Matthew 18 Cross References - Twentieth_Century

¹ On the same occasion the disciples came to Jesus, and asked him: "Who is really the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" ² Jesus called a little child to him, and placed it in the middle of them, and then said: ³ "I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all. ⁴ Therefore, any one who will humble himself like this child-- that man shall be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁵ And any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even one little child like this, is welcoming me. ⁶ But, if any one puts a snare in the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be best for him to be sunk in the depths of the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck. ⁷ Alas for the world because of such snares! There cannot but be snares; yet alas for the man who is answerable for the snare! ⁸ If your hand or your foot is a snare to you, cut it off, and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the Life maimed or lame, than to have both hands, or both feet, and be thrown into the aeonian fire. ⁹ If your eye is a snare to you, take it out, and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the Life with only one eye, than to have both eyes and be thrown into the fiery Pit. ¹⁰ Beware of despising one of these lowly ones, for in Heaven, I tell you, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in Heaven. ¹¹ OMITTED TEXT ¹² What think you? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them strays, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills, and go and search for the one that is straying? ¹³ And, if he succeeds in finding it, I tell you that he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine which did not stray. ¹⁴ So, too, it is the will of my Father who is in Heaven that not one of these lowly ones should be lost. ¹⁵ If your Brother does wrong, go to him and convince him of his fault when you and he are alone. If he listens to you, you have won your Brother. ¹⁶ But, if he does not listen to you, take with you one or two others, so that 'on the evidence of two or three witnesses, every word may be put beyond dispute.' ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, speak to the Church; and, if he also refuses to listen to the Church, treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax-gatherer. ¹⁸ I tell you, all that you forbid on earth will be held in Heaven to be forbidden, and all that you allow on earth will be held in Heaven to be allowed. ¹⁹ Again, I tell you that, if but two of you on earth agree as to what they shall pray for, whatever it be, it will be granted them by my Father who is in Heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three have come together in my Name, I am present with them." ²¹ Then Peter came up, and said to Jesus: "Master, how often am I to forgive my Brother when he wrongs me? As many as seven times?" ²² But Jesus answered: "Not seven times, but 'seventy times seven.' ²³ And therefore the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he had begun to do so, one of them was brought to him who owed him six million pounds; ²⁵ And, as he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold towards the payment of the debt, together with his wife, and his children, and everything that he had. ²⁶ Thereupon the servant threw himself down on the ground before him and said 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' ²⁷ The master was moved with compassion; and he let him go, and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But, on going out, that same servant came upon one of his fellow-servants who owed him ten pounds. Seizing him by the throat, he said 'Pay what you owe me.' ²⁹ Thereupon his fellow-servant threw himself on the ground and begged for mercy. 'Have patience with me,' he said, 'and I will pay you.' ³⁰ But the other would not, but went and put him in prison till he should pay his debt. ³¹ When his fellow-servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and went to their master and laid the whole matter before him. ³² Upon that the master sent for the servant, and said to him 'You wicked servant! When you begged me for mercy, I forgave you the whole of that debt. ³³ Ought not you, also, to have shown mercy to your fellow- servant, just as I showed mercy to you?' ³⁴ Then his master, in anger, handed him over to the jailers, until he should pay the whole of his debt. ³⁵ So, also, will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each one of you forgives his Brother from his heart."

²⁰ He had been dwelling upon this, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary for your wife, for her child has been conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹³ After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and said: "Awake, take the child and his mother, and seek refuge in Egypt; and stay there until I bid you return, for Herod is about to search for the child, to put him to death."

¹⁹ But, on the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said:

² "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before the eyes of your fellow men, that, seeing your good actions, they may praise your Father who is in Heaven.

¹⁸ For I tell you, until the heavens and the earth disappear, not even the smallest letter, nor one stroke of a letter, shall disappear from the Law until all is done. ¹⁹ Whoever, therefore, breaks one of these commandments, even the least of them, and teaches others to do so, will be the least- esteemed in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps them, and teaches others to do so, will be esteemed great in the Kingdom of Heaven. ²⁰ Indeed I tell you that, unless your religion is above that of the Teachers of the Law, and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

²⁰ Indeed I tell you that, unless your religion is above that of the Teachers of the Law, and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

²² I, however, say to you that any one who cherishes anger against his brother shall be liable to answer for it to the Court; and whoever pours contempt upon his brother shall be liable to answer for it to the High Council, while whoever calls down curses upon him shall be liable to answer for it in the fiery Pit.

²⁴ Leave your gift there, before the altar, go and be reconciled to your brother, first, then come and present your gift. ²⁵ Be ready to make friends with your opponent, even when you meet him on your way to the court; for fear that he should hand you over to the judge, and the judge to his officer, and you should be thrown into prison. ²⁶ I tell you, you will not come out until you have paid the last penny.

²⁹ If your right eye is a snare to you, take it out and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it thrown into the Pit.

²⁹ If your right eye is a snare to you, take it out and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it thrown into the Pit. ³⁰ And, if your right hand is a snare to you, cut it off and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it go down to the Pit.

⁴⁴ I, however, say to you--Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ That you may become Sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for he causes his sun to rise upon bad and good alike, and sends rain upon the righteous and upon the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For, if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax-gatherers do this!

² Therefore, when you do acts of charity, do not have a trumpet blown in front of you, as hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. There, I tell you, is their reward!

⁵ And, when you pray, you are not to behave as hypocrites do. They like to pray standing in the Synagogues and at the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. There, I tell you, is their reward!

⁷ When praying, do not repeat the same words over and over again, as is done by the Gentiles, who think that by using many words they will obtain a hearing.

⁹ You, therefore, should pray thus--'Our Father, who art in Heaven, May thy name be held holy,

¹¹ Give us to-day the bread that we shall need; ¹² And forgive us our wrong-doings, as we have forgiven those who have wronged us;

¹² And forgive us our wrong-doings, as we have forgiven those who have wronged us;

¹⁴ For, if you forgive others their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also; ¹⁵ But, if you do not forgive others their offences, not even your Father will forgive your offences. ¹⁶ And, when you fast, do not put on gloomy looks, as hypocrites do who disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. That, I tell you, is their reward!

³² All these are the things for which the nations are seeking, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

¹ Do not judge, that you may not be judged. ² For, just as you judge others, you will yourselves be judged, and the measure that you mete will be meted out to you.

⁷ Ask, and your prayer shall be granted; search, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.

²¹ Not every one who says to me 'Master! Master!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.

² And he saw a leper who came up, and bowed to the ground before him, and said: "Master, if only you are willing, you are able to make me clean."

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill. ¹³ Go and learn what this means--'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'; for I did not come to call the religious, but the outcast."

⁶ But make your way rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

⁴⁰ He who welcomes you is welcoming me; and he who welcomes me is welcoming him who sent me as his Messenger. ⁴¹ He who welcomes a Prophet, because he is a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward; and he who welcomes a good man, because he is a good man, shall receive a good man's reward. ⁴² And, if any one gives but a cup of cold water to one of these lowly ones because he is a disciple, I tell you that he shall assuredly not lose his reward."

¹⁹ And now that the Son of Man has come, eating and drinking, they are saying 'Here is a glutton and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and outcasts!' And yet Wisdom is vindicated by her actions."

¹¹ But Jesus said to them: "Which of you, if he had only one sheep, and that sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath, would not lay hold of it and pull it out?

