Return to the Lord

12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    (A)“return to me with all your heart,
(B)with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13     and (C)rend your hearts and not (D)your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    (E)for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    (F)and he relents over disaster.
14 (G)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and (H)leave a blessing behind him,
(I)a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

15 (J)Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    (K)consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16     gather the people.
(L)Consecrate the congregation;
    assemble the elders;
(M)gather the children,
    even nursing infants.
(N)Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her chamber.

17 (O)Between the (P)vestibule and the (Q)altar
    (R)let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and make not your heritage a reproach,
    a byword among the nations.[a]
(S)Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

18 (T)Then the Lord became jealous for his land
    (U)and had pity on his people.
19 The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, (V)I am sending to you
    grain, wine, and oil,
    (W)and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
    a reproach among the nations.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:17 Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them

20 Therefore, (A)we are ambassadors for Christ, (B)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 (C)For our sake he made him to be sin (D)who knew no sin, so that in him we might become (E)the righteousness of God.

(F)Working together with him, then, (G)we appeal to you (H)not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says,

(I)“In a favorable time I listened to you,
    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, (J)now is the (K)favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We (L)put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but (M)as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: (N)by great endurance, (O)in afflictions, (P)hardships, calamities, (Q)beatings, imprisonments, (R)riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; (S)by purity, (T)knowledge, patience, kindness, (U)the Holy Spirit, (V)genuine love; by (W)truthful speech, and (X)the power of God; with (Y)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, (Z)through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and (AA)yet well known; (AB)as dying, and behold, we live; (AC)as punished, and yet not killed; 10 (AD)as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; (AE)as poor, yet making many rich; (AF)as having nothing, (AG)yet possessing everything.

Giving to the Needy

“Beware of (A)practicing your righteousness before other people in order (B)to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

(C)“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may (D)be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have (E)received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. (F)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Lord's Prayer

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love (G)to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. (H)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, (I)go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. (J)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Read full chapter

Fasting

16 “And (A)when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. (B)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, (C)anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. (D)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

19 (E)“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where (F)moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves (G)break in and steal, 20 (H)but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:19 Or worm; also verse 20

Bible Gateway Recommends

ESV Church Bible (Value Pew Bible) Case of 24
ESV Church Bible (Value Pew Bible) Case of 24
Retail: $311.76
Our Price: $155.76
Save: $156.00 (50%)
ESV Student Study Bible, TruTone, Sky Blue with Ivy Design
ESV Student Study Bible, TruTone, Sky Blue with Ivy Design
Retail: $44.99
Our Price: $20.99
Save: $24.00 (53%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ESV Outreach New Testament, Large Print, Softcover
ESV Outreach New Testament, Large Print, Softcover
Retail: $3.99
Our Price: $2.49
Save: $1.50 (38%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ESV Archaeology Study Bible
ESV Archaeology Study Bible
Retail: $69.99
Our Price: $47.99
Save: $22.00 (31%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars