for we have known that all the creation doth groan together, and doth travail in pain together till now.

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

One man has faith to take all things as food: another who is feeble in faith takes only green food.

For you have grown rich in everything through union with him??n power of expression and in capacity for knowledge.

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;

Every one of you already has all that heart can desire; already you have grown rich; without waiting for us, you have ascended your thrones! Yes indeed, would to God that you had ascended your thrones, that we also might reign with you!

But I say this, believers: the time has been shortened, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they did not;

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of it.

If it is we who sowed the spiritual grain in you, is it a great thing that we should reap a temporal harvest from you?

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Brethren, be not children in your minds, but in malice be babes; but in your minds be grown men.

foolish as you are, the grain you sow, is not revived except it die.

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed [only] in Christ.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

And may he that supplies seed to the sower and bread for eating multiply your grain, and increase the products of your righteousness;

Be not tricked; God is not made sport of: for whatever seed a man puts in, that will he get back as grain.

And let us not get tired of well-doing; for at the right time we will get in the grain, if we do not give way to weariness.

until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at the full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ;

and the favour I ask of him is this, that your kindness to me may be crown'd with farther improvements in knowledge and all prudence;

and that most of the Christian brothers have grown confident enough, because of my imprisonment, to dare to tell God's message without being afraid.

All of us who are mature [pursuing spiritual perfection] should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude, that too God will make clear to you.

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

for which may my God crown all your desires with glory by Christ Jesus.

We proclaim Him, warning and instructing everyone in all wisdom [that is, with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God], so that we may present every person complete in Christ [mature, fully trained, and perfect in Him—the Anointed].

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

But refuse younger widows, for when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry;

For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

And if a man takes part in a competition he does not get the crown if he has not kept the rules.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Thou didst make him some little less than messengers, with glory and honour Thou didst crown him, and didst set him over the works of Thy hands,

But Jesus--who was made a little inferior to the angels in order that through God's grace He might taste death for every human being--we already see wearing a crown of glory and honour because of His having suffered death.

On this point I have a great deal to say, which it is hard to make intelligible to you. For you have grown dull of hearing.

but solid food belongs to full-grown men, who, on account of habit, have their senses exercised for distinguishing both good and evil.

for the law appointed frail mortals to be high priests, but the oracle pronounc'd with an oath, which was since the law, established the son, who is crown'd with immortal perfections.

In calling it a new covenant, he hath made the first antiquated. Now what is antiquated and grown aged, is near evanescence.

He then said, "Look, I have come to do what you want." [So], Christ takes away the first [i.e., the animal and grain sacrifices] in order to establish the second [i.e., the sacrifice of Himself].

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

whereas, he that attentively considers the perfect law of liberty, and is attach'd thereto, he is not a forgetful hearer, but reduces it to practice, and his conduct is crown'd with hapiness.

Thou seest that, his faith, had been working together with his works, and by his works did his faith become full-grown, -

For in many things we all offend. If anyone does not offend in word, the same is a full-grown man, able also to bridle the whole body.

And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.

See, the money which you falsely kept back from the workers cutting the grass in your field, is crying out against you; and the cries of those who took in your grain have come to the ears of the Lord of armies.

Groan not against one another, brethren, that ye be not condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door.

we pronounce those happy, who have so endur'd. you have heard of the constancy of Job, you know with what success he was crown'd by the Lord, who is all mercy and compassion.

and as newborn babes desire that reasonable milk which is without corruption, that ye may be grown therein.

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

And He is the One who provides a "covering over" [or atonement] for our sins [See Heb. 2:17; Dan. 9:24; II Chron. 29:24], and not for ours [who are already Christians] only, but also for the sins of the people of the whole world.

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

Alas for them! They have walked in the path of Cain; for the sake of gain they have rushed headlong into Balaam's error, and have perished in Koran's rebellion.

These people are like rotten spots [contaminating the food] at your love feasts, while they gorge themselves without fear [i.e., unashamed of their selfish indulgence]. [Note: This passage may mean "like selfish shepherds, looking out only for themselves, they eat the grain set out for the animals"]. They are like clouds that blow over without producing rain; [they are like] trees in the fall that do not produce any fruit and have been uprooted, [thus] being dead twice [i.e., fruitless and rootless].

and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name's sake, and hast not grown weary.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and am grown rich, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art the wretched and the miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

And a voice came to my ears, from the middle of the four beasts, saying, A measure of grain for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny: and see that you do no damage to the oil and the wine.

And when the Lamb broke open the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being saying [to the one on the pale green horse ?], "Come [out]."

And I looked, and behold, a pale green horse, and the one seated on it {was named} Death, and Hades followed after him. And authority was granted to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword and by famine and by pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

And the stars of heaven were falling to the earth, like green fruit from a tree before the force of a great wind.

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

And another [supernatural] sign was seen in heaven; it was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on each of his seven heads was a crown.

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

And another angel came out from the house of God, crying with a loud voice to him who was seated on the cloud, Put in your blade, and let the grain be cut: because the hour for cutting it is come; for the grain of the earth is over-ready.

And he who was seated on the cloud sent in his blade on the earth; and the grain of the earth was cut.

For all the nations have drunk
the wine of her sexual immorality,
which brings wrath.
The kings of the earth
have committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth
have grown wealthy from her excessive luxury.

cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves and human lives.

The merchants of these things, who have grown rich from her, will stand a long way off on account of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;

And they threw dust upon their heads, and cried out, weeping aloud and sorrowing. 'Alas, alas,' they said, 'for this great city, in which, through her vast wealth, the owners of all the ships on the sea have grown rich; because in one short hour she has been laid waste!'

And a strong angel took up a stone like the great stone with which grain is crushed, and sent it into the sea, saying, So, with a great fall, will Babylon, the great town, come to destruction, and will not be seen any more at all.

And the voice of players and makers of music will never again be sounding in you: and no worker, expert in art, will ever again be living in you; and there will be no sound of the crushing of grain any more at all in you;

the fifth was sardonyx [i.e., an orange-colored stone similar to chalcedony]; the sixth was sardius [i.e., a reddish-colored stone also called carnelian]; the seventh was chrysolite [i.e., a yellowish- or greenish-colored stone]; the eighth was beryl [i.e., a stone of bluish-green color]; the ninth was topaz [i.e., a yellow or bluish-yellow stone]; the tenth was chrysoprase [i.e., a stone of greenish-gold color]; the eleventh was jacinth [i.e., a stone of purple or reddish-blue color]; the twelfth was amethyst [i.e., a purple- or violet-colored stone].