Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh? Who is like you--glorious in holiness, awesome [in] praiseworthy actions, doing wonders?

Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, {even in the matter where they the Egyptians dealt arrogantly against the Israelites}."

but you, you will [belong] to me [as] a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you will speak to the {Israelites}."

For you [are] a holy people for Yahweh your God; Yahweh your God has chosen you to be for him a people, a treasured possession from [among] all the peoples that [are] on the face of the earth.

{When the Most High apportioned} [the] nations, at his dividing [up] of the sons of humankind, he fixed the boundaries of [the] peoples, according to the number of the children of Israel.

Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people concerning all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

But, if you do not listen to the voice of Yahweh, and you rebel against {what Yahweh says}, then the hand of Yahweh will be against you [as it was] against your ancestors. So then take your stand again and see this great thing that Yahweh [is going to] do before your eyes. read more. [Is] the wheat harvest not today? I will call out to Yahweh so that he still sends thunder and rain, so that you will know and will see that your wickedness [is] great that you have done in the eyes of Yahweh by asking for a king for yourselves." So Samuel called out to Yahweh, and Yahweh brought thunder and rain that [same] day, so all the people feared Yahweh and Samuel greatly. Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God so that we will not die, because we have added to all our sins by requesting a king for ourselves." And Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear! You have done all this evil; only do not turn aside from {following} Yahweh. But you must serve Yahweh with all your heart. And do not turn aside after the triviality, which have no value and cannot deliver, for they are triviality. For Yahweh will not forsake his people for the sake of his great name, because Yahweh has decided to make you his [own] people. Also, as for me, far be it from me {that I should sin} against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the good and righteous way. Only fear Yahweh and serve him faithfully with all of your heart. For consider {what great things he has done for you}. But if you continue to do wickedness, both you and your king will be swept away."

Then the earth shook and quaked, and [the] foundations of [the] mountains trembled, and they staggered because he was angry. Smoke went forth from his nose, and fire from his mouth consumed. Burning coals blazed from him. read more. So he bowed [the] heavens and came down with a thick cloud under his feet. And he mounted a cherub and flew, and he swooped down on wings of wind. He made darkness his hiding place; all about him his covering [was] a darkness of waters, {thick clouds}. From the brightness before him his clouds passed over [with] hail and coals of fire. And Yahweh thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice [with] hail and coals of fire. And he shot his arrows and scattered them, and many lightning bolts and routed them. Then the channels of [the] sea became visible, and [the] foundations of [the] world were uncovered by your rebuke, O Yahweh, by the {blast} of the wind of your nose.

Because the kingship belongs to Yahweh, and [he] rules over the nations.

O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through [the] desert, Selah [the] earth shook; [the] heavens also dripped [rain] at the presence of God who [was] at Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel. read more. You caused abundant rain to fall, O God. When your inheritance was weary you revived it. Your community dwelled in it. You provided in your goodness for the poor, O God. The Lord gives [the] word. Great is the company of women who announce: "[The] kings of armies flee, they flee, and she [who] remains at home divides [the] spoil. Though you [men] lie down between the sheepfolds, [you will be like the] wings of a dove covered in silver and its pinions in yellow gold." When Shaddai scattered kings on it, on Zalmon it snowed. A mountain of God [is] the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of [many] peaks [is] the mountain of Bashan. Why do you look with hostility, O many-peaked mountains? This mountain God desires for his dwelling. Yes, Yahweh will abide [in it] forever. The chariots of God [are] twice ten thousand, [with] thousands doubled. The Lord [is] among them [at] Sinai, distinctive [in victory]. You have ascended on high; you have led away captives. You have received gifts [from] among humankind, and even [from the] rebellious, so that Yah God may dwell [there].

In the year of the death of Uzziah the king, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and raised throne, and the hem of his robe [was] filling the temple. Seraphs [were] standing above him. {Each had six wings}: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. read more. And the one called to the other and said, "Holy, holy, holy [is] Yahweh of hosts! The {whole earth is full of his glory}."

You have made the nation numerous; you have not made the joy great. They rejoice in your presence as [with] joy at the harvest, as they rejoice when they divide plunder.

{His dominion will grow continually, and to peace there will be no end} on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and sustain it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.

