Romans 3:1

Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”

“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

and behold, joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you don’t see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and you don’t notice?’ “Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and oppress all your laborers.

For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.

that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

The Rock: his work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A God of faithfulness who does no wrong, just and right is he.

I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” ’

for God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Yahweh is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works.

Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

Yet you have not called on me, Jacob; but you have been weary of me, Israel.

“Come,” say they, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.”

making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”

He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?

May it be far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”

His heart is established. He will not be afraid in the end when he sees his adversaries.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.

It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil.”

And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’ ”

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”

For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?

For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.”

Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;

If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.

Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?

Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.

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.

If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don’t argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.

These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.”

Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”

Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it. Don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”

Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why haven’t I found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?

“Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, cast your law behind their back, killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies.

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.”

who said to God, ‘Depart from us;’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’

For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’

Should even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty?—

“Do you think this to be your right, or do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s,’

that you ask, ‘What advantage will it be to you? What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

I will get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness?’

With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.

since you hate instruction, and throw my words behind you?

so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”

Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence,

Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your law.

You are righteous, Yahweh. Your judgments are upright.

Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Therefore Yahweh’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.

“ ‘How do you say, “We are wise, and Yahweh’s law is with us?” But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made that a lie.

You are righteous, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet I would like to reason the cause with you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are they all at ease who deal very treacherously?

I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he will live in them.

I wrote for him the many things of my law; but they were regarded as a strange thing.

“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God;’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies?

For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?

He came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples.

We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.

But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God;

I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!

One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void or adds to it.

Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted.

Now I say this that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed,

Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

But these speak evil of whatever things they don’t know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason.