Toba 30, 1744

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!

6He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

7Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, "Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'

8But he answered and said to him, "Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.

9And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down."'

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.