Bible

Romans

Chapter 1

¹ Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, ² which he promised beforehand by his prophets in the holy scriptures, ³ concerning his Son who was a descendant of David according to the flesh.

⁴ Through the Spirit of holiness he was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. ⁵ Through him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations, for the sake of his name. ⁶ Among these nations, you also have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.

⁷ To all in Rome who are beloved of God and called to be his holy people: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. ⁹ For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, of how continually I make mention of you. ¹⁰ I always request in my prayers that by any means I may at last be successful now by the will of God in coming to you.

¹¹ For I desire to see you, that I may give you some spiritual gift, in order to strengthen you. ¹² That is, I long to be mutually encouraged among you, through each other's faith, yours and mine.

¹³ Now I do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, that I often intended to come to you (but I was hindered until now), in order to have some fruit among you also, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am a debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish. ¹⁵ So, as for me, I am ready to proclaim the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and for the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, as it has been written, "The righteous will live by faith."

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who through unrighteousness hold back the truth. ¹⁹ This is because that which is known about God is visible to them. For God has enlightened them.

²⁰ For ever since the creation of the world, his invisible qualities, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, having been discerned in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ This is because, although they knew about God, they did not glorify him as God, nor did they give him thanks. Instead, they became foolish in their thoughts, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

²² They claimed to be wise, but they became foolish. ²³ They exchanged the glory of the imperishable God for the likenesses of an image of perishable man, of birds, of four-footed beasts, and of creeping things.

²⁴ Therefore God delivered them over to the lusts of their hearts for uncleanness, for their bodies to be dishonored among themselves. ²⁵ It is they who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and who worshiped and served the creation instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ Because of this, God delivered them over to dishonorable lusts, for their women exchanged natural relations for those that were unnatural. ²⁷ In the same way, the men also left their natural relations with women and burned in their lust for one another. These were men who committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the penalty they deserved for their error.

²⁸ And just as they did not approve of having God in their awareness, he gave them up to a corrupted mind, for them to do those things that are not proper.

²⁹ They have been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, and malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and evil intentions. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventing ways of doing evil; they are disobedient to parents. ³¹ They are senseless, faithless, heartless, and unmerciful.

³² They understand the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death. But not only do they do these things, they also approve of others who do them.

Chapter 2

¹ Therefore you are without excuse, you person, you who judge, for in things for which you judge the other person, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. ² But we know that God's judgment is according to truth when it falls on those who practice such things.

³ But consider this, you person, you who judge those who practice such things although you do the same things. Will you escape from the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you think so little of the riches of his kindness, his delayed punishment, and his patience? Do you not know that his kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

⁵ But it is to the extent of your hardness and unrepentant heart that you are storing up for yourself wrath on the day of wrath, that is, the day of the revelation of God's righteous judgment. ⁶ He will pay back to every person according to his actions: ⁷ to those who according to the perseverance of good deeds have sought glory, honor, and incorruptibility, he will give eternal life.

⁸ But to those who are self-seeking, who disobey the truth but obey unrighteousness, wrath and fierce anger will come. ⁹ God will bring tribulation and distress on every human soul that has practiced evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

¹⁰ But glory, honor, and peace will come to everyone who practices good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God. ¹² For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and as many as have sinned with respect to the law will be judged by the law.

¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things of the law, they are a law to themselves, although they do not have the law.

¹⁵ By this they show that the actions required by the law are written in their hearts. Their conscience also bears witness to them, and their own thoughts either accuse or defend them ¹⁶ on the day when God will judge the secrets of all people, according to my gospel, through Jesus Christ.

¹⁷ But if you say that you are a Jew and rest upon the law and boast in God, ¹⁸ and know his will and approve of what is excellent because you have been instructed from the law; ¹⁹ and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, and that you have in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth, then how does this affect the way you live your life?

²¹ You who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who hate idols, do you rob temples?

²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by transgressing the law? ²⁴ For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," just as it has been written.

²⁵ For circumcision is profitable to you if you obey the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶ If, then, the uncircumcised person keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be considered as circumcision? ²⁷ And will not the one who is naturally uncircumcised condemn you if he fulfills the law? This is because you have the written law and circumcision, yet you are a transgressor of the law!

²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is merely one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is merely outward in the flesh. ²⁹ But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter. The praise of such a person comes not from people but from God.

Chapter 3

¹ Then what advantage does the Jew have? And what is the benefit of circumcision? ² It is great in every way. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with revelation from God.

³ For what if some Jews were without faith? Will their unbelief nullify God's faithfulness? ⁴ May it never be. Instead, let God be found to be true, even though every man is a liar. As it has been written,

"That you might be shown to be righteous in your words,

and that you might prevail when you come into judgment."

⁵ But if our unrighteousness shows the righteousness of God, what can we say? Can we say that God is unrighteous to bring his wrath upon us? (I am using a human argument.) ⁶ May it never be! For then how would God judge the world?

⁷ But if through my lie the truth of God increases his glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner? ⁸ Why not say, as we are slandered as saying, and as some affirm that we say, "Let us do evil, so that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.

⁹ What then? Are we excusing ourselves? Not at all. For we have already accused both Jews and Greeks, all of them, of being under sin.

¹⁰ This is as it is written:

“No one is righteous, not one;

¹¹ there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

¹² They have all turned away;

together they have become useless.

There is no one who does good, no,

not even one.”

¹³ "Their throat is an open grave.

Their tongues have deceived.

The poison of snakes is under their lips.”

¹⁴ "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

¹⁵ "Their feet are swift to pour out blood.

¹⁶ Destruction and suffering are in their paths.

¹⁷ These people have not known a way of peace."

¹⁸ "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to the ones who are under the law, so that every mouth may be shut, and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰ For no flesh will be justified by the works of the law in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been revealed, to which the Law and the Prophets bear witness— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe. For there is no distinction,

²³ for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and they are freely justified by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

²⁵ For God provided Christ Jesus as an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood. He offered Christ as proof of his justice, because of his disregard of previous sins ²⁶ in his patience. This was to show his righteousness at this present time, so he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where then is boasting? It is excluded. Through what kind of law? Of works? No, but through a law of faith. ²⁸ We conclude then that a person is justified by faith without works of the law.

²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not also the God of Gentiles? Yes, of Gentiles also. ³⁰ If, indeed, God is one, he will justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.

³¹ Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! Instead, we uphold the law.

Chapter 4

¹ What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, found? ² For if Abraham had been justified by works, he would have had a reason to boast, but not before God. ³ For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."

⁴ Now for him who labors, his wage is not counted as a gift, but as what is owed. ⁵ But for him who does not work but instead believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

⁶ David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness without works.

⁷ He says,

"Blessed are those

whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered.

⁸ Blessed is the man

against whom the Lord will not count sin."

⁹ Then is this blessing pronounced only on those of the circumcision, or also on those of the uncircumcision? For we say, "Faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness." ¹⁰ How was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before!

¹¹ Abraham received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them. ¹² He is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

¹³ For the promise to Abraham and to his descendants that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if those who live by the law are to be the heirs, faith is made empty, and the promise does nothing. ¹⁵ For the law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there is no transgression.

¹⁶ For this reason it is by faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all of Abraham's descendants—not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all, ¹⁷ as it is written, "I have appointed you the father of many nations." Abraham was in the presence of him whom he trusted, that is, God, who gives life to the dead and calls the things that do not exist into existence.

¹⁸ In hope he believed against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what he had been told, "So will your descendants be." ¹⁹ Without becoming weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

²⁰ But because of God's promise, Abraham did not hesitate in unbelief. Instead, he was strengthened in faith and gave glory to God. ²¹ He was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to accomplish. ²² Therefore this was also "counted to him as righteousness."

²³ But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone. ²⁴ They were written also for us, and it will be counted to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ This is the one who was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Chapter 5

¹ Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

³ Not only this, but we also boast in our tribulations. We know that tribulation brings about perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not make ashamed because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who was given to us.

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous person, though perhaps someone would dare to die for a good person.

⁸ But God proves his own love toward us, because while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more, then, now that we are justified by his blood, we will be saved by him from the wrath of God.

¹⁰ For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, after having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. ¹¹ Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have received this reconciliation.

¹² So then, as through one man sin entered into the world, in this way death entered through sin. And death spread to all people, because all sinned. ¹³ For until the law, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.

¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin like Adam's disobedience, who is a pattern of him who was to come.

¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the trespass of one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound for the many!

¹⁶ For the gift is not like the outcome of that one man's sin. The judgment followed one trespass and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one, death ruled through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ So then, as one trespass led to condemnation for all people, so also through the one act of righteousness came justification and life for all people. ¹⁹ For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one will the many be made righteous.

²⁰ But the law came in to increase the trespass. But where sin abounded, grace abounded even more. ²¹ This happened so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness for everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Chapter 6

¹ What then will we say? Should we continue in sin so that grace may abound? ² May it never be. We who died to sin, how can we still live in it? ³ Do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

⁴ We were buried, then, with him through baptism into death. This happened in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be united with his resurrection.

⁶ We know this, that our old man was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed. This happened so that we should no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ He who has died is declared righteous with respect to sin.

⁸ But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live together with him. ⁹ We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer rules over him.

¹⁰ For in regard to the death that he died to sin, he died once for all. However, the life that he lives, he lives for God. ¹¹ In the same way, you also must consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

¹² Therefore do not let sin rule in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts. ¹³ Do not present the members of your bodies to sin, to be tools used for unrighteousness. But present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present the members of your bodies to God as tools to be used for righteousness. ¹⁴ Do not allow sin to rule over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.

¹⁵ What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be. ¹⁶ Do you not know that if you present yourselves as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey? You are either slaves to sin, which leads to death, or slaves to obedience, which leads to righteousness.

¹⁷ But thanks be to God! For you were slaves of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart the pattern of teaching that you were given. ¹⁸ You have been made free from sin, and you have been made slaves of righteousness.

¹⁹ I speak like a man because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented the members of your bodies as slaves to uncleanness and to lawlessness, resulting in more lawlessness, in the same way, now present the members of your bodies as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. ²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. ²¹ At that time, what fruit then did you have of the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.

²² But now that you have been made free from sin and are enslaved to God, you have your fruit for sanctification. The result is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Chapter 7

¹ Or do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to people who know about law), that the law rules over a person for whatever time he lives?

² For the married woman is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. ³ So then, while her husband is living, if she lives with another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so she is not an adulteress if she lives with another man.

⁴ Therefore, my brothers, you were also made dead to the law through the body of Christ. This is so that you could be joined to another, that is, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might produce fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in the members of our bodies to bear fruit for death.

⁶ But now we have been released from the law. We have died to that by which we were bound. This is so that we might serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

⁷ What will we say then? Is the law itself sin? May it never be. However, I would never have known sin, if it were not through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law said, "You must not covet." ⁸ But sin took the opportunity through the commandment and produced every kind of coveting in me. For apart from the law, sin was dead.

⁹ At one time I was alive without the law, but when the commandment came, sin regained life ¹⁰ and I died. The commandment that was to bring life turned out to be death for me.

¹¹ For sin took the opportunity through the commandment and deceived me. Through the commandment it killed me. ¹² So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

¹³ So did what is good become death to me? May it never be. But sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin, brought about death in me through what was good, and through the commandment sin might become sinful beyond measure. ¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh. I have been sold under slavery to sin.

¹⁵ For what I do, I do not really understand. For what I want to do, I do not do, and what I hate, I do. ¹⁶ But if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that the law is good.

¹⁷ But now it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that lives in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) lives no good thing. For the desire for good is with me, but I cannot do it.

¹⁹ For the good that I want, I do not do, but the evil that I do not want, that I do. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, then it is no longer I who am acting, but rather sin that lives in me. ²¹ So, I find this law: When I want to do good, evil is present with me.

²² For I rejoice in the law of God with my inner person. ²³ But I see a different law in the members of my body. It fights against that new law in my mind. It takes me captive by the law of sin that is in the members of my body.

²⁴ I am a miserable man! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind. However, with the flesh I serve the law of sin.

Chapter 8

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

³ For what the law was unable to do because it was weak through the flesh, God did. He sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be an offering for sin, and he condemned sin in the flesh. ⁴ He did this in order that the requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us, we who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ⁵ Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not submit to God's law, nor is it able to do so. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed God's Spirit lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. ¹⁰ If Christ is in you, the body is dead with respect to sin, but the spirit is alive with respect to righteousness.

¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

¹² So then, brothers, we are debtors, but not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you are about to die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the body's actions, you will live.

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ You did not receive a spirit of slavery so that you live in fear again; but you received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, "Abba, Father!"

¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. ¹⁷ If we are children, then we are also heirs—heirs of God. And we are joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the eager expectation of the creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be delivered from slavery to decay, and that it will be brought into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors in pain together even now.

²³ Not only that, but even we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he can see? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit also helps in our weakness. For we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groans. ²⁷ He who searches out the hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes on behalf of God's holy people according to the will of God.

²⁸ We know that for those who love God, he works all things together for good, ¹ for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ Because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ Those whom he predestined, these he also called. Those whom he called, these he also justified. Those whom he justified, these he also glorified.

³¹ What, therefore, can we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but delivered him up on behalf of us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things?

³³ Who will bring any accusation against God's chosen ones? God is the one who justifies. ³⁴ Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.

³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

"For your benefit we are killed all day long.

We were considered as sheep for the slaughter."

³⁷ In all these things we are more than conquerors through the one who loved us. ³⁸ For I have been convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor governments, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹Instead of he works all things together for good , some Greek copies read, all things work together for good .

Chapter 9

¹ I tell the truth in Christ. I do not lie, and my conscience bears witness with me in the Holy Spirit ² that for me there is great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.

³ For I could wish that I myself would be cursed and set apart from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. ⁴ They are Israelites. They have adoption, the glory, the covenants, the gift of the law, the ministry in the temple, and the promises. ⁵ Theirs are the patriarchs from whom Christ has come with respect to the flesh—he who is God over all. May he be praised forever. Amen.

⁶ But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For it is not everyone in Israel who truly belongs to Israel. ⁷ Neither are all Abraham's descendants truly his children. But "It is through Isaac that your descendants will be called."

⁸ That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. ⁹ For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come, and a son will be given to Sarah."

¹⁰ Not only this, but after Rebekah also had conceived by one man, our father Isaac— ¹¹ for the children were not yet born and had not yet done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to choice might stand, ¹² not because of actions, but because of him who calls—it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger." ¹³ It is just as had been written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

¹⁴ What then will we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be. ¹⁵ For he says to Moses,

"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,

and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

¹⁶ So then, it is not because of him who wills, nor because of him who runs, but because of God, who shows mercy.

¹⁷ For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I raised you up, so that I might demonstrate my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." ¹⁸ So then, God has mercy on whom he wishes, and whom he wishes, he makes stubborn.

¹⁹ You will say then to me, "Why does he still find fault? For who has ever withstood his will?" ²⁰ On the contrary, man, who are you who answers against God? Will what has been molded say to the one who molds it, "Why did you make me this way?" ²¹ Does the potter not have the right over the clay to make from the same lump a container for honorable use, and another container for dishonorable use?

²² What if God, who is willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience containers of wrath prepared for destruction? ²³ What if he did this in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon containers of mercy, which he had previously prepared for glory? ²⁴ What if he did this also for us, whom he also called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles?

²⁵ As he says also in Hosea:

"I will call them 'my people' who were not my people,

and her 'beloved' who was not beloved.

²⁶ Then it will be that where it was said to them,

'You are not my people,'

there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,

"Though the number of the sons of Israel were as the sand of the sea,

it will be a remnant that will be saved,

²⁸ for the Lord will execute his word

on the earth completely and without delay."

²⁹ As Isaiah had said previously,

"If the Lord of hosts

had not left us descendants,

we would be like Sodom,

and we would have become like Gomorrah."

