My Master says, “These people say they love me. They show honor to me with words from their mouths. But their hearts are far from me. The honor they show me is nothing but human rules they have memorized.
You said, “It is useless to worship the Lord. We did the things the Lord told us— but we didn’t gain anything. We were sad \{for our sins\} like people crying at a funeral. But it didn’t help.
“And when you pray, don’t be like those people that don’t know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing. Don’t pray like that. They think that God will hear them because of the many things they say.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.
I warn every person that hears the words of the prophecy {\cf2\super [179]} of this book: If a person adds anything to these words, then God will give that person the troubles written about in this book.