²⁰ A bruised reed he will not break, And a smoldering wick he will not quench, Till he has brought the judgment to a victorious issue,

¹⁵ For the mind of this nation has grown dense, And their ears are dull of hearing, Their eyes also have they closed; Lest some day they should perceive with their eyes, And with their ears they should hear, And in their mind they should understand, and should turn--And I should heal them.'

²⁴ Another parable which Jesus told them was this-- "The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

³¹ Another parable which he told them was this-- "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.

³³ This was another parable which Jesus related-- "The Kingdom of Heaven is like some yeast which a woman took and covered up in three pecks of flour, until the whole had risen."

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all that hinders and those who live in sin, ⁴² And 'will throw them into the fiery furnace,' where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

⁴⁴ The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again, and then, in his delight, went and sold everything that he had, and bought that field. ⁴⁵ Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of choice pearls.

⁴⁷ Or again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net which was cast into the sea, and caught fish of all kinds.

⁵² Then he added: "So every Teacher of the Law, who has received instruction about the Kingdom of Heaven, is like a householder who produces from his stores things both new and old."

³ For Herod had arrested John, put him in chains, and shut him up in prison, to please Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother Philip. ⁴ For John had said to him 'You have no right to be living with her.'

²⁴ "I was not sent," replied Jesus, "to any one except the lost sheep of Israel."

³⁰ Great crowds of people came to him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, or dumb, and many others. They put them down at his feet, and he cured them; ³¹ And the crowds were astonished, when they saw the dumb talking, the cripples made sound, the lame walking about, and the blind with their sight restored; and they praised the God of Israel.

¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be held in Heaven to be forbidden, and whatever you allow on earth will be held in Heaven to be allowed."

²⁶ What good will it do a man to gain the whole world, if he forfeits his life? or what will a man give that is of equal value with his life?

¹ On the same occasion the disciples came to Jesus, and asked him: "Who is really the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"

⁶ But, if any one puts a snare in the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be best for him to be sunk in the depths of the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck.

⁸ If your hand or your foot is a snare to you, cut it off, and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the Life maimed or lame, than to have both hands, or both feet, and be thrown into the aeonian fire.

¹⁰ Beware of despising one of these lowly ones, for in Heaven, I tell you, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in Heaven.

¹⁴ So, too, it is the will of my Father who is in Heaven that not one of these lowly ones should be lost. ¹⁵ If your Brother does wrong, go to him and convince him of his fault when you and he are alone. If he listens to you, you have won your Brother.

²⁶ Thereupon the servant threw himself down on the ground before him and said 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'

²⁹ Thereupon his fellow-servant threw himself on the ground and begged for mercy. 'Have patience with me,' he said, 'and I will pay you.' ³⁰ But the other would not, but went and put him in prison till he should pay his debt.

³⁵ So, also, will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each one of you forgives his Brother from his heart."

¹³ Then some little children were brought to Jesus, for him to place his hands on them, and pray; but the disciples found fault with those who had brought them. ¹⁴ Jesus, however, said: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for it is to the childlike that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs."

¹⁴ Jesus, however, said: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for it is to the childlike that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs."

¹⁷ "Why ask me about goodness?" answered Jesus. "There is but One who is good. If you want to enter the Life, keep the commandments."

²³ At this, Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you that a rich man will find it hard to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

²³ At this, Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you that a rich man will find it hard to enter the Kingdom of Heaven! ²⁴ I say again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!"

² He agreed with the laborers to pay them two shillings a day, and sent them into his vineyard.

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebediah's sons came to him with her sons, bowing to the ground, and begging a favor. ²¹ "What is it that you want?" he asked. "I want you to say," she replied, "that in your Kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right, and the other on your left." ²² "You do not know what you are asking," was Jesus' answer. "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink?" "Yes," they exclaimed, "we can." ²³ "You shall indeed drink my cup," he said, "but as to a seat at my right and at my left--that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." ²⁴ On hearing of this, the ten others were very indignant about the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus, however, called the ten to him, and said: "The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them as you know, and their great men oppress them. ²⁶ Among you it is not so.

²⁶ Among you it is not so. ²⁷ No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to take the first place among you, must be your slave;

²⁷ No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to take the first place among you, must be your slave; ²⁸ Just as the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

²² And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you."

²⁸ What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.'

³¹ Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. ³² For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.

⁴² "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "David's," they said.

¹¹ The man who would be the greatest among you must be your servant.

¹¹ The man who would be the greatest among you must be your servant. ¹² Whoever shall exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself will be exalted. ¹³ But alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You turn the key of the Kingdom of Heaven in men's faces. For you do not go in yourselves, nor yet allow those who try to go in to do so. ¹⁴ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You destroy widow's houses, even while pretending to make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation. ¹⁵ Alas for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You scour land and sea to make a single convert, and, when he is gained, you make him twice as deserving of the Pit as you are yourselves. ¹⁶ Alas for you, you blind guides! You say 'if any answer by the Temple, his oath counts for nothing; but, if any one swears by the gold of the Temple, his oath is binding him'! ¹⁷ Fools that you are and blind! Which is the more important? The gold? Or the Temple which has given sacredness to the gold? ¹⁸ You say, too, 'If any one swears by the altar, his oath counts for nothing, but, if any one swears by the offering placed on it, his oath is binding on him'! ¹⁹ Blind indeed! Which is the more important? The offering? or the altar which gives sacredness to the offering? ²⁰ Therefore a man, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it, ²¹ and a man, swearing by the Temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it, ²² while a man, swearing by Heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it. ²³ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You pay tithes on mint, fennel, and caraway seed, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law--justice, mercy, and good faith. These last you ought to have put into practice, without neglecting the first. ²⁴ You blind guides, to strain out a gnat and to swallow a camel! ²⁵ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are filled with the results of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may become clean as well. ²⁷ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed look fair outside, while inside they are filled with dead men's bones and all kinds of filth. ²⁸ It is the same with you. Outwardly, and to others, you have the look of religious men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and sin.

³¹ And he will send his angels, with a great trumpet, and they will gather his People round him from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

¹ Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

¹⁴ For it is as though a man, going on his travels, called his servants, and gave his property into their charge.

¹⁹ After a long time the master of those servants returned, and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received the three thousand pounds came up and brought three thousand more. 'Sir,' he said, 'you entrusted me with three thousand pounds; look, I have made another three thousand!' ²¹ 'Well done, good, trustworthy servant!' said his master. 'You have been trustworthy with a small sum; now I will place a large one in your hands; come and share your master's joy!' ²² Then the one who had received the twelve hundred pounds came up and said 'Sir, you entrusted me with twelve hundred pounds; look, I have made another twelve hundred!' ²³ 'Well done, good, trustworthy servant!' said his master. 'You have been trustworthy with a small sum; now I will place a large one in your hands; come and share your master's joy!' ²⁴ The man who had received the six hundred pounds came up, too, and said 'Sir, I knew that you were a hard man; you reap where you have not sown, and gather up where you have not winnowed; ²⁵ And, in my fear, I went and hid your money in the ground; look, here is what belongs to you!' ²⁶ 'You lazy, worthless servant!' was his master's reply. 'You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather up where I have not winnowed?

