Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. But godliness with contentment is great gain. The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin. Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.