For I testifyabout them that they havea zealfor God,but not in accordancewith knowledge.
He said,"Comewith me and seemy zealfor the LORD."So he made him ridein his chariot.
Do allthe workersof wickednessnot know,Who eatup my people[as] they eatbread,[And] do not callupon the Lord?
Alsoit is not goodfor a personto be withoutknowledge,And he who hurrieshis footstepserrs.
In that daythe LORDwill punishLeviathanthe fleeingserpent,With His fierceand greatand mightysword,EvenLeviathanthe twistedserpent;And He will killthe dragonwho[lives] in the sea.
"They will makeyou outcasts from the synagogue,but an houris comingfor everyonewho killsyou to thinkthat he is offeringserviceto God.
And when they heardit they [began] glorifyingGod;and they saidto him, "You see,brother,how manythousandsthere are amongthe Jewsof thosewho have believed,and they are allzealousfor the Law;
cryingout, "Menof Israel,come to our aid!Thisis the manwho preachesto all meneverywhereagainstour peopleand the Lawand thisplace;and besideshe has evenbroughtGreeksinto the templeand has defiledthisholyplace."
They listenedto him up to thisstatement,and [then] they raisedtheir voicesand said,"Awaywith such a fellowfrom the earth,for he should not be allowedto live!"
"I ama Jew,bornin Tarsusof Cilicia,but broughtup in thiscity,educatedunderGamaliel,strictlyaccordingto the lawof our fathers,beingzealousfor Godjustas you allare today.
Brethren,my heart'sdesireand my prayerto Godfor them is for [their] salvation.
For not knowingabout God'srighteousnessand seekingto establishtheir own,they did not subjectthemselves to the righteousnessof God.
in whosecasethe godof thisworldhas blindedthe mindsof the unbelievingsothat they might not seethe lightof the gospelof the gloryof Christ,whois the imageof God.
For God,who said,"Lightshall shineout of darkness,"is the One whohas shonein our heartsto give the Lightof the knowledgeof the gloryof Godin the faceof Christ.
For I testifythat accordingto their ability,and beyondtheir ability,[they gave] of their own accord,
and I was advancingin Judaismbeyondmanyof my contemporariesamongmy countrymen,beingmore extremelyzealousfor my ancestraltraditions.
Wherethenis that sense of blessingyou had? For I bear you witnessthat, ifpossible,you would have pluckedout your eyesand giventhem to me.
And thisI pray,that your lovemay aboundstillmoreand morein real knowledgeand alldiscernment,
as to zeal,a persecutorof the church;as to the righteousnesswhich is in the Law,foundblameless.
For I testifyfor him that he hasa deepconcernfor you and for thosewho are in Laodiceaand Hierapolis.