²⁶ 'You lazy, worthless servant!' was his master's reply. 'You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather up where I have not winnowed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have placed my money in the hands of bankers, and I, on my return, should have received my money, with interest. ²⁸ 'Therefore,' he continued, 'take away from him the six hundred pounds, and give it to the one who has the six thousand. ²⁹ For, to him who has, more will be given, and he shall have abundance; but, as for him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away from him. ³⁰ As for the useless servant, 'put him out into the darkness' outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.'

⁴⁰ And the King will reply 'I tell you, as often as you did it to one of these my Brothers, however lowly, you did it to me.' ⁴¹ Then he will say to those on his left 'Go from my presence, accursed, into the 'aeonian fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.'

⁴⁵ And then he will reply 'I tell you, as often as you failed to do it to one of these, however lowly, you failed to do it to me.' ⁴⁶ And these last will go away 'into aeonian punishment,' but the righteous 'into aeonian life.'"

²⁴ True, the Son of Man must go, as Scripture says of him, yet alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man 'it would be better never to have been born!'"

²⁰ And teaching them to lay to heart all the commands that I have given you; and, remember, I myself am with you every day until the close of the age."

⁵ As they remained silent, Jesus looked round at them in anger, grieving at the hardness of their hearts, and said to the man: "Stretch out your hand." The man stretched it out; and his hand had become sound.

¹² 'Though they have eyes, they may see without perceiving; And though they have ears, they may hear without understanding; Lest some day they should turn and be forgiven.'

³³ They came to Capernaum. When Jesus had gone into the house, he asked them: "What were you discussing on the way?" ³⁴ But they were silent; for on the way they had been arguing with one another which was the greatest. ³⁵ Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said: "If any one wishes to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all." ³⁶ Then Jesus took a little child, and placed it in the middle of them. Folding it in his arms, he said to them: ³⁷ "Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even a little child like this is welcoming me, and any one who welcomes me is welcoming not me, but him who sent me as his Messenger."

³⁷ "Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even a little child like this is welcoming me, and any one who welcomes me is welcoming not me, but him who sent me as his Messenger."

⁴¹ If any one gives you a cup of water because you belong to Christ, I tell you, he shall assuredly not lose his reward. ⁴² And, if any one puts a snare in the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be far better for him if he had been thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. ⁴³ If your hand proves a snare to you, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter the Life maimed, than to have both your hands and go into the Pit, into the inextinguishable fire. ⁴⁴ OMITTED TEXT ⁴⁵ If your foot proves a snare to you, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter the Life lame, than to have both your feet and be thrown into the Pit. ⁴⁶ OMITTED TEXT ⁴⁷ If your eye proves a snare to you, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye, than to have both eyes and be thrown into the Pit,

⁴⁷ If your eye proves a snare to you, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye, than to have both eyes and be thrown into the Pit, ⁴⁸ where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not put out.' ⁴⁹ For it is by fire that every one will be salted.

¹⁴ When, however, Jesus saw this, he was indignant. "Let the little children come to me," he said, "do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the Kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁵ I tell you, unless a man receives the Kingdom of God like a child, he will not enter it at all."

³⁵ James and John, the two sons of Zebediah, went to Jesus, and said: "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." ³⁶ "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. ³⁷ "Grant us this," they answered, "to sit, one on your right, and the other on your left, when you come in glory." ³⁸ "You do not know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink? or receive the baptism that I am to receive?" ³⁹ "Yes," they answered, "we can." "You shall indeed drink the cup that I am to drink," Jesus said, "and receive the baptism that I am to receive, ⁴⁰ But as to a seat at my right or at my left--that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." ⁴¹ On hearing of this, the ten others were at first very indignant about James and John. ⁴² But Jesus called the ten to him, and said: "Those who are regarded as ruling among the Gentiles lord it over them, as you know, and their great men oppress them. ⁴³ But among you it is not so. No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

⁴³ But among you it is not so. No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ And whoever wants to take the first place among you must be the servant of all; ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came, not be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

²⁴ And therefore I say to you 'Have faith that whatever you ask for in prayer is already granted you, and you will find that it will be.' ²⁵ And, whenever you stand up to pray, forgive any grievance that you have against any one, that your Father who is in Heaven also may forgive you your offenses."

⁷ And, when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; such things must occur; but the end is not yet.

¹⁹ "I am Gabriel," the angel answered, "who stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

³⁵ But love your enemies, and show them kindness, and lend to them, never despairing. Then your reward shall be great, and you shall be Sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the thankless and the bad. ³⁶ Learn to be merciful--even as your Father is merciful. ³⁷ Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and others will give to you. A generous measure, pressed and shaken down, and running over, will they pour into your lap; For the measure that you mete will be meted out to you in return."

⁴¹ "There were two people who were in debt to a money-lender; one owed fifty pounds, and the other five. ⁴² As they were unable to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them, do you think, will love him the more?"

⁴² As they were unable to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them, do you think, will love him the more?" ⁴³ "I suppose," answered Simon, "it will be the man to whom he forgave the greater debt." "You are right," said Jesus,

²⁴ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, and whoever, for my sake, loses his life--that man shall save it. ²⁵ What good does it do a man if, when he has gained the whole world, he has lost or forfeited himself?

⁴⁶ A discussion arose among the disciples as to which of them was the greatest; ⁴⁷ And Jesus, knowing of the discussion that was occupying their thoughts, took hold of a little child, and placed it beside him, ⁴⁸ And then said to them: "Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even this little child is welcoming me; and any one who welcomes me is welcoming him who sent me as his Messenger. For whoever is lowliest among you all--that man is great."

⁴⁸ And then said to them: "Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even this little child is welcoming me; and any one who welcomes me is welcoming him who sent me as his Messenger. For whoever is lowliest among you all--that man is great."

⁵⁶ And they made their way to another village.

¹⁶ He who listens to you is listening to me, and he who rejects you is rejecting me; while he who rejects me is rejecting him who sent me as his Messenger."

³² So do not be afraid, my little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.

⁵⁸ When, for instance, you are going with your opponent before a magistrate, on your way to the court do your best to be quit of him; for fear that he should drag you before the judge, when the judge will hand you over to the bailiff of the court, and the bailiff throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ You will not, I tell you, come out until you have paid the very last farthing."

⁴ Or those eighteen men at Siloam on whom the tower fell, killing them all, do you suppose that they were worse offenders than any other inhabitants of Jerusalem?

²⁴ "Strive to go in by the small door. Many, I tell you, will seek to go in, but they will not be able,

¹¹ For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

²¹ On his return the servant told his master all these answers. Then in anger the owner of the house said to his servant 'Go out at once into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and the blind, and the lame.'

²⁶ "If any man comes to me and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and his very life, he can be no disciple of mine. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry his own cross, and walk in my steps, can be no disciple of mine.

³³ And so with every one of you who does not bid farewell to all he has--he cannot be a disciple of mine.

¹ The tax-gatherers and the outcasts were all drawing near to Jesus to listen to him;

⁴ "What man among you who has a hundred sheep, and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine out in the open country, and go after the lost sheep till he finds it? ⁵ And, when he has found it, he puts in on his shoulders rejoicing;

⁵ And, when he has found it, he puts in on his shoulders rejoicing; ⁶ And, on reaching home, he calls his friends and his neighbors together, and says 'Come and rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.'

⁶ And, on reaching home, he calls his friends and his neighbors together, and says 'Come and rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.' ⁷ So, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one outcast that repents, than over ninety-nine religious men, who have no need to repent.

