For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many. For no word from God will ever fail. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
do not trust your own cleverness. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me? Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me. The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth. But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. A person’s riches may ransom their life,
but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory.