¹⁶ I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.

²⁴ I hope to come to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.

⁴ There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people. ⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines. ¹² The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance.

²⁵ I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,

¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

⁴ and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.

¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you. ¹⁴ We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well, ¹⁶ so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory.

²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as the cornerstone. ²¹ In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

¹⁵ so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.

¹ “I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’

¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

¹⁷ Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense. ¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.

²¹ After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”

¹⁰ in my prayers at all times, asking that now at last by God’s will I may succeed in coming to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

³² so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking from your faith.

⁴ Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

³ Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.

⁵ But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down on the beach to pray with us.

¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

²⁸ So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you.

⁵ After I go through Macedonia, however, I will come to you; for I will be going through Macedonia. ⁶ Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not want to see you now only in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.

¹⁶ I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to return to you from Macedonia, and then to have you help me on my way to Judea.

⁶ They have testified to the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

²¹ But as he left, he said, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will come back to you if God is willing.” And he set sail from Ephesus.

¹⁶ Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

²² And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

¹⁷ After several years, then, I returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to my people and to present offerings.

²⁶ For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings. ²⁸ So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. ³⁰ Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. ³¹ Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,

¹ Now about the collection for the saints, you are to do as I directed the churches of Galatia: ² On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed. ³ Then, on my arrival, I will send letters with those you recommend to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

¹⁰ They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

²¹ He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.

³¹ Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.

⁵ He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

⁷ So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took for myself two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.

¹¹ It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD.

⁴⁰ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.

²⁰ Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

¹³ But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,

²⁷ In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. (This happened under Claudius Caesar.) ²⁹ So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. ³⁰ This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul.

⁹ During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews coordinated an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat.

¹⁵ You know that Stephanas and his household were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brothers,

¹ Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia. ² In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord, ⁴ they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. ⁵ And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God. ⁶ So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it. ⁷ But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. ⁸ I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

² For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them to do likewise.

¹² For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

⁶ Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor. ⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. ⁸ The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.

⁵ because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

¹⁷ Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root,

¹¹ If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?

⁶ Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.

¹⁹ I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

²¹ Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

³⁷ Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?

¹⁷ Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am looking for the fruit that may be credited to your account.

⁶ that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today and tomorrow let us go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” ¹⁴ You do not even 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 is willing, let us live and do this or that.”

¹¹ You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

²⁶ I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season—showers of blessing.

⁸ Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

¹⁹ of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

²⁴ So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” ²⁷ “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied. ²⁸ Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.” ²⁹ And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.

¹⁰ Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on your behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.

⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

¹¹ For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body.

¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

⁸ and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

¹ For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face,

¹² Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and complete in the full will of God.

²⁵ Brothers, pray for us.

¹ Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread quickly and be held in honor, just as it was with you.

¹³ I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate: ¹⁴ Keep this commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹ I charge you, therefore, in the presence of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:

¹⁷ When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us joyfully. ¹⁸ The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ When they heard this, they glorified the Lord. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. ²¹ But they are under the impression that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs. ²² What then should we do? Certainly a multitude will gather, for they will hear that you have come. ²³ Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow. ²⁴ Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law. ²⁵ As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should observe no such thing, except that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.” ²⁶ So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them. ²⁷ When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” ²⁹ For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple. ³⁰ The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. ³¹ While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.

²⁴ the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

¹² When daylight came, some of the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ More than forty of them were involved in this plot. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you tomorrow on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.” ¹⁶ But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.” ¹⁹ The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?” ²⁰ He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him. ²¹ Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.” ²² So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” ²³ Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night. ²⁴ Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”

¹ Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, who presented to the governor their case against Paul. ² When Paul had been called in, Tertullus opened the prosecution: “Because of you, we have enjoyed a lasting peace, and your foresight has brought worthy reforms to this nation. ³ In every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude. ⁴ But in order not to burden you any further, I beg your indulgence to hear us briefly. ⁵ We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. ^{7 8} By examining him yourself, you will be able to learn the truth about all our charges against him.” ⁹ The Jews concurred, asserting that these charges were true.

² where the high priest and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus

²⁴ Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵ Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there.

⁴ they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

¹ Now about the service to the saints, there is no need for me to write to you.

¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,

² And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not everyone holds to the faith.

¹¹ my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.

¹³ Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹ When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.

⁴¹ But the vessel struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves. ⁴² The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom. ⁴³ But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

¹⁵ The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God. ¹⁶ When we arrived in Rome, the centurion delivered up the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

³⁰ Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him. ³¹ Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁰ in my prayers at all times, asking that now at last by God’s will I may succeed in coming to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

²³ But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you, ²⁴ I hope to come to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.

¹⁹ But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only what these arrogant people are saying, but what power they have.

¹⁸ For they refreshed my spirit and yours as well. Show your appreciation, therefore, to such men.

¹³ On account of this, we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were even more delighted by the joy of Titus. For his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have actually served to advance the gospel. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴ And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.

⁶ But just now, Timothy has returned from his visit with the good news about your faith, your love, and the fond memories you have preserved, longing to see us just as we long to see you. ⁷ For this reason, brothers, in all our persecution and distress, we have been reassured about you, because of your faith. ⁸ For now we can go on living, as long as you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹ How can we adequately thank God for you in return for our great joy over you in His presence? ¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking from your faith.

¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he has often refreshed me and was unashamed of my chains.

⁷ We take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

²⁰ Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.

¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, let us live and do this or that.”

⁴ Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied.

²³ “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).

²⁰ and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

²³ Gaius, who has hosted me and all the church, sends you greetings. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you greetings, as does our brother Quartus.

³³ For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace—as in all the churches of the saints.

¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. Amen.

⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

²² The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you all. Amen.

²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,