I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips. Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend
forsakes the fear of the Almighty. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity. Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord,
and humility comes before honor. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Do everything in love. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.