"Don't forget what I am about to tell you! The Son of Man is going to be handed over to the power of human beings."

he said, "Be sure to obey all these commands that I have given you today. Repeat them to your children, so that they may faithfully obey all of God's teachings.

These teachings are not empty words; they are your very life. Obey them and you will live long in that land across the Jordan that you are about to occupy."

Listen to what is wise and try to understand it.

Look for it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure.

Listen, then, if you have ears!"

He also said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear! The same rules you use to judge others will be used by God to judge you---but with even greater severity.

"You will see 'The Awful Horror' standing in the place where he should not be." (Note to the reader: understand what this means!) "Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills.

And so I sent for you at once, and you have been good enough to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God, waiting to hear anything that the Lord has instructed you to say."

The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true.

That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away.

Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry.

So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.

If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are.

But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice---you will be blessed by God in what you do.

Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language.

Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved.

'I tell you,' he replied, 'that to those who have something, even more will be given; but those who have nothing, even the little that they have will be taken away from them.

For the person who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing will have taken away from him even the little he has.

For to every person who has something, even more will be given, and he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.

Those who have something will be given more, and those who have nothing will have taken away from them even the little they have."

He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.

But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself ? ' "

And Jesus concluded, "This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight."

so he called him in and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Turn in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.'

Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.'

"There was once a rich man who dressed in the most expensive clothes and lived in great luxury every day.

hoping to eat the bits of food that fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

and in Hades, where he was in great pain, he looked up and saw Abraham, far away, with Lazarus at his side.

But Abraham said, 'Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. But now he is enjoying himself here, while you are in pain.

When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God's message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!'

Then I will say to them, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!'

I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell.

I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned ---but if I have no love, this does me no good.

What you think is the right road may lead to death.

And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you.

You should not fool yourself. If any of you think that you are wise by this world's standards, you should become a fool, in order to be really wise.

Those who think they know something really don't know as they ought to know.

If anyone supposes he is God's messenger or has a spiritual gift, he must realize that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.

I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way.

Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself.