Teaching Sound Doctrine

¹But as for you, speak the things that are consistent with sound doctrine.

²Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, and sound in faith, love, and perseverance.

³Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good.

⁴In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children,

⁵to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.

⁶In the same way, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

⁷In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,

⁸and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

⁹Slaves are to submit to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

¹⁰not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior.

God’s Grace Brings Salvation

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.

¹²It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

¹³as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹⁴He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

¹⁵Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

God’s Righteous Judgment

¹You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

²And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

³So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

⁴Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

⁵But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

⁶God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”

⁷To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.

⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.

⁹There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek;

¹⁰but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Greek.

¹¹For God does not show favoritism.

¹²All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

¹³For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

¹⁴Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

¹⁵So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them

¹⁶on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus,as proclaimed by my gospel.

The Jews and the Law

¹⁷Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;

¹⁸if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;

¹⁹if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness,

²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

²¹you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?

²²You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

²³You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

²⁴As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

²⁵Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

²⁶If a man who is not circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

²⁷The one who is physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

²⁸A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical.

²⁹No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

A Warning to the Rich

¹Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.

²Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes.

³Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire.You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

⁴Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

⁵You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.

⁶You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.

⁸You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

⁹Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!

¹⁰Brothers, as an example of patience in affliction, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

¹¹See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

¹²Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

The Prayer of Faith

¹³Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.

¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

¹⁷Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

¹⁸Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.

Restoring a Sinner

¹⁹My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,

²⁰consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

More Proverbs of Solomon

¹These are additional proverbs of Solomon, which were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matterand the glory of kings to search it out.

³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,so the hearts of kings cannot be searched.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver,and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.

⁵Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,and do not stand in the place of great men;

⁷for it is better to be told, “Come up here!”than to be demoted in the presence of the prince.Even whatyou have seen with your own eyes,

⁸do not bring hastily to court.Otherwise, what will you do in the endwhen your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹Argue your case with your neighborwithout betraying another’s confidence,

¹⁰lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,and your infamy never go away.

¹¹A word fitly spokenis like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine goldis a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

¹³Like the cold of snow in the time of harvestis a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rainis the man who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just what you need,lest you have too much and vomit it up.

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,lest he grow weary and hate you.

¹⁸Like a club or sword or sharp arrowis a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

¹⁹Like a broken tooth or a foot out of jointis confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

²⁰Like one who removes a garment on a cold dayor vinegar poured on a woundis one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²²For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head,and the LORD will reward you.

²³As the north wind brings forth rain,so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roofthan to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soulis good news from a distant land.

²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted wellis a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honeyor to search out one’s own glory.

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken downis a man who does not control his temper.