Matthew 25:26

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.

This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John.

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

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

He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.

The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.

The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “It’s not wrong,” is a partner with a destroyer.

Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble.”

Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.

Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.

She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.

that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,

Let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they may not be unfruitful.

And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

After him, Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

So you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.

The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.

The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel doesn’t know. My people don’t consider.”

For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profanity, and to utter error against Yahweh, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

Yahweh says, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, ‘Where is the good way?’ and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.

Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,

“Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able.

During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;

to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life;

Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone is not willing to work, don’t let him eat.”

Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing.

Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath,

Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently,

Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

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

and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.

You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants?

“But ask the animals, now, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.

For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.

The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch, but the path of the upright is a highway.

The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.

As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters.

One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me.

About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’

But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’

But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

“He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down, and reaping that which I didn’t sow.

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.

not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer;

that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.

who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.