³⁰ What will we say then? That the Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, laid hold of righteousness, the righteousness by faith. ³¹ But Israel, who did pursue a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

³² Why not? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling, ³³ as it has been written,

"Look, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling

and a rock of offense.

He who believes in it will not be ashamed."

Chapter 10

¹ Brothers, my heart's desire and my plea to God is for them, for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For, failing to understand the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

⁴ For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes. ⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness that comes from the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."

⁶ But the righteousness that comes from faith says this: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down); ⁷ "and do not say, 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

⁸ But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart." That is the word of faith, which we proclaim. ⁹ For if with your mouth you confess Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and has righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

¹¹ For scripture says, "Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame." ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord is Lord of all, and he is rich to all who call upon him. ¹³ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

¹⁴ How then can they call on him in whom they have not believed? How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? How can they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ Then how can they preach, unless they are sent?—As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news!"

¹⁶ But not all of them obeyed the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

¹⁸ But I say, "Did they not hear?" Yes, most certainly.

"Their sound has gone out into all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world."

¹⁹ Moreover, I say, "Did Israel not know?" First Moses says,

"I will provoke you to jealousy by what is not a nation.

By means of a nation without understanding, I will stir you up to anger."

²⁰ Then Isaiah was very bold when he says,

"I was found by those who did not seek me.

I appeared to those who did not ask for me."

²¹ But to Israel he says,

"All the day long I reached out my hands

to a disobedient and stubborn people."

Chapter 11

¹ I say then, did God reject his people? May it never be. For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleaded with God against Israel? ³ "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."

⁴ But what does God's answer say to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bent the knee to Baal." ⁵ Even so then, at this present time also there is a remnant because of the choice of grace.

⁶ But if it is by grace, it is no longer based on works. Otherwise grace would no longer be grace. ¹ ⁷ What then? The thing that Israel was seeking, it did not obtain, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. ⁸ It is just as it is written:

"God has given them a spirit of dullness,

eyes so that they should not see,

and ears so that they should not hear,

to this very day."

⁹ Then David says,

"Let their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them.

¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see,

and bend their backs continually."

¹¹ I say then, "Did they stumble so as to fall?" May it never be. Instead, by their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. ¹² Now if their trespass is the riches of the world, and if their loss is the riches of the Gentiles, how much greater will their fulfillment be?

¹³ But now I am speaking to you Gentiles, and as long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry. ¹⁴ Perhaps I will provoke to jealousy those who are of my own flesh. Perhaps we will save some of them.

¹⁵ For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the firstfruits are holy, so is the lump of dough. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, if you, a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them, and if you shared with them in the rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not boast over the branches. But if you do boast, it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.

¹⁹ You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." ²⁰ That is true. Because of their unbelief they were broken off, but you stand firm because of your faith. Do not be arrogant in your thoughts, but fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

²² Look at, then, the kind actions and the severity of God: severity came on the Jews who fell, but God's kindness comes on you, if you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

²³ And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a good olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree?

²⁵ For I do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, of this mystery, so that you may not be wise in your own thinking: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the full number of the Gentiles comes in.

²⁶ Thus all Israel will be saved, just as it is written:

"Out of Zion will come the Deliverer.

He will remove ungodliness from Jacob,

²⁷ and this will be my covenant with them,

when I will take away their sins."

²⁸ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake. But as far as election is concerned, they are beloved because of the patriarchs. ²⁹ For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

³⁰ For just as you were formerly disobedient to God, now you have received mercy because of their disobedience. ³¹ In the same way, now these Jews have been disobedient. The result was that by the mercy shown to you they may also now receive mercy. ³² For God has shut up all into disobedience in order that he might show mercy on all.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are his judgments,

and his ways beyond discovering!

³⁴ "For who has known the mind of the Lord

or who has become his advisor?

³⁵ Or who has first given anything to God,

that God must repay him?"

³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever. Amen.

¹Some old copies read But if it is by works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work .

Chapter 12

¹ I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. This is your reasonable service. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Do this so that you can test and approve what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

³ For by the grace that was given to me I say to everyone among you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather, think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has given you.

⁴ For we have many members in one body, but not all the members have the same function. ⁵ In the same way, we who are many are one body in Christ, and are individually members of each other.

⁶ We have different gifts according to the grace that was given to us. If one's gift is prophecy, let it be done according to the proportion of his faith. ⁷ If one's gift is service, let him serve. If one has the gift of teaching, let him teach. ⁸ If one's gift is encouragement, let him encourage. If one's gift is giving, let him do it generously. If one's gift is leading, let it be done with diligence. If one's gift is in showing mercy, let it be done with cheerfulness.

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; hold on to that which is good. ¹⁰ Concerning love of the brothers, be affectionate to one another. Concerning honor, respect one another.

¹¹ Concerning diligence, do not be hesitant. Concerning the spirit, be eager. Concerning the Lord, serve him. ¹² Rejoice in hope, endure tribulation, be faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share in the needs of God's holy people. Find many ways to show hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not think in proud ways, but accept lowly people. Do not be wise in your own thoughts.

¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Do good things in the sight of all people. ¹⁸ If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with all people.

¹⁹ Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but give way to the wrath of God. For it is written, "'Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,' says the Lord."

²⁰ But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him a drink.

For if you do this, you will heap coals of fire on his head."

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Chapter 13

¹ Let every soul be subject to higher authorities, for there is no authority unless it comes from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. ² Therefore he who rebels against that authority opposes the command of God; and those who oppose it will receive judgment on themselves.

³ For rulers are not a terror to those who do good deeds, but to those who do evil deeds. Do you desire to have no fear of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will receive his praise. ⁴ For he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for he does not carry the sword for no reason. For he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath on the one who does evil. ⁵ Therefore you must be subject, not only because of the wrath, but also because of conscience.

⁶ Because of this you pay taxes also. For authorities are servants of God, who attend to this very thing continually. ⁷ Pay to everyone what is owed to them: tax to whom tax is due, toll to whom toll is due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due.

⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love one another. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, "Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet," and if there is any other commandment it is summed up in this, "Love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹¹ Because of this, you know the time, that it is already the hour for you to awake out of sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. ¹² The night has advanced, and the day is near. Let us therefore put aside the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

¹³ Let us walk appropriately, as in the day, not in drunken celebrations or drunkenness; and let us not walk in sexual immorality or in uncontrolled lust, and not in strife or jealousy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its lusts.

Chapter 14

¹ Receive anyone who is weak in faith, without giving judgment about arguments. ² One person has faith to eat anything, another who is weak eats only vegetables.

³ May the one who eats everything not despise the one who does not; and may the one who does not eat everything not judge the other who eats everything. For God has accepted him. ⁴ Who are you, you who judge a servant belonging to someone else? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. But he will be made to stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

⁵ One person values one day above another. Another has concluded that every day is equal. Let each person be convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord; and he who eats, eats for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God. He who does not eat, refrains from eating for the Lord; he also gives thanks to God.

⁷ For none of us lives for himself, and none dies for himself. ⁸ For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Then whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. ⁹ For to this purpose Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and those who are living.

¹⁰ But you, why do you judge your brother? And you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹ For it is written,

"As I live," says the Lord,

"to me every knee will bend,

and every tongue will confess to God."

¹² So then, each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

¹³ Therefore, let us no longer judge one another, but instead decide this, that no one will place a stumbling block or a snare for his brother.

¹⁴ I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean by itself. Only for him who considers anything to be unclean, for him it is unclean. ¹⁵ If because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food one for whom Christ died.

¹⁶ So do not allow what you consider to be good to be spoken of as evil. ¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not about food and drink, but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ For the one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by people. ¹⁹ So then, let us pursue the things of peace and the things that build up one another.

²⁰ Do not destroy the work of God on account of food. All things are clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone to stumble. ²¹ It is good not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything over which your brother stumbles.

²² The faith you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. ²³ He who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not from faith. And whatever is not from faith is sin.

Chapter 15

¹ Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and ought not to please ourselves. ² Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, in order to build him up.

³ For even Christ did not please himself. Instead, it was just as it is written, "The insults of those who insulted you fell on me." ⁴ For whatever was previously written was written for our instruction in order that through patience and through encouragement of the scriptures we would have hope.

⁵ Now may the God of patience and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with each other according to Christ Jesus. ⁶ May he do this in order that with one mind you may glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Therefore receive one another, even as Christ also received you, to the glory of God.

⁸ For I say that Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision on behalf of God's truth, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, ⁹ and for the Gentiles to glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

"Therefore I will give praise to you among the Gentiles

and sing praise to your name."

¹⁰ Again it says,

"Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people."

¹¹ And again,

"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;

let all the peoples praise him."

¹² Again, Isaiah says,

"The root of Jesse will come,

the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles;

in him the Gentiles will have hope."

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

¹⁴ I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers. I am convinced that also you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge. I am convinced that you are also able to instruct one another.

¹⁵ But I am writing more boldly to you about some things in order to remind you again, because of the grace given me by God. ¹⁶ This grace was that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus sent to the Gentiles, to offer as a priest the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷ In Christ Jesus I have reason to boast of my service for God. ¹⁸ For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me for the obedience of the Gentiles. These are things done by word and action, ¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. This was so that from Jerusalem, and round about as far as Illyricum, I might fully carry out the gospel of Christ.

²⁰ In this way, my desire has been to proclaim the gospel, but not where Christ is known by name, in order that I might not build upon another man's foundation. ²¹ It is as it is written:

"Those to whom no report of him came will see him,

and those who have not heard will understand."

²² Therefore I was also hindered many times from coming to you. ²³ But now, I no longer have any place in these regions, and I have been longing for many years to come to you.

²⁴ I hope to see you when I pass through there on my way to Spain, and to be helped by you on my journey there, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵ But now I am going to Jerusalem, serving God's holy people.

²⁶ For it was the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution to the poor among God's holy people who are in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Yes, it was their good pleasure, and they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they owe it to the Jews to minister to them with their material things.

²⁸ Therefore, when I have completed this task and have made sure that they receive all that was collected, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰ Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. ³¹ Pray that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to God's holy people. ³² Pray that I may come to you in joy through the will of God, and that I may, together with you, find rest.

³³ May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Chapter 16

¹ I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church that is in Cenchreae, ² in order that you may receive her in the Lord. Do this in a manner worthy of God's holy people, and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many and to myself as well.

³ Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who for my life risked their own lives. I give thanks to them, and not only I, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

⁵ Greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus my beloved, who is the firstfruit of Asia to Christ.

⁶ Greet Mary, who has labored hard for you.

⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners. They are well known among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.

⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved.

¹⁰ Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.

¹¹ Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

¹² Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, laborers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has labored much in the Lord.

¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.

¹⁵ Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all God's holy people who are with them.

¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

¹⁷ Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned. Turn away from them. ¹⁸ For people such as these do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own stomach. By their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent.

¹⁹ For your example of obedience reaches everyone. I rejoice, therefore, over you, but I want you to be wise as to that which is good, and innocent to that which is evil. ²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen. ²² I, Tertius, who write this epistle down, greet you in the Lord.

²³ Gaius, the host for me and for the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, with Quartus the brother. ²⁴ ¹

²⁵ Now to him who is able to make you strong according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,

according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages

²⁶ but now has been revealed and made known through the prophetic writings to all nations,

by the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

²⁷ to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever. Amen.

¹The best ancient copies do not have this phrase: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen . So verese 24 is not included in the ULB.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 1

¹ Paul, called by Christ Jesus to be an apostle by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

² to the church of God at Corinth, those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy people, together with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is their Lord and ours:

³ May grace and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I always give thanks to my God for you because of the grace of God that Christ Jesus gave to you. ⁵ He has made you rich in every way, in all speech and with all knowledge, ⁶ just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed as true among you.

⁷ Therefore you lack no spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who called you into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹⁰ Now I urge you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and that there be no divisions among you. I urge that you be joined together with the same mind and by the same purpose. ¹¹ For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers, by Chloe's people that there are factions among you.

¹² I mean this: Each one of you says, "I am with Paul," or "I am with Apollos," or "I am with Cephas," or "I am with Christ." ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius. ¹⁵ This was so that no one would say that you were baptized into my name. ¹⁶ (I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know if I baptized any others.)

¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel—not with clever speech, in order that the cross of Christ would not be emptied of its power.

¹⁸ For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But among those who are being saved, it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.

I will set aside the understanding of the intelligent."

²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this world? Has not God turned the wisdom of the world into foolishness? ²¹ Since the world in its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching.

²² For Jews ask for miraculous signs and Greeks seek wisdom. ²³ But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

²⁴ But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ as the power and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than people, and the weakness of God is stronger than people.

²⁶ Look at your calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise according to the flesh. Not many of you were powerful. Not many of you were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame what is strong.

²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world. He even chose things that are regarded as nothing, to bring to nothing things that are held as valuable. ²⁹ He did this so that no flesh would have a reason to boast before him.

³⁰ Because of what God did, now you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God. He became our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. ³¹ As a result, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

Chapter 2

¹ When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence of speech or wisdom as I proclaimed hidden truths about God. ¹ ² For I decided to know nothing when I was among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

³ And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. ⁴ And my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith might not be in the wisdom of humans, but in the power of God.

⁶ Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this world, or of the rulers of this age, who are passing away. ⁷ Instead, we speak God's wisdom in hidden truth, the hidden wisdom that God predestined before the ages for our glory.

⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But as it is written,

"No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no human heart has imagined

what God has prepared for those who love him"—

¹⁰ For God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything out, even the deep things of God. ² ¹¹ For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of the person in him? So also, no one knows the deep things of God except the Spirit of God.

¹² But we did not receive the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we might know the things freely given to us by God. ¹³ We speak about these things in words not taught by human wisdom but by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to spiritual people.

¹⁴ The unspiritual person does not receive the things that belong to the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. He cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The one who is spiritual judges all things, but he is not judged by others.

¹⁶ "For who can know the mind of the Lord,

that he can instruct him?"

But we have the mind of Christ.

¹A few important and ancient Greek copies read, as I proclaimed the testimony about God .

²Some ancient Greek copies say But God . Howevever, following our Greek source, it reads, For God .

Chapter 3

¹ And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but instead as to fleshly people, as to little children in Christ. ² I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it; and even now you are not yet ready.

³ For you are still fleshly. For where jealousy and strife exist among you, are you not living according to the flesh, and are you not walking by human standards? ⁴ For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another says, "I follow Apollos," are you not merely human beings? ⁵ Who then is Apollos? Who is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, just as the Lord gave tasks to each.

⁶ I planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷ So then, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything. But it is God who gives the growth.

⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own wages according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's garden, God's building.

¹⁰ According to the grace of God that was given to me as a skilled master builder, I laid a foundation and another is building on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than the one that has been laid, that is, Jesus Christ.

¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ his work will be revealed, for the day will reveal it. For it will be revealed in fire. The fire will test the quality of what each one has done.

¹⁴ If anyone's work remains, he will receive a reward; ¹⁵ but if anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, as though escaping through fire.

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are God's temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and so are you.

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a "fool" that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,

"He catches the wise in their craftiness."

²⁰ And again,

"The Lord knows that the reasoning of the wise is futile."

²¹ For this reason, let no one boast in men. All things are yours, ²² whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All things are yours, ²³ and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

Chapter 4

¹ This is how a person should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the hidden truths of God. ² Now what is required of stewards is that they are found to be trustworthy.

³ But for me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. For I do not even judge myself. ⁴ I am not aware of any charge being made against me, but that does not justify me. The one who judges me is the Lord.

⁵ Therefore do not pronounce judgment about anything before the time, before the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his praise from God.

⁶ Now, brothers, I applied these principles to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that from us you might learn the meaning of the saying,

"Do not go beyond what is written."

This is so that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against the other.

⁷ For who sees any difference between you and others? What do you have that you did not receive? If you have received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

⁸ Already you have all you could want! Already you have become rich! You began to reign—and that quite apart from us! Indeed, I wish you did reign, so that we could reign with you. ⁹ For I think God has put us apostles on display as the last in line, in a procession and like men sentenced to death. We have become a spectacle to the world—to angels, and to human beings.

¹⁰ We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we are held in dishonor. ¹¹ Up to this present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are beaten, and we are homeless.

¹² We labor hard, working with our own hands. When we are slandered, we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure. ¹³ When we are slandered, we speak with kindness. We have become as the refuse of the world and the filthiest of all things, even till now.

¹⁴ I do not write these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. ¹⁵ For even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ¹⁶ So I urge you to be imitators of me.

¹⁷ That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways in Christ, just as I teach them everywhere and in every church. ¹⁸ Now some of you have become puffed up, acting as though I were not coming to you.

¹⁹ But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills. Then I will know not merely the words of these who are so puffed up, but I will see their power. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. ²¹ What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod or with love and in a spirit of gentleness?

Chapter 5

¹ We heard a report that there is sexual immorality among you, a kind of immorality that is not even permitted among the pagans: A man has his father's wife. ² You are puffed up! Should you not mourn instead, so that the one who did this deed might be removed from among you?

³ For even though I am absent in body, I am present in spirit. I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as though I were there. ⁴ When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, ⁵ deliver this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

⁶ Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole loaf? ⁷ Cleanse yourselves of the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough, unleavened, just as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ So let us then celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of bad behavior and wickedness. Instead, let us celebrate with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. ¹⁰ In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy, or swindlers, or idolaters, since to stay away from them you would need to go out of the world.

¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother but who is living in sexual immorality, or who is greedy, or is an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or is a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat a meal with such a person. ¹² For how am I involved with judging those who are outside the church? Instead, are you not to judge those who are inside the church? ¹³ But God judges those who are on the outside.

"Remove the evil person from among you."

Chapter 6

¹ When one of you has a dispute against another, does he dare to bring a lawsuit before the unrighteous rather than before God's holy people? ² Do you not know that God's holy people will judge the world? If then you will judge the world, are you not able to settle matters of little importance? ³ Do you not know that we will judge the angels? How much more, then, can we judge matters of this life?

⁴ If then you have to make judgments that pertain to daily life, why do you lay such cases as these before those who have no standing in the church? ⁵ I say this to your shame. Is there no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between brothers? ⁶ But one brother brings a lawsuit against another brother—and this before unbelievers!

⁷ The fact that you have lawsuits with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer the wrong? Why not rather allow yourselves to be cheated? ⁸ But you yourselves do wrong and you cheat, and you do this to your own brothers!

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to homosexual acts, nor men who perform homosexual acts, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ That is what some of you were like. But you have been cleansed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

¹² "Everything is lawful for me," but not everything is profitable. "Everything is lawful for me," but I will not be mastered by any of them. ¹³ "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food," but God will do away with both of them. The body is not intended for sexual immorality. Instead, the body is for the Lord, and the Lord will provide for the body.

¹⁴ God both raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. ¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I then take the members of Christ and join them to a prostitute? May it not be!

¹⁶ Do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? As scripture says, "The two will become one flesh." ¹⁷ But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

¹⁸ Run away from sexual immorality! Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you, whom you have from God? Do you not know that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God with your body and in your spirit, which belong to God.

Chapter 7

¹ Now concerning the issues you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to touch a woman." ² But because of temptations for many immoral acts, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

³ The husband should fulfill his duty to have sexual relations with his wife, and in the same way the wife to her husband. ⁴ It is not the wife who has authority over her own body, it is the husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

⁵ Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement and for a specific period of time. Do this so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then you should come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

⁶ But I say these things to you as a concession and not as a command. ⁷ I wish that everyone were as I am. But each one has his own gift from God. One has this kind of gift, and another that kind.

⁸ To the unmarried and to widows I say that it is good for them if they remain unmarried, as I am. ⁹ But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better for them to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰ Now to the married I give this command—not I, but the Lord—the wife should not separate from her husband ¹¹ (but if she does separate from her husband, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

¹² But to the rest I say—I, not the Lord—that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and if she is content to live with him, he should not divorce her. ¹³ If a woman has an unbelieving husband, and if he is content to live with her, she should not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is set apart because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart because of the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but actually they are set apart.

¹⁵ But if the unbeliever departs, let him go. In such cases, the brother or sister is not bound to their vows. God has called us to live in peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, woman, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, man, whether you will save your wife?

¹⁷ However, as the Lord has given each one his portion, let each one walk as God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone circumcised when he was called to believe? He should not try to appear uncircumcised. Was anyone uncircumcised when he was called to faith? He should not be circumcised. ¹⁹ For it is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision that matters. What matters is obeying the commandments of God.

²⁰ Each one should remain in the calling he was in when God called him to believe. ²¹ Were you a slave when God called you? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can become free, take advantage of it. ²² For someone who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freeman. In the same way, the one who was free when he was called to believe is Christ's slave. ²³ You have been bought with a price, so do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Brothers, in whatever situation he was in when he was called, let each one remain with God in that.

²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord. But I give my opinion as one who, by the Lord's mercy, is trustworthy. ²⁶ Therefore, I think that because of the disaster that is coming, it is good for a man to remain as he is.

²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a divorce. If you are free of a wife, do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who do will have many kinds of fleshly trouble, and I want to spare you from this.

²⁹ But this I say, brothers: The time is short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none. ³⁰ Those who weep should act as though they were not weeping, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything, ³¹ and those who use the world should not act as though they are using it to the full. For the world in its present form is coming to an end.

³² I would like you to be free from worries. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please him. ³³ But the married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife— ³⁴ he is divided. The unmarried woman or the virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to be set apart in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband.

³⁵ I say this for your own benefit, and not to put any constraint on you. I say this for what is right, so that you may be devoted to the Lord without any distraction.

³⁶ But if anyone thinks that he is not treating his virgin with respect—if she is beyond the age of marriage and it must be so—he should do what he wants. He is not sinning. They should marry. ³⁷ But if he is standing firm in his heart, if he is not under pressure but can control his own will, and if he has decided in his own heart to do this, to keep his own a virgin, he will do well. ³⁸ So the one who marries his virgin does well, and the one who chooses not to marry will do even better.

³⁹ A woman is bound to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ Yet in my judgment she would be happier if she lives as she is. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

Chapter 8

¹ Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ² If anyone thinks he knows something, that person does not yet know as he should know. ³ But if anyone loves God, that person is known by him.

⁴ Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol in this world is nothing and that there is no God but one. ⁵ For even if there were so-called gods, either in heaven or on earth (just as there are many "gods" and many "lords"), ⁶ yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we live, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things exist, and through whom we exist.

⁷ However, this knowledge is not in everyone. Instead, some previously practiced idol worship, and they eat this food as if it were something sacrificed to an idol. Their conscience is thereby defiled because it is weak.

⁸ But food will not present us to God. We are not worse if we do not eat, nor better if we do eat it. ⁹ But take care that your freedom does not become a reason for someone who is weak in faith to stumble. ¹⁰ For suppose that someone sees you, who have knowledge, eating a meal in an idol's temple. Is not his weak conscience emboldened to eat what is offered to idols?

¹¹ So because of your understanding about the true nature of idols, the weaker one, the brother for whom Christ died, is destroyed. ¹² Thus, when you sin against your brothers and wound their weak consciences, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to fall.

Chapter 9

¹ Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ² If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ This is my defense to those who examine me: ⁴ Do we not have the right to eat and drink? ⁵ Do we not have the right to take along a wife who is a believer, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶ Or do only I and Barnabas not have the right to not work at a trade?

⁷ Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink milk from it? ⁸ Do I say these things based on human authority? Does not the law also say this?

⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, "Do not put a muzzle on an ox when it is threshing the grain." Is it really the oxen that God cares about? ¹⁰ Is he not speaking about us? It was written for us, because the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in the hope of sharing in the harvest. ¹¹ If we sowed spiritual things among you, is it too much for us to reap physical things from you?

¹² If others exercised this right from you, do we not have even more? But we did not claim this right. Instead we endured everything rather than be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ. ¹³ Do you not know that those who perform sacred duties get their food from the temple? Do you not know that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living from the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have not claimed any of these rights. And I do not write this so something might be done for me. It would be better for me to die than—No one will make my boast empty! ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I must do this. And woe be to me if I do not preach the gospel!

¹⁷ For if I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if not willingly, I still have a stewardship that was entrusted to me. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? That when I preach, I may offer the gospel without charge and so not take full use of my right in the gospel.

¹⁹ For though I am free from all, I became a servant to all, in order that I might win more. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law in order to win those under the law. I did this even though I myself was not under the law. ¹

²¹ To those outside the law, I became like one outside the law, although I was not outside the law of God myself, but under the law of Christ. I did this so that I may win those outside the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, so that I may win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. ²³ I do all things for the gospel's sake, so that I may participate in its blessings.

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run the race, but that only one receives the prize? So run to win the prize. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a wreath that is perishable, but we do it to receive one that is imperishable. ²⁶ Therefore this is how I run, as not without purpose; this is how I box, not as one beating the air. ²⁷ But I subdue my body and make it a slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself may not be disqualified.

¹The ULB has: I did this even though I myself was not under the law . A few important and ancient Greek copies, with other ancient translations, leave this sentence out.

Chapter 10

¹ I do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea. ² All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and all ate the same spiritual food. ⁴ All drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.

⁵ But God was not well pleased with most of them, and their corpses were scattered about in the wilderness. ⁶ Now these things were examples for us, so we would not be those who lust for evil things as they lusted.

⁷ Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. This is as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." ⁸ Let us not commit sexual immorality, as many of them did. In one day, twenty-three thousand people died because of it.

⁹ Neither let us put Christ to the test, as many of them tested him and were destroyed by snakes. ¹⁰ Also do not grumble, as many of them did and were destroyed by an angel of death.

¹¹ Now these things happened to them as examples for us. They were written for our instruction—for us on whom the end of the ages has come. ¹² Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to all humanity. Instead, God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. With the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, so that you may be able to endure it.

¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved ones, run away from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak to you as people who have understanding, so you may judge what I say. ¹⁶ The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one loaf of bread, we who are many are one body. We all take of one loaf of bread together.

¹⁸ Look at the Israel that is according to the flesh. Are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? ¹⁹ What am I saying then? That an idol is anything? Or that food sacrificed to an idol is anything?

²⁰ But I say about the things they sacrifice, that they offer these things to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons! ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot participate at the table of the Lord and the table of demons. ²² Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is?

²³ "Everything is lawful," but not everything is profitable. "Everything is lawful," but not everything builds people up. ²⁴ No one should seek his own good. Instead, each one should seek the good of his neighbor.

²⁵ Eat everything sold in the market without asking questions of conscience. ²⁶ For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it." ²⁷ If an unbeliever invites you to eat a meal, and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you without asking questions of conscience.

²⁸ But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— ¹ ²⁹ the conscience of the other man, I mean, and not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? ³⁰ If I partake of the meal with gratitude, why am I being insulted for that for which I gave thanks?

³¹ Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ³² Be blameless both to Jews and to Greeks, and to the church of God. ³³ In the same way I try to please all people in all things. I do not seek my benefit, but that of the many. I do this so that they may be saved.

¹Some ancient copies of the Greek text add, For the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord . But the best ancient copies of the Greek text do not have this. Many scholars see this addition as a duplication of verse 26.

Chapter 11

¹ Be imitators of me, just as I am an imitator of Christ.

² Now I praise you because you remember me in everything. I praise you because you hold firmly to the traditions just as I delivered them to you. ³ Now I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, that a man is the head of a woman, and that God is the head of Christ. ⁴ Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.

⁵ But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. For it is the same thing as if her head were shaved. ⁶ For if a woman will not cover her head, she should cut her hair short. If it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or for her to shave her head, let her cover her head.

⁷ For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. ⁸ For man was not made from woman. Instead, woman was made from man.

⁹ For neither was man created for woman. Instead, woman was created for man. ¹⁰ This is why the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord, the woman is not independent from the man, nor is the man independent from the woman. ¹² For as the woman comes from the man, so does the man come from the woman. And all things come from God.

¹³ Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor for him? ¹⁵ Does not nature teach you that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair has been given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone wants to argue about this, we do not have any other practice, nor do the churches of God.

¹⁷ But in the following instructions, I do not praise you. For when you come together, it is not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸ For in the first place, I hear that when you come together in the church, there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. ¹⁹ For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.

²⁰ For when you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat. ²¹ When you eat, each one eats his own food before the others have their meal. One is hungry, and another becomes drunk. ²² Do you not have houses to eat and to drink in? Do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread. ²⁴ After he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this to remember me."

²⁵ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and he said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it, to remember me." ²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

²⁷ Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Let a person examine himself first, and in this way let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment to himself. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and ill, and some of you have fallen asleep.

³¹ But if we examine ourselves, we will not be judged. ³² But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

³³ Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴ If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. And about the other things you wrote, I will give instructions when I come.

Chapter 12

¹ About spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to idols who could not speak, in whatever ways you were led by them. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who speaks by the Spirit of God can say, "Jesus is accursed." No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ministries, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are different kinds of work, but it is the same God who works all in all.

⁷ Now to each one is given the outward display of the Spirit for the benefit of all. ⁸ For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.

⁹ To another is given faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit. ¹⁰ To another is given miraculous works, and to another prophecy. To another is given the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, giving the gifts to each one individually, as he chooses.

¹² For as the body is one and has many members and all are members of the same body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slave or free, and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body is not a single member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot says, "Since I am not the hand, I am not part of the body," it is not any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body," it is not any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

¹⁸ But God has appointed each member, each one of them, into the body as he has desired. ¹⁹ If they were all the same member, where would the body be? ²⁰ So now they are many members, but only one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you." Nor does the head say to the feet, "I have no need of you." ²² But the members of the body that appear to be weaker are essential, ²³ and the parts of the body that we think are less honorable, we give them greater honor, and our unpresentable members have more dignity. ²⁴ Now our presentable members have no such need. Rather, God has composed the body, giving greater honor to those members that lack it.

²⁵ He did this so there may be no division within the body, but that the members should care for one another with the same affection. ²⁶ So when one member suffers, all the members suffer together; or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice together. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

²⁸ And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who do miracles, then gifts of healing, those who provide helps, those who do the work of administration, and those who have various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all of them apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles?

³⁰ Do all of them have gifts of healing? Do all of them speak with tongues? Do all of them interpret tongues? ³¹ Zealously seek the greater gifts. And now I will show you a more excellent way.

Chapter 13

¹ Suppose that I speak with the tongues of men and of angels. But if I do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² Suppose that I have the gift of prophecy and understand all hidden truths and knowledge, and that I have all faith so as to remove mountains. But if I do not have love, I am nothing. ³ Suppose that I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and that I give my body to be burned. But if I do not have love, I gain nothing. ¹

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous and does not boast. It is not puffed up ⁵ or rude. It does not seek its own. It is not provoked, nor does it keep a count of wrongs. ⁶ It does not rejoice in unrighteousness. Instead, it rejoices in the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. If there are prophecies, they will pass away. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when the perfect comes, that which is incomplete will pass away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see indirectly in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I have been fully known. ¹³ But now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

¹Most important and ancient Greek copies, as well as ancient translations read, I give my body to be burned . There are a few important and ancient Greek copies, as well as ancient translations, that read, I give my body so that I might boast .

Chapter 14

¹ Pursue love and be zealous for spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. ² For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. For no one understands him because he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people to build them up, to exhort them, and to comfort them. ⁴ The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

⁵ Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues. But even more than that, I wish that you would prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues (unless someone interprets so that the church may receive edification). ⁶ But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you? I cannot, unless I speak to you with revelation, or knowledge, or prophecy, or teaching.

⁷ In the same way, when lifeless instruments are producing sounds—like the flute or the harp—if they do not produce different tones, how will anyone know what tune the flute or harp is playing? ⁸ For if the trumpet is played with an uncertain sound, how will anyone know when it is time to prepare for battle? ⁹ It is the same way for you with the tongue. If you utter speech that is not clear, how will what is said be understood? You will be speaking into the air.

