Ordo you thinkthat the Scripturespeaksto no purpose:"He jealouslydesiresthe SpiritwhichHe has made to dwellin us"?
for he hadpossessionsof flocksand herdsand a greathousehold,so that the Philistinesenviedhim.
Now when Rachelsawthat she boreJacobnochildren, she becamejealousof her sister;and she saidto Jacob,"Giveme children,or elseI die."
His brotherswere jealousof him, but his fatherkeptthe saying[in mind].
Onanknewthat the offspringwould not be his; so whenhe wentin to his brother'swife,he wastedhis seed on the groundin order not to giveoffspringto his brother.
Then the LORDsawthat the wickednessof manwas greaton the earth,and that everyintentof the thoughtsof his heartwas onlyevilcontinually.
The LORDsmelledthe soothingaroma;and the LORDsaidto Himself,"I will neveragaincursethe groundon accountof man,for the intentof man'sheartis evilfrom his youth;and I will neveragaindestroyeverylivingthing,as I have done.
When they becameenviousof Mosesin the camp,And of Aaron,the holyoneof the LORD,
Do not fretbecause of evildoers,Be not envioustoward wrongdoers.
The soulof the wickeddesiresevil;His neighborfindsnofavorin his eyes.
I have seenthat everylaborand everyskillwhich is doneis [the result of] rivalrybetween a manand his neighbor.Thistoois vanityand strivingafter wind.
Then the jealousyof Ephraimwill depart,And those who harassJudahwill be cutoff;Ephraimwill not be jealousof Judah,And Judahwill not harassEphraim.
But Mosessaidto him, "Are you jealousfor my sake? Wouldthat allthe LORD'Speoplewere prophets,that the LORDwould putHis Spiritupon them!"
"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?
"Ifhe calledthem gods,to whomthe wordof Godcame(and the Scripturecannotbe broken),
And againanotherScripturesays,"THEY SHALL LOOKON HIM WHOMTHEY PIERCED."
"Has not the Scripturesaidthat the Christcomesfrom the descendantsof David,and from Bethlehem,the villagewhereDavidwas?"
"The patriarchsbecame jealousof Josephand soldhim into Egypt.[Yet] Godwas with him,
being filledwith allunrighteousness,wickedness,greed,evil;fullof envy,murder,strife,deceit,malice;[they are] gossips,
For the Scripturesaysto Pharaoh,"FOR THISVERYPURPOSE I RAISEDYOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATEMY POWERIN YOU, AND THAT MY NAMEMIGHT BE PROCLAIMEDTHROUGHOUTTHE WHOLEEARTH."
Ordo you not knowthat your bodyis a templeof the HolySpiritwho is in you, whomyou havefrom God,and that you are not your own?
Orwhatagreementhas the templeof Godwith idols?For we are the templeof the livingGod;justas Godsaid,"I WILL DWELLIN THEM AND WALK AMONGTHEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
The Scripture,foreseeingthat Godwould justifythe Gentilesby faith,preached the gospel beforehandto Abraham,[saying], "ALLTHE NATIONSWILL BE BLESSEDIN YOU."
For we alsooncewere foolishourselves,disobedient,deceived,enslavedto variouslustsand pleasures,spending our lifein maliceand envy,hateful,hatingone another.
