Amshir 4, 1741

²¹And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled ²²in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- ²³if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. ²⁴I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, ²⁵of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, ²⁶the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. ²⁷To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. ²⁹To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

³For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ⁵They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. ⁷But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. ⁸And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." ⁹Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

³⁰Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." ³²And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter." ³³So Paul departed from among them. ³⁴However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

²You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin.Selah

²⁹And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. ³⁰For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. ³¹The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. ³²The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. ³³"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. ³⁴The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. ³⁶If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

²And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. ³For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. ⁴Then I said, "I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' ⁵The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. ⁶I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God. ⁷"When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. ⁸"Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. ⁹But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD." ¹⁰So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

¹Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! ²Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: ³Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, ⁴Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁵Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ⁶The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. ⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹²As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. ¹³As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. ¹⁴For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. ¹⁶For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. ¹⁷But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, ¹⁸To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them. ¹⁹The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. ²⁰Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. ²¹Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. ²²Bless the LORD, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!