The Journey of Prayer

Journey Through Joshua

Spiritual Training: The Discipline of Fasting and Solitude

How We Gave $1 Million (Without Being Rich)

The Kingdom Manifesto

Strong and Secure

Hebrews | Reading Plan + Study Questions

Healing Family Relationships Through Boundaries

Anger Management and Relationships

Rest in God’s Love: 3 Days of Contemplative Prayer

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

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 <div class="label">1</div><div class="s1">God&#8217;s Final Word: His Son</div><div class="p"> 1In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God&#8217;s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.</div><div class="s1">The Son Superior to Angels</div><div class="p"> 5For to which of the angels did God ever say,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;You are my Son;</div><div class="q2">today I have become your Father&#8221;#1:5 Psalm 2:7?</div><div class="m">Or again,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;I will be his Father,</div><div class="q2">and he will be my Son&#8221;#1:5 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chron. 17:13?</div><div class="m"> 6And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Let all God&#8217;s angels worship him.&#8221;#1:6 Deut. 32:43 (see Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint)</div><div class="m"> 7In speaking of the angels he says,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;He makes his angels spirits,</div><div class="q2">and his servants flames of fire.&#8221;#1:7 Psalm 104:4</div><div class="m"> 8But about the Son he says,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;</div><div class="q2">a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.</div><div class="q1"> 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;</div><div class="q2">therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions</div><div class="q2">by anointing you with the oil of joy.&#8221;#1:9 Psalm 45:6,7</div><div class="m"> 10He also says,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,</div><div class="q2">and the heavens are the work of your hands.</div><div class="q1"> 11They will perish, but you remain;</div><div class="q2">they will all wear out like a garment.</div><div class="q1"> 12You will roll them up like a robe;</div><div class="q2">like a garment they will be changed.</div><div class="q1">But you remain the same,</div><div class="q2">and your years will never end.&#8221;#1:12 Psalm 102:25-27</div><div class="m"> 13To which of the angels did God ever say,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Sit at my right hand</div><div class="q2">until I make your enemies</div><div class="q2">a footstool for your feet&#8221;#1:13 Psalm 110:1?</div><div class="m"> 14Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?</div>
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 <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1">Warning to Pay Attention</div><div class="p"> 1We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Made Fully Human</div><div class="p"> 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;What is mankind that you are mindful of them,</div><div class="q2">a son of man that you care for him?</div><div class="q1"> 7You made them a little#2:7 Or them for a little while lower than the angels;</div><div class="q2">you crowned them with glory and honor</div><div class="q2"> 8and put everything under their feet.&#8221;#2:6-8 Psalm 8:4-6#2:7,8 Or 7 You made him a little lower than the angels; / you crowned him with glory and honor / 8 and put everything under his feet.&#8221;</div><div class="m">In putting everything under them,#2:8 Or him God left nothing that is not subject to them.#2:8 Or him Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.#2:8 Or him 9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.</div><div class="p"> 10In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.#2:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God&#8217;s family; also in verse 12; and in 3:1, 12; 10:19; 13:22. 12He says,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;</div><div class="q2">in the assembly I will sing your praises.&#8221;#2:12 Psalm 22:22</div><div class="m"> 13And again,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;I will put my trust in him.&#8221;#2:13 Isaiah 8:17</div><div class="m">And again he says,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Here am I, and the children God has given me.&#8221;#2:13 Isaiah 8:18</div><div class="p"> 14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death&#8212;that is, the devil&#8212; 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham&#8217;s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them,#2:17 Or like his brothers fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.</div>
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 <div class="label">3</div><div class="s1">Jesus Greater Than Moses</div><div class="p"> 1Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God&#8217;s house. 3Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5&#8220;Moses was faithful as a servant in all God&#8217;s house,&#8221;#3:5 Num. 12:7 bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6But Christ is faithful as the Son over God&#8217;s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.</div><div class="s1">Warning Against Unbelief</div><div class="p"> 7So, as the Holy Spirit says:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Today, if you hear his voice,</div><div class="q2"> 8do not harden your hearts</div><div class="q1">as you did in the rebellion,</div><div class="q2">during the time of testing in the wilderness,</div><div class="q1"> 9where your ancestors tested and tried me,</div><div class="q2">though for forty years they saw what I did.</div><div class="q1"> 10That is why I was angry with that generation;</div><div class="q2">I said, &#8216;Their hearts are always going astray,</div><div class="q2">and they have not known my ways.&#8217;</div><div class="q1"> 11So I declared on oath in my anger,</div><div class="q2">&#8216;They shall never enter my rest.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;#3:11 Psalm 95:7-11</div><div class="p"> 12See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called &#8220;Today,&#8221; so that none of you may be hardened by sin&#8217;s deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15As has just been said:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Today, if you hear his voice,</div><div class="q2">do not harden your hearts</div><div class="q2">as you did in the rebellion.&#8221;#3:15 Psalm 95:7,8</div><div class="p"> 16Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.</div>