¹⁰ There are doubtless many kinds of languages in the world, and none is without meaning. ¹¹ But if I do not know the meaning of a language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.

¹² So it is with you. Since you are eager for the manifestations of the Spirit, seek for the edification of the church so that you might abound. ¹³ So the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

¹⁵ What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, and I will also sing with my mind. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you bless God with the spirit, how will the outsider say "Amen" when you are giving thanks if he does not know what you are saying?

¹⁷ For you certainly give thanks well enough, but the other person is not built up. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ But in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding so that I might instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰ Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Rather, in regard to evil, be like infants. But in your thinking be mature. ²¹ In the law it is written,

"By men of strange tongues

and by the lips of strangers

I will speak to this people.

Even then they will not hear me,"

says the Lord.

²² So then, tongues are a sign, not to believers, but to unbelievers. But prophecy is for a sign, not for unbelievers, but for believers. ²³ If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders and unbelievers come in, would they not say that you are insane?

²⁴ But if you all were prophesying and an unbeliever or an outsider came in, he would be convicted by all he hears. He would be judged by all that is said. ²⁵ The secrets of his heart would be revealed. As a result, he would fall on his face and worship God. He would declare that God is really among you.

²⁶ What is next then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Do everything so that you build up the church. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at most three, and each one in turn, and then someone should interpret what is said. ²⁸ But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in the church. Let each one speak to himself alone and to God.

²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others listen with discernment to what is said. ³⁰ But if there is a revelation to one who is sitting, let the first be silent.

³¹ For each of you can prophesy one by one so that each one may learn and all may be exhorted. ³² For the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ³³ For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.

This is the rule in all the churches of God's holy people.

³⁴ The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak. Instead, they should be in submission, as also the law says. ³⁵ If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. ³⁶ Did the word of God come from you? Are you the only ones it has reached?

³⁷ If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I write to you are a command of the Lord. ³⁸ But if anyone does not recognize this, let him not be recognized.

³⁹ So then, brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid anyone from speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But let all things be done properly and in order.

Chapter 15

¹ Now I want to make known to you, brothers, the gospel I proclaimed to you, which you received and on which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.

⁵ Christ appeared to Cephas, and then to the twelve; ⁶ then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once. Most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

⁸ Last of all, he appeared to me, as if to one born prematurely. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles. I am unworthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.

¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace in me was not in vain. Instead, I labored harder than all of them. Yet it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. ¹¹ Therefore whether it is I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

¹² Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁴ and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.

¹⁵ Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we testified that God raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain and you are still in your sins.

¹⁸ Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. ¹⁹ If only in this life we hope in Christ, of all people we are most to be pitied.

²⁰ But now Christ has been raised from the dead as the firstfruits of those who sleep. ²¹ For since death came by a man, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ, who is the firstfruits, and then those who belong to Christ will be made alive at his coming.

²⁴ Then will be the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, when he will abolish all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

²⁷ For "he has put everything under his feet." But when it says, "he has put everything," it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection under him. ²⁸ When all things are subjected under him, then the Son himself will be subjected under the one who put all things into subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

²⁹ Or else what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are they baptized for them? ³⁰ Why then are we in danger every hour?

³¹ I die every day! This is as sure as my boasting in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³² What do I gain, from a human point of view, if I fought with beasts at Ephesus, if the dead are not raised?

"Let us eat and drink,

for tomorrow we die."

³³ Be not deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." ³⁴ Sober up! Live righteously! Do not keep sinning. For some of you have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

³⁵ But someone will say, "How are the dead raised, and with what kind of body will they come?" ³⁶ You fool! What you sow will not come to life unless it dies.

³⁷ What you sow is not the body that will be, but a bare grain. It may become wheat or something else. ³⁸ But God will give it a body as he chooses, and to each seed its own body. ³⁹ Not all flesh is the same. Instead, there is one flesh for human beings, and another flesh for animals, and another flesh for birds, and another for fish.

⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of the heavenly body is one kind and the glory of the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differs from another star in glory.

⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, and what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

⁴⁵ So also it is written, "The first man Adam became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ But the spiritual did not come first but the natural, and then the spiritual.

⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ Just as the one made from dust is, so also are those who are made of the dust, and as the man of heaven is, so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither does what is perishable inherit what is imperishable. ⁵¹ Look! I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.

⁵² We will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on what is imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

⁵⁴ But when this perishable body has put on what is imperishable, and when this mortal body has put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory."

⁵⁵ "Death, where is your victory?

Death, where is your sting?"

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always abound in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Chapter 16

¹ Now concerning the collection for God's holy people: as I instructed the churches of Galatia, so you are to do. ² On the first day of the week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he may prosper. Do this so that there will be no collections when I come.

³ When I arrive, to whomever you approve, I will give letters of introduction to them and will send them with your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.

⁵ But I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia. For I will pass through Macedonia. ⁶ Perhaps I may stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my way, wherever I go.

⁷ For I do not wish to see you now for only a passing visit. For I hope to spend more time with you, if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹ for a wide door has opened for me, and there are many adversaries.

¹⁰ Now when Timothy comes, see that he is with you unafraid, for he is laboring at the work of the Lord, as I am doing. ¹¹ Let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me. For I am expecting him to come along with the brothers. ¹² Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly encouraged him to visit you with the brothers. But it was not at all his will that he come now. However, he will come when the time is right.

¹³ Be watchful, stand fast in the faith, act like men, be strong. ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love.

¹⁵ You know the household of Stephanas, that they were the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of God's holy people. Now I urge you, brothers, ¹⁶ to be in submission to such people and to everyone who helps in the work and labors with us.

¹⁷ I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus. They have made up for your absence. ¹⁸ For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. So then, acknowledge people like them.

¹⁹ The churches of Asia send greetings to you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you in the Lord, with the church that is in their home. ²⁰ All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ I, Paul, write this with my own hand. ²² If anyone does not love the Lord, may he be accursed. Our Lord, come! ²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. ¹

¹A few important and ancient Greek copies and some ancient translations have Amen at the end of verse 24. But many important ancient Greek copies, as well as many ancient translations, do not have Amen at the end.

2 Corinthians

Chapter 1

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, and to all God's holy people in the entire region of Achaia:

² May grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised. He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. ⁴ God comforts us in all our tribulation, so that we can comfort those who are in any tribulation. We comfort others with the same comfort that God used to comfort us.

⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ abound for our sake, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort. Your comfort is working effectively in your endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer. ⁷ Our hope concerning you is unshaken, for we know that as you share the sufferings, you also share our comfort.

⁸ For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the tribulation we had in Asia. We were utterly burdened beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹ Indeed, we had the sentence of death on us. But that was to make us not put our trust in ourselves, but instead in God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He rescued us from such a deadly peril, and he will rescue us. On him we have set our hope that he will rescue us.

¹¹ He will do this as you also help us by your prayer. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor given to us through the prayers of many.

¹² Our boast is this: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with integrity and godly sincerity, not relying on fleshly wisdom but on the grace of God. ¹³ We write to you nothing that you cannot read and understand, and I hope that you will fully understand ¹⁴ as you have understood us in part, that you can boast of us on the day of our Lord Jesus, just as we will boast of you.

¹⁵ Because I was confident about this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might receive a second favor. ¹⁶ I was planning to visit you on my way to Macedonia. Then I wanted to visit you again on my trip from Macedonia, and then for you to send me on my way to Judea.

¹⁷ When I was thinking this way, was I hesitating? Do I plan things according to the flesh, so that I say "Yes, yes" and "No, no" at the same time? ¹⁸ But just as God is faithful, our word to you is not "Yes" and "No."

¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom Silvanus, Timothy, and I proclaimed among you, is not "Yes" and "No." Instead, he is always "Yes." ²⁰ For all the promises of God are "Yes" in him. So also through him we say "Amen" to the glory of God.

²¹ Now it is God who confirms us with you in Christ, and he anointed us, ²² he set his seal on us, and he gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of what is to come.

²³ But I call God as witness to my soul that the reason I did not come to Corinth was so that I might spare you. ²⁴ This is not because we want to be lords over your faith. Instead, we are fellow laborers with you for your joy, as you stand firm in your faith.

Chapter 2

¹ So I decided for my own part that I would not again come to you in sorrow. ² If I caused you sorrow, who could make me glad but the very one who was made sorrowful by me?

³ I wrote as I did in order that, when I came to you, I might not be hurt by those who should have made me rejoice. I have confidence about all of you that my joy is the same joy you all have. ⁴ For I wrote to you from great tribulation, with anguish of heart, and with many tears. I did not write you so that you would be made sorrowful. Instead, I wanted you to know the depth of the love that I have for you.

⁵ If anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not only to me, but in some measure—not to burden you—to all of you. ⁶ This punishment of that person by the majority is enough. ⁷ So now rather than punish him, you should forgive and comfort him. Do this so that he is not overwhelmed by too much sorrow.

⁸ So I exhort you to confirm your love for him. ⁹ This was the reason I wrote, so that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.

¹⁰ If you forgive anyone, I forgive that person as well. What I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is forgiven for your sake in the presence of Christ. ¹¹ This is so that Satan will not trick us. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

¹² A door was opened to me by the Lord when I came to the city of Troas to preach the gospel of Christ there. ¹³ I had no relief in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I left them and went on to Macedonia.

¹⁴ But may thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph. Through us he reveals the sweet aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ, both among those who are saved and among those who are perishing.

¹⁶ To the people who are perishing, it is an aroma from death to death. To the ones being saved, it is an aroma from life to life. Who is worthy of these things? ¹⁷ For we are not like so many people who sell the word of God for profit. Instead, with purity of motives, we speak in Christ, as we are sent from God, in the sight of God.

Chapter 3

¹ Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? We do not need letters of recommendation to you or from you, like some people, do we? ² You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, known and read by all people. ³ You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry. It was written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God. It was not written on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.

⁴ And this is the confidence that we have through Christ before God. ⁵ We are not competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us. Rather, our competence is from God. ⁶ It is God who made us able to be servants of a new covenant. This is a covenant not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

⁷ Now the ministry of death—engraved in letters on stones—came in such glory that the sons of Israel could not look directly at Moses' face. This is because of the glory of his face, a glory that was fading. ⁸ How much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be?

⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, how much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory! ¹⁰ For indeed, that which was once made glorious is no longer glorious in this respect, because of the glory that exceeds it. ¹¹ For if that which was passing away had glory, how much more will what is permanent have glory!

¹² Since we have such a hope, we are very bold. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel were not able to look directly at the ending of a glory that was passing away.

¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ But even today, whenever Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶ But when a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ Now all of us, with unveiled faces, see the glory of the Lord. We are being transformed into the same glorious likeness from one degree of glory into another, just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Chapter 4

¹ Therefore, because we have this ministry, and just as we have received mercy, we do not become discouraged. ² Instead, we have rejected secret and shameful ways. We do not walk in craftiness, and we do not mishandle the word of God, but by presenting the truth, we recommend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

³ But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case, the god of this world has blinded their unbelieving minds. As a result, they are not able to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶ For God is the one who said, "Light will shine out of darkness." He has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the presence of Jesus Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, so that it is clear that the exceedingly great power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not overwhelmed. We are perplexed but not filled with despair. ⁹ We are persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³ But we have the same spirit of faith according to that which was written: "I believed, and so I spoke." We also believe, and so we also speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ For everything is for your sake, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.

¹⁶ So we do not become discouraged. Even though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal burden of glory that exceeds all measurement. ¹⁸ For we are not watching for things that are seen, but for things that are unseen. The things that we can see are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Chapter 5

¹ We know that if our earthly house—the tent—is destroyed, we have a building from God. It is a house not made by human hands, but an eternal house, in heaven. ² For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly residence. ³ We long for this because by putting it on we will not be found to be naked.

⁴ For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened. We do not want to be unclothed. Instead, we want to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ The one who prepared us for this very thing is God, who gave us the Spirit as a guarantee of what is to come.

⁶ Therefore always be confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ So we have confidence. We would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

⁹ So we make it our goal, whether we are at home or away, to please him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for the things done in the body, whether for good or for bad.

¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade people. What we are is clearly seen by God, and I hope that it is also clear to your conscience. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you may have an answer for those who boast about appearances but not about what is in the heart.

¹³ For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; and if we are in our right minds, it is for your sake. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: That one person died for all, and that therefore all have died. ¹⁵ He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶ For this reason, from now on we do not regard anyone according to the flesh, even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh. But now we no longer regard him that way. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. See, they have become new.

¹⁸ All these things are from God. He reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ That is, in Christ God is reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. He is entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

²⁰ So we are appointed as representatives of Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. We plead with you, for the sake of Christ: "Be reconciled to God!" ²¹ He made him who knew no sin to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Chapter 6

¹ Working together with him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says,

"In a favorable time I paid attention to you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you."

Look, now is the favorable time. Look, now is the day of salvation.

³ We do not place a stumbling block in front of anyone, for we do not wish our ministry to be discredited.

⁴ Instead, in every way we commend ourselves as God's servants in much endurance, in affliction, in distress, in hardship, ⁵ in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in hard labor, in sleepless nights, in hunger, ⁶ in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, ⁷ in the word of truth, in the power of God; with the armor of righteousness for the right hand and the left.

⁸ We are God's servants in glory and dishonor, in slander and praise; regarded as deceivers and yet truthful; ⁹ as unknown, yet well known; as dying, yet, look—we live; as being disciplined, yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet rejoicing; as poor, yet many are enriched; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.

¹¹ We have spoken the whole truth to you, Corinthians, and our heart is wide open. ¹² You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own hearts. ¹³ Now in fair exchange—I speak as to children—open yourselves wide also.

¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what association does righteousness have with lawlessness? For what fellowship does light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What agreement can Christ have with Belial? Or what share does a believer have together with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said:

"I will dwell among them

and walk among them.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people."

¹⁷ Therefore,

"Come out from among them,

and be set apart," says the Lord.

"Touch no unclean thing,

and I will welcome you.

¹⁸ I will be a Father to you,

and you will be my sons and daughters,"

says the Lord Almighty.

Chapter 7

¹ Beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves of all defilement of flesh and spirit. Let us perfect holiness in the fear of God.

² Make room for us! We have not wronged anyone. We have not corrupted anyone or taken advantage of anyone. ³ It is not to condemn you that I say this. For I have already said that you are in our hearts, for us to die together and to live together. ⁴ I have great confidence in you, and great is my boast about you. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy even in all our tribulation.

⁵ When we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way by conflicts on the outside and fears on the inside. ⁶ But God, who comforts the lowly, comforted us by the arrival of Titus. ⁷ It was not only by his arrival that God comforted us. It was also by the comfort that Titus had received from you. He told us of your great affection, your sorrow, and your zeal for me. So I rejoiced even more.

⁸ Even though my letter made you sorrowful, I do not regret it. But I did regret it when I saw that my letter made you sorrowful, though only for a little while. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not because you were sorrowful, but because your sorrow brought you to repentance. You experienced a godly sorrow, so you suffered no loss because of us. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow brings about repentance that accomplishes salvation without regret. Worldly sorrow, however, brings about death.

¹¹ See what great diligence this godly sorrow produced in you. How great was the determination in you to prove you were innocent. How great was your indignation, your fear, your longing, your zeal, and your desire to see that justice should be done! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹² Although I wrote to you, I did not write for the sake of the wrongdoer, nor for the one who suffered the wrong, but so that your earnestness toward us should be made known to you in the sight of God.

¹³ It is by this that we are encouraged.

In addition to our own comfort, we also rejoiced even more because of Titus' joy, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.

¹⁴ For if I boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame. On the contrary, just as everything we said to you was true, our boasting about you to Titus proved to be true.

¹⁵ His affection for you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you.