⁷ So, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one outcast that repents, than over ninety-nine religious men, who have no need to repent. ⁸ Or again, what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And, when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and says 'Come and rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I lost.' ¹⁰ So, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of God's angels over one outcast that repents."

²³ And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; ²⁴ For here is my son who was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found.' So they began making merry.

²⁴ For here is my son who was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found.' So they began making merry.

³² We could but make merry and rejoice, for here is your brother who was dead, and is alive; who was lost, and is found.'"

¹ Jesus said to his disciples: "There was a rich man who had a steward; and this steward was maliciously accused to him of wasting his estate. ² So the master called him and said 'What is this that I hear about you? Give in your accounts, for you cannot act as steward any longer.'

⁵ One by one he called up his master's debtors. 'How much do you owe my master?' he asked of the first.

⁷ And you, the steward said to the next, 'how much do you owe?' 'Seventy quarters of wheat,' he replied. 'Here is your agreement,' the steward said; 'make it fifty-six.'

¹⁵ "You," said Jesus, "are the men who justify themselves before the world, but God can read your hearts; and what is highly esteemed among men may be an abomination in the sight of God.

²² After a time the beggar died, and was taken by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

²⁴ So he called out 'Pity me, Father Abraham, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering agony in this flame.'

¹ Jesus said to his disciples: "It is inevitable that there should be snares; yet alas for him who is answerable for them!

¹ Jesus said to his disciples: "It is inevitable that there should be snares; yet alas for him who is answerable for them! ² It would be good for him if he had been flung into the sea with a mill-stone round his neck, rather than that he should prove a snare to even one of these lowly ones. ³ Be on your guard! If your brother does wrong, reprove him; but if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ Even if he wrongs you seven times a day, but turns to you every time and says 'I am sorry,' you must forgive him."

¹¹ The Pharisee stood forward and began praying to himself in this way--'O God, I thank thee that I am not like other men-- thieves, rogues, adulterers--or even like this tax-gatherer.

¹⁶ Jesus, however, called the little children to him. "Let the little children come to me," he said, "and do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the Kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁷ I tell you, unless a man receives the Kingdom of God like a child, he will not enter it at all."

²² Hearing this, Jesus said to him: "There is one thing still lacking in you; sell everything that you have, and distribute to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; then come and follow me." ²³ But the man became greatly distressed on hearing this, for he was extremely rich.

² There was a man there, known by the name of Zacchaeus, who was a commissioner of taxes and a rich man. ³ He tried to see what Jesus was like; but, being short, he was unable to do so because of the crowd.

¹⁰ The Son of Man has come to 'search for those who are lost' and to save them."

¹² He said: "A nobleman once went to a distant country to receive his appointment to a Kingdom and then return. ¹³ He called ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds each, and told them to trade with them during his absence. ¹⁴ But his subjects hated him and sent envoys after him to say 'We will not have this man as our King.' ¹⁵ On his return, after having been appointed King, he directed that the servants to whom he had given his money should be summoned, so that he might learn what amount of trade they had done. ¹⁶ The first came up, and said 'Sir, your ten pounds have made a hundred.' ¹⁷ 'Well done, good servant!' exclaimed the master. 'As you have proved trustworthy in a very small matter, I appoint you governor over ten towns.' ¹⁸ When the second came, he said 'Your ten pounds, Sir, have produced fifty.' ¹⁹ So the master said to him 'And you I appoint over five towns.' ²⁰ Another servant also came and said 'Sir, here are your ten pounds; I have kept them put away in a handkerchief. ²¹ For I was afraid of you, because you are a stern man. You take what you have not planted, and reap what you have not sown.' ²² The master answered 'Out of your own mouth I judge you, you worthless servant. You knew that I am a stern man, that I take what I have not planted, and reap what I have not sown?

²² The master answered 'Out of your own mouth I judge you, you worthless servant. You knew that I am a stern man, that I take what I have not planted, and reap what I have not sown? ²³ Then why did not you put my money into a bank? And I, on my return, could have claimed it with interest. ²⁴ Take away from him the ten pounds,' he said to those standing by, 'and give them to the one who has the hundred.' ²⁵ 'But, Sir,' they interposed, 'he has a hundred pounds already!' ²⁶ 'I tell you,' he answered, 'that, to him who has, more will be given, but, from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. ²⁷ But as for my enemies, these men who would not have me as their King, bring them here and put them to death in my presence.'"

⁴¹ When he drew near, on seeing the city, he wept over it, and said:

²⁴ And a dispute arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵ Jesus, however, said: "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their oppressors are styled 'Benefactors.' ²⁶ But with you it must not be so. No, let the greatest among you become like the youngest, and him who leads like him who serves. ²⁷ Which is the greater--the master at the table or his servant? Is not it the master at the table? Yet I myself am among you as one who serves.

³² But I prayed for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. And you, when you have returned to me, are to strengthen your Brothers."

⁵¹ In truth I tell you," he added, "you shall all see Heaven open, and 'the angels of God ascending and descending' upon the Son of Man."

³ "In truth I tell you," exclaimed Jesus, "unless a man is reborn, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

⁵ "In truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "unless a man owes his birth to Water and Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

³⁴ "My food," replied Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me, and to complete his work. ³⁵ Do not you say that it still wants four months to harvest? Why, look up, and see how white the fields are for harvest! ³⁶ Already the reaper is receiving wages and gathering in sheaves for Immortal Life, so that sower and reaper rejoice together.

³⁹ And his will is this--that I should not lose one of all those whom he has given me, but should raise them up at the Last Day. ⁴⁰ For it is the will of my Father that every one who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have Immortal Life; and I myself will raise him up at the Last Day."

¹⁷ Why, in your own Law it is said that the testimony of two persons is trustworthy.

⁵⁸ "In truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "before Abraham existed I was."

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy; I have come that they may have Life, and may have it in greater fullness. ¹¹ I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. ¹² The hired man who is not a shepherd, and who does not own the sheep, when he sees a wolf coming, leaves them and runs away; then the wolf seizes them, and scatters the flock. ¹³ He does this because he is only a hired man and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the Good Shepherd; and I know my sheep, and my sheep know me-- ¹⁵ Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep besides, which do not belong to this fold; I must lead them also, and they will listen to my voice; and they shall become one flock under 'one Shepherd.' ¹⁷ This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life- -to receive it again. ¹⁸ No one took it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to receive it again. This is the command which I received from my Father." ¹⁹ In consequence of these words a difference of opinion again arose among the Jews. ²⁰ Many of them said: "He is possessed by a demon and is mad; why do you listen to him?" ²¹ Others said: "This is not the teaching of one who is possessed by a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?"

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me; ²⁸ And I give them Immortal Life, and they shall not be lost; nor shall any one snatch them out of my hands. ²⁹ What my Father has entrusted to me is more than all else; and no one can snatch anything out of the Father's hands. ³⁰ The Father and I are one."

⁴⁷ When any one hears my teaching and pays no heed to it, I am not his judge; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

²⁰ In truth I tell you, he who receives any one that I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me."

¹³ Whatever you ask, in my Name, I will do, that the Father may be honored in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask anything, in my Name, I will do it.

⁷ If you remain united to me, and my teaching remains in your hearts, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be yours.

¹⁶ It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you, and I appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that should remain, so that the Father might grant you whatever you ask in my Name.

²³ And at that time you will not ask me anything; in truth I tell you, if you ask the Father for anything, he will grant it to you in my Name.

¹² Whilst I was with them, I kept them by that revelation, and I have guarded them; and not one of them has been lost, except that lost soul--in fulfillment of Scripture.

¹⁹ In the evening of the same day--the first day of the week-- after the doors of the room, in which the disciples were, had been shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said: "Peace be with you";

²³ If you remit any one's sins, they have been remitted; and, if you retain them, they have been retained."

²⁶ A week later the disciples were again in the house, and Thomas with them. After the doors had been shut, Jesus came and stood among them, and said: "Peace be with you."

¹⁵ When breakfast was over, Jesus said to Simon Peter: "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others?" "Yes, Master," he answered, "you know that I am your friend." "Feed my lambs," said Jesus.

¹⁴ They all united in devoting themselves to Prayer, and so did some women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

¹⁶ "Brothers," he said, "it was necessary that the prediction of Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit made by the lips of David about Judas, who acted as guide to the men that arrested Jesus,

¹⁸ (This man had bought a piece of land with the price of his treachery; and, falling heavily, his body had burst open, and all his bowels protruded. ¹⁹ This became known to every one living in Jerusalem, so that the field came to be called, in their language, 'Akeldama,' which means the 'Field of Blood.') ²⁰ "For in the Book of Psalms," Peter continued, "it is said-- 'Let his dwelling become desolate, and let no one live in it'; and also--'His office let another take.'

¹ In the course of the Festival at the close of the Harvest the disciples had all met together, ² When suddenly there came from the heavens a noise like that of a strong wind rushing by; it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.

¹⁹ Therefore, repent and turn, that your sins may be wiped away; so that happier times may come from the Lord himself,

²⁴ All who heard their story, moved by a common impulse, raised their voices to God in prayer: "O Sovereign Lord, it is you who has 'made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them,' ²⁵ And who, by the lips of our ancestor, your servant David, who spoke under the influence of the Holy Spirit, have said-- 'Why did the nations rage, and the peoples form vain designs? ²⁶ The kings of the earth set their array, and its rulers gathered together, against the Lord and against his Christ.' ²⁷ There have indeed gathered together in this city against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you has consecrated the Christ, not Herod and Pontius Pilate only, but the nations and the people of Israel besides-- ²⁸ Yet only to do what thou, by thy power and of thy own will, didst long ago destine to be done. ²⁹ Now, therefore, O Lord, mark their threats, and enable thy servants, with all fearlessness, to tell thy Message, ³⁰ While thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and causest signs and wonders to take place through the Name of thy holy Servant Jesus." ³¹ When their prayer was ended, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to tell God's Message fearlessly.

¹⁹ An angel of the Lord, however, opened the prison doors at night and led them out.

¹ About this time, when the number of the disciples was constantly increasing, complaints were made by the Jews of foreign birth against the native Jews, that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. ² The Twelve, therefore, called together the general body of the disciples and said to them: "It is not well for us to see to the distribution at the tables and neglect God's Message. ³ Therefore, Brothers, look for seven men of reputation among yourselves, wise and spiritually-minded men, and we will appoint them to attend to this matter; ⁴ While we, for our part, will devote ourselves to Prayer, and to the delivery of the Message."

⁵ "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the voice answered;

³ One afternoon, about three o'clock, he distinctly saw in a vision an angel from God come to him, and call him by name.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but meanwhile the prayers of the Church were being earnestly offered to God on his behalf.

⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel struck Peter on the side, and roused him with the words: "Get up quickly." ⁸ The chains dropped from his wrists, and then the angel said: "Put on your girdle and sandals." When Peter had done so, the angel added: "Throw your cloak round you and follow me." ⁹ Peter followed him out, not knowing that what was happening under the angel's guidance was real, but thinking that he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ Passing the first Guard, and then the second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of itself; and, when they had passed through that, and had walked along one street, all at once the angel left him. ¹¹ Then Peter came to himself and said: "Now I know beyond all doubt that the Lord has sent his angel, and has rescued me from Herod's hands and from all that the Jewish people have been expecting."

¹⁵ "You are mad!" they exclaimed. But, when she persisted that it was so, they said: "It must be his spirit!"

²³ Instantly an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was attacked with worms, and died.

²² Reassuring the minds of the disciples, urging them to remain true to the Faith, and showing that it is only through many troubles that we can enter the Kingdom of God.

⁶ The Apostles and the Officers of the Church held a meeting to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter rose and said: "You, my Brothers, know well that long ago God singled me out--that through my lips the Gentiles should hear the Message of the Good News, and become believers in Christ.

²³ They were bearers of the following letter--'The Apostles, and the Brothers who are the Officers of the Church, send their greetings to the Brethren of Gentile birth in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. ²⁴ As we had heard that some of our number had upset you by their assertions, and unsettled your minds--without instructions from us-- ²⁵ We met and decided to choose certain men and send them to you with our dear brothers Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶ Who have sacrificed themselves for the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. ²⁷ We are accordingly sending Judas and Silas, and they will tell you by word of mouth what we are now writing. ²⁸ We have, therefore, decided, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to lay no further burden upon you beyond these necessary conditions-- ²⁹ That you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating the flesh of strangled animals, and from impurity. If you guard yourselves against such things, it will be well with you. Farewell.' ³⁰ So the bearers of this letter were sent on their way, and went down to Antioch. There they called a meeting of all the brethren, ³¹ And delivered the letter, the reading of which caused great rejoicing by its encouraging contents.

²³ For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve, stood by me, and said--

²⁷ For the mind of this nation has grown dense, and their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes also have they closed; lest some day they should see with their eyes, and with their ears they should hear, and in their mind they should understand, and should turn--and I should heal them.'

²³ Boasting, as you do, of your Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law? ²⁴ For, as Scripture says-'The name of God is reviled among the Gentiles because of you'!

¹⁹ Now we know that everything said in the Law is addressed to those who are under its authority, in order that every mouth may be closed, and the whole world become liable to the judgment of God.

²⁸ But we do know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him-those who have received the Call in accordance with his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom God chose from the first he also destined from the first to be transformed into likeness to his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest among many Brothers. ³⁰ And those whom God destined for this he also called; and those whom he called he also pronounced righteous; and those whom he pronounced righteous he also brought to Glory. ³¹ What are we to say, then, in the light of all this? If God is on our side, who can there be against us? ³² God did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up on behalf of us all; will he not, then, with him, freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against any of God's People? He who pronounces them righteous is God! ³⁴ Who is there to condemn them? He who died for us is Christ Jesus!-or, rather, it was he who was raised from the dead, and who is now at God's right hand and is even pleading on our behalf! ³⁵ Who is there to separate us from the love of the Christ? Will trouble, or difficulty, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? ³⁶ Scripture says-'For thy sake we are being killed all the day long, We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' ³⁷ Yet amidst all these things we more than conquer through him who loved us! ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Archangels, nor the Present, nor the Future, nor any Powers, ³⁹ Nor Height, nor Depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus, our Lord!

¹ I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, ² Bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow upon me and that my heart is never free from pain. ³ I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my Brothers-my own countrymen.

³ For, in their ignorance of the Divine Righteousness, and in their eagerness to set up a righteousness of their own, they refused to accept with submission the Divine Righteousness.