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 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God</div><div class="p"> 1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.#4:2 Some manuscripts because those who heard did not combine it with faith 3Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;So I declared on oath in my anger,</div><div class="q2">&#8216;They shall never enter my rest.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;#4:3 Psalm 95:11; also in verse 5</div><div class="m">And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: &#8220;On the seventh day God rested from all his works.&#8221;#4:4 Gen. 2:2 5And again in the passage above he says, &#8220;They shall never enter my rest.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7God again set a certain day, calling it &#8220;Today.&#8221; This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Today, if you hear his voice,</div><div class="q2">do not harden your hearts.&#8221;#4:7 Psalm 95:7,8</div><div class="m"> 8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God&#8217;s rest also rests from their works,#4:10 Or labor just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.</div><div class="p"> 12For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God&#8217;s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.</div><div class="s1">Jesus the Great High Priest</div><div class="p"> 14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,#4:14 Greek has gone through the heavens Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are&#8212;yet he did not sin. 16Let us then approach God&#8217;s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.</div>
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 <div class="label">5</div><div class="p"> 1Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.</div><div class="p"> 5In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;You are my Son;</div><div class="q2">today I have become your Father.&#8221;#5:5 Psalm 2:7</div><div class="m"> 6And he says in another place,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;You are a priest forever,</div><div class="q2">in the order of Melchizedek.&#8221;#5:6 Psalm 110:4</div><div class="p"> 7During the days of Jesus&#8217; life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.</div><div class="s1">Warning Against Falling Away</div><div class="p"> 11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God&#8217;s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.</div>
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 <div class="label">6</div><div class="p"> 1Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,#6:1 Or from useless rituals and of faith in God, 2instruction about cleansing rites,#6:2 Or about baptisms the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And God permitting, we will do so.</div><div class="p"> 4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6and who have fallen#6:6 Or age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.</div><div class="p"> 9Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case&#8212;the things that have to do with salvation. 10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.</div><div class="s1">The Certainty of God&#8217;s Promise</div><div class="p"> 13When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14saying, &#8220;I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.&#8221;#6:14 Gen. 22:17 15And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.</div><div class="p"> 16People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18God did this so that, 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 greatly encouraged. 19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.</div>
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 <div class="label">7</div><div class="s1">Melchizedek the Priest</div><div class="p"> 1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means &#8220;king of righteousness&#8221;; then also, &#8220;king of Salem&#8221; means &#8220;king of peace.&#8221; 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.</div><div class="p"> 4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people&#8212;that is, from their fellow Israelites&#8212;even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Like Melchizedek</div><div class="p"> 11If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood&#8212;and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood&#8212;why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is declared:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;You are a priest forever,</div><div class="q2">in the order of Melchizedek.&#8221;#7:17 Psalm 110:4</div><div class="p"> 18The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.</div><div class="p"> 20And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;The Lord has sworn</div><div class="q2">and will not change his mind:</div><div class="q2">&#8216;You are a priest forever.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;#7:21 Psalm 110:4</div><div class="m"> 22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.</div><div class="p"> 23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely#7:25 Or forever those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.</div><div class="p"> 26Such a high priest truly meets our need&#8212;one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.</div>
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 <div class="label">8</div><div class="s1">The High Priest of a New Covenant</div><div class="p"> 1Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.</div><div class="p"> 3Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: &#8220;See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.&#8221;#8:5 Exodus 25:40 6But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.</div><div class="p"> 7For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8But God found fault with the people and said#8:8 Some manuscripts may be translated fault and said to the people.:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;The days are coming, declares the Lord,</div><div class="q2">when I will make a new covenant</div><div class="q1">with the people of Israel</div><div class="q2">and with the people of Judah.</div><div class="q1"> 9It will not be like the covenant</div><div class="q2">I made with their ancestors</div><div class="q1">when I took them by the hand</div><div class="q2">to lead them out of Egypt,</div><div class="q1">because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,</div><div class="q2">and I turned away from them,</div><div class="q4">declares the Lord.</div><div class="q1"> 10This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel</div><div class="q2">after that time, declares the Lord.</div><div class="q1">I will put my laws in their minds</div><div class="q2">and write them on their hearts.</div><div class="q1">I will be their God,</div><div class="q2">and they will be my people.</div><div class="q1"> 11No longer will they teach their neighbor,</div><div class="q2">or say to one another, &#8216;Know the Lord,&#8217;</div><div class="q1">because they will all know me,</div><div class="q2">from the least of them to the greatest.</div><div class="q1"> 12For I will forgive their wickedness</div><div class="q2">and will remember their sins no more.&#8221;#8:12 Jer. 31:31-34</div><div class="p"> 13By calling this covenant &#8220;new,&#8221; he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.</div>
