When God speaks of “A new covenant,” He makes the first one obsolete. And whatever is becoming obsolete (out of use, annulled) and growing old is ready to disappear.

For it is the ripe time for the judgment to begin with the house of God; but, if first with us, what shall be the end of them who yield not unto the glad-message of God?

The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head.

And another agent came out from the temple, crying out in a great voice to him who sits on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle and reap, because the hour has come to reap, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.

Epaphras, who is one of you and a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is] always striving for you in his prayers, praying with genuine concern, [pleading] that you may [as people of character and courage] stand firm, [spiritually mature] and fully assured in all the will of God.

And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, and said, "Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the earth: for her grapes are ripe."

The ripe fruit of your soul's desire has gone from you, all your luxury and splendor have perished from your hands, and people will never find them again.

who, in God's power, are being guarded through faith unto salvation - ready to be revealed in the last ripe time:

"The time is ripe and the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe in the good news."

harvest of the earth is ripe." so he that sat on the cloud, stretch'd out his sickle to the earth; and the earth was reaped.

but as soon as the fruit is ripe, the sickle is applied, because the harvest is come.

And what if God, though wishing to display His anger and make known His power, yet, has most patiently borne with the objects of His anger, already ripe for destruction,

Are you not [always] saying, 'There are still four months before harvest time comes'? Look, I am telling you [disciples], lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white and ripe for harvest [i.e., people are ready to make a spiritual response].

& 23] Vanished the ripe fruit of thy soul's desire! Perished thy luxury and splendour! Never again to be seen.

and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as the fig-tree sheddeth her early ripe figs when shaken by a mighty wind:

Brethren, do not prove yourselves to be children in your minds. As regards evil, indeed, be utter babes, but as regards your minds prove yourselves to be men of ripe years.

for the government of the world when the times are ripe for it--the purpose which He has cherished in His own mind of restoring the whole creation to find its one Head in Christ; yes, things in Heaven and things on earth, to find their one Head in Him.

He was saying to them, “The harvest is abundant [for there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers [those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore, [prayerfully] ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.

Go up to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come.”

Yet we do speak wisdom among those spiritually mature [believers who have teachable hearts and a greater understanding]; but [it is a higher] wisdom not [the wisdom] of this present age nor of the rulers and leaders of this age, who are passing away;

And first seats in synagogues, and first place at tables in first meals:

And it exercises all the authority of the first beast before it. And it made the earth and those who dwell in it, so that they would worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

so that we who were the first to hope in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him as our Lord and Savior] would exist to the praise of His glory.

And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth were vanished away, and there was no more sea.

But a great number who are first will be last: and those who are last will be first.

But many [who are] first will be last, and the last first.

Thus the last will be first and the first last."

Now when he came back from the dead early on the first day of the week, he went first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had sent out seven evil spirits.

So keep in mind where you were at first, and be changed in heart and do the first works; or I will come to you, and will take away your light from its place, if your hearts are not changed.

And himself is the head of the body -- the assembly -- who is a beginning, a first-born out of the dead, that he might become in all things -- himself -- first,

But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].

Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and who love salutations in the market-places, and first seats in the synagogues, and first places at suppers;

and what heightens his love, was this, that it was not we who first loved God, but it was he that first loved us, and sent his son to expiate our sins.

And dearly love the first couch in the chief meals, and the first seats in the synagogues,

Now I will give you my opinion on this matter. For this is for your interest, because you were not only the first to do anything about it, but the first to want to do so; you started it a year ago.

[And] by being given [power] to perform these signs in the sight of the [first] beast, he deceived the people on earth. He told them to make a statue to [honor] the [first] beast, who had been wounded by a sword and yet lived [through it].

Now the [second] beast was given [the power] to give breath to the statue of the [first] beast, so that it could both speak and cause all those who refused to worship the statue of the [first] beast to be killed.

Now on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread [i.e., the first day of Passover week], His disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover meal?"

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the first, and love the other, or he will adhere to the first, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.

"Every person who divorces his wife and marries another woman becomes sexually unfaithful to her [i.e., because he is still regarded by God as married to his first wife. See Matt. 19:9]. And the person who marries someone who has been divorced by her husband commits sexual sin with her [i.e., because she is still rightfully married to her first husband].

