"You are the sonsof the LORDyour God;you shall not cutyourselves norshaveyour foreheadfor the sake of the dead.
that the sonsof Godsawthat the daughtersof menwere beautiful;and they tookwivesfor themselves, whomeverthey chose.
The Nephilimwere on the earthin thosedays,and alsoafterward,whenthe sonsof Godcamein to the daughtersof men,and they bore[children] to them. Thosewere the mightymenwho[were] of old,menof renown.
So they criedwith a loudvoiceand cutthemselves according to their customwith swordsand lancesuntilthe bloodgushedout on them.
For You are our Father,thoughAbrahamdoes not knowus And Israeldoes not recognizeus. You, O LORD,are our Father,Our Redeemerfrom of oldis Your name.
"Both greatmenand smallwill diein thisland;they will not be buried,they will not be lamented,norwill anyone gashhimself or shavehis headfor them.
"Then I said,'HowI would setyou among My sonsAnd giveyou a pleasantland,The mostbeautifulinheritanceof the nations!'And I said,'You shall callMe, My Father,And not turnawayfrom followingMe.'
"With weepingthey will come,And by supplicationI will leadthem; I will make them walkby streamsof waters,On a straightpathin which they will not stumble;For I ama fatherto Israel,And Ephraimis My firstborn."
that eightymencamefrom Shechem,from Shiloh,and from Samariawith their beardsshavedoffand their clothestornand their bodies gashed,having grain offeringsand incensein their handsto bringto the houseof the LORD.
"Baldnesshas comeupon Gaza;Ashkelonhas been ruined.O remnantof their valley,Howlongwill you gashyourself?
Yet the numberof the sonsof IsraelWill be like the sandof the sea,Whichcannotbe measuredor numbered;And in the placeWhereit is saidto them, "You are not My people,"It will be saidto them, "[You are] the sonsof the livingGod."
They shall not makeany baldnesson their heads,norshaveoffthe edgesof their beards,normakeany cutsin their flesh.
But as manyas receivedHim, to them He gavethe rightto becomechildrenof God,[even] to thosewho believein His name,
and not for the nationonly,but in orderthat He might alsogather togetherinto onethe childrenof Godwho are scattered abroad.
The SpiritHimselftestifieswith our spiritthat we are childrenof God,
"AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACEWHEREIT WAS SAIDTO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,'THERETHEY SHALL BE CALLEDSONSOF THE LIVINGGOD."
whoare Israelites,to whombelongs the adoption as sons,and the gloryand the covenantsand the giving of the Lawand the [temple] serviceand the promises,
That is, it is not the childrenof the fleshwhoare childrenof God,but the childrenof the promiseare regardedas descendants.
"And I will be a fatherto you, And you shall be sonsand daughtersto Me," Saysthe LordAlmighty.
For you are allsonsof Godthroughfaithin ChristJesus.
ifyou will listento the voiceof the LORDyour God,keepingallHis commandmentswhichI am commandingyou today,and doingwhatis rightin the sightof the LORDyour God.
"Do you thusrepaythe LORD,O foolishand unwisepeople?Is not He your Fatherwho has boughtyou? He has madeyou and establishedyou.
But we do not wantyou to be uninformed,brethren,aboutthosewho are asleep,sothat you will not grieveas do the restwho havenohope.
For it was fittingfor Him, for whomare allthings,and throughwhomare all things,in bringingmanysonsto glory,to perfectthe authorof their salvationthroughsufferings.
By thisthe childrenof Godand the childrenof the devilare obvious:anyonewho does not practicerighteousnessis not of God,northe one who does not lovehis brother.
By thiswe knowthat we lovethe childrenof God,whenwe loveGodand observeHis commandments.
