peace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall see the Lord,

See to it that no one falls short of God’s grace; that no root of resentment springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;

And a trumpets peal, - and a sound of things spoken: - from which they who heard excused themselves, lest there should be added to them, a word;

and to the church of the firstborn ones [i.e., those who have received an inheritance from their Father], whose names are recorded in heaven. [See Luke 10:20]. [You have come] to God, who is the Judge of all people, and to the spirits of righteous people who have become [morally] perfect [i.e., that great company of God's people who have gone on to their heavenly reward],

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe;

Let your love for the Brethren continue. :24 Give our greeting to all your Leaders, and to all Christ's People. Our friends from Italy send their greetings to you.

Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee.

Do not be drawn aside by all sorts of strange teaching; for it is well to have the heart made stedfast through God's grace, and not by special kinds of food, from which those who scrupulously attend to them have derived no benefit.

We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle (sacred tent) have no right to eat.

And for this reason Jesus also, in order, by His own blood, to set the people free from sin, suffered outside the gate.

So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His contempt [the disgrace and shame that He had to suffer].

Through him let us offer, as our sacrifice, continual praise to God--an offering from lips that glorify his Name.

Make prayers for us, for we are certain that our hearts are free from the sense of sin, desiring the right way of life in all things.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

perfect you in every good work, in order that you may do his will, working in you that which is acceptable in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory from age to age. Amen.

Notice that our brother Timothy has been released [from prison]. If he comes soon, I will see you [along with him].

Salute all your leaders, and all the saints. They from Italy salute you.

Grace be with you all. Amen. {Here ends the Epistle unto the Hebrews, Sent from Italy by Timothy}

From: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. To: The twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings.

My Brothers, whatever may be the temptations that beset you from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,

and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him;

for let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord;

(1:7) unreliable in every step he takes, must not expect to get anything from the Lord.

And the wealthy person [should be happy] that he is humbled [by God], because he will pass away like a flower [blossoming] from grass.

For when the sun comes up with its burning heat, the grass gets dry and the grace of its form is gone with the falling flower; so the man of wealth comes to nothing in his ways.

Blessed is the man who remains firm under temptation, for, when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Let no one say, being tempted -- 'From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,

And each is tempted from his own lust, being drawn out, and decoyed.

Do not be turned from the right way, dear brothers.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Therefore, you should put away [from you] all moral filth and overflowing wickedness and humbly receive the word [of God], planted within you [by the Holy Spirit. See John 16:8], which is capable of saving your souls.

for a bare auditor without practice is like one who sees his image form'd by a mirror:

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

then you will have made false distinctions among yourselves and will have judged from evil motives, will you not?

For he who said, "You must not commit adultery," said also, "You must not commit murder." Now if you abstain from adultery, but commit murder, you are still a violator of the Law.

and one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what is the profit?

Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?

Was not Abraham our father made righteous from works, having offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?

Do you see how faith worked with his works, and from the works faith was made complete?

Therefore ye see that man is justified from works, and not from faith alone.

And likewise also was not Rahab the harlot made righteous from works, having received the agents, and having sent them out another way?

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell.

By that we give praises to God the father: and that pronounces curses even against men, who are form'd after the divine resemblance.

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these [things] ought not to be so!

Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter?

Is a fig-tree able to give us olives, my brothers, or do we get figs from a vine, or sweet water from the salt sea?

Who [then] is the wise and understanding person among you? He should show by his good conduct [that he has] deeds of gentleness [stemming] from wisdom.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

[When] you do ask, you do not receive it, because you ask from wrong motives, [just] so you can satisfy your own pleasures.

Do you suppose there is no meaning in the passage of Scripture which asks--'Is envy to result from the longings of the Spirit which God has implanted within you?'

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Make your hands clean, you evil-doers; put away deceit from your hearts, you false in mind.

Look! The wages that you have [fraudulently] withheld from the laborers who have mowed your fields are crying out [against you for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

So wait patiently, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits [expectantly] for the precious harvest from the land, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains.

Be longsuffering, ye also; make your hearts firm: for the arrival of the Lord has drawn near.

Stop muttering against one another, brothers, so as to keep from being judged yourselves. Look! The Judge is standing at the very door.

In illustration, brethren, of persecution patiently endured take the Prophets who have spoken as messengers from the Lord.

Behold, we consider blessed those who have endured. You have heard about the patient endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Above all, my brothers, stop swearing, either by heaven or by the earth, or by anything else. Let your "Yes" mean Yes, and your "No," No, so as to keep from falling under condemnation.

And if their prayer is [offered] by faith, [God] will heal the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up [from his sickbed]. And if he had sinned, he will be forgiven for them [Note: This may imply that the man's sickness was the result of some sin. In any event, his forgiveness would follow his repentance].

So, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another to be healed [from sin sickness]. The special request of a righteous person is empowered with [great] effectiveness.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

From: Peter, an apostle of Jesus, the Messiah.

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be yours in increasing abundance [as you walk closely with God].

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

At the thought of this you are full of exultation, though (if it has been necessary) you have suffered for the moment somewhat from various trials;

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

but in your whole life show yourselves to be holy, after the pattern of the Holy One from whom you received your Call.

because it is written [Lev. 11:44f], "You shall be holy [i.e., separated from sin] even as I am holy."

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

foreknown, indeed, from a founding of a world, but manifested in the end of the times for you,

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:

for you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God.

For all forms of flesh are similar to grass, and all the splendor of [a person's] flesh is like the flower [which blossoms] from the grass. [But as with] grass, [a person's flesh] withers, and its flower [i.e., his splendor] falls off.

Free yourselves, therefore, from all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of any kind,

and, as living stones, form yourselves into a spiritual House, to be a consecrated Priesthood, for the offering of spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

but you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people; that you should declare the perfections of him who has called you from darkness into his marvelous light:

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

having your deportment beautiful among the Gentiles: in order that in whatsoever they calumniate you as evil doers, seeing from your beautiful works, they may glorify God in the day of his visitation.

Be subject therefore to every human form of government, for the Lord's sake: whether it be to a king as supreme;

Servants, take orders from your masters with all respect; not only if they are good and gentle, but even if they are bad-humoured.

For it brings favor if, mindful of God’s will, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly.

For what glory is it if you patiently endure while sinning and being buffeted? But if you suffer while doing good, and patiently endure, this is a grace from God.

For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps.

He never sinned, and no deceitful language was ever heard from His mouth.

To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:

Who, our sins, himself, bare up, in his body, unto the tree, in order that we, from our sins getting away, in righteousness, might live, - by whose stripes, ye have been healed;

Married women, in the same way, be submissive to your husbands, so that even if some of them disbelieve the Message, they may, apart from the Message, be won over by the daily life of their wives, after watching your daily life--

They were submissive to their husbands, as Sarah, for example, obeyed Abraham and called him master. You have become true daughters of hers, if you practice doing right and cease from every fear.

And you husbands, give thought to your way of life with your wives, giving honour to the woman who is the feebler vessel, but who has an equal part in the heritage of the grace of life; so that you may not be kept from prayer.

and never return evil for evil or insult for insult [avoid scolding, berating, and any kind of abuse], but on the contrary, give a blessing [pray for one another’s well-being, contentment, and protection]; for you have been called for this very purpose, that you might inherit a blessing [from God that brings well-being, happiness, and protection].

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: