for they were especially saddened at his saying that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

So as he would not yield, we gave up urging him, and said, "The Lord's will be done!"

Then Paul joined the men and went through the rites of purification with them and the next day went to the Temple to give notice of the time when, upon the offering of the sacrifice for each one of them, their days of purification would be over.

As the dispute was becoming violent, the colonel began to be afraid that they would tear Paul in pieces, and ordered the soldiers to go down and get him away from them and bring him into the barracks.

and found that their accusations had to do with questions about their Law, but that he was not charged with anything that would call for his death or imprisonment.

I was at a loss as to how to investigate such matters, and I asked him if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges there.

To this day I have had God's help and I stand here to testify to high and low alike, without adding a thing to what Moses and the prophets declared would happen,

"In a hurry or not," said Paul, "I would to God that not only you, but all who hear me today, might be what I am??xcept for these chains!"

Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.

that creation itself would be set free from its bondage to decay, and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.

As Isaiah foretold, "If the Lord of Hosts had not left us children, We would have been like Sodom, and have resembled Gomorrah!"

Moses said that anyone who carried out the uprightness the Law prescribed would find life through it.

But if it is by his mercy, it is not for anything they have done. Otherwise, his mercy would not be mercy at all.

By the favor that God has shown me, I would tell every one of you not to think too highly of himself, but to think reasonably, judging himself by the degree of faith God has allowed him.

so that, as the Scripture says, "Let him who would boast, boast of the Lord!"

Yet there is a wisdom that we impart when we are with people who have a mature faith, but it is not what this world calls wisdom, nor what the authorities of this world, doomed as they are to pass away, would call so.

It is a wisdom unknown to any of the authorities of this world, for otherwise they would never have crucified our glorious Lord.

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people??10 not that you are to have nothing whatever to do with the immoral people of the world, any more than with its greedy and grasping people or idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world altogether.

To all who are unmarried and to widows, I would say this: It is an excellent thing if they can remain single as I am.

To other people I would say, though not as Christ's command, if a Christian has a wife who is not a believer, and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her,

For the husband who is not a believer is consecrated through union with his wife, and the woman who is not a believer is consecrated through union with her Christian husband, for otherwise your children would be unblessed, but, as it is, they are consecrated.

But if you do marry, there is no sin in that. And if a girl marries, it is no sin. But those who marry will have worldly trouble, which I would like to spare you.

For I would not have you forget, brothers, that though our forefathers were all protected by the cloud, and all passed safely through the sea,

But if we recognized our own condition, we would not incur this judgment.

You know that when you were heathen you would stray off, as impulse directed, to idols that could not speak.

If all the body were eye, how would we hear? If it were all ear, how could we have a sense of smell?

If they were all one part, where would the body be?

But in public worship I would rather say five words with my understanding so as to instruct others also than ten thousand words in an ecstasy.

This is what I said in my letter, so that I might avoid coming and having my feelings hurt by the very people who might have been expected to make me happy, for I felt sure about you all, that what made me happy would make you all happy.

For that is why I wrote you??o find out how you would stand the test, and see if you would obey me absolutely.

I disown disgraceful, underhanded ways. I refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's message. It is by the open statement of the truth that I would commend myself to every human conscience in the sight of God.

I wish you would put up with a little folly from me. Do put up with it!

I repeat, no one should think me a fool, but if you do, show me at least the patience you would show a fool, and let me have my little boast like the others.

When I boast in this reckless way, I do not say what I am saying for the Lord, but as a fool would talk.

For what is there in which the other churches had the better of you, except in the fact that I would not permit myself to be a burden to you? You must forgive me that wrong!

Is that appealing to men's weaknesses, or to God? Is that trying to suit men? If I were still doing that, I would be no slave of Christ.

The Scripture foresaw that God would accept the heathen as upright in consequence of their faith, and preached the good news in advance to Abraham in the words, "All the heathen will be blessed through you."

Is the Law then contrary to God's promises? By no means. For if a law had been given that could have brought life, uprightness would really have come through law.

What has become of that satisfaction of yours? For I can bear witness that you would have torn out your very eyes, if you could, and given them to me!

I wish the people who are upsetting you would go on, and have themselves emasculated!

But immorality or any form of vice or greed must not be so much as mentioned among you; that would not be becoming in God's people.

You who are slaves, obey your earthly masters, in reverence and awe, with sincerity of heart, as you would the Christ,

For I have no one like him who would take such a real interest in you.

They would like to be teachers of law although they do not understand the words they use or the matters they insist upon.

but God had mercy on me in order that in my case as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display his perfect patience, as an example to those who would later believe in him and find eternal life.

So I would have young women marry and have children and keep house and avoid giving our opponents any excuse for abusing us.

For this reason I would remind you to rekindle the divine gift that you received when I laid my hands upon you.

I would have liked to keep him with me, to wait on me in your place while I am in prison for the good news,

So if you regard me as a comrade, welcome him as you would me.

For if Joshua had really brought them rest God would not afterward have spoken of another day.

Now if anything final had been really accomplished through the Levitical priesthood, for even the giving of the Law was based upon it, what further need would there have been of appointing a different priest of the priesthood of Melchizedek, instead of choosing one of the priesthood of Aaron?

Further, if he were still on earth, he would not be a priest at all, for there are priests enough provided to offer the gifts the Law prescribes??5 though the service they engage in is only a shadow and imitation of that in heaven. For when Moses was going to make the tent of worship he was warned, "Be sure to make it all just like the pattern you were shown on the mountain."

For if that first agreement had been perfect, there would have been no occasion for a second one.

Not like the one that I made with their forefathers, On the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out from the land of Egypt, For they would not abide by their agreement with me, So I paid no attention to them,' says the Lord.

for then he would have had to suffer death over and over, ever since the creation of the world. But, as it is, once for all at the close of the age he has appeared, to put an end to sin by his sacrifice.

Otherwise, would they not have ceased to offer these sacrifices, because those who offered them, having once been purified, would have had no further consciousness of sin?

but without faith it is impossible to please him; for whoever would approach God must have faith in his existence and in his willingness to reward those who try to find him.

Faith made even Sarah herself able to have a child, although she was past the time of life for it, because she thought, that he who had made the promise would keep it.

And if it had been the country from which they had come to which their thoughts turned back, they would have found an opportunity to return to it.

Faith led Moses' parents to hide him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and they would not respect the edict of the king.

And why should I go on? For my time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,

Think of the opposition that he encountered from those sinners against themselves, if you would not grow weary and faint-hearted.

Take care not to refuse to listen to him who is speaking. For if they could not escape because they would not listen to him who warned them here on earth, how much less can we, who reject him who is from heaven!

Obey your leaders and give way to them, for they are keeping watch in defense of your souls, as men accountable for the trust. Make their work a joy and not a grief, for that would be the worse for you.

For "Let him who would enjoy life And see happy days, Keep his tongue from evil, And his lips from uttering deceit.

For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of uprightness than after knowing it to have turned their backs upon the sacred command with which they had been intrusted.

They have gone out from our number, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had, they would have stayed with us. It was to make it clear that none of them really belonged to us that they withdrew.

Though I have a great deal to write to you, I would rather not write it with paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you, and talk with you face to face, so that your happiness may be complete.

but at the time when the seventh angel spoke, when he should blow his trumpet, then God's mysterious purpose, the good news of which he gave to his slaves the prophets, would be accomplished.

and they were dreadfully scorched, but they reviled the name of God who had control of these plagues, and would not repent and give him glory.

and reviled the God of heaven for their sufferings and sores, but they would not repent of what they had done.

Then I saw thrones with beings seated on them, who were empowered to act as judges. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus and the message of God, who refused to worship the animal and its statue, and would not have its mark put on their foreheads or on their hands. They were restored to life and reigned with the Christ a thousand years.