And having come through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and having come out, they came on to the first street; and the angel immediately departed from him.

And every one that has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundred fold, and shall inherit eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

[But] how can they appeal to Him if they have not [first] believed in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have not [first] heard [about Him]? And how can they hear [about Him] if there is no preacher?

No domestic can serve two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the other, or he will adhere to the first and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.

(But what does "He ascended" mean if not that He also [first] descended to the lower parts of the earth [i.e., to the earth below]? [Note: Of the three principal interpretations given to this verse: a) Christ descended to earth, b) Christ descended to the grave, c) Christ descended to Mary's womb. The first is to be preferred. See John 3:13; 6:38, 62].

This is the first resurrection. Happy and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on these the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

The first account which I drew up, Theophilus, dealt with all that Jesus did and taught from the very first,

In my vision, when the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals, I heard the first of the four animals say with a voice like thunder, "Come!"

So they went out, and ran from the tomb, for they were trembling and amazed; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid??9 Now after his resurrection, early on the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons.

For those whom God chose from the first he also destined from the first to be transformed into likeness to his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest among many Brothers.

As for you, let what you were told at the first be always in your thoughts. If, then, what you were told at the first is always in your thoughts, you yourselves will maintain your union both with the Son and with the Father.

See then that the time has come for you to be awake from sleep: for now is your salvation nearer than when you first had faith.

Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

the first he met was his own brother Simon, to whom he said, "we have found the Messias," that is to say, the Christ.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

And the first sounded, and there occurred hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth. And the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burn

In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

and said to him, 'tis usual to present the best wine first, and afterwards the worse, when the guests have drank pretty freely: but you have reserved the best wine to the last.

thus was the first miracle of Jesus wrought at Cana in Galilee, by which he displayed his power; and his disciples believed on him.

Whenever I go to Spain (for it is my hope to see you on my way, and to be sent on there by you, if first I may in some measure have been comforted by your company)--

which has come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and spreading [by God’s power], just as it has been doing among you ever since the day you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and deeply acquainted with it].

Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?

And say a kind word to the church which is in their house. Give my love to my dear Epaenetus, who is the first fruit of Asia to Christ.

But when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Honour thy father and thy mother, - which indeed is the first commandment with promise,

On account of your contribution unto the glad-message, from the first day until the present:

These are men who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were out of men purchased by Jesus, a first fruit to God and to the Lamb.

And the first went and poured out his bowl into the earth, and a bad and evil sore developed upon the men who have the mark of the beast and who worship its image.

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

(for a messenger went down at certain times into the pool, and agitated the water: the first then that stepped in after this commotion of the water, was cured of whatever disease he had.)

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

For first of all, it has come to my ears that when you come together in the church, there are divisions among you, and I take the statement to be true in part.

Again, he sent other servants more in number than the first: and they did the same to them.

The angels also, which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day:

For the Lord Himself, at the summons sounded by the archangel's call and by God's trumpet, will come down from heaven, and first of all the dead in union with Christ will rise,

Now there were among us seven brothers; and the first was married and at his death, having no seed, gave his wife to his brother;

and from Jesus Christ which is a faithful witness, and first begotten of the dead: and Lord over the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. That thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the congregations which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."

This is the first and greatest rule.

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet, even as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, "Fear not. I am the first and the last,

"And unto the angel of the congregation of Smyrna write, 'These things saith he that is first, and the last, which was dead and is alive:

I know thy works and thy love, service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy deeds, which are more at the last than at the first.

You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean.

But all these things are the first of the troubles.

After this I looked, and behold a door was open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, "Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be fulfilled hereafter.

And the first beast was like a lion, the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties, prayers, and thanksgiving be offered for all men,

For Adam was formed first, and then Eve;

They, too, should first be tested till approved, and then, if they are found above reproach, they should serve as deacons.

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in the treatment of their own families, and to pay the debt they owe their parents or grandparents, for this is acceptable to God.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second.

Now even a first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this world.

For there was a tabernacle prepared, the first, wherein were the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the Holy place.

on the contrary, you know that although it was illness which brought about my preaching the gospel to you at my first visit,

Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services;