sothat by twounchangeablethingsin whichit is impossiblefor Godto lie,we who have taken refugewould havestrongencouragementto take holdof the hopeset beforeus.
"Hurry,escapethere,for I cannotdoanythinguntilyou arrivethere."Thereforethe nameof the townwas calledZoar.
Now the newscameto Joab,for Joabhad followedAdonijah,although he had not followedAbsalom.And Joabfledto the tentof the LORDand tookholdof the hornsof the altar.
The LORDhas swornand will not changeHis mind,"You are a priestforeverAccordingto the orderof Melchizedek."
Godis our refugeand strength,A verypresenthelpin trouble.
Trustin Him at alltimes,O people;Pourout your heartbeforeHim; Godis a refugefor us. Selah.
She is a treeof lifeto those who takeholdof her, And happyare all who holdher fast.
Takeholdof instruction;do not letgo.Guardher, for she is your life.
"Orlet him relyon My protection,Let him makepeacewith Me, Let him makepeacewith Me."
"I, even I, am He who comfortsyou. Whoare you that you are afraidof manwho diesAnd of the sonof manwho is madelike grass,
For thussaysthe LORD,"To the eunuchswhokeepMy sabbaths,And choosewhatpleasesMe, And holdfastMy covenant,
Thereis noonewho callson Your name,Who arouseshimself to takeholdof You; For You have hiddenYour facefrom us And have deliveredus into the powerof our iniquities.
Returnto the stronghold,O prisonerswho have the hope;This verydayI am declaringthat I will restoredoubleto you.
"Godis not a man,that He should lie,Nora sonof man,that He should repent;Has He said,and will He not doit? Or has He spoken,and will He not makeit good?
"Heavenand earthwill passaway,but My wordswill not pass away.
But when he sawmanyof the Phariseesand Sadduceescomingfor baptism,he saidto them, "You broodof vipers,whowarnedyou to fleefrom the wrathto come?
And there was a manin Jerusalemwhosenamewas Simeon;and thismanwas righteousand devout,lookingfor the consolationof Israel;and the HolySpiritwas upon him.
Nowmay the Godwho givesperseveranceand encouragementgrantyou to be of the samemindwith one anotheraccordingto ChristJesus,
whomGoddisplayed publiclyas a propitiationin His bloodthroughfaith.[This was] to demonstrateHis righteousness,becausein the forbearanceof GodHe passed overthe sinspreviously committed;
May it neverbe! Rather,let Godbe foundtrue,thougheveryman[be found] a liar,as it is written,"THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIEDIN YOUR WORDS,AND PREVAILWHENYOU ARE JUDGED."
and hopedoes not disappoint,becausethe loveof Godhas been pouredout withinour heartsthroughthe HolySpiritwho was givento us.
Thereforeifthere is anyencouragementin Christ,ifthere is anyconsolationof love,ifthere is anyfellowshipof the Spirit,ifanyaffectionand compassion,
ifindeedyou continuein the faithfirmly establishedand steadfast,and not moved awayfrom the hopeof the gospelthat you have heard,which was proclaimedin allcreationunderheaven,and of whichI, Paul,was madea minister.
to whomGodwilledto make knownwhatis the richesof the gloryof thismysteryamongthe Gentiles,whichis Christin you, the hopeof glory.
becauseof the hopelaidup for you in heaven,of whichyou previously heardin the wordof truth,the gospel
and to waitfor His Sonfrom heaven,whomHe raisedfrom the dead,[that is] Jesus,who rescuesus from the wrathto come.
Paul,an apostleof ChristJesusaccordingto the commandmentof Godour Savior,and of ChristJesus,[who is] our hope,
Fightthe goodfightof faith;take holdof the eternallifeto whichyou were called,and you madethe goodconfessionin the presenceof manywitnesses.
Ifwe are faithless,He remainsfaithful,for He cannotdenyHimself.
in the hopeof eternallife,whichGod,who cannot lie,promisedlong agesago,
By faithNoah,being warned[by God] aboutthings not yetseen,in reverencepreparedan arkfor the salvationof his household,by whichhe condemnedthe world,and becamean heirof the righteousnesswhich is accordingto faith.
AS I SWOREIN MY WRATH,'THEY SHALL NOT ENTERMY REST.'"
but Christ[was faithful] as a SonoverHis house--whosehousewe are, ifwe hold fastour confidenceand the boastof our hopefirmuntilthe end.
In the sameway God,desiringeven moreto showto the heirsof the promisethe unchangeablenessof His purpose,interposedwith an oath,
(for the Lawmadenothingperfect),and on the other handthere is a bringingin of a betterhope,throughwhichwe draw nearto God.
(for they indeedbecamepriestswithoutan oath, but He with an oaththroughthe One who saidto Him, "THE LORDHAS SWORNAND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND,'YOU ARE A PRIESTFOREVER'");
that the manslayerwho killsany personunintentionally,withoutpremeditation,may fleethere,and they shall becomeyour refugefrom the avengerof blood.
Ifwe saythat we have not sinned,we makeHim a liarand His wordis not in us.
The one who believesin the Sonof Godhasthe testimonyin himself;the one who does not believeGodhas madeHim a liar,becausehe has not believedin the testimonythat Godhas givenconcerningHis Son.
"Alsothe Gloryof Israelwill not lieor changeHis mind;for He is not a manthat He should changeHis mind."