And a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from its roots will bear fruit. And the spirit of Yahweh shall rest on him-- a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh. read more. And his {breath} [is] in the fear of Yahweh. And he shall judge not by his eyesight, and he shall rebuke not by {what he hears with} his ears. But he shall judge [the] poor with righteousness, and he shall decide for [the] needy of [the] earth with rectitude. And he shall strike [the] earth with the rod of his mouth, and he shall kill [the] wicked person with the breath of his lips. And righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. And a wolf shall {stay} with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie down with a kid, and a calf and a lion and a fatling together {as a small boy leads} them. And a cow and a bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together. And a lion shall eat straw like the cattle. And {an infant} shall play over a serpent's hole, and {a toddler} shall put his hand on a viper's hole. They will not injure and they will not destroy on all of my {holy mountain}, for the earth will be full [of the] knowledge [of] Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea. And this shall happen on that day: [the] nations shall inquire of the root of Jesse, which shall be standing as a signal to [the] peoples, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Look! The day of Yahweh [is] coming, cruel and wrath and [the] burning [of] anger, to make the earth a desolation, and he will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will keep back when it comes out, and [the] moon will not cause its light to shine.

An oracle of Egypt: Look! Yahweh [is] riding on a swift cloud and [is] coming [to] Egypt. And the idols of Egypt will tremble in front of him, and the heart of Egypt melts in his inner parts. "And I will stir up {Egyptians} against {Egyptians}, and each one will fight against his brother and each one against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

and all the host of heaven shall rot. And the skies shall roll up like scroll, and all their host shall wither like the withering of a leaf from a vine, or like [the] withering from a fig tree. When my sword is drenched in the heavens, look! It will descend upon Edom, and upon the people of my ban, for judgment.

[He is] the one who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants [are] like grasshoppers; the one who stretches out [the] heavens like a veil and spreads them out like tent to live [in],

For look! I [am] about to create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered, and they shall not {come to mind}.

"For just as the new heavens and earth that I [am] about to make shall stand before me," {declares} Yahweh, "so shall your descendants and your name stand.

But they will serve Yahweh their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying}, "Son of man, look! The house of Israel [is] saying, 'The vision that he [is] seeing [is] for many days [from now], and for distant times he [is] prophesying.' read more. Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "None of my words will [be] prolonged any longer that I speak [as] a word, and it will be fulfilled!" '" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

And I will set up over them one shepherd, and he will feed them; [that is], my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be for them as a shepherd.

" '"And my servant David [will be] king over them, and one shepherd will be for all of them, and in my regulations they will go, and my statutes they will observe, and they will do them.

And he changes the times and the seasons, and he deposes kings and he sets up kings; he gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to [men who] know understanding.

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold {all at once} broke into pieces and they became like chaff from the summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them away and any trace of them could not be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and it filled the whole earth.

and you will be driven away from {human society} and your dwelling [will be] with the animals of the field and they will cause you to graze [the] grass like oxen, and seven times will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High [is] sovereign over the kingdom of humankind and that he gives it to whom he wills.'

"{I continued watching} until thrones were placed and an Ancient of Days sat; his clothing [was] like white snow and the hair of his head [was] like pure wool and his throne [was] a flame of fire and its wheels [were] burning fire. A stream of fire issued forth and flowed {from his presence}; thousands [upon] thousands served him and ten thousand [upon] ten thousand stood before him. The judge sat, and [the] books were opened. read more. "{I continued watching} then because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn [who was] speaking; {I continued watching} until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given [over] to burning with fire. And [as for] the remainder of the beasts, {their dominion was taken away}, but a prolongation {of their life} was given to them for a season and a time. "{I continued watching} in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven [one] like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and {was presented} before him.

"{I continued watching} in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven [one] like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and {was presented} before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages [would] serve him; his dominion [is] a dominion {without end} that will not cease, and his kingdom [is one] that will not be destroyed.

And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages [would] serve him; his dominion [is] a dominion {without end} that will not cease, and his kingdom [is one] that will not be destroyed.

Afterward the children of Israel will return and seek Yahweh their God and David their king. They will come in fear to Yahweh and to his goodness at the end of days.

"Are you not like the Cushites to me, O people of Israel?" {declares} Yahweh. "Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt and [the] Philistines from Caphtor and {the Arameans} from Kir?

And it will be [that] at the end of those days, the mountain of Yahweh will be established as the highest of the mountains, and it will be lifted up above the hills, and people will stream to it. And many nations will come and say, "Come! Let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the {temple} of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths," for the law will go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. read more. And he will judge between many peoples and will arbitrate for strong nations far away; and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up a sword against a nation, and they will no longer learn war. But they will sit, each under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the mouth of Yahweh of hosts has spoken. For all the nations walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God, forever and ever.

"Therefore, wait for me"--a declaration of Yahweh-- "for the day of my rising as a witness. For my decision [is] to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out my wrath upon them, all my burning anger. For by the fire of my anger all the land shall be consumed.

And Yahweh will be king over all the earth; on that day Yahweh will be one and his name one.

From that time [on], Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near."

"Blessed [are] the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed [are] those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

For I say to you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses [that] of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Now [when] John heard in prison the deeds of Christ, he sent [word] by his disciples [and] said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" read more. And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Go [and] tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news announced to [them]. And whoever is not offended by me is blessed."

Truly I say to you, among [those] born of women there has not arisen [one] greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

And he answered [and] said, "Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.

Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like young children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven!

And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that in the renewal [of the world], when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me--you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that in the renewal [of the world], when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me--you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

"Now what do you think? A man had two sons. [He] approached the first [and] said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.' And he answered [and] said, 'I do not want to!' But later [he] changed his mind [and] went. read more. And [he] approached the second [and] said the same [thing]. So he answered [and] said, 'I [will], sir,' and he did not go. Which of the two did the will of [his] father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God! For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And [when] you saw [it], you did not even change your minds later [so as] to believe in him.

For this [reason], I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who produce its fruits.

And continuing, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man--a king--who gave a wedding celebration for his son. read more. And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened [cattle] have been slaughtered, and everything [is] ready. Come to the wedding celebration!" ' But they paid no attention [and] went away--this one to his own field, that one to his business. And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated [them] and killed [them]. And the king was angry and sent his troops [and] destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. Therefore, go out to the [places where] the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many [people] as you find.' And those slaves went out into the roads [and] gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled {with dinner guests}. But [when] the king came in to see the {dinner guests}, he saw a man there not dressed [in] wedding clothes. And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?' But {he could say nothing}. Then the king said to the servants, 'Tie him up {hand and foot} [and] throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!' For many are called but few [are] chosen."

And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Watch out that no one deceives you! For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will deceive many. read more. And you are going to hear about wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in [various] places. But all these [things] [are] the beginning of birth pains. "Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name. And then many will be led into sin and will betray one another and will hate one another, and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many, and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end--this person will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken about by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place" (let the one who reads understand), "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! The one who is on his housetop must not come down to take things out of his house, and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak. And woe to those {who are pregnant} and to those who are nursing [their babies] in those days! But pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath. For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen. And unless those days had been shortened, {no human being would be saved}. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. "At that time if anyone should say to you, 'Behold, here [is] the Christ,' or 'Here [he is],' do not believe [him]! For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you ahead of time! Therefore if they say to you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out, [or] 'Behold, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe [it]! For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. "And immediately after the tribulation of those days, 'the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.'

"And immediately after the tribulation of those days, 'the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.'

"And immediately after the tribulation of those days, 'the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.' And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from [one] end of heaven to the [other] end of it.

And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from [one] end of heaven to the [other] end of it.

But I tell you, from now [on] I will never drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father."

But I tell you, from now [on] I will never drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father."

And [as he] was passing by along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting [a net] into the sea (for they were fishermen).

And he said, "The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground. And he sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows--{he does not know how}. read more. By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he sends [in] the sickle right away, because the harvest has come."

But it is not like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be most prominent among you must be the slave of all.

Truly I say to you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine any longer until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed [be] the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited to help and {has redeemed} his people, read more. and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times-- salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us, to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us [that] we, being rescued from the hand of [our] enemies, could serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the merciful compassion of our God by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace."

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem {whose name was} Simeon, and this man [was] righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit [that he would] not see death before he would see the Lord's Christ. read more. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus so that they could do for him according to what was customary under the law, he took him in [his] arms and praised God and said, "Now dismiss your slave in peace, Lord, according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory to your people Israel." And his father and mother were astonished at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed!" And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher (she was advanced {in years}, having lived with [her] husband seven years {after her marriage}, and herself [as] a widow up to eighty-four years) who did not depart from the temple with fastings and prayers, serving night and day. And at [that] same hour she approached [and] began to give thanks to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

But when you are invited, go [and] recline at the table in the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then it will be an honor to you in the presence of all those who are reclining at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." read more. And he also said to the one who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, lest they also invite you [in return], and repayment come to you. But whenever you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they are not able to repay you. For it will be paid back to you at the resurrection of the righteous." Now [when] one of those reclining at the table with [him] heard these [things], he said to him, "Blessed [is] {everyone who} will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" But he said to him, "A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many. And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, 'Come, because now it is ready!' And they all {alike} began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field, and {I must} go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.' And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and for this [reason] I am not able to come.' And the slave came [and] reported these [things] to his master. Then the master of the house became angry [and] said to his slave, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame!' And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and press [them] to come in, so that my house will be filled! For I say to you that none of those persons who were invited will taste my banquet!'"

Now [when he] was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with {things that can be observed},

Now [when he] was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with {things that can be observed},

And in the same way the cup after [they] had eaten, saying, "This cup [is] the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God."

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.

And he said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world.

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Sanctify them in the truth--your word is truth.

Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here."

Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here." Then Pilate said to him, "So then you are a king!" Jesus replied, "You say that I am a king. For this [reason] I was born, and for this reason I have come into the world: in order that I can testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice."

Then Pilate said to him, "So then you are a king!" Jesus replied, "You say that I am a king. For this [reason] I was born, and for this reason I have come into the world: in order that I can testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice."

whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all [things], about which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times.

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

And in a short time the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Neither sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor passive homosexual partners, nor dominant homosexual partners, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, not drunkards, not abusive persons, not swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

For it is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed, in this [house] we groan, [because we] desire to put on our dwelling from heaven, read more. if indeed, even [after we] have taken [it] off, we will not be found naked. For indeed we who are in this tent groan, being burdened {for this reason, that} we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has prepared us for this very [thing] [is] God, who has given us the down payment, the Spirit. Therefore, [although we are] always confident and know that [while we] are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we live by faith, not by sight-- so we are confident and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore indeed we have as our ambition, whether at home [in the body] or absent [from the body], to be acceptable to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one may receive back the [things] through the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, [things] which I am telling you [in advance], just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

For this you know {for certain}, that every sexually immoral [person], or unclean [person], or greedy [person] (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light, who has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred [us] to the kingdom of the Son {he loves},

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose [again], thus also God will bring those who have fallen asleep through Jesus together with him. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the Lord's coming, will not possibly precede those who have fallen asleep. read more. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Now we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to him, that you not be easily shaken from your composure, nor be troubled either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter {alleged to be from us}, to the effect that the day of the Lord has arrived. read more. Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and who exalts himself over every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God. Do you not remember that [while] we were still with you, we were saying these [things] to you? And you know that which restrains [him] now, so that he will be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is at work already; only the one who now restrains [will do so] until he is out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth, and wipe out by the appearance of his coming, whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with every unrighteous deception against those who are perishing, in place of which they did not accept the love of the truth, so that they would be saved. And because of this, God sends them {a powerful delusion} so that they will believe the lie, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but delighted in unrighteousness.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will save [me] for his heavenly kingdom, to whom [be] the glory {forever and ever}. Amen.

In calling [it] new, he has declared the former [to be old]. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old [is] near to disappearing.

In calling [it] new, he has declared the former [to be old]. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old [is] near to disappearing.

But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to tens of thousands of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous [people] made perfect, read more. and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and {to the sprinkled blood} that speaks better than Abel's [does].

Therefore, [since we] are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be thankful, through which let us serve God acceptably, with awe and reverence.

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. By this we know that we are of the truth and will convince our heart before him,

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, in order that we may know the one who is true, and we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life.