seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before, that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.

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.

So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God.

Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.

I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare;

As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any "good news" other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

But when I saw that they didn't walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?

Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified?

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn't say, "To seeds," as of many, but as of one, "To your seed," which is Christ.

What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise.

which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,

and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

But I have all things, and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.

Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.

As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God.

Now she who is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day.

Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.

I command you in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.

Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy;

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my Good News,

Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don't argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.

I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you;

One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons."

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;

But which of the angels has he told at any time, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?"

For most certainly, he doesn't give help to angels, but he gives help to the seed of Abraham.

Therefore I was displeased with that generation, and said, 'They always err in their heart, but they didn't know my ways;'

while it is said, "Today if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion."

For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, "God rested on the seventh day from all his works;"

he again defines a certain day, today, saying through David so long a time afterward (just as has been said), "Today if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts."

There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

So also Christ didn't glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your father."

that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.

For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.

Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, "See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain."

For finding fault with them, he said, "Behold, the days come," says the Lord, "that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;

and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, of which things we can't speak now in detail.

Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.'"

then he has said, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He takes away the first, that he may establish the second,

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

For we know him who said, "Vengeance belongs to me," says the Lord, "I will repay." Again, "The Lord will judge his people."

even he to whom it was said, "In Isaac will your seed be called;"

Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling."

Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, "I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you."

make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, "Sit here in a good place;" and you tell the poor man, "Stand there," or "Sit by my footstool;"

For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be sober and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ --

having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.

but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious.

Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without blemish and blameless in his sight.

Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God.

and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, having, in the same way as these, given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"

They said to you that "In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts."

"I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn't deny my name.

He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne

I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals.

One of the elders said to me, "Don't weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals."

Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

The four living creatures said, "Amen!" The elders fell down and worshiped.

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.

Another came forth, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword.

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.

And behold, a pale horse, and he who sat on it, his name was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him.

I told him, "My lord, you know." He said to me, "These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb's blood.

Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of lions. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.

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

When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don't write them."

The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."

I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. He said to me, "Take it, and eat it up. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

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.

A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, "Rise, and measure God's temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it.

The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God's throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony.