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Chinese (traditional)In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Words spoken by the wise bring them favor,
but the lips of fools consume them. To get wisdom is to love oneself;
to keep understanding is to prosper. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,
‘For we too are his offspring.’ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and prosper for us the work of our hands—
O prosper the work of our hands! Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. The Almighty —we cannot find him;
he is great in power and justice,
and abundant righteousness he will not violate. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter. O Lord, all my longing is known to you;
my sighing is not hidden from you. Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me. Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.Next verse!With image