Acts 17:32

“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.

Yahweh says, “I have answered you in an acceptable time. I have helped you in a day of salvation. I will preserve you and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage,

For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

“Look among the nations, watch, and wonder marvelously; for I am working a work in your days, which you will not believe though it is told you.

Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in Yahweh’s house.

So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son,

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.

He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!”

That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

and, “a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.” For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.

“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.

Whoever despises instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command will be rewarded.

so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.

For as often as I speak, I cry out; I cry, “Violence and destruction!” because Yahweh’s word has been made a reproach to me, and a derision, all day.

Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the law, and the words which Yahweh of Armies had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from Yahweh of Armies.

Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him a drink.

For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on.

Now a vessel full of vinegar was set there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop, and held it at his mouth.

He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead.

Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.”

I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.

in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

If therefore the whole assembly is assembled together and all speak with other languages, and unlearned or unbelieving people come in, won’t they say that you are crazy?

For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed.

gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard.

Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,

considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.

but the Lord’s word endures forever.” This is the word of Good News which was preached to you.

as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,

and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control perseverance; and in perseverance godliness;

“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

They also gave me poison for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Let them sing before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him; for they said, “He is insane.”

and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against.

He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.

When he had said this, one of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”

Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.”

being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, “Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.”

Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this: your becoming perfect.

But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.

But after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

“For I, Yahweh, love justice. I hate robbery and iniquity. I will give them their reward in truth and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your tranquility.”

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Yahweh, until he comes and rains righteousness on you.

They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’

When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”

but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them.

I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke.

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.

Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, on the whole earth.

Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded. You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day. Everyone mocks me.

When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

They ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was lying.

The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t care about any of these things.

Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city!” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.

The men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him.

Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate.

The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,

‘Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’ ”

Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks,

Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.

Let’s therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.