Chapter 8

¹ We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given to the churches of Macedonia. ² During a great test of tribulation, the abundance of their joy and the extremity of their poverty have produced great riches of generosity.

³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond what they were able, and of their own free will ⁴ they begged us with much earnestness for the privilege of sharing in this service to God's holy people. ⁵ This did not happen as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God.

⁶ So we urged Titus, who had already begun this task, to complete among you this act of grace. ⁷ But you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us. So also make sure that you excel in this act of grace. ¹

⁸ I say this not as a command but to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it to the eagerness of other people. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he was rich, for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich.

¹⁰ In this matter I will give you advice that will help you. One year ago, you not only started to do something, but you desired to do it. ¹¹ Now finish it. Just as there was an eagerness and desire to do it then, may you also bring it to completion, as much as you can. ¹² For if you are eager to do this deed, it is a good and acceptable thing. It must be based on what a person has, not on what he does not have.

¹³ For this is not to cause relief for others and tribulation for you, but for fairness. ¹⁴ Your abundance at the present time will supply what they need. This is also so that their abundance may supply your need, and so that there may be fairness. ¹⁵ It is as it is written:

"The one with much did not have anything left over,

and the one who had little did not have any lack."

¹⁶ But thanks be to God, who put into Titus' heart the same earnest care that I have for you. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted our appeal, but he was also very earnest about it. He came to you of his own free will.

¹⁸ We have sent with him the brother who is praised among all of the churches for his work in proclaiming the gospel. ¹⁹ Not only this, but he also was chosen by the churches to be our traveling companion with this act of grace, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord himself and our good will.

²⁰ We are avoiding the possibility that anyone should complain about this act of generosity that we are carrying out. ²¹ We take care to do what is good, not only before the Lord, but also before people.

²² We are also sending another brother with them. We have tested him in many ways and found him diligent for many tasks. He is even more eager now because of the great confidence he has in you. ²³ As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are messengers from the churches. They are a glory to Christ. ²⁴ So show them the proof of your love, and show to the churches the reason for our boasting about you.

¹There is evidence that corrections were made to verse 7 by later copyists who were referring to other ancient texts. Most modern translations follow those corrections, and they now read, and in your love for us . But there are some important and ancient Greek copies that read, and in our love for you .

Chapter 9

¹ Concerning the service for God's holy people, it is not necessary for me to write to you. ² I know about your desire, which I boasted about to the people of Macedonia. I told them that Achaia has been getting ready since last year. Your eagerness has motivated most of them to action.

³ Now I have sent the brothers so that our boasting about you may not be futile, and so that you would be ready, as I said you would be. ⁴ Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we would be ashamed—I say nothing about you—for being so confident in you. ⁵ So I thought it was necessary to urge the brothers to come to you and to make arrangements in advance for the gift you have promised. This is so that it might be ready as a blessing, and not as something extorted.

⁶ The point is this: The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows for the purpose of a blessing will also reap a blessing. ⁷ Let each one give as he has planned in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸ And God is able to make all grace overflow for you, so that always, in all things, you may have all you need. This will be so that you may multiply every good deed. ⁹ It is as it is written:

"He has distributed his riches and given them to the poor.

His righteousness lasts forever."

¹⁰ He who supplies seed to the farmer who sows and bread for food will also supply and multiply your seed for sowing. He will increase the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so you can be generous. This will bring about thanksgiving to God through us.

¹² For carrying out this service not only meets the needs of God's holy people, but it also is overflowing into many acts of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ Because of your being tested and proved by this service, you will also glorify God by obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ. You will also glorify God by the generosity of your contribution to them and to everyone. ¹⁴ They long for you, and they are praying for you. They do this because of the very great grace of God that is on you. ¹⁵ May thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Chapter 10

¹ I, Paul, myself urge you, by the humility and gentleness of Christ. I am meek when I am in your presence, but I am bold toward you when I am away. ² I beg of you that, when I am present with you, I will not need to be bold with the confidence that I think I will need to be bold when I oppose those who think that we are walking according to the flesh.

³ For even though we walk in the flesh, we do not make war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons we fight with are not fleshly. Rather, they have divine power to destroy strongholds. They bring misleading arguments to nothing.

⁵ We also destroy every high thing that rises up against the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive into obedience to Christ. ⁶ And we are getting ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

⁷ Look at what is clearly in front of you. If anyone is convinced that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. ⁸ For even if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave for us to build you up and not to destroy you, I will not be ashamed.

⁹ I do not want it to appear that I am terrifying you by my letters. ¹⁰ For some people say, "His letters are serious and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak. His words are not worth listening to."

¹¹ Let such people be aware that what we are in the words of our letters when we are absent is what we will be in our actions when we are there. ¹² We are not so bold as to group ourselves or compare ourselves with those who praise themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with each other, they have no insight.

¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond limits. Instead, we will do so only within the limits of what God has assigned to us, limits that reach even as far as you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves as though we did not reach you. We were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel of Christ.

¹⁵ We have not boasted beyond limits about the labors of others. Rather, our hope is that as your faith continues to grow, our work among you will greatly expand, ¹⁶ so that we may preach the gospel even in regions beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area.

¹⁷ "But let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

¹⁸ For it is not the one who recommends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord recommends.

Chapter 11

¹ I wish that you could put up with me in some foolishness. But you are indeed putting up with me! ² For I am jealous about you. I have a godly jealousy for you, since I promised you in marriage to one husband. I promised to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

³ But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your thoughts might be led astray, away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For suppose that someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we preached. Or suppose that you receive a different spirit than what you received. Or suppose that you receive a different gospel than the one you received. You put up with these things well enough!

⁵ For I think that I am not in the least inferior to those so-called super-apostles. ⁶ But even if I am untrained in speech, I am not untrained in knowledge. In every way and in all things we have made this known to you.

⁷ Did I sin by humbling myself so you might be exalted? For I freely preached the gospel of God to you. ⁸ I robbed other churches by accepting support from them so that I could serve you. ⁹ When I was with you and I was in need, I did not burden anyone. For my needs were met by the brothers who came from Macedonia. In everything I have kept myself from being a burden to you, and I will continue to do that.

¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the parts of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

¹² And what I do I will keep doing, so that I may cut off the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be found to be like us in the things they boast about. ¹³ For such people are false apostles and deceitful workers. They disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And this is no surprise, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their fate will be what their deeds deserve.

¹⁶ I say again: Let no one think I am a fool. But if you do, receive me as a fool so I may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying with this boastful confidence—I am not talking the way the Lord would—I am saying as a fool. ¹⁸ Since many people boast according to the flesh, I will also boast.

¹⁹ For you gladly put up with fools. You are wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you put up with someone if he enslaves you, if he devours you, if he takes advantage of you, if he exalts himself, or if he slaps you in the face. ²¹ I will say to our shame that we were too weak to do that. Yet if anyone is bold—I am speaking like a fool—I too will be bold.

²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as though I were insane.) I am more: in harder labor, in more prisons, in beatings beyond measure, in facing many deadly dangers.

²⁴ From Jews I received five times the "forty lashes minus one." ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day on the open sea. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own people, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, in danger from false brothers.

²⁷ I have served in labor and toil, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness. ²⁸ Apart from everything else, there is the daily pressure of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who has been caused to stumble, and I do not burn?

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast about what shows my weaknesses. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the one who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying!

³² At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus to arrest me. ³³ But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and I escaped from his hands.

Chapter 12

¹ I must boast, even if it is unprofitable. But I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows—was caught up into the third heaven.

³ And I know that this man—whether in the body, or out of the body, I do not know, God knows— ⁴ was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words that people are not permitted to speak. ⁵ On behalf of such a person I will boast. But on behalf of myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.

⁶ If I should choose to boast, I will not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I will keep from boasting, so that no one will think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me. ⁷ To keep me from exalting myself because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger from Satan to afflict me—so I would not exalt myself.

⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, for him to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, "My grace is enough for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So I would much rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ might reside on me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am content for Christ's sake in weaknesses, in insults, in troubles, in persecutions and distressing situations. For whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ I have become a fool! You forced me to this, for I should have been praised by you. For I was not at all inferior to the so-called super-apostles, even though I am nothing. ¹² The true signs of an apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, signs and wonders and miracles. ¹³ For how were you less important than the rest of the churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me for this wrong!

¹⁴ Look! I am ready to come to you a third time. I will not be a burden to you, for I do not seek what is yours. I want you. For children should not save up for the parents. Instead, the parents should save up for the children. ¹⁵ I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

¹⁶ But as it is, I did not burden you. But since I am so crafty, I am the one who caught you by deceit. ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you by anyone I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go to you, and I sent the other brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

¹⁹ Do you think all of this time we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we speak in Christ, and all for your strengthening, beloved.

²⁰ For I fear that when I come, I may not find you as I wish. I fear that you might not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, rivalries, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. ²¹ I fear that when I come back, my God might humble me before you. I fear that I might be grieved by many of those who have sinned before now and who did not repent of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustful indulgence that they practiced.

Chapter 13

¹ This is the third time that I am coming to you. "Every matter must be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses." ² I have already said to those who sinned before and to all the rest when I was there the second time, and I say it again: When I come again, I will not spare them.

³ I tell you this because you are looking for proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak toward you. Rather, he is powerful in you. ⁴ For he was crucified in weakness, but he is alive by God's power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him by the power of God among you.

⁵ Examine yourselves, to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, of course, you have failed the test. ⁶ And I hope that you will recognize that we have not failed the test.

⁷ Now we pray to God that you may not do any wrong. I do not pray this so that we may appear to have passed the test. Rather, I pray that you may do what is proper, although we may seem to have failed the test. ⁸ For we are not able to do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

⁹ For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray that you may be made complete. ¹⁰ I write these things while I am away from you so, that when I am with you I do not have to deal harshly with you in the use of my authority—which the Lord gave to me so that I may build you up, and not tear you down.

¹¹ Finally, brothers, rejoice! Work for restoration, be encouraged, think alike, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet each other with a holy kiss. All God's holy people greet you. ¹

¹³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. ²

¹Some copies number this sentence as verse 13.

²Some translations number this sentence as verse 14.

¹Some ancient and important Greek copies add Amen , and there are some ancient Greek copies that have that word at the end of every New Testament book. There are also many important and ancient Greek copies that do not have the final Amen .

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies read, and the man of sin is revealed .

²Some important and ancient Greek copies read, For God chose you from the first for salvation .

Hebrews

Chapter 1

¹ Long ago God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in many ways. ² But in these last days, he has spoken to us through a Son, whom he appointed to be the heir of all things. It is through him that God also made the universe. ³ He is the brightness of God's glory, the exact representation of his being. He even holds everything together by the word of his power. After he had made cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

⁴ He has become just as superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than their name. ⁵ For to which of the angels did God ever say,

"You are my Son,

today I have become your Father"?

Or to which of the angels did God ever say,

"I will be a Father to him,

and he will be a Son to me"?

⁶ But again, when God brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

"All God's angels must worship him."

⁷ About the angels he says,

"He is the one who makes his angels spirits,

and his servants flames of fire."

⁸ But to the Son he says,

"Your throne, God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of justice is the scepter of your kingdom.

⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of joy more than your companions."

¹⁰ "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the earth's foundation.

The heavens are the work of your hands.

¹¹ They will perish, but you will continue.

They will all wear out like a piece of clothing.

¹² You will roll them up like a cloak,

and they will be changed like a piece of clothing.

But you are the same,

and your years do not end."

¹³ But to which of the angels has God said at any time,

"Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?

¹⁴ Are not all angels spirits who serve, and who are sent to care for those who will inherit salvation?

Chapter 2

¹ Therefore, we must give far more attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.

² For if the message that was spoken through the angels proved to be so reliable, and every transgression and disobedience receives just repayment, ³ how then can we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This is salvation that was first announced by the Lord and confirmed to us by those who heard it. ⁴ At the same time God testified to it by signs, wonders, and various miracles, and by distributing the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his will.

⁵ For it was not to the angels that God subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶ But someone has somewhere testified, saying,

"What is man, that you are mindful of him?

Or a son of man, that you care for him?

⁷ You made man a little lower than the angels;

you crowned him with glory and honor. ¹

⁸ You put everything in subjection under his feet."

For it was to him that God has subjected all things. He did not leave anything not subjected to him. But now we do not yet see everything subjected to him.

⁹ But we see him who was made lower than the angels for a little while, Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of his suffering and death, so that by God's grace he might taste death for everyone. ¹⁰ For it was proper for God, because everything exists for him and through him, to bring many sons to glory. It was proper for him to make the founder of their salvation complete through his sufferings.

¹¹ For both the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have one source. So he is not ashamed to call them brothers. ¹² He says,

"I will proclaim your name to my brothers,

I will sing about you from inside the assembly."

¹³ And again,

"I will trust in him."

And again,

"See, here am I and the children whom God has given me."

¹⁴ Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he shared in those things in the same way, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. ¹⁵ This was so that he would free all those who through fear of death lived all their lives subject to slavery.

¹⁶ For surely it is not the angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. ¹⁷ So it was necessary for him to become like his brothers in all ways, so that he could be a merciful and faithful high priest in relation to the things of God, and so that he could make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because Jesus himself has suffered and was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies add and you have put him over the works of your hands .

Chapter 3

¹ Therefore, holy brothers, you share in a heavenly calling. Think about Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. ² He was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses was also faithful in all the house of God. ³ For Jesus has been considered worthy of greater glory than Moses, because the one who builds a house has more honor than the house itself. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but the one who built everything is God.

⁵ For Moses was faithful as a servant in God's entire house, bearing witness about the things that were to be spoken of in the future. ⁶ But Christ is faithful as a Son who is in charge of the house of God. We are his house if we hold firmly to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

⁷ Therefore, it is just as the Holy Spirit says:

"Today, if you hear his voice

⁸ do not harden your hearts

as in the rebellion,

in the time of testing in the wilderness.

⁹ This was when your ancestors rebelled by testing me,

after they had seen my deeds for forty years.

¹⁰ Therefore I was angry with that generation.

I said, 'They have always gone astray in their hearts.

They have not known my ways.'

¹¹ It is just as I swore in my wrath:

'They will never enter my rest.'"

¹² Be careful, brothers, that none of you has an evil heart of unbelief, a heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "today," so that no one among you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

¹⁴ For we have become partners of Christ if we firmly hold to our confidence in him from the beginning to the end. ¹⁵ About this it has been said,

"Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts,

as in the rebellion."

¹⁶ Who was it who heard God and rebelled? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt through Moses? ¹⁷ With whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ To whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if it was not to those who disobeyed him? ¹⁹ We see that they were not able to enter his rest because of unbelief.

Chapter 4

¹ Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest is still allowed to stand, let us fear, so that none of you may seem to have fallen short of it. ² For we were told the good news just as they were. But that message did not benefit those who did not unite in faith with those who obeyed. ¹

³ For we who have believed enter that rest, just as he said,

"As I swore in my wrath,

They will never enter my rest."

Even so, his works were finished from the foundation of the world.

⁴ For he has somewhere spoken about the seventh day:

"And God rested on the seventh day from all his works."

⁵ And again in this same passage he said,

"They will never enter my rest."

⁶ Therefore, it remains for some to enter that rest, and those who previously had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience. ⁷ So God again appointed a certain day, calling it "Today," when he spoke through David much later in words already quoted:

"Today if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts."

⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken about another day. ⁹ So there remains a Sabbath rest reserved for God's people. ¹⁰ For he who enters into God's rest has himself also rested from his deeds, just as God did from his. ¹¹ Therefore let us be eager to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the kind of disobedience that they did.

¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ No thing that has been created is hidden before God, but everything is bare and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give an account.

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us firmly hold to our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. Rather, we have someone who has in all ways been tempted as we are, except that he is without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then go with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

¹Some important and ancient copies read, But that message did not benefit those who heard it without joining faith to it .

