Proverbs 5:13

If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”

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

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.

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

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.

with whom Yahweh had made a covenant, and commanded them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;

Surely after that I was turned. I repented. After that I was instructed. I struck my thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.’

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

When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

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

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.

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.

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.

Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, Yahweh.

If you don’t know, most beautiful among women, follow the tracks of the sheep. Graze your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.

Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against Yahweh your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’ says Yahweh.”

Yahweh says, “Don’t learn the way of the nations, and don’t be dismayed at the signs of the sky; for the nations are dismayed at them.

I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice.

He said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me even to this very day.

“Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as it is today; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.

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.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

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.

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

(but how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule one’s own house take care of God’s assembly?)

Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning,

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

Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings.

Moses said, “Now Yahweh will give you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you, because Yahweh hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against Yahweh.”

Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.

I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you don’t bear it yourself alone.

The man who does presumptuously in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before Yahweh your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die. You shall put away the evil from Israel.

They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.

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

We acknowledge, Yahweh, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against you.

“For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says Yahweh.

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me.

The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. The shepherds won’t feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.”

They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

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!’

the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”

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

I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.

No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

that you also be in subjection to such, and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.

I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ,

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

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.

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

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.

not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.

Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good,

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.

Let’s fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest.

Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.

Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

I John, your brother and partner with you in the oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had.

I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not listened to my voice.’ ”

Our fathers didn’t understand your wonders in Egypt. They didn’t remember the multitude of your loving kindnesses, but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

Yes, you didn’t hear. Yes, you didn’t know. Yes, from of old your ear was not opened, for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb.

“Haven’t you brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken Yahweh your God, when he led you by the way?

As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so the house of Israel is ashamed: they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets,

Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Yahweh our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed Yahweh our God’s voice.”

Daughter of my people, clothe yourself with sackcloth, and wallow in ashes! Mourn, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation, for the destroyer will suddenly come on us.

The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!

I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight.

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

If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,

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

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.