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 <div class="label">9</div><div class="s1">Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle</div><div class="p"> 1Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron&#8217;s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.</div><div class="p"> 6When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings&#8212;external regulations applying until the time of the new order.</div><div class="s1">The Blood of Christ</div><div class="p"> 11But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,#9:11 Some early manuscripts are to come he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining#9:12 Or blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,#9:14 Or from useless rituals so that we may serve the living God!</div><div class="p"> 15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance&#8212;now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.</div><div class="p"> 16In the case of a will,#9:16 Same Greek word as covenant; also in verse 17 it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20He said, &#8220;This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.&#8221;#9:20 Exodus 24:8 21In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.</div><div class="p"> 23It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God&#8217;s presence. 25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.</div>
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 <div class="label">10</div><div class="s1">Christ&#8217;s Sacrifice Once for All</div><div class="p"> 1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming&#8212;not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.</div><div class="p"> 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,</div><div class="q2">but a body you prepared for me;</div><div class="q1"> 6with burnt offerings and sin offerings</div><div class="q2">you were not pleased.</div><div class="q1"> 7Then I said, &#8216;Here I am&#8212;it is written about me in the scroll&#8212;</div><div class="q2">I have come to do your will, my God.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;#10:7 Psalm 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)</div><div class="m"> 8First he said, &#8220;Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them&#8221;&#8212;though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9Then he said, &#8220;Here I am, I have come to do your will.&#8221; He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.</div><div class="p"> 11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.</div><div class="p"> 15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:</div><div class="q1"> 16&#8220;This is the covenant I will make with them</div><div class="q2">after that time, says the Lord.</div><div class="q1">I will put my laws in their hearts,</div><div class="q2">and I will write them on their minds.&#8221;#10:16 Jer. 31:33</div><div class="m"> 17Then he adds:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Their sins and lawless acts</div><div class="q2">I will remember no more.&#8221;#10:17 Jer. 31:34</div><div class="m"> 18And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.</div><div class="s1">A Call to Persevere in Faith</div><div class="p"> 19Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another&#8212;and all the more as you see the Day approaching.</div><div class="p"> 26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, &#8220;It is mine to avenge; I will repay,&#8221;#10:30 Deut. 32:35 and again, &#8220;The Lord will judge his people.&#8221;#10:30 Deut. 32:36; Psalm 135:14 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.</div><div class="p"> 32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.</div><div class="p"> 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;In just a little while,</div><div class="q2">he who is coming will come</div><div class="q2">and will not delay.&#8221;#10:37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3</div><div class="m"> 38And,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;But my righteous#10:38 Some manuscripts But the righteous one will live by faith.</div><div class="q2">And I take no pleasure</div><div class="q2">in the one who shrinks back.&#8221;#10:38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)</div><div class="m"> 39But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.</div>
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 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="HEB.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">Faith in Action</div><div class="p"> 1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.</div><div class="p"> 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God&#8217;s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.</div><div class="p"> 4By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.</div><div class="p"> 5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: &#8220;He could not be found, because God had taken him away.&#8221;#11:5 Gen. 5:24 For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.</div><div class="p"> 7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.</div><div class="p"> 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she#11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children&#8212;and Sarah herself was not able to conceive&#8212;was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.</div><div class="p"> 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country&#8212;a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.</div><div class="p"> 17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, &#8220;It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.&#8221;#11:18 Gen. 21:12 19Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.</div><div class="p"> 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.</div><div class="p"> 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph&#8217;s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.</div><div class="p"> 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.</div><div class="p"> 23By faith Moses&#8217; parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king&#8217;s edict.</div><div class="p"> 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh&#8217;s daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king&#8217;s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.</div><div class="p"> 29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.</div><div class="p"> 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.</div><div class="p"> 31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.#11:31 Or unbelieving</div><div class="p"> 32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were put to death by stoning;#11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated&#8212; 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.</div><div class="p"> 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.</div>
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 <div class="label">12</div><div class="p"> 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.</div><div class="s1">God Disciplines His Children</div><div class="p"> 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;My son, do not make light of the Lord&#8217;s discipline,</div><div class="q2">and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,</div><div class="q1"> 6because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,</div><div class="q2">and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.&#8221;#12:5,6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)</div><div class="p"> 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8If you are not disciplined&#8212;and everyone undergoes discipline&#8212;then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.</div><div class="p"> 12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13&#8220;Make level paths for your feet,&#8221;#12:13 Prov. 4:26 so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.</div><div class="s1">Warning and Encouragement</div><div class="p"> 14Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.</div><div class="s1">The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy</div><div class="p"> 18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: &#8220;If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.&#8221;#12:20 Exodus 19:12,13 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, &#8220;I am trembling with fear.&#8221;#12:21 See Deut. 9:19.</div><div class="p"> 22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.</div><div class="p"> 25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, &#8220;Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.&#8221;#12:26 Haggai 2:6 27The words &#8220;once more&#8221; indicate the removing of what can be shaken&#8212;that is, created things&#8212;so that what cannot be shaken may remain.</div><div class="p"> 28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our &#8220;God is a consuming fire.&#8221;#12:29 Deut. 4:24</div>
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 <div class="label">1</div><div class="p"> 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">Greetings.</div><div class="s1">Trials and Temptations</div><div class="p"> 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,#1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God&#8217;s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19. whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.</div><div class="p"> 9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation&#8212;since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.</div><div class="p"> 12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.</div><div class="p"> 13When tempted, no one should say, &#8220;God is tempting me.&#8221; For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.</div><div class="p"> 16Don&#8217;t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.</div><div class="s1">Listening and Doing</div><div class="p"> 19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.</div><div class="p"> 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it&#8212;not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it&#8212;they will be blessed in what they do.</div><div class="p"> 26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.</div>
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 <div class="chapter ch2" data-usfm="JAS.2">
 <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1">Favoritism Forbidden</div><div class="p"> 1My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, &#8220;Here&#8217;s a good seat for you,&#8221; but say to the poor man, &#8220;You stand there&#8221; or &#8220;Sit on the floor by my feet,&#8221; 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?</div><div class="p"> 5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?</div><div class="p"> 8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, &#8220;Love your neighbor as yourself,&#8221;#2:8 Lev. 19:18 you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, &#8220;You shall not commit adultery,&#8221;#2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18 also said, &#8220;You shall not murder.&#8221;#2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17 If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.</div><div class="p"> 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.</div><div class="s1">Faith and Deeds</div><div class="p"> 14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, &#8220;Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,&#8221; but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.</div><div class="p"> 18But someone will say, &#8220;You have faith; I have deeds.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that&#8212;and shudder.</div><div class="p"> 20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless#2:20 Some early manuscripts dead? 21Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, &#8220;Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,&#8221;#2:23 Gen. 15:6 and he was called God&#8217;s friend. 24You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.</div><div class="p"> 25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.</div>
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 <div class="chapter ch3" data-usfm="JAS.3">
 <div class="label">3</div><div class="s1">Taming the Tongue</div><div class="p"> 1Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.</div><div class="p"> 3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one&#8217;s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.</div><div class="p"> 7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.</div><div class="p"> 9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God&#8217;s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.</div><div class="s1">Two Kinds of Wisdom</div><div class="p"> 13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such &#8220;wisdom&#8221; does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.</div><div class="p"> 17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.</div>
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 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">Submit Yourselves to God</div><div class="p"> 1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don&#8217;t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.</div><div class="p"> 4You adulterous people,#4:4 An allusion to covenant unfaithfulness; see Hosea 3:1. don&#8217;t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us#4:5 Or that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;God opposes the proud</div><div class="q2">but shows favor to the humble.&#8221;#4:6 Prov. 3:34</div><div class="p"> 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.</div><div class="p"> 11Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister#4:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God&#8217;s family. or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you&#8212;who are you to judge your neighbor?</div><div class="s1">Boasting About Tomorrow</div><div class="p"> 13Now listen, you who say, &#8220;Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.&#8221; 14Why, 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. 15Instead, you ought to say, &#8220;If it is the Lord&#8217;s will, we will live and do this or that.&#8221; 16As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn&#8217;t do it, it is sin for them.</div>
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 <div class="book bkJAS">
 <div class="chapter ch5" data-usfm="JAS.5">
 <div class="label">5</div><div class="s1">Warning to Rich Oppressors</div><div class="p"> 1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.#5:5 Or yourselves as in a day of feasting 6You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.</div><div class="s1">Patience in Suffering</div><div class="p"> 7Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord&#8217;s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord&#8217;s coming is near. 9Don&#8217;t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!</div><div class="p"> 10Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job&#8217;s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.</div><div class="p"> 12Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear&#8212;not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple &#8220;Yes&#8221; or &#8220;No.&#8221; Otherwise you will be condemned.</div><div class="s1">The Prayer of Faith</div><div class="p"> 13Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.</div><div class="p"> 17Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.</div><div class="p"> 19My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1PE">