Chapter 5

¹ For every high priest, chosen from among people, is appointed to act on the behalf of people in the things concerning God, so that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can deal gently with those who are ignorant and who have been deceived, because he himself is subject to weakness. ³ Because of this, he also is required to offer sacrifices for his own sins, just as he does for the people's sins.

⁴ No one takes this honor for himself. Rather, he is called by God, just as Aaron was. ⁵ In the same way, neither did Christ glorify himself by making himself high priest. Instead, the one speaking to him said,

"You are my Son;

today I have become your Father."

⁶ It is just as he also says in another place,

"You are a priest forever

after the manner of Melchizedek."

⁷ During the days of his flesh, Christ offered up both prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, the one able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his godly life. ⁸ Even though he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.

⁹ He was made perfect and became, for everyone who obeys him, the cause of eternal salvation. ¹⁰ He was designated by God as high priest after the manner of Melchizedek.

¹¹ We have much to say about Jesus, but it is hard to explain since you have become dull in hearing.

¹² For though by this time you should be teachers, you still have need for someone to teach you the elementary principles of God's messages. You need milk, not solid food! ¹³ For anyone who only takes milk is inexperienced with the message of righteousness, because he is still a little child. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature. These are those who, because of their maturity, have their understanding trained for distinguishing good from evil.

Chapter 6

¹ So then, let us leave the beginning of the message of Christ and move forward to maturity. Let us not lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God, ² nor the foundation of teaching about baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³ We will also do this if God permits.

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who were sharers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and who tasted God's good word and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ but who then fell away—it is impossible to restore them again to repentance. This is because they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and publicly shame him.

⁷ For the land that drinks in the rain that often comes on it, and that gives birth to the plants useful to those for whom the land was worked—this is the land that receives a blessing from God. ⁸ But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and is near to a curse. Its end is in burning.

⁹ But we are convinced about better things concerning you, beloved ones—things that concern salvation—even though we speak like this. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you showed for his name, because you served his holy people, and you are still serving them.

¹¹ We greatly desire that each of you may show the same diligence to the end, in order to make your hope certain. ¹² This is so that you will not become lazy, but imitators of those who by faith and patience inherit the promises.

¹³ For when God made his promise to Abraham, he swore by himself, since he could not swear by anyone greater. ¹⁴ He said, "I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants." ¹⁵ In this way, Abraham obtained what was promised after he had patiently waited.

¹⁶ For people swear by someone greater than themselves. At the end of each of their disputes, an oath serves as confirmation. ¹⁷ When God decided to show more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable quality of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath. ¹⁸ He did this so that by two unchangeable things—with which it is impossible for God to lie—we, who have fled for refuge, will have a strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope set before us.

¹⁹ We have this as a secure and reliable anchor for the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus, who went before us, has entered into that place on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Chapter 7

¹ It was this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him. ² It was to him that Abraham gave a tenth of everything. First, the translation of his name means "king of righteousness"; then he is also "king of Salem," that is, "king of peace." ³ He is without father, without mother, without ancestors, with neither beginning of days nor end of life. And resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

⁴ See how great this man was to whom the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the things that he had taken in battle. ⁵ The descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a command according to the law to collect tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, even though they, too, are descended from Abraham. ⁶ But Melchizedek, whose descent was not traced from them, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him, the one who had the promises.

⁷ There is no denying that the lesser person is blessed by the greater person. ⁸ In this case, mortal men receive tithes, but in that case, it is testified that he lives on. ⁹ And, in a manner of speaking, Levi, who received tithes, also paid tithes through Abraham, ¹⁰ because Levi was in the body of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham.

¹¹ Now if perfection were possible through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the manner of Melchizedek, and not be considered to be after the manner of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed.

¹³ For the one about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴ Now clearly it is from Judah that our Lord was born, a tribe that Moses never mentioned concerning priests.

¹⁵ What we say is even clearer when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek. ¹⁶ This one became a priest, not based on a law of physical requirement, but by the power of an everlasting life. ¹⁷ For scripture witnesses about him:

"You are a priest forever

according to the order of Melchizedek."

¹⁸ For not only has the former command been set aside because it is weak and useless— ¹⁹ for the law made nothing perfect—but also a better hope is introduced, through which we come near to God.

²⁰ And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath by the one who said to him,

"The Lord has sworn and he will not change his mind:

'You are a priest forever.'"

²² By this also Jesus has given the guarantee of a better covenant. ²³ The former priests were many in number, since death prevented them from continuing in office. ²⁴ But because Jesus continues to live forever, he has a permanent priesthood.

²⁵ Therefore he is also able to save completely those who approach God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. ²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, who is holy, innocent, pure, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

²⁷ He does not need, unlike the high priests, to offer up daily sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He did this once for all when he offered himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men who have weaknesses. But the word of the oath, which came after the law, appointed a Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Chapter 8

¹ Now the point of what we are saying is this: We have a high priest who has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. ² He is a servant in the holy place, the true tabernacle that the Lord, not a man, set up.

³ For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary to have something to offer. ⁴ Now if Christ were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the law. ⁵ They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. It is just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to construct the tabernacle: God said, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain."

⁶ But now Christ has received a much better ministry, just as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which is based on better promises. ⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, no occasion for a second would have been sought.

⁸ For when God found fault with the people, he said,

"See, the days are coming—says the Lord—

when I will make a new covenant

with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah.

⁹ It will not be like the covenant

that I made with their ancestors

on the day that I took them by their hand

to lead them out of the land of Egypt.

For they did not carefully obey my covenant,

and I disregarded them—

says the Lord.

¹⁰ This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days, says the Lord.

I will put my laws into their minds,

and I will also write them on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

¹¹ They will not teach each one his fellow citizen

and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord.'

For they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest.

¹² For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds,

and their sins I will not remember any longer."

¹³ By calling this covenant "new," he declared the first covenant to be obsolete, and what has become obsolete and old will soon disappear.

Chapter 9

¹ Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. ² For a tabernacle was prepared. The first room, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the presence, was called the holy place.

³ Behind the second curtain was another room in the tabernacle, called the most holy place. ⁴ It had a golden altar for incense. It also had the ark of the covenant, which was completely overlaid with gold. Inside it was a golden jar that held the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. ⁵ Above the ark of the covenant, glorious cherubim overshadowed the atonement lid, which we cannot now talk about in detail.

⁶ After these things were prepared, the priests always entered the outer room of the tabernacle to perform their services. ⁷ But only the high priest entered the second room, once each year, and not without blood that he offered for himself and for the people's unintentional sins.

⁸ The Holy Spirit showed that as long as the first tabernacle was still standing, the way into the most holy place had not yet appeared. ⁹ This was an illustration for the present time. Both the gifts and sacrifices that are now being offered are not able to perfect the worshiper's conscience. ¹⁰ They are only concerned with food and drink and various ceremonial washings, regulations for the body until the time of the new order.

¹¹ Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come. He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that was not made by human hands, one not belonging to this created world. ¹ ¹² It was not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood that he entered into the most holy place once for all and secured our eternal redemption.

¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes on those who have been defiled sanctifies them for the cleansing of their flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ¹⁵ For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant. This is so that, since a death has taken place to redeem those under the first covenant from their transgressions, those who are called will receive the promise of an eternal inheritance.

¹⁶ For where there is a will, the death of the person who made it must be proven. ¹⁷ For a will is only valid when there has been a death, because it has no force while the one who made it is still alive.

¹⁸ So not even the first covenant was established without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had given every command in the law to all the people, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water, red wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people. ²⁰ Then he said, "This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded for you."

²¹ In the same manner, he sprinkled the blood on the tabernacle and all the containers used in the ministry. ²² According to the law, almost everything is cleansed with blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

²³ Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in heaven should be cleansed with these animal sacrifices. However, the heavenly things themselves had to be cleansed with much better sacrifices. ²⁴ For Christ did not enter into the most holy place made with hands, which is only a copy of the true one. Rather, he entered into heaven itself, to appear now in God's presence for us.

²⁵ He did not go there in order to offer himself many times, as does the high priest, who enters the most holy place year by year with the blood of another. ²⁶ If that had been the case, then he would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

²⁷ Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸ so also, Christ was offered once to take away the sins of many, and will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but for the salvation of those who are waiting for him.

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies read, Christ came as a high priest of the good things that are to come .

Chapter 10

¹ For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the real forms of those things themselves. Those who approach God can never be made perfect by the same sacrifices that the priests continually bring year after year. ² Otherwise, would the sacrifices not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed one time and would no longer have any consciousness of sin. ³ But with those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. ⁴ For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵ When Christ came into the world, he said,

"Sacrifices and offerings you did not desire,

but a body you have prepared for me;

⁶ with burnt offerings and sin offerings

you did not take pleasure.

⁷ Then I said, 'See, here I am—as it is written about me in the scroll—

to do your will, God.'"

⁸ First he said, "It was neither sacrifices, nor offerings, nor whole burnt offerings, nor sin offerings that you desired. Nor did you take pleasure in them." These are sacrifices that are offered according to the law. ⁹ Then he said, "See, here I am to do your will." He takes away the first practice in order to establish the second practice. ¹⁰ By that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

¹¹ Day after day every priest stands and ministers, offering the same sacrifices again and again—sacrifices that can never take away sins. ¹² But when Christ offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. ¹³ He is waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also testifies to us. First he says,

¹⁶ "This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days, says the Lord.

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds."

¹⁷ Then he adds,

"Their sins and lawlessness

I will remember no longer."

¹⁸ Now where there is forgiveness for these, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, we have confidence to enter into the most holy place by the blood of Jesus. ²⁰ That is the new and living way that he has established for us through the curtain, that is, by means of his flesh. ²¹ Because we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us approach with true hearts in the full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

²³ Let us also hold firmly to the hope we confess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ Let us think carefully about how to motivate one another to love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not abandon meeting together, as some have done. Instead, encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day coming closer.

²⁶ For if we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, a sacrifice for sins no longer remains. ²⁷ Instead, there is only a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume God's enemies.

²⁸ Anyone who has rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment do you think one deserves who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, who has regarded the blood of the covenant as unholy—the blood by which he was sanctified—and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

³⁰ For we know the one who said, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will pay back." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

³² But remember the former days, after you were enlightened, how you endured a great struggle in suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution, and other times you shared with those who were so treated. ³⁴ For you had compassion on those who were prisoners, and you accepted with joy the seizure of your possessions. You knew that you yourselves had a better and everlasting possession. ¹

³⁵ So do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. ³⁶ For you need perseverance so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

³⁷ "For in a very little while,

the one who is coming will indeed come and not delay.

³⁸ My righteous one will live by faith.

If he shrinks back, my soul will not be pleased with him."

³⁹ But we are not any of those who turn back to destruction, but we are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies read, For you had compassion on me in my chains .

Chapter 11

¹ Now faith is being sure of the things hoped for and certain of things that are not seen. ² For because of this the ancestors were approved for their faith. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by God's command, so that what is visible was not made out of things that were visible.

⁴ It was by faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, and God spoke well of him because of his offerings, and by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

⁵ It was by faith that Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death. "He was not found, because God took him away." For before he was taken up, it was testified that he had pleased God. ⁶ Now without faith it is impossible to please him. For it is necessary that anyone coming to God must believe that he exists and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

⁷ It was by faith that Noah, having been given a divine message about things not yet seen, with godly reverence built an ark to save his household. By doing this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that is according to faith.

⁸ It was by faith that Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to the place that he was to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ It was by faith that he lived in the land of promise as a foreigner. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

¹¹ It was by faith, even though Sarah herself was barren, that she received ability to conceive. This happened even though she was too old, since she considered as faithful the one who had given the promise. ¹² Therefore, from this one man—and he was almost dead—were born descendants as many as the stars in the sky and as countless as sand by the seashore.

¹³ It was in faith that all these died without receiving the promises. Rather, they saw and greeted them from far off, and they acknowledged that they were foreigners and exiles on earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ It was by faith that Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac. It was his only son whom he offered, he who had received the promises. ¹⁸ It was Abraham to whom it had been said, "It is through Isaac that your descendants will be named." ¹⁹ Abraham reasoned that God was able to raise up Isaac from the dead, and figuratively speaking, it was from them that he received him back.

²⁰ It was also by faith about things to come that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. ²¹ It was by faith that Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons. Jacob worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ²² It was by faith that Joseph, when his end was near, spoke of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt and instructed them about his bones.

²³ It was by faith that Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child. They were not afraid of the king's command. ²⁴ It was by faith that Moses, after he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. ²⁵ He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a while. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.

²⁷ It was by faith that Moses left Egypt. He did not fear the king's anger, for he endured as if he were seeing the one who is invisible. ²⁸ It was by faith that he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch the Israelites' firstborn sons.

²⁹ It was by faith that they passed through the Sea of Reeds as if over dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were swallowed up. ³⁰ It was by faith that Jericho's walls fell down, after they had been circled around for seven days. ³¹ It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute did not die with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.

³² What more can I say? For the time will fail me if I give a full account of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and about the prophets. ³³ It was through faith that they conquered kingdoms, committed righteousness, and received promises. They stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong when they were weak, became mighty in battle, and defeated foreign armies.

³⁵ Women received back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might experience a better resurrection. ³⁶ Others experienced mocking and whippings, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were killed with the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins. They were destitute, oppressed, mistreated. ¹ ³⁸ The world was not worthy of them. They were always wandering about in the deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ Although all these people were approved by God because of their faith, they did not receive the promise. ⁴⁰ God planned something better for us, so that without us, they would not be made perfect.

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies read, They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were put to the test. They were killed with the sword .

Chapter 12

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a large cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and easily entangling sin. Let us run with perseverance the race that is placed before us. ² Let us pay attention to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of the faith. For the joy that was placed before him, he endured the cross, despised its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ So think about him, the one who has endured such opposition from sinners against himself, so that you do not become weary and lose heart.

⁴ You have not yet resisted or struggled against sin to the point of blood; ⁵ and you have forgotten the encouragement that instructs you as sons:

"My son, do not think lightly of the Lord's discipline,

nor grow weary when you are corrected by him.

⁶ For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and he punishes every son he receives."

⁷ Endure suffering as discipline. God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, which all people share in, then you are illegitimate and not his sons.

⁹ Furthermore, we had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best. But God disciplines us for our benefit, so that we can share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline at the time seems to give joy, but to give sorrow. But later it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.

¹² So strengthen your hands that hang down and your weak knees. ¹³ Make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame will not be sprained but rather be healed.

¹⁴ Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵ Be careful so that no one lacks God's grace, and that no root of bitterness grows up to cause trouble, so that many do not become defiled by it, ¹⁶ and that there is no one who is sexually immoral or profane, such as Esau, who for one meal sold his own birthright. ¹⁷ For you know that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, because he found no opportunity for repentance, even though he sought it with tears.

¹⁸ For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched, a mountain of burning fire, darkness, gloom, and storm. ¹⁹ You have not come to a trumpet blast, nor to a voice that speaks words whose hearers begged that not another word be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they could not endure what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." ¹ ²¹ So fearful was this sight that Moses said, "I am terrified and am trembling."

²² Rather, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to tens of thousands of angels in joyful assembly. ²³ You have come to the congregation of the firstborn, who have been registered in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous ones who have been made perfect. ²⁴ And you have come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks better than Abel's blood.

²⁵ See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we turn away from the one who is warning from heaven. ²⁶ At one time, his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised and said, "One more time I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens."

²⁷ These words, "One more time," mean the removal of those things that can be shaken, that is, of the things that have been created, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain. ²⁸ Therefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and in this manner worship God with reverence and awe. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies read, If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned or shot with an arrow .

Chapter 13

¹ Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not forget hospitality for strangers. For through this, some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

³ Remember prisoners as if you were bound with them. Remember those who are mistreated since you yourselves also are in the body. ⁴ Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept pure, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.

⁵ Let your conduct be free from the love of money. Be content with the things you have, for God himself has said,

"I will never leave you,

nor will I abandon you."

⁶ Let us be content so that we may have courage to say,

"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can a man do to me?"

⁷ Consider your leaders, those who spoke God's word to you, and consider the result of their conduct. Imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

⁹ Do not be carried away by various strange teachings. For it is good that the heart should be strengthened by grace, not by foods that do not help those who walk by them. ¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For the blood of the animals killed for sins is brought by the high priest into the holy place, while their bodies are burned outside the camp.

¹² So Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. ¹³ Let us therefore go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he endured. ¹⁴ For we do not have a permanent city here. Rather, we are looking for the one that is to come.

¹⁵ Through him, then, let us always offer up sacrifices of praise to God, praise that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶ Let us not forget doing good and sharing, for it is with such sacrifices that God is very pleased. ¹⁷ Obey and submit to your leaders, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give account. Obey so that your leaders will do this with joy, and not with groaning, which would be useless to you.

¹⁸ Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a good conscience and that we desire to live rightly in all things. ¹⁹ I encourage you even more to do this, so that I will be returned to you sooner.

²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, by the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹ equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²² Now I encourage you, brothers, to bear with the word of encouragement that I have briefly written to you. ²³ Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I will see you if he comes soon.

²⁴ Greet all your leaders and all God's holy people. Those from Italy greet you.

²⁵ May grace be with you all.

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies read, Do you want to know, foolish man, how it is that faith without works is dead?

Revelation

Chapter 1

¹ This is the revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who testified about the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, all the things that he saw. ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud this prophecy and those who listen to the words of this prophecy and who obey what is written in it, because the time is near.

⁴ John, to the seven churches in Asia: May grace be to you and peace from the one who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood— ⁶ he has made us a kingdom, priests for his God and Father—to him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

⁷ Look, he is coming with the clouds;

every eye will see him,

including those who pierced him.

All the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him.

Yes, Amen.

⁸ "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "the one who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." ¹

⁹ I, John—your brother and the one who shares with you in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus—was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. ¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet. ¹¹ It said, "Write what you see in a book, and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."

¹² I turned around to see whose voice was speaking to me, and as I turned I saw seven golden lampstands. ¹³ In the middle of the lampstands there was one like a son of man, wearing a long robe that reached down to his feet and a golden sash around his chest.

¹⁴ His head and hair were as white as wool—as white as snow—and his eyes were like a flame of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like polished bronze, like bronze that had been refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many rushing waters. ¹⁶ He had seven stars in his right hand, and a sword with two sharp edges was coming out of his mouth. His face was shining like the sun at its strongest.

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He placed his right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last ¹⁸ and the one who lives. I was dead, but look, I live forever and ever! And I have the keys of death and of Hades.

¹⁹ Therefore write down what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place after this. ²⁰ As for the hidden meaning about the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies read, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord God .

Chapter 2

¹ "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

'The words of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands,

² "I know your deeds, your hard labor, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, but you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and you have found them to be false.

³ You are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name, and you have not grown weary. ⁴ But I have against you the fact that you have left behind your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first. Unless you repent, I will come to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place.

⁶ But you have this: You hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ Let the one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."'

⁸ "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

'The words of the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead and who became alive again:

⁹ "I know your sufferings and your poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews, but they are not. They are a synagogue of Satan.

¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look! The devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you will be tested, and you will suffer for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ Let the one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death."'

¹² "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

'The words of the one who has the sword with two sharp edges:

¹³ "I know where you live, there where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold on tightly to my name. I know that you did not deny your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, there where Satan lives.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: You have there some who hold tightly to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and be sexually immoral. ¹⁵ In the same way, you even have some who hold tightly to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

¹⁶ Repent, therefore! If you do not, I will quickly come to you, and I will wage war against them with the sword in my mouth. ¹⁷ Let the one who has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone with a new name written on the stone, a name which no one knows but the one who receives it."'

¹⁸ "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

'These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like polished bronze:

¹⁹ "I know your deeds: your love and faith and service and your patient endurance. I know that what you have done recently is more than you did at first.

²⁰ But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her immorality.

²² Look! I will throw her onto a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great suffering, unless they repent of her deeds. ²³ I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out thoughts and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

²⁴ But to the rest of you in Thyatira, to everyone who does not hold this teaching and does not know what some call the deep things of Satan—to you I say, 'I do not put any other burden on you.' ²⁵ In any case, you must hold on tightly until I come.

²⁶ The one who conquers and does my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.

²⁷ 'He will rule them with an iron rod,

like clay jars he will break them into pieces.'

²⁸ Just as I have received from my Father, I will also give him the morning star. ²⁹ Let the one who has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."'

Chapter 3

¹ "To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

'The words of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your deeds. You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

² Wake up and strengthen what remains but is about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.

³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard. Obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come against you. ⁴ But you have a few names in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.

⁵ The one who conquers will be clothed in white garments, and I will never wipe his name out of the Book of Life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. ⁶ Let the one who has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."'

⁷ "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

'The words of the one who is holy and true—

he holds the key of David,

he opens and no one shuts,

he shuts and no one can open.

⁸ "'I know your deeds. Look, I have put before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name.

⁹ Look! I will cause those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, those calling themselves Jews but are not, but rather liars—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will know that I love you. ¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is coming on the whole world, to test those who live on the earth. ¹¹ I am coming soon. Hold to what you have so no one can take away your crown.

¹² The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem, that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name. ¹³ Let the one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."'

¹⁴ "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

'The words of the Amen, the reliable and true witness, the ruler over God's creation.

¹⁵ "I know your deeds and that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.

¹⁷ For you say, 'I am rich, I have had many material possessions, and I need nothing.' But you do not know that you are most miserable, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ Listen to my advice: Buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and brilliant white garments so you may clothe yourself and not show the shame of your nakedness, and salve to anoint your eyes so you will see.

¹⁹ I rebuke and discipline everyone whom I love. Therefore, be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Look, I am standing at the door and am knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into his home and will eat with him, and he with me.

²¹ The one who conquers I will give him the right to sit down with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² Let the one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."'"

Chapter 4

¹ After these things I looked, and I saw an open door in heaven. The first voice that I had heard was speaking to me like a trumpet, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things." ² At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw there a throne placed in heaven, with someone sitting on it. ³ The one who was sitting on it looked like jasper and carnelian. There was a rainbow around the throne. The rainbow was like an emerald in appearance.

⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, dressed with white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming lamps were burning in front of the throne, lamps that were the seven spirits of God.

⁶ Before the throne was a sea of glass, like crystal. In the middle of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes, front and back.

⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures each had six wings, full of eyes on top and underneath. Night and day they do not stop saying,

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,

who was, and who is, and who is to come."

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹ "Worthy are you, our Lord and our God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created."

Chapter 5

¹ Then I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ² I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?"

³ No one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to read it. ⁴ I wept bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to read it. ⁵ But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Look! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

⁶ I saw a Lamb standing in the middle of the throne area and among the four living creatures and among the elders. He looked as though he had been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took hold of the scroll out of the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne.

⁸ When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of them had a harp and a golden bowl full of incense, which are the prayers of God's holy people.

⁹ They sang a new song:

"You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals.

For you were slaughtered,

and with your blood you purchased people for God

from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

¹⁰ You made them a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth."

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the sound of many angels who encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. Their total number was ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands. ¹² They said in a loud voice,

"Worthy is the Lamb, who has been slaughtered,

to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength,

honor, glory, and praise."

¹³ I heard every created thing that was in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea—everything in them—saying,

"To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise, honor, glory, and dominion

forever and ever."

¹⁴ The four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped. ¹

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies read, the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the one who lives forever and ever .

Chapter 6

¹ I looked when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice that sounded like thunder, "Come!" ² I looked and there was a white horse. Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown. He came out as a conqueror in order to conquer.

³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" ⁴ Then another horse came out—fiery red. To its rider was given permission to take peace away from the earth, so that its people would slaughter one another. This rider was given a huge sword.

⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I saw a black horse, and its rider held a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ I heard what seemed to be a voice among the four living creatures say, "A choenix of wheat for one denarius, and three choenices of barley for a denarius. But do not harm the oil and the wine."

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" ⁸ Then I saw a pale horse. The rider on it was named Death, and Hades was following him. They were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine and disease, and with the wild animals of the earth.

⁹ When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God and the testimony which they held. ¹⁰ They cried out with a loud voice, "How long, Ruler over all, holy and true, until you judge those who live on the earth, and until you avenge our blood?" ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told that they should wait a short time longer until the full number of their fellow servants and their brothers who were to be killed, just as they had been killed, was made complete.

¹² When the Lamb opened the sixth seal, I watched and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as black as sackcloth, and the full moon became like blood. ¹³ The stars in the heavens fell to the earth, just as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a stormy wind. ¹⁴ The sky vanished like a scroll that was being rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth and the important people, and the commanders, and the rich, and the powerful, and everyone else, slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us! Hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the Lamb's wrath. ¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come. Who is able to stand?"

Chapter 7

¹ After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, tightly holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind should blow on the earth, on the sea, or against any tree. ² I saw another angel coming up from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who were given permission to harm the earth and the sea: ³ "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."

⁴ I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, who were sealed from every tribe of the people of Israel:

⁵ twelve thousand from the tribe of Judah were sealed,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad,

⁶ twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh,

⁷ twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,

⁸ twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, and

twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

⁹ After these things I looked, and there was a huge multitude that no one could count—from every nation, tribe, people, and language—standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and they were crying out with a loud voice:

"Salvation belongs to our God,

who is seated on the throne,

and to the Lamb!"

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne. They worshiped God, ¹² saying,

"Amen!

Praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and strength

be to our God forever and ever!

Amen!"

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, "Who are these, clothed with white robes, and where did they come from?" ¹⁴ I said to him, "Sir, you know," and he said to me, "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵ For this reason,

they are before the throne of God,

and they worship him day and night in his temple.

The one who is seated on the throne

will spread his tent over them.

¹⁶ They will not be hungry again,

nor will they be thirsty again.

The sun will not beat down on them,

nor any burning heat.

¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne

will shepherd them,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Chapter 8

¹ When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was a silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

³ Another angel came, holding a golden incense bowl, standing at the incense altar. Much incense was given to him so that he would offer it with the prayers of all God's holy people on the golden incense altar before the throne. ⁴ The smoke of the incense—with the prayers of God's holy people—rose up before God from the angel's hand. ⁵ The angel took the incense bowl and filled it with fire from the altar. Then he threw it down to the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

⁶ The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

⁷ The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood. It was thrown down onto the earth so that a third of it was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. ¹

⁸ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a huge star fell from the sky, blazing like a torch, on a third of the rivers and springs of water. ¹¹ The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters that became bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, as well as a third of the moon and a third of the stars. So a third of them turned dark; a third of the day and a third of the night had no light.

¹³ I looked, and I heard an eagle ² that was flying overhead calling out with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe, to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that are about to be sounded by the three angels."

¹Some important and ancient Greek copies leave out, so that a third of it was burned up .

²Some copies have the word angel instead of eagle .

Chapter 9

¹ Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet. I saw a star from heaven that had fallen to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. ² He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the shaft like smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and the air were turned dark by the smoke from the shaft.

³ Out of the smoke locusts came on the earth, and they were given power like that of scorpions on the earth. ⁴ They were told not to damage the grass on the earth or any green plant or tree, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

⁵ They were not given permission to kill those people, but only to torture them for five months. Their agony would be like the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a person. ⁶ In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will greatly desire to die, but death will flee from them.

⁷ The locusts looked like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like crowns of gold, and their faces were like human faces. ⁸ They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. ⁹ They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the sound made by many chariots and horses running into battle.

¹⁰ They had tails with stingers like scorpions; in their tails they had power to harm people for five months. ¹¹ They had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew was Abaddon, and in Greek he had the name Apollyon.

¹² The first woe is past. Look! After this there are still two disasters to come.

¹³ The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is present before God, ¹⁴ saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who had been bound at the great Euphrates River." ¹⁵ The four angels who had been prepared for that hour, that day, that month, and that year were released to kill a third of mankind.

¹⁶ The number of the soldiers on horseback was 200,000,000. I heard their number. ¹⁷ This is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode on them: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur.

¹⁸ A third of the people were killed by these three plagues: the fire, smoke, and sulfur that came out of their mouths. ¹⁹ For the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails—for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflicted wounds on people.

²⁰ The rest of mankind, those who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, nor did they stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—things that cannot see, hear, or walk. ²¹ Neither did they repent of their murders, their sorcery, their sexual immorality, or their acts of theft.

Chapter 10

¹ Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was clothed in a cloud, and there was a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun and his feet were like pillars of fire. ² He held a little scroll, which was opened in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

³ Then he shouted in a loud voice like a roaring lion. When he shouted, the seven thunders spoke out with their sounds. ⁴ When the seven thunders spoke out, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders said. Do not write it down."

⁵ Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and the earth raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ He swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and all that is in it, the earth and all that is on it, and the sea and all that is in it, and the angel said, "There will be no more delay. ⁷ But on the day when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, then the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he proclaimed the good news to his servants the prophets."

⁸ The voice I heard from heaven spoke to me again: "Go, take the open scroll that is in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the land." ⁹ Then I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take the scroll and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

¹⁰ I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but after I ate it, my stomach became bitter. ¹¹ Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings."

Chapter 11

¹ A reed was given to me to use like a measuring rod. I was told, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. ² But do not measure the courtyard outside the temple, for it has been given over to the Gentiles. They will trample the holy city for forty-two months.

³ I will give my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." ⁴ These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that have stood before the Lord of the earth. ⁵ If anyone chooses to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and devours their enemies. Anyone who wishes to harm them must be killed in this way.

⁶ These witnesses have authority to close up the sky so that no rain will fall during the days that they prophesy. They have power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they wish. ⁷ When they will have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will wage war against them. He will conquer them and kill them.

⁸ Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city (which is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt) where their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language, and nation will look at their bodies. They will not permit them to be placed in a tomb.

¹⁰ Those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate. They will even send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who lived on the earth. ¹¹ But after three and a half days a breath of life from God will enter them, and they will stand on their feet. Great fear will fall on those who see them. ¹² Then they will hear a loud voice from heaven say to them, "Come up here!" Then they will go up into heaven in a cloud, while their enemies look on.

¹³ At that hour there will be a major earthquake, and a tenth part of the city will collapse. Seven thousand people will be killed in the earthquake, and the survivors will be terrified and give glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second woe is past. Look! The third woe is coming quickly.

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices spoke in heaven and said,

"The kingdom of the world has become

the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,

and he will reign forever and ever."

¹⁶ Then the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones in the presence of God, fell upon their faces and worshiped God. ¹⁷ They said,

"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,

the one who is and who was,

because you have taken your great power

and have begun to reign. ¹

¹⁸ The nations were enraged,

but your wrath has come.

The time has come for the dead to be judged

and for you to reward your servants the prophets

and God's holy people, and those who feared your name,

both the unimportant and the mighty.

The time has come

for you to destroy those who are destroying the earth."

¹⁹ Then God's temple in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

¹The best copies of the ancient Greek text have the phrase who was, and who is, but some later copies of the Greek add the phrase: and who is to come .

Chapter 12

¹ A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. ² She was pregnant, and she was crying out in birth pains, in the anguish of childbirth.

³ Then another sign was seen in heaven: Look! There was a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and there were seven crowns on his heads. ⁴ His tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them down to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he would devour her child.

⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child, who would rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was snatched away to God and to his throne, ⁶ and the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days.

⁷ Now there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But the dragon was not strong enough to win. So there was no longer any place in heaven for him and his angels. ⁹ The great dragon—that old serpent called the Devil or Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven:

"Now have come the salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down,

the one who accused them before our God day and night.

¹¹ They conquered him

by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony,

for they did not love their lives

even to death.

¹² Therefore rejoice, you heavens

and all who reside in them!

But woe to the earth and to the sea,

because the devil has gone down to you!

He is filled with terrible anger

and knows that he has only a little time!

¹³ When the dragon realized he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. ¹⁴ But the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle so that she would flee to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. This was the place where she would be taken care of, for a time, times, and half a time—out of the serpent's presence.

¹⁵ The serpent poured water out of his mouth like a river so that he might make a flood to sweep her away. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon was pouring out of his mouth. ¹⁷ Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war with the rest of her descendants, those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus. ¹⁸ Then the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

Chapter 13

¹ Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on each of its heads was a blasphemous name. ² This beast I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like a bear's feet, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave it his power, his throne, and his great authority to rule.

³ One of the beast's heads seemed to have a fatal wound, but that fatal wound had been healed. The whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. ⁴ They also worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast. They worshiped the beast, too, and kept saying, "Who is like the beast?" and "Who can fight against it?"

⁵ The beast was given a mouth that could speak proud words and blasphemies. It was permitted to exercise authority for forty-two months. ⁶ So the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his tabernacle, those who live in heaven.

⁷ The beast was permitted to wage war with God's holy people and to conquer them. Also, authority was given to it over every tribe, people, language, and nation. ⁸ All who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb who had been slaughtered from the foundation of the world.

⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

¹⁰ If anyone is to be taken into captivity,

into captivity he will go.

If anyone is to be killed with the sword,

with the sword he will be killed.

Here is a call for the patient endurance and faith of God's holy people.

¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. ¹² He exercised all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and he made the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast—the one whose lethal wound had been healed.

¹³ He performed mighty miracles. He even made fire come down on the earth from heaven in front of people. ¹⁴ By the signs he was given power on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth, telling them to set up an image for the beast—who was wounded by the sword, but he still lived.

¹⁵ He was permitted to give breath to the beast's image so that the image would even speak and cause all who refused to worship the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ He also forced everyone, unimportant and mighty, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. ¹⁷ It was impossible for anyone to buy or sell unless he had the mark of the beast, that is, the number representing its name.

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast. For it is the number of a human being. His number is 666.

Chapter 14

¹ I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. With him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. ² I heard a voice from heaven sounding like a roar of many waters and loud thunder. The sound I heard was also like harpists playing their harps.

³ They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except for the 144,000 who had been bought from the earth. ⁴ These are the ones that have not defiled themselves with women, for they have kept themselves sexually pure. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among mankind as firstfruits for God and for the Lamb. ⁵ No lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

⁶ I saw another angel flying in midair, who had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. ⁷ He called out with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory. For the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him, the one who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water."

⁸ Another angel—a second angel—followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who persuaded all the nations to drink the wine of her immoral passion."

⁹ Another angel—a third angel—followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he will also drink some of the wine of God's wrath, the wine that has been poured undiluted into the cup of his anger. The person who drinks it will be tormented with fire and sulfur before God's holy angels and before the Lamb.

¹¹ The smoke from their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night—these worshipers of the beast and his image, and everyone who receives the mark of his name. ¹² Here is a call for the patient endurance of God's holy people, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."

¹³ I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

"Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them."

¹⁴ I looked, and there was a white cloud. Seated on the cloud was one like a son of man. He had a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple and called with a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud: "Take your sickle and start to reap. For the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe." ¹⁶ Then the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

¹⁷ Another angel came out from the temple in heaven; he also had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Still another angel came out from the incense altar, who had authority over the fire. He called out with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather in the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for their grapes are now ripe."

¹⁹ The angel swung his sickle to the earth and harvested the grapevine of the earth. He threw it into the great winepress of God's wrath. ²⁰ The winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood poured out from it up to the height of a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

Chapter 15

¹ Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: There were seven angels with seven plagues, which are the final plagues, for with them the wrath of God will be completed.

² I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire. Standing beside the sea were those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number representing his name. They were holding harps given to them by God.

³ They were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and marvelous are your deeds,

Lord God, the Almighty.

Just and true are your ways,

King of the nations.

⁴ Who will not fear you, Lord,

and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship before you

because your righteous deeds have been revealed."

⁵ After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of witness was open in heaven. ⁶ Out of the temple came the seven angels holding the seven plagues. They were clothed with pure, bright linen and had golden sashes around their chests.

⁷ One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. ⁸ The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. No one could enter it until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Chapter 16

¹ I heard a loud voice call out of the temple and say to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God's wrath."

² The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; ugly and painful sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast, those who worshiped his image.

³ The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea. It became blood, like the blood of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.

⁴ The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. ⁵ I heard the angel of the waters say,

"You are righteous—the one who is and who was, the Holy One—

because you have judged these things.

⁶ Because they poured out the blood of God's holy people and prophets,

you have given them blood to drink;

it is what they deserve."

⁷ I heard the altar reply,

"Yes, Lord God Almighty,

your judgments are true and righteous."

⁸ The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given permission to scorch the people with fire. ⁹ They were scorched by the terrible heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues. They did not repent or give him glory.

¹⁰ Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and darkness covered its kingdom. They chewed on their tongues because of the pain. ¹¹ They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and sores, and they still refused to repent of their deeds.

¹² The sixth angel poured out his bowl into the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up in order to prepare the way for the kings that would come from the east. ¹³ I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, of the beast, and of the false prophet. ¹⁴ For they are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs. They were going out to the kings of the whole world in order to gather them together for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

¹⁵ ("Look! I am coming as a thief! Blessed is the one who keeps watching, keeping his garments on so that he does not walk around naked and so that they do not see his shameful condition.")

¹⁶ They brought them together at the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew.

¹⁷ Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. Then a loud voice came out of the temple and from the throne, saying, "It is done!" ¹⁸ There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, crashes of thunder, and a terrible earthquake—an earthquake greater than any that has ever happened since human beings have been on the earth, so great was this earthquake. ¹⁹ The great city was split into three parts, and the nations' cities collapsed. Then God called to mind Babylon the great, and he gave that city the cup filled with the wine made from his furious wrath.

²⁰ Every island disappeared, and the mountains were no longer found. ²¹ Great hailstones, weighing about a talent, came down from the sky upon the people. They blasphemed God for the plague of hail because that plague was so terrible.

Chapter 17

¹ One of the seven angels who had been holding the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the condemnation of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of her sexual immorality the inhabitants of the earth became drunk."

³ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names. The beast had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and was adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She was holding in her hand a golden cup full of detestable things and the impurities of her sexual immorality. ⁵ On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: "Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth."

⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people and with the blood of the martyrs for Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷ But the angel said to me, "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that is carrying her, the beast that has the seven heads and the ten horns.

⁸ The beast you saw existed, does not exist now, and is about to come up from the bottomless pit. Then he will go on to destruction. Those who live on the earth, those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life since the foundation of the world—they will be astounded when they see the beast, because he once was, and now is not, and yet will come.

⁹ This calls for a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is seated. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five kings have fallen, one exists, and the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while.

¹¹ The beast that once was, and now is not, yet he is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹² The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings for one hour together with the beast. ¹³ These are of one mind, and they give over their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will wage war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and those with him are the called, chosen, and faithful ones."

¹⁵ The angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

¹⁶ The ten horns that you saw—they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, they will devour her flesh, and they will burn her completely with fire. ¹⁷ For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give their power to rule to the beast until God's words are fulfilled.

¹⁸ The woman you saw is the great city that has power to rule over the kings of the earth."

Chapter 18

¹ After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illumined by his glory. ² He cried out with a mighty voice, saying,

"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

She has become a dwelling place for demons,

a prison for every unclean spirit,

a prison for every unclean bird,

a prison for every unclean and detestable animal.

³ For all the nations have drunk

the wine of her immoral passion.

The kings of the earth have committed immorality with her.

The merchants of the earth have become rich from the power of her sensual way of living."

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven say,

"Come out from her, my people,

so that you will not share in her sins,

and so that you will not receive any of her plagues.

⁵ Her sins have piled up as high as heaven,

and God has remembered her evil actions.

⁶ Pay her back as she has paid others back,

and repay her double for her deeds;

in the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her.

⁷ As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,

give her just as much torture and grief.

For she says in her heart,

'I am seated as a queen;

I am not a widow,

and I will never see mourning.'

⁸ Therefore in one day her plagues will come:

death, mourning, and famine.

She will be consumed by fire,

for the Lord God is mighty, and he is her judge."

⁹ The kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and went out of control with her will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. ¹⁰ They will stand off at a distance, afraid of her torment, saying,

"Woe, woe to the great city,

Babylon, the powerful city!

For in a single hour your punishment has come."

¹¹ The merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her since no one buys their merchandise anymore— ¹² merchandise of gold, silver, precious stone, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, bronze, iron, marble, ¹³ cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of people.

¹⁴ The fruit that you desired with all your might is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be found again.

¹⁵ The merchants of these goods who became rich by her will stand away from her at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning loudly.

¹⁶ They will say,

"Woe, woe to the great city

that was dressed in fine linen, in purple, and in scarlet,

and was adorned with gold, precious jewels, and pearls!

¹⁷ In a single hour all that wealth has been laid waste."

Every ship's captain, every seafaring man, sailors, and all who make their living from the sea stood off at a distance.

¹⁸ They cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning. They said, "What city is like the great city?" ¹⁹ They threw dust on their heads, and cried out, weeping and mourning,

"Woe, woe to the great city

where all who had their ships

at sea became rich from her wealth.

For in a single hour she has been laid waste."

²⁰ "Rejoice over her, heaven,

you holy people and apostles and prophets,

for God has brought your judgment on her!"

²¹ A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

"In this way, Babylon, the great city,

will be thrown down with violence

and will not be seen anymore.

²² The sound made by harpists, musicians,

flute players, and trumpeters

will not be heard anymore in you.

No craftsman of any kind

will be found in you.

No sound of a mill

will be heard anymore in you.

²³ The light of a lamp

will not shine in you anymore.

The voices of the bridegroom and the bride

will not be heard in you anymore,

for your merchants were the princes of the earth,

and the nations were deceived by your sorcery.

²⁴ In her the blood of prophets and of God's holy people was found,

and the blood of all who have been killed on the earth."

Chapter 19

¹ After these things I heard what sounded like a loud voice of a large number of people in heaven calling out,

"Hallelujah!

Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God.

² His judgments are true and just,

for he has judged the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality.

He has avenged the blood of his servants

from her hand."

³ They spoke a second time:

"Hallelujah!

The smoke rises from her forever and ever."

⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. They were saying,

"Amen. Hallelujah!"

⁵ Then a voice came out from the throne, saying,

"Praise our God,

all you his servants,

you who fear him,

both the unimportant and the powerful."

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a great number of people, like the roar of many waters, and like mighty crashes of thunder, saying,

"Hallelujah!

For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty.

⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad

and give him the glory!

For the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has made herself ready.

⁸ She was permitted to be dressed

in bright and clean fine linen"

(for fine linen is the righteous acts of God's holy people).

⁹ The angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." He also said to me, "These are true words of God." ¹⁰ I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "Do not do this! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

¹¹ Then I saw heaven open, and I looked and there was a white horse. The one riding it is called faithful and true. It is with justice that he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like a fiery flame, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but himself. ¹³ He is clothed with a robe that was dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.

¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him on white horses, dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword with which he strikes down the nations, and he will rule them with an iron rod. He tramples in the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ He has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: "King of kings and Lord of lords."

¹⁷ I saw an angel standing in the sun. He called out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, "Come, gather together for the great feast of God. ¹⁸ Come eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, the unimportant and the powerful."

¹⁹ I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies. They were assembling in order to wage war with the one who rode the horse and with his army. ²⁰ The beast was captured and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence. With these signs he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

²¹ The rest of them were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of the one who rode on the horse. All the birds ate their dead flesh.

Chapter 20

¹ Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key to the bottomless pit, and he had a great chain in his hand. ² He took hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³ He threw him into the bottomless pit. He shut it and sealed it over him. This was so that he would not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were over. After that, he must be set free for a short amount of time.

⁴ Then I saw thrones. Seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony about Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image, and they had refused to receive the mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

⁵ The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is anyone who takes part in the first resurrection! Over these the second death has no power. They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

⁷ When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be released from his prison. ⁸ He will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to bring them together for the battle. They will be as many as the sand of the sea.

⁹ They went up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's holy people—the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and the one who is seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled away from his presence, but there was no place for them to go. ¹² I saw the dead—the mighty and the unimportant—standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Then another book was opened—the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was recorded in the books, according to their deeds.

¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and the dead were judged according to their deeds. ¹⁴ Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. ¹⁵ If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Chapter 21

¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, that came down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

³ I heard a great voice from the throne saying, "Look! The dwelling place of God is with human beings, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and he will be their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, or grieving, or crying, or pain. The former things have passed away.

⁵ The one who was seated on the throne said, "Look! I make all things new." He said, "Write this down because these words are trustworthy and true." ⁶ He said to me, "These things are done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who thirsts I will give drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

⁷ The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. ⁸ But as for the cowards, the faithless, the detestable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. That is the second death."

⁹ One of the seven angels came to me, the one who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and he said, "Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." ¹⁰ Then he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

¹¹ Jerusalem had the glory of God, and its brightness was like a very precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper. ¹² It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. ¹³ On the east were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.

¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. ¹⁵ The one who spoke with me had a measuring rod made of gold to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

¹⁶ The city was laid out in a square; its length was the same as its width. He measured the city with the measuring rod, twelve thousand stadia in length (its length, width, and height were the same). ¹⁷ He also measured its wall, 144 cubits thick by human measurement (which is also the angel's measure).

¹⁸ The wall was built of jasper and the city of pure gold, like clear glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first was jasper, the second was sapphire, the third was agate, the fourth was emerald, ²⁰ the fifth was onyx, the sixth was carnelian, the seventh was chrysolite, the eighth was beryl, the ninth was topaz, the tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was jacinth, and the twelfth was amethyst.

²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls; each of the gates was made from a single pearl. The streets of the city were pure gold, like transparent glass. ²² I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

²³ The city had no need of the sun or the moon in order to shine on it because the glory of God shone on it, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ The nations will walk by the light of that city. The kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ Its gates will not be shut during the day, and there will be no night there.

²⁶ They will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it, ²⁷ but nothing unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Chapter 22

¹ Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal. It was flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² through the middle of the city's street. On each side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, and it bears its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

³ There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no more night; they will have no need for the light of a lamp or sunlight because the Lord God will shine on them. They will reign forever and ever.

⁶ The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon." ⁷ "Look! I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who obeys the words of the prophecy of this book."

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing me these things. ⁹ He said to me, "Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you, with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey the words of this book. Worship God!"

¹⁰ Then he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. ¹¹ The one who is unrighteous, let him continue to do unrighteousness. The one who is morally filthy, let him continue to be morally filthy. The one who is righteous, let him continue to do what is righteous. The one who is holy, let him continue to be holy."

¹² "Look! I am coming soon. My reward is with me, to pay back each one according to his deeds. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they will have the right to eat from the tree of life and to enter the city through the gates. ¹ ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

¹⁷ The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Let the one who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever desires it, let him freely have the water of life.

¹⁸ I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written about in this book. ¹⁹ If anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are written about in this book. ²

²⁰ The one who testifies to these things says, "Yes! I am coming soon." Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. ³

¹Instead of, Blessed are those who wash their robes, some ancient copies of the Greek text read, Blessed are those who do his commandments .

²Some older copies read God will take away his share in the Book of Life and in the holy city that are written about in this book .

³Some ancient copies of the Greek text or ancient translations of the Greek text add the phrase: be with you holy people or be with all you holy people or be with all of his holy people .

English: Unlocked Literal Bible for 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, 2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, James, Jude, Philippians, Revelation, Romans, Titus

Formatted for Translators

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Philippians

2 Thessalonians

Titus

Hebrews

James

Jude

Revelation