2 Thessalonians 3:14

I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your sky like iron, and your soil like bronze.

Because of the ground which is cracked, because no rain has been in the land, the plowmen are disappointed. They cover their heads.

But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you,

Your sky that is over your head will be bronze, and the earth that is under you will be iron.

I will lay it a wasteland. It won’t be pruned or hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.”

They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let’s now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’

Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the sky give showers? Aren’t you he, Yahweh our God? Therefore we will wait for you; for you have made all these things.

Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.

Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

“I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One place was rained on, and the piece where it didn’t rain withered.

I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that which the ground produces, on men, on livestock, and on all the labor of the hands.”

But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, and loose his sandal from off his foot, and spit in his face. She shall answer and say, “So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.”

But a prophet of Yahweh was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, “Behold, because Yahweh, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven.

They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.

Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

O Yahweh, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed. They couldn’t blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. In the time of their visitation they will be cast down, says Yahweh.

“Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!

Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

But those who are outside, God judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.”

God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages.

subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the weak; be patient toward all.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us.

As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.

Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. The Italians greet you.

He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having the Spirit.

for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities.

“Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is unclean by a corpse.

For my iniquities have gone over my head. As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair. I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:

The wise men are disappointed. They are dismayed and trapped. Behold, they have rejected Yahweh’s word. What kind of wisdom is in them?

“ ‘ “How weak is your heart,” says the Lord Yahweh, “since you do all these things, the work of an impudent prostitute;

I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person.

nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.

Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

But you know the proof of him, that as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning,

Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”

If anyone comes to you, and doesn’t bring this teaching, don’t receive him into your house, and don’t welcome him,

But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Fill their faces with confusion, that they may seek your name, Yahweh.

When this letter has been read among you, cause it to be read also in the assembly of the Laodiceans, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us.

All the days in which the plague is in him he shall be unclean. He is unclean. He shall dwell alone. His dwelling shall be outside of the camp.

Yahweh said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.”

You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt. You shall observe and do these statutes.

that they not teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done for their gods; so would you sin against Yahweh your God.

and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens.

Should your boastings make men hold their peace? When you mock, will no man make you ashamed?

neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. When I visit them, they will be cast down,” says Yahweh.

She didn’t obey the voice. She didn’t receive correction. She didn’t trust in Yahweh. She didn’t draw near to her God.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.

Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.

I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners;

For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things.

His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him.

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers.

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word or by letter.

holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.

Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.

So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.