 <div class="chapter ch1" data-usfm="1PE.1">
 <div class="label">1</div><div class="p"> 1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">To God&#8217;s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">Grace and peace be yours in abundance.</div><div class="s1">Praise to God for a Living Hope</div><div class="p"> 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God&#8217;s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith&#8212;of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire&#8212;may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.</div><div class="p"> 10Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.</div><div class="s1">Be Holy</div><div class="p"> 13Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: &#8220;Be holy, because I am holy.&#8221;#1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2</div><div class="p"> 17Since you call on a Father who judges each person&#8217;s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.</div><div class="p"> 22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.#1:22 Some early manuscripts from a pure heart 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;All people are like grass,</div><div class="q2">and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;</div><div class="q1">the grass withers and the flowers fall,</div><div class="q2"> 25but the word of the Lord endures forever.&#8221;#1:25 Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)</div><div class="m">And this is the word that was preached to you.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch2" data-usfm="1PE.2">
 <div class="label">2</div><div class="p"> 1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.</div><div class="s1">The Living Stone and a Chosen People</div><div class="p"> 4As you come to him, the living Stone&#8212;rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him&#8212; 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house#2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;See, I lay a stone in Zion,</div><div class="q2">a chosen and precious cornerstone,</div><div class="q1">and the one who trusts in him</div><div class="q2">will never be put to shame.&#8221;#2:6 Isaiah 28:16</div><div class="m"> 7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;The stone the builders rejected</div><div class="q2">has become the cornerstone,&#8221;#2:7 Psalm 118:22</div><div class="m"> 8and,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;A stone that causes people to stumble</div><div class="q2">and a rock that makes them fall.&#8221;#2:8 Isaiah 8:14</div><div class="m">They stumble because they disobey the message&#8212;which is also what they were destined for.</div><div class="p"> 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God&#8217;s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once 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.</div><div class="s1">Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society</div><div class="p"> 11Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.</div><div class="p"> 13Submit yourselves for the Lord&#8217;s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God&#8217;s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God&#8217;s slaves. 17Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.</div><div class="p"> 18Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.</div><div class="q1"> 22&#8220;He committed no sin,</div><div class="q2">and no deceit was found in his mouth.&#8221;#2:22 Isaiah 53:9</div><div class="m"> 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24&#8220;He himself bore our sins&#8221; in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; &#8220;by his wounds you have been healed.&#8221; 25For &#8220;you were like sheep going astray,&#8221;#2:24,25 Isaiah 53:4,5,6 (see Septuagint) but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch3" data-usfm="1PE.3">
 <div class="label">3</div><div class="p"> 1Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God&#8217;s sight. 5For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.</div><div class="p"> 7Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.</div><div class="s1">Suffering for Doing Good</div><div class="p"> 8Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Whoever would love life</div><div class="q2">and see good days</div><div class="q1">must keep their tongue from evil</div><div class="q2">and their lips from deceitful speech.</div><div class="q1"> 11They must turn from evil and do good;</div><div class="q2">they must seek peace and pursue it.</div><div class="q1"> 12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous</div><div class="q2">and his ears are attentive to their prayer,</div><div class="q1">but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.&#8221;#3:12 Psalm 34:12-16</div><div class="p"> 13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. &#8220;Do not fear their threats#3:14 Or fear what they fear; do not be frightened.&#8221;#3:14 Isaiah 8:12 15But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17For it is better, if it is God&#8217;s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19After being made alive,#3:18,19 Or but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits&#8212; 20to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also&#8212;not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.#3:21 Or but an appeal to God for a clear conscience It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God&#8217;s right hand&#8212;with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch4" data-usfm="1PE.4">
 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">Living for God</div><div class="p"> 1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do&#8212;living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.</div><div class="p"> 7The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God&#8217;s grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.</div><div class="s1">Suffering for Being a Christian</div><div class="p"> 12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with God&#8217;s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,</div><div class="q2">what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?&#8221;#4:18 Prov. 11:31 (see Septuagint)</div><div class="p"> 19So then, those who suffer according to God&#8217;s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.</div>
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 <div class="chapter ch5" data-usfm="1PE.5">
