And they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,

and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,

Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,

And I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me,

In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways;

They passed through Pisidia, and came into Pamphylia.

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

And so I do my best always to have a clear conscience before God and men.

But if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God

You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Oh, the depth of the riches and of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out!

so that no flesh may boast before God.

therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."

So then let no one boast of men. For all things are yours,

For who regards you as different? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly toward his betrothed, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let them marry.

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with holiness and godly sincerity, not in worldly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and still more toward you.

And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire.

for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame.

But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has apportioned to us, a field that reaches even to you.

so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast of work already done in another man's territory.

But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

And what I am doing, I will also continue to do, in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things of which they boast.

I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.

To my shame, I must say that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast aboutI am speaking as a foolI also dare to boast about.

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.

Though if I should boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

I warned those who sinned in the past and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present the second time, that if I come again I will not spare them

But let each one test his own work, and then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in his neighbor.

For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone,

Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you are enduring.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Do your best to come to me soon;

Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.

When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

Do your best to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.

In the past God spoke to our fathers by the prophets at many times and in various ways,

but Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold fast to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.

He can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is beset with weakness.

By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, because she considered him faithful who had promised.

For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.

For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned."

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.

but he was rebuked for his own transgression by a donkeya beast without speechwho spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still to come.

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.

And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on his horns, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

The beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

One of its heads seemed to have a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder.

Men worshipped the dragon, because he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can make war against him?"

And the beast was given a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.

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

He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.

And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which he was given power to do in the presence of the beast. He ordered them to make an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

This calls for wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any one worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea of glass, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps of God

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and foul and loathsome sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image.

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness; men gnawed their tongues in agony

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;

And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, because he was and is not and will come.

The beast who was, and is not, is an eighth. He belongs to the seven and he goes to destruction.

And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.

These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast.

And the ten horns you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot; they will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire,

for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and giving over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who sits on the horse and against his army.

And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with sulfur.

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was given. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony to Jesus and because of the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.