¹⁰ In brotherly love, be affectionate to one another; in showing respect, set an example of deference to one another;

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who are rejoicing, and weep with those who are weeping.

²¹ Never be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

¹² The night is almost gone; the day is near. Therefore let us have done with the deeds of Darkness, and arm ourselves with the weapons of Light.

¹ As for those whose faith is weak, always receive them as friends, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on their scruples. ² One man's faith permits of his eating food of all kinds, while another whose faith is weak eats only vegetable food. ³ The man who eats meat must not despise the man who abstains from it; nor must the man who abstains from eating meat pass judgment on the one who eats it, for God himself has received him.

¹⁰ I would ask the one man 'Why do you judge your Brother?' And I would ask the other 'Why do you despise your Brother?' For we shall all stand before the Bar of God.

¹² So, then, each one of us will have to render account of himself to God. ¹³ Let us, then, cease to judge one another. Rather let this be your resolve--never to place a stumbling-block or an obstacle in a Brother's way. ¹⁴ Through my union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am persuaded that nothing is 'defiling in itself.' A thing is 'defiling' only to him who holds it to be so. ¹⁵ If, for the sake of what you eat, you wound your Brother's feelings, your life has ceased to be ruled by love. Do not, by what you eat, ruin a man for whom Christ died!

²¹ The right course is to abstain from meat or wine or, indeed, anything that is a stumbling-block to your Brother.

¹ We, the strong, ought to take on our own shoulders the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not merely to please ourselves.

¹ We, the strong, ought to take on our own shoulders the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not merely to please ourselves. ² Let each of us please his neighbor for his neighbor's good, to help in the building up of his character. ³ Even the Christ did not please himself! On the contrary, as Scripture says of him--'The reproaches of those who were reproaching thee fell upon me.'

¹⁷ I urge you, Brothers, to be on your guard against people who, by disregarding the teaching which you received, cause divisions and create difficulties; dissociate yourselves from them. ¹⁸ For such persons are not serving Christ, our Master, but are slaves to their own appetites; and, by their smooth words and flattery, they deceive simple-minded people.

⁵ Therefore do not pass judgment before the time, but wait till the Lord comes. He will throw light upon what is now dark and obscure, and will reveal the motives in men's minds; and then every one will receive due praise from God.

³ For I myself, though absent in body, have been present with you in spirit, and in the name of our Lord Jesus I have already passed judgment, just as if I had been present, upon the man who has acted in this way. ⁴ I have decided-having been present in spirit at your meetings, when the power of the Lord Jesus was with us-

⁴ I have decided-having been present in spirit at your meetings, when the power of the Lord Jesus was with us- ⁵ To deliver such a man as this over to Satan, that what is sensual in him may be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved at the Day of the Lord.

⁹ I told you, in my letter, not to associate with immoral people- -

⁶ Must Brother go to law with Brother, and that, too, before unbelievers? ⁷ To begin with, it is undoubtedly a loss to you to have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather let yourselves be wronged? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated? ⁸ Instead of this, you wrong and cheat others yourselves-yes, even your Brothers!

⁸ What we eat, however, will not bring us nearer to God. We lose nothing by not eating this food, and we gain nothing by eating it. ⁹ But take care that this right of yours does not become in any way a stumbling-block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if some one should see you who possess this knowledge, feasting in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is a weak man, become so hardened that he, too, will eat food offered to idols? ¹¹ And so, through this knowledge of yours, the weak man is ruined-your Brother for whose sake Christ died! ¹² In this way, by sinning against your Brothers and injuring their consciences, while still weak, you sin against Christ.

¹² In this way, by sinning against your Brothers and injuring their consciences, while still weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if what I eat makes my Brother fall, rather than make my Brother fall, I will never eat meat again.

¹⁹ Although I was entirely free, yet, to win as many converts as possible, I made myself everyone's slave. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews. To those who are subject to Law I became like a man subject to Law-though I was not myself subject to Law-to win those who are subject to Law. ²¹ To those who have no Law I became like a man who has no Law- -not that I am free from God's Law; no, for I am under Christ's Law-to win those who have no law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so as at all costs to save some.

¹⁵ I speak to you as man of discernment; form your own judgment about what I am saying.

³² Do not cause offence either to Jews or Greeks or to the Church of God; ³³ For I, also, try to please everybody in everything, not seeking my own advantage, but that of men in general, that they may be saved.

¹⁹ Indeed, there must be actual parties among you, for so only will the men of real worth become known.

²² Have you no houses in which you can eat and drink? Or are you trying to show your contempt for the Church of God, and to humiliate the poor? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I cannot praise you.

²⁰ Brothers, do not show yourselves children in understanding. In wickedness be infants, but in understanding show yourselves men.

¹¹ No one, therefore, should slight him. See him safely on his way to me, for I am expecting him with some of our Brothers.

⁶ The man to whom I refer has been sufficiently punished by the penalty inflicted by the majority of you; ⁷ So that now you must take the opposite course, and forgive and encourage him, or else he may be overwhelmed by the intensity of his pain.

¹⁰ When you forgive a man anything, I forgive him, too. Indeed, for my part, whatever I have forgiven (if I have had to forgive anything), I have forgiven for your sakes, in the presence of Christ,

¹⁰ For at the Bar of the Christ we must all appear in our true characters, that each may reap the results of the life which he has lived in the body, in accordance with his actions--whether good or worthless. ¹¹ Therefore, because we know the fear inspired by the Lord, it is true that we are trying to win men, but our motives are plain to God; and I hope that in your inmost hearts they are plain to you also.

¹⁴ Do not enter into inconsistent relations with those who reject the Faith. For what partnership can there be between righteousness and lawlessness? or what has light to do with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial? or what can those who accept the Faith have in common with those who reject it? ¹⁶ What agreement can thee be between a temple of God and idols? And we are a temple of the Living God. That is what God meant when he said--'I will dwell among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷ Therefore "Come out from among the nations, and separate yourselves from them," says the Lord, "and touch nothing impure; And I will welcome you;

¹² So, then, even though I did write to you, it was not for the sake of the wrong-doer, or of the man who was wronged, but to make you conscious, in the sight of God, of your own earnest care for us. And it is this that has encouraged us.

¹ Now, I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ--I who, "in your presence, am humble in my bearing towards you, but, when absent, am bold in my language to you"--

¹⁰ For people say "His letters are impressive and vigorous, but his personal appearance is insignificant and his speaking contemptible."

²¹ I admit, to my shame, that we have been weak. But whatever the subject on which others are not afraid to boast--though it is foolish to say so--I am not afraid either!

¹ For the third time I am coming to see you. 'By the word of two or three witnesses each statement shall be established.'

¹³ You remember that it was owing to bodily infirmity that on the first occasion I told you the Good News. ¹⁴ And as for what must have tried you in my condition, it did not inspire you with scorn or disgust, but you welcomed me as if I had been an angel of God--or Christ Jesus himself!

¹⁴ And as for what must have tried you in my condition, it did not inspire you with scorn or disgust, but you welcomed me as if I had been an angel of God--or Christ Jesus himself!

¹ Brothers, even if a man should be caught committing a sin, you who are spiritually minded should, in a gentle spirit, help him to recover himself, taking care lest any one of you also should be tempted.

⁵ From the first he destined us, in his good-will towards us, to be adopted as Sons through Jesus Christ, ⁶ And so to enhance that glorious manifestation of his loving- kindness which he gave us in The Beloved; ⁷ For in him, and through the shedding of his blood, we have found redemption in the pardon of our offenses.

