Nevertheless,the firmfoundationof Godstands,havingthisseal,"The Lordknowsthosewho are His," and, "Everyonewho namesthe nameof the Lordis to abstainfrom wickedness."
"And to manHe said,'Behold,the fearof the Lord,that is wisdom;And to departfrom evilis understanding.'"
For the LORDknowsthe wayof the righteous,But the wayof the wickedwill perish.
For he will neverbe shaken;The righteouswill be rememberedforever.
Departfrom eviland dogood;Seekpeaceand pursueit.
The LORDknowsthe daysof the blameless,And their inheritancewill be forever.
Hateevil,you who lovethe LORD,Who preservesthe soulsof His godlyones;He deliversthem from the handof the wicked.
When the whirlwindpasses,the wickedis nomore,But the righteous[has] an everlastingfoundation.
Do not be wisein your own eyes;Fearthe LORDand turnawayfrom evil.
"Howthen will one answerthe messengersof the nation?That the LORDhas foundedZion,And the afflictedof His peoplewill seekrefugein it."
Thereforethussaysthe LordGOD,"Behold,I am layingin Ziona stone,a testedstone,A costlycornerstone[for] the foundation,firmlyplaced.He who believes[in it] will not be disturbed.
We have become[like] those over whom You have neverruled,[Like] those who were not calledby Your name.
"You will leaveyour namefor a curseto My chosenones,And the LordGODwill slayyou. But My servantswill be calledby anothername.
The LORDsaidto him, "Gothrough the midstof the city,[even] through the midstof Jerusalem,and puta markon the foreheadsof the menwho sighand groanoverallthe abominationswhich are being committedin its midst."
The LORDis good,A strongholdin the dayof trouble,And He knowsthose who takerefugein Him.
On that day,'declaresthe LORDof hosts,'I will takeyou, Zerubbabel,sonof Shealtiel,My servant,'declaresthe LORD,'and I will makeyou like a signet[ring], for I have chosenyou,'" declaresthe LORDof hosts.
For behold,the stonethat I have setbeforeJoshua;on onestoneare seveneyes.Behold,I will engravean inscriptionon it,' declaresthe LORDof hosts,and I will removethe iniquityof that landin oneday.
and he spoketo Korahand allhis company,saying,"Tomorrowmorningthe LORDwill showwhois His, and who is holy,and will bring[him] nearto Himself; even the one whomHe will choose,He will bringnearto Himself.
"So they shall invokeMy nameon the sonsof Israel,and I [then] will blessthem."
"For false Christsand false prophetswill ariseand will showgreatsignsand wonders,soas to mislead,ifpossible,eventhe elect.
"Gothereforeand make disciplesof allthe nations,baptizingthem in the nameof the Fatherand the Sonand the HolySpirit,
"And thenI will declareto them, 'I neverknewyou; DEPARTFROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICELAWLESSNESS.'
"And the rainfell,and the floodscame,and the windsblewand slammed againstthat house;and [yet] it did not fall,for it had been foundedon the rock.
They brought[one]. And He saidto them, "Whoselikenessand inscriptionis this?"And they saidto Him, "Caesar's."
for false Christsand false prophetswill arise,and will showsignsand wonders,in orderto lead astray,ifpossible,the elect.
and He will say, 'I tellyou, I do not knowwhereyou are from; DEPARTFROM ME, ALLYOU EVILDOERS.'
he is likea manbuildinga house,whodugdeepand laida foundationon the rock;and when a floodoccurred,the torrentburst againstthat houseand couldnot shakeit, becauseit had been wellbuilt.
"I amthe goodshepherd,and I knowMy ownand My ownknowMe,
"I do not speakof allof you. I knowthe onesI have chosen;but [it is] that the Scripturemay be fulfilled,HE WHO EATSMY BREADHAS LIFTEDUP HIS HEELAGAINSTME.'
"He who has receivedHis testimonyhas set his sealto [this], that Godis true.
and when he had foundhim, he broughthim to Antioch.And for an entireyearthey metwith the churchand taughtconsiderablenumbers;and the discipleswere firstcalledChristiansin Antioch.
SOTHAT THE RESTOF MANKINDMAY SEEKTHE LORD,AND ALLTHE GENTILESWHOARE CALLEDBY MY NAME,'
and herehe hasauthorityfrom the chief prieststo bindallwho callon Your name."
Godhas not rejectedHis peoplewhomHe foreknew.Ordo you not knowwhatthe Scripturesaysin [the passage about] Elijah,howhe pleadswith GodagainstIsrael?
[Let] love[be] without hypocrisy.Abhorwhat is evil;clingto what is good.
And thusI aspiredto preach the gospel,not whereChristwas [already] named,sothat I would not buildon another man'sfoundation;
and for the Gentilesto glorifyGodfor His mercy;as it is written,"THEREFOREI WILL GIVE PRAISETO YOU AMONGTHE GENTILES,AND I WILL SINGTO YOUR NAME."
And we knowthat Godcausesall thingsto work togetherfor goodto thosewho loveGod,to thosewho are calledaccordingto [His] purpose.
for though [the twins] were not yetbornand had not doneanythinggoodorbad,sothat God'spurposeaccordingto [His] choicewould stand,not becauseof worksbut becauseof Him who calls,
To the churchof Godwhich is at Corinth,to those who have been sanctifiedin ChristJesus,saintsby calling,with allwho in everyplacecallon the nameof our LordJesusChrist,their [Lord] and ours:
but ifanyonelovesGod,he is knownby Him.
Therefore,havingthesepromises,beloved,let us cleanseourselvesfrom alldefilementof fleshand spirit,perfectingholinessin the fearof God.
But nowthat you have come to knowGod,orratherto be knownby God,howis it that you turn backagainto the weakand worthlesselemental things,to whichyou desireto be enslavedall overagain?
having been builton the foundationof the apostlesand prophets,ChristJesusHimselfbeingthe corner[stone],
from whomeveryfamilyin heavenand on earthderives its name,
Do not grievethe HolySpiritof God,by whomyou were sealedfor the dayof redemption.
but in caseI am delayed,[I write] sothat you will knowhowone oughtto conducthimself in the householdof God,whichis the churchof the livingGod,the pillarand supportof the truth.
storingup for themselvesthe treasureof a goodfoundationfor the future,sothat they may take holdof that which is lifeindeed.
for he was lookingfor the citywhichhasfoundations,whosearchitectand builderis God.
Therefore,beloved,since you lookfor these things,be diligentto be foundby Him in peace,spotlessand blameless,
They wentout from us, but they were not [really] of us; for ifthey had beenof us, they would have remainedwith us; but [they went out], sothat it would be shownthat they allare not of us.
"The beastthat you sawwas, and is not, and is aboutto comeup out of the abyssand goto destruction.And thosewho dwellon the earth,whosenamehas not been writtenin the bookof lifefrom the foundationof the world,will wonderwhen they seethe beast,that he was and is not and will come.
I knowwhereyou dwell,whereSatan'sthroneis; and you hold fastMy name,and did not denyMy faithevenin the daysof Antipas,My witness,My faithful one,whowas killedamongyou, whereSatandwells.
And the wallof the cityhadtwelvefoundation stones,and on them [were] the twelvenamesof the twelveapostlesof the Lamb.
they will seeHis face,and His name[will be] on their foreheads.
I knowyour deeds.Behold,I have putbeforeyou an opendoorwhichno onecanshut,becauseyou havea littlepower,and have keptMy word,and have not deniedMy name.
