What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

As Isaiah has said before, "Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah."

so that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name.

which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory.

For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn't receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

You are puffed up, and didn't rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.

But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;

When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me."

Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

I had no relief for my spirit, because I didn't find Titus, my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.

For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside.

This was not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack."

I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet however any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcision

Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman.

to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:

since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.

For this cause I also, when I couldn't stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ had come.

that they all might be judged who didn't believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn't profit them, because it wasn't mixed with faith by those who heard.

For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.

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

Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and an earthly sanctuary.

For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,

Or else wouldn't they have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins?

You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.

Previously saying, "Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn't desire, neither had pleasure in them" (those which are offered according to the law),

but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;

For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.

By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.

By faith, Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn't see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.

By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.

If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return.

By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son;

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

By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days.

These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn't receive the promise,

Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?

who in time past were no people, but now are God's people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.

They went out from us, but they didn't belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us.

Now I beg you, dear lady, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

I had many things to write to you, but I am unwilling to write to you with ink and pen;

His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters.

He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.

I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came forth conquering, and to conquer.

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come and see!" And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had.

The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him.

They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like those of lions.

They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war.

saying to the sixth angel who had one trumpet, "Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!"

The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind.

He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.

I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast.

I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.

He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.

They sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth.

Another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle.

Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Send forth your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth's grapes are fully ripe!"

The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out, clothed with pure, bright linen, and wearing golden sashes around their breasts.

The first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth, and it became a harmful and evil sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters,

They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!' For in one hour is she made desolate.

The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn't worship the beast nor his image, and didn't receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb's bride."

The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

He who spoke with me had for a measure, a golden reed, to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.

Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.