 <div class="label">5</div><div class="s1">To the Elders and the Flock</div><div class="p"> 1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ&#8217;s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God&#8217;s flock that is under your care, watching over them&#8212;not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.</div><div class="p"> 5In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;God opposes the proud</div><div class="q2">but shows favor to the humble.&#8221;#5:5 Prov. 3:34</div><div class="m"> 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God&#8217;s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.</div><div class="p"> 8Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.</div><div class="p"> 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.</div><div class="s1">Final Greetings</div><div class="p"> 12With the help of Silas,#5:12 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas 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 fast in it.</div><div class="p"> 13She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14Greet one another with a kiss of love.</div><div class="p">Peace to all of you who are in Christ.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2PE">
 <div class="chapter ch1" data-usfm="2PE.1">
 <div class="label">1</div><div class="p"> 1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 2Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.</div><div class="s1">Confirming One&#8217;s Calling and Election</div><div class="p"> 3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.</div><div class="p"> 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.</div><div class="p"> 10Therefore, my brothers and sisters,#1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God&#8217;s family. make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.</div><div class="s1">Prophecy of Scripture</div><div class="p"> 12So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.</div><div class="p"> 16For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, &#8220;This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.&#8221;#1:17 Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35 18We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.</div><div class="p"> 19We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet&#8217;s own interpretation of things. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2PE">
 <div class="chapter ch2" data-usfm="2PE.2">
 <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1">False Teachers and Their Destruction</div><div class="p"> 1But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them&#8212;bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.</div><div class="p"> 4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,#2:4 Greek Tartarus putting them in chains of darkness#2:4 Some manuscripts in gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)&#8212; 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh#2:10 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 18. and despise authority.</div><div class="p">Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from#2:11 Many manuscripts beings in the presence of the Lord. 12But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.</div><div class="p"> 13They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.#2:13 Some manuscripts in their love feasts 14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed&#8212;an accursed brood! 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer,#2:15 Greek Bosor who loved the wages of wickedness. 16But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey&#8212;an animal without speech&#8212;who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet&#8217;s madness.</div><div class="p"> 17These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity&#8212;for &#8220;people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.&#8221; 20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: &#8220;A dog returns to its vomit,&#8221;#2:22 Prov. 26:11 and, &#8220;A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2PE">
 <div class="chapter ch3" data-usfm="2PE.3">
 <div class="label">3</div><div class="s1">The Day of the Lord</div><div class="p"> 1Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.</div><div class="p"> 3Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, &#8220;Where is this &#8216;coming&#8217; he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.&#8221; 5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God&#8217;s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.</div><div class="p"> 8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.</div><div class="p"> 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.#3:10 Some manuscripts be burned up</div><div class="p"> 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.#3:12 Or as you wait eagerly for the day of God to come That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.</div><div class="p"> 14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15Bear in mind that our Lord&#8217;s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.</div><div class="p"> 17Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.</div>
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 <div class="chapter ch1" data-usfm="JUD.1">
 <div class="label">1</div><div class="p"> 1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for#1:1 Or by; or in Jesus Christ:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 2Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.</div><div class="s1">The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People</div><div class="p"> 3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God&#8217;s holy people. 4For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about#1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.</div><div class="p"> 5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord#1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling&#8212;these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.</div><div class="p"> 8In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, &#8220;The Lord rebuke you!&#8221;#1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.). 10Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct&#8212;as irrational animals do&#8212;will destroy them.</div><div class="p"> 11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam&#8217;s error; they have been destroyed in Korah&#8217;s rebellion.</div><div class="p"> 12These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm&#8212;shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted&#8212;twice dead. 13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.</div><div class="p"> 14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: &#8220;See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.&#8221;#1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.) 16These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.</div><div class="s1">A Call to Persevere</div><div class="p"> 17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, &#8220;In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.&#8221; 19These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.</div><div class="p"> 20But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in God&#8217;s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.</div><div class="p"> 22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear&#8212;hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.#1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points.</div><div class="s1">Doxology</div><div class="p"> 24To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy&#8212; 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.</div>
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