¹⁷ This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I say to you and urge upon you: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live, ¹⁸ With their powers of discernment darkened, cut off from the Life of God, owing to the ignorance that prevails among them and to the hardness of their hearts. ¹⁹ Lost to all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, in order to practice every kind of impurity without restraint.

²⁶ 'Be angry, yet do not sin.' Do not let the sun go down upon your anger;

³¹ Let all bitterness, passion, anger, brawling, and abusive language be banished from among you, as well as all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ready to forgive one another, just as God, in Christ, forgave you.

¹¹ Take no part in deeds of Darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them. ¹² It is degrading even to speak of the things continually done by them in secret.

¹⁸ Pray in spirit at all times. Be intent upon this, with unwearying perseverance and supplication for all Christ's People- - ¹⁹ And on my behalf also, that, when I begin to speak, words may be given me, so that I may fearlessly make known the inmost truth of the Good News, ²⁰ On behalf of which I am an Ambassador--in chains! Pray that, in telling it, I may speak fearlessly as I ought.

¹⁹ Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that, through your prayers and through a rich supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 'all this will make for my Salvation.'

³ Nothing should be done in a factious spirit or from vanity, but each of you should with all humility regard others as of more account than himself,

⁸ More than that, I count everything as loss, for the sake of the exceeding value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And for his sake I have lost everything, and count it as refuse, if I may but gain Christ and be found in union with him; ⁹ Any righteousness that I have being, not the righteousness that results from Law, but the righteousness which comes through faith in Christ--the righteousness which is derived from God and is founded on faith.

¹³ Bearing with one another, and, when there is any ground for complaint, forgiving one another freely. As the Master freely forgave you, so you must forgive one another.

¹ To the Thessalonian Church in union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. May God bless you and give you peace.

⁶ None of you over-reaching or taking advantage of his Brother in such matters. 'The Lord takes vengeance' upon all who do such things, as we have already warned you and solemnly declared.

⁸ Therefore he who disregards this warning disregards, not man, but God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

⁶ Since God deems it just to inflict suffering upon those who are now inflicting suffering upon you, ⁷ And to give relief to you who are suffering, as well as to us, at the Appearing of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with his mighty angels, 'in flaming fire.' ⁸ Then he will 'inflict punishment upon those who refuse to know God, and upon those who turn a deaf ear' to the Good News of Jesus, our Lord. ⁹ These men will pay the penalty of unutterable Ruin--banished 'from the presence of the Lord and from the glorious manifestation of his might,

³ Do not let any one deceive you, whatever he may do. For it will not come until after the Great Apostasy, and the appearing of that Incarnation of Wickedness, that the Lost soul, ⁴ Who so opposes himself to every one that is spoken of as a God or as an object of worship, and so exalts himself above them, that he seats himself in the Temple of God, and displays himself as God! ⁵ Do not you remember how, when I was with you, I used to speak to you of all this? ⁶ And you know now what the restraining influence is which prevents his appearing before his appointed time. ⁷ Wickedness, indeed, is already at work in secret; but only until he who at present restrains it is removed out of the way. ⁸ Then will 'Wickedness Incarnate' appear, but the Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his lips, and annihilate him by the splendor of his Coming. ⁹ For at the Coming of the Lord there will be great activity on the part of Satan, in the form of all kinds of deceptive miracles, signs, and marvels, as well as of wicked attempts to delude-- ¹⁰ to the ruin of those who are on the path to destruction, because they have never received and loved the Truth to their own Salvation. ¹¹ That is why God places them under the influence of a delusion, to cause them to believe a lie; ¹² So that sentence may be passed on all those who refuse to believe the Truth, but delight in wickedness.

⁶ We urge you, Brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to avoid any Brother who is living an ill-ordered life, which is not in agreement with the teaching that you received from us.

¹⁴ If any one disregards what we have said in this letter, mark that man and avoid his company, that he may feel ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not think of him as an enemy, but caution him as you would a Brother.

¹⁵ Yet do not think of him as an enemy, but caution him as you would a Brother.

¹⁵ How true the saying is, and worthy of the fullest acceptance, that 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'! And there is no greater sinner than I!

⁸ My desire, then, is that it should be the custom everywhere for the men to lead the prayers, with hands reverently uplifted, avoiding heated controversy.

¹ But the Spirit distinctly says that in later times there will be some who will fall away from the Faith, and devote their attention to misleading spirits, and to the teaching of demons, ² who will make use of the hypocrisy of lying teachers. These men's consciences are seared, ³ and they discourage marriage and enjoin abstinence from certain kinds of food; though God created these foods to be enjoyed thankfully by those who hold the Faith and have attained a full knowledge of the Truth.

¹² Do not let any one look down on you because you are young, but, by your conversation, your conduct, your love, your faith, and your purity, be an example to those who hold the Faith.

¹⁴ Therefore I advise young widows to marry, bear children, and attend to their homes, and so avoid giving the enemy an opportunity for scandal. ¹⁵ There are some who have already left us, to follow Satan.

¹⁹ Do not receive a charge against an Officer of the Church, unless it is supported by two or three witnesses;

¹ All who are in the position of slaves should regard their masters as deserving of the greatest respect, so that the Name of God, and our Teaching, may not be maligned.

⁵ and incessant wrangling on the part of these corrupt-minded people who have lost all hold on the Truth, and who think of religion only as a source of gain.

¹⁰ and that is why I submit to anything for the sake of God's People, that they also may obtain the Salvation which comes from union with Christ Jesus, and imperishable glory.

¹ Be sure of this, that in the last days difficult times will come. ² Men will be selfish, mercenary, boastful, haughty, and blasphemous; disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, impure, ³ incapable of affection, merciless, slanderous, wanting in self-control, brutal, careless of the right, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, and puffed up with pride; they will love pleasure more than they love God; ⁵ and while they retain the outward form of religion, they will not allow it to influence them. Turn your back on such men as these.

³ For a time will come when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will follow their own wishes, and, in their itching for novelty, procure themselves a crowd of teachers. ⁴ They will turn a deaf ear to the Truth, and give their attention to legends instead.

⁵ and to be discreet, pure-minded, domesticated, good women, ready to submit to their husbands, in order that God's Message may not be maligned.

⁸ let the instruction that you give be sound and above reproach, so that the enemy may be ashamed when he fails to find anything bad to say about us.

² To our dear friend and fellow-worker Philemon, to our sister Apphia, to our fellow-soldier Archippus; and to the Church that meets at Philemon's house;

¹⁸ If he has caused you any loss, or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, put my own hand to it--I will repay you myself. I say nothing about your owing me your very self.

¹⁴ Are not all the angels spirits in the service of God, sent out to minister for the sake of those who are destined to obtain Salvation?

¹¹ Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter upon that Rest, so that none of us fall through such disbelief as that of which we have had an example.

²⁸ When a man disregarded the Law of Moses, he was, on the evidence of two or three witnesses, put to death without pity.

¹³ make straight paths for your feet,' so that the lame limb may not be put out of joint, but rather be cured.

³ Remember the prisoners, as if you were their fellow-prisoners, and the oppressed, not forgetting that you also are still in the body.

¹⁷ Obey your Leaders, and submit to their control, for they are watching over your souls, as men who will have to render an account, so that they may do it with joy, and not in sorrow. That would not be to your advantage.

