³ constantly keeping in mind your ^(A)work of faith and labor of ^(B)love and ^[a](C)perseverance of hope ^[b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of ^(D)our God and Father,

^18 (A)But someone ^[a]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your ^(B)faith without the works, and I will ^(C)show you my faith ^(D)by my works.”

^16 (A)They profess to know God, but by their deeds they ^(B)deny Him, being ^(C)detestable and ^(D)disobedient and ^(E)worthless ^(F)for any good deed.

Proclaim Sound Doctrine

2 But as for you, proclaim the things which are fitting for ^(G)sound doctrine. ^2 (H)Older men are to be ^[a](I)temperate, dignified, self-controlled, ^(J)sound ^(K)in faith, in love, in ^[b]perseverance.

³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, ^(L)not malicious gossips nor ^(M)enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, ⁴ so that they may ^[c]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible, pure, ^(N)workers at home, kind, being ^(O)subject to their own husbands, ^(P)so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

⁶ Likewise urge ^(Q)the young men to be ^[d]sensible; ⁷ in all things show yourself to be ^(R)an example of good deeds, with ^[e]purity in doctrine, dignified, ⁸ sound in speech which is beyond reproach, ^(S)so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

⁹ Urge ^[f](T)slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not ^[g]argumentative, ¹⁰ not stealing, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of ^(U)God our Savior in every respect.

¹¹ For the grace of God has ^(V)appeared, ^[h](W)bringing salvation to all people, ^12 [i]instructing us to deny ungodliness and ^(X)worldly desires and ^(Y)to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner ^(Z)in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and the ^(AA)appearing of the glory of ^[j](AB)our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who ^(AC)gave Himself for us ^(AD)to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to ^(AE)purify for Himself a ^(AF)people for His own possession, ^(AG)eager for good deeds.

⁸ For ^(A)by grace you have been saved ^(B)through faith; and ^[a]this is not of yourselves, it is ^(C)the gift of God; ^9 (D)not a result of works, so that ^(E)no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, ^(F)created in ^(G)Christ Jesus for ^(H)good works, which God ^(I)prepared beforehand so that we would ^(J)walk in them.

Faith and Works

^14 (A)What use is it, ^(B)my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can ^[a]that faith save him? ^15 (C)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “^(D)Go in peace, ^[b]be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ In the same way, ^(E)faith also, if it has no works, is ^[c]dead, being by itself.

^18 (F)But someone ^[d]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your ^(G)faith without the works, and I will ^(H)show you my faith ^(I)by my works.” ¹⁹ You believe that ^[e](J)God is one. ^(K)You do well; ^(L)the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to acknowledge, ^(M)you foolish person, that ^(N)faith without works is useless? ^21 (O)Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that ^(P)faith was working with his works, and ^[f]as a result of the ^(Q)works, faith was ^[g]perfected; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “^(R)And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a ^(S)friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, was ^(T)Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also ^(U)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also ^(V)faith without works is dead.

The Triumphs of Faith

11 Now faith is the ^(A)certainty of things ^[a](B)hoped for, a ^[b]proof of ^(C)things not seen. ² For by it the ^(D)people of old ^[c](E)gained approval.

³ By faith we understand that the ^[d](F)world has been created ^(G)by the word of God so that what is seen ^(H)has not been made out of things that are visible. ⁴ By faith ^(I)Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was ^(J)attested to be righteous, God testifying ^[e]about his ^(K)gifts, and through ^[f]faith, though ^(L)he is dead, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith ^(M)Enoch was taken up so that he would not ^(N)see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who ^(O)comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him. ⁷ By faith ^(P)Noah, being ^(Q)warned by God about ^(R)things not yet seen, ^[g](S)in reverence ^(T)prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of ^(U)the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸ By faith ^(V)Abraham, when he was called, obeyed ^[h]by going out to a place which he was to ^(W)receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he lived as a stranger in ^(X)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(Y)living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^(Z)fellow heirs of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he was looking for ^(AA)the city which has ^(AB)foundations, ^(AC)whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith even ^(AD)Sarah herself received ^[i]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him ^(AE)faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore even from one man, and ^(AF)one who was as good as dead ^[j]at that, there were born descendants who were ^(AG)just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.

^13 (AH)All these died in faith, ^(AI)without receiving the promises, but ^(AJ)having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and ^(AK)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been ^[k]thinking of that country which they left, ^(AL)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a ^(AM)heavenly one. Therefore ^(AN)God is not ^[l]ashamed to be ^(AO)called their God; for ^(AP)He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith ^(AQ)Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had ^(AR)received the promises was offering up his ^[m]only son; ¹⁸ it was he to whom it was said, “^(AS)Through Isaac your ^[n]descendants shall be named.” ^19 [o]He considered that ^(AT)God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back ^[p]as a ^[q](AU)type. ²⁰ By faith ^(AV)Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. ²¹ By faith ^(AW)Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and ^(AX)worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ²² By faith ^(AY)Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

²³ By faith ^(AZ)Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the ^(BA)king’s edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, ^(BB)when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to ^(BC)endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin, ^26 (BD)considering the ^[r]reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the ^(BE)reward. ²⁷ By faith he ^(BF)left Egypt, not ^(BG)fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though ^(BH)seeing Him who is unseen. ²⁸ By faith he ^[s](BI)kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that ^(BJ)the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them. ²⁹ By faith they ^(BK)passed through the Red Sea as through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were ^[t]drowned.

³⁰ By faith ^(BL)the walls of Jericho fell down ^[u](BM)after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. ³¹ By faith the prostitute ^(BN)Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies ^[v]in peace.

³² And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of ^(BO)Gideon, ^(BP)Barak, ^(BQ)Samson, ^(BR)Jephthah, of ^(BS)David and ^(BT)Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who by faith ^(BU)conquered kingdoms, ^(BV)performed acts of righteousness, ^(BW)obtained promises, ^(BX)shut the mouths of lions, ^34 (BY)quenched the power of fire, ^(BZ)escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, ^(CA)became mighty in war, ^(CB)put foreign armies to flight. ^35 (CC)Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their ^[w]release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; ³⁶ and others ^[x]experienced mocking and flogging, and further, ^(CD)chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were ^(CE)stoned, they were sawn in two, ^[y]they were tempted, they were ^(CF)put to death with the sword; they went about ^(CG)in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ^(CH)tormented ³⁸ (people of whom the world was not worthy), ^(CI)wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes ^[z]in the ground.

³⁹ And all these, having ^(CJ)gained approval through their faith, ^(CK)did not receive ^[aa]what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had ^[ab]provided ^(CL)something better for us, so that ^(CM)apart from us they would not be made perfect.

Overcoming the World

5 ^(A)Everyone who believes that Jesus is the ^[a]Christ has been ^(B)born of God, and everyone who loves the ^[b]Father ^(C)loves the child born of Him. ^2 (D)By this we know that ^(E)we love the children of God, when we love God and ^[c]follow His commandments. ³ For ^(F)this is the love of God, that we ^(G)keep His commandments; and ^(H)His commandments are not burdensome.

⁴ Love ^(A)is patient, love is kind, it ^(B)is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not ^(C)arrogant. ⁵ It does not act disgracefully, it ^(D)does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, ^(E)does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, ^6 (F)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^(G)rejoices with the truth; ⁷ it ^[a](H)keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of ^[b](I)prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are ^(J)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.