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Chinese (traditional)This is what the Lord says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’” Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’ As a face is reflected in water,
so the heart reflects the real person. O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. He guards the paths of the just
and protects those who are faithful to him. All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’” As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” Work brings profit,
but mere talk leads to poverty! You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself. But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are! For the word of the Lord holds true,
and we can trust everything he does. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. The Lord says,
“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’
to a nation that did not call on my name.” In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. So also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him! He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.Next verse!With image