¹³ For there will be justice without mercy for him who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.

¹⁴ But, while you harbor envy and bitterness and a spirit of rivalry in your hearts, do not boast or lie to the detriment of the Truth.

⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Make your hands clean, you sinners; and your hearts pure, you vacillating men!

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

¹⁴ If any one of you is ill, let him send for the Officers of the Church, and let them pray over him, after anointing him with oil in the name of the lord. ¹⁵ The prayer offered in faith will save the man who is sick, and the Lord will raise him from his bed; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be cured. Great is the power of a good man's fervent prayer.

¹⁹ My Brothers, should one of you be led astray from the Truth, and some one bring him back again, ²⁰ Be sure that he who brings a sinner back from his mistaken ways will save that man's soul from Death, and throw a veil over countless sins.

³ Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has, in his great mercy, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ given us the new Life of undying hope, that promises an inheritance, imperishable, stainless, unfading, which has been reserved for you in Heaven-- ⁵ for you who, through faith, are being guarded by the power of God, awaiting a Salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last days.

² like newly born infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that you may be enabled by it to grow till you attain Salvation--

²⁵ Once you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

¹ Again, you married women should submit to your husbands, so that if any of them reject the Message, they may, apart from the Message, be won over, by the conduct of their wives,

⁵ Again, you younger men should show deference to the older. And all of you should put on the badge of humility in mutual service, for 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives his help to the humble.'

¹¹ For thus you will be given a triumphant admission into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

² There will be many, too, who will follow their licentious courses, and cause the Way of the Truth to be maligned. ³ In their covetousness they will try to make you a source of profit by their fabrications; but for a long time past their Sentence has not been standing idle, nor their Ruin slumbering.

¹⁵ Leaving the straight road, they have gone astray and followed in the steps of Balaam, the son of Beor, who set his heart on the reward for wrong-doing, ¹⁶ but was rebuked for his offense. A dumb animal spoke with the voice of a man, and checked the prophet's madness. ¹⁷ These men are like springs without water, or mists driven before a gale; and for them the blackest darkness has been reserved.

⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise, as some count slowness; but he is forbearing with you, as it is not his will that any of you should perish, but that all should be brought to repentance.

²² and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we are laying his commands to heart, and are doing what is pleasing in his sight.

⁷ It is a three-fold testimony-- ⁸ that of the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood--and these three are at one.

¹⁴ And this is the confidence with which we approach him, that whenever we ask anything that is in accordance with his will, he listens to us. ¹⁵ And if we realize that he listens to us--whatever we ask--we realize that we have what we have asked from him. ¹⁶ If any one sees his Brother committing some sin that is not a deadly sin, he will ask, and so be the means of giving Life to him--to any whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin; about that I do not say that a man should pray.

¹⁰ If any one comes to you and does not bring this Teaching, do not receive him into your house or welcome him; ¹¹ for the man who welcomes him is sharing with him in his wicked work.

⁹ I wrote a few lines to the Church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, declines to recognize us. ¹⁰ Therefore, when I come, I shall not forget his conduct in ridiculing us with his wicked tongue. Not content with that, he not only declines to recognize our Brothers himself, but actually prevents those who would, and expels them from the Church.

⁴ For there have crept in among you certain godless people, whose sentence has long since been pronounced, and who make the mercy of God an excuse for profligacy, and disown our only lord and master, Jesus Christ.

¹¹ Alas for them! They walk in the steps of Cain; led astray by Balaam's love of gain, they plunge into sin, and meet their ruin through rebellion like that of Korah. ¹² These are the men who are blots upon your 'Love-feasts,' when they feast together and provide without scruple for themselves alone. They are clouds without rain, driven before the winds; they are leafless trees without a vestige of fruit, dead through and through, torn up by the roots; ¹³ They are wild sea waves, foaming with their own shame; they are 'wandering stars,' for which the blackest darkness has been reserved for ever.

¹¹ It said-- 'Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven Churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicaea.' ¹² I turned to see what voice it was that spoke to me; and when I turned, I saw seven golden lamps, ¹³ and in the midst of the lamps one 'like a man, in a robe reaching to his feet,' and with a golden girdle across his breast.

¹ To the Angel of the Church in Ephesus write:-- "These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, and walks among the seven golden lamps:--

¹⁴ Yet I have a few things against you--You have among you those who hold to the Teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put temptations in the way of the Israelites, so that they should eat idol-offerings and commit licentious acts. ¹⁵ Again you have among you those who hold in the same way to the Teaching of the Nikolaitans.

²⁰ Yet I have this against you--You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who declares that she is a Prophetess, and misleads my servants by her teaching, till they commit licentious acts and eat idol-offerings. ²¹ I gave her time to repent, but she is determined not to turn from her licentiousness. ²² Therefore I am laying her upon a bed of sickness, and bringing great suffering upon those who are unfaithful with her, unless they repent and turn from a life like hers. ²³ I will also put her children to death; and all the Churches shall learn that I am he who 'looks into the hearts and souls of men'; and I will give to each one of you what his life deserves.

²³ I will also put her children to death; and all the Churches shall learn that I am he who 'looks into the hearts and souls of men'; and I will give to each one of you what his life deserves.

⁷ To the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia write:-- "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds 'the Key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one opens':-- ⁸ I know your life (see, I have set a door open before you which no one is able to shut), I know that, though you have but little strength, you kept my teaching in mind, and did not disown my Name.

² Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

³ Then I will give permission to my Two Witnesses, and for those twelve hundred and sixty days they will continue teaching, clothed in sackcloth.' ⁴ These men are represented by 'the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the earth.' ⁵ When any one wishes to harm them, 'fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies'; and whoever wishes to harm them will, in this way, inevitably perish. ⁶ These men have the power to close the heavens, that 'no rain may fall' during the time that they are teaching; and they have power 'to turn the streams into blood, and to smite the land with any Curse,' whenever they will.

¹⁰ that man shall drink the maddening wine of God that has been poured unmixed into the cup of his Wrath, and he shall be tortured with fire and sulphur before the eyes of the holy angels and before the eyes of the Lamb.

¹⁰ that man shall drink the maddening wine of God that has been poured unmixed into the cup of his Wrath, and he shall be tortured with fire and sulphur before the eyes of the holy angels and before the eyes of the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke from their torture rises for ever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night-- those who worship the Beast and its image, and all who are branded with its name.'

²⁰ The Beast was captured, and with him was taken the false Prophet, who performed the marvels before the eyes of the Beast, with which he deceived those who had received the brand of the Beast and those who worshiped his image. Alive, they were thrown, both of them, into the fiery lake 'of burning sulphur.' ²¹ The rest were killed by the sword which came out of the mouth of him who rode upon the horse; and all the birds fed upon their flesh.

¹⁵ and all whose names 'were not found written in the Book of Life' were hurled into the lake of fire.

³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, which said-- 'See! the Tabernacle of God is set up among men. God will dwell among them, and they will be his Peoples, and God himself will be among them,

⁸ But as for cowards, unbelievers, the degraded, murderers, the impure, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars--their place will be in the burning lake of fire and sulphur. That is the Second Death.'

²⁷ 'Never shall any unhallowed thing enter it,' nor he whose life is shameful and false, but only 'those whose names have been written in the Lamb's Book of Life.'