And do not be conformedto thisworld,but be transformedby the renewingof your mind,sothat you may provewhatthe willof Godis, that which is goodand acceptableand perfect.
"Nowtherefore, makeconfessionto the LORDGodof your fathersand doHis will;and separateyourselves from the peoplesof the landand from the foreignwives."
Howsweetare Your wordsto my taste![Yes, sweeter] thanhoneyto my mouth!
ThereforeI esteemrightall[Your] preceptsconcerning everything,I hateeveryfalse~way.Pe.
I longfor Your salvation,O LORD,And Your lawis my delight.
The lawof Your mouthis betterto me Thanthousandsof goldand silver[pieces]. Yodh.
O howI loveYour law!It is my meditationallthe day.
O tasteand seethat the LORDis good;How blessedis the manwho takesrefugein Him!
Createin me a cleanheart,O God,And renewa steadfastspiritwithinme.
"You shall not followthe massesin doing evil,norshall you testifyin a disputeso as to turnasideaftera multitudein order to pervert[justice];
"Castawayfrom you allyour transgressionswhichyou have committedand makeyourselves a newheartand a newspirit!For whywill you die,O houseof Israel?
"Moreover, I will giveyou a newheartand puta newspiritwithinyou; and I will removethe heartof stonefrom your fleshand giveyou a heartof flesh.
"And the one on whom seed was sownamongthe thorns,thisis the man who hearsthe word,and the worryof the worldand the deceitfulnessof wealthchokethe word,and it becomesunfruitful.
but the worriesof the world,and the deceitfulnessof riches,and the desiresfor other thingsenterin and chokethe word,and it becomesunfruitful.
"I will not speakmuchmorewith you, for the rulerof the worldis coming,and he hasnothingin Me;
"Ifyou were of the world,the worldwould loveits own;but becauseyou are not of the world,but I choseyou out of the world,becauseof thisthe worldhatesyou.
"I have giventhem Your word;and the worldhas hatedthem, becausethey are not of the world,evenas I amnot of the world.
"The worldcannothateyou, but it hatesMe becauseI testifyof it, that its deedsare evil.
ThereforeI urgeyou, brethren,by the merciesof God,to presentyour bodiesa livingand holysacrifice,acceptableto God,[which is] your spiritualservice of worship.
But puton the LordJesusChrist,and makenoprovisionfor the fleshin regardto [its] lusts.
So then,the Lawis holy,and the commandmentis holyand righteousand good.
For we knowthat the Lawis spiritual,but I amof flesh,soldinto bondage to sin.
For I joyfully concurwith the lawof Godin the innerman,
For the wisdomof thisworldis foolishnessbeforeGod.For it is written,"[He is] THE ONE WHO CATCHESTHE WISEIN THEIR CRAFTINESS";
in whosecasethe godof thisworldhas blindedthe mindsof the unbelievingsothat they might not seethe lightof the gospelof the gloryof Christ,whois the imageof God.
Thereforeifanyoneis in Christ,[he is] a newcreature;the old thingspassed away;behold,new thingshave come.
who gaveHimselffor our sinssothat He might rescueus from thispresentevilage,accordingto the willof our Godand Father,
[I pray that] the eyesof your heartmay be enlightened,sothat you will knowwhatis the hopeof His calling,whatare the richesof the gloryof His inheritancein the saints,
in whichyou formerlywalkedaccordingto the courseof thisworld,accordingto the princeof the powerof the air,of the spiritthat is nowworkingin the sonsof disobedience.
Sothendo not be foolish,but understandwhatthe willof the Lordis.
For thisreasonalso,sincethe daywe heard[of it], we have not ceasedto prayfor you and to askthat you may be filledwith the knowledgeof His willin allspiritualwisdomand understanding,
and have puton the new selfwho is being renewedto a true knowledgeaccordingto the imageof the One who createdhim--
Epaphras,whois one of your number,a bondslaveof JesusChrist,sends you his greetings,alwayslaboring earnestlyfor you in his prayers,that you may standperfectand fully assuredin allthe willof God.
For thisis the willof God,your sanctification;[that is], that you abstainfrom sexual immorality;
He savedus, not on the basisof deedswhichwe have donein righteousness,but accordingto His mercy,by the washingof regenerationand renewingby the HolySpirit,
Pureand undefiledreligionin the sightof [our] Godand Fatheris this:to visitorphansand widowsin their distress,[and] to keeponeselfunstainedby the world.
You adulteresses,do you not knowthat friendshipwith the worldis hostilitytoward God?Thereforewhoeverwishesto be a friendof the worldmakeshimself an enemyof God.
As obedientchildren,do not be conformedto the formerlusts[which were yours] in your ignorance,
knowingthat you were not redeemedwith perishable thingslike silverorgoldfrom your futileway of lifeinherited from your forefathers,
ifyou have tastedthe kindnessof the Lord.
soas to livethe restof the timein the fleshno longerfor the lustsof men,but for the willof God.
For by theseHe has grantedto us His preciousand magnificentpromises,sothat by them you may becomepartakersof [the] divinenature,having escapedthe corruptionthat is in the worldby lust.
For if,after they have escapedthe defilementsof the worldby the knowledgeof the Lordand SaviorJesusChrist,they are againentangledin them and are overcome,the laststate has becomeworsefor them than the first.
Do not be surprised,brethren,ifthe worldhatesyou.
We knowthat we are of God,and that the wholeworldliesin [the power of] the evil one.
And the greatdragonwas throwndown, the serpentof oldwho is calledthe deviland Satan,who deceivesthe wholeworld;he was throwndown to the earth,and his angelswere throwndown with him.
Allwho dwellon the earthwill worshiphim, [everyone] whosenamehas not been writtenfrom the foundationof the worldin the bookof lifeof the Lambwho has been slain.
