David’s Last Song

23 Now these are the last words of David.

⁶ Therefore, as you have received ^(A)Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^[a](B)walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly ^(C)rooted and now being ^(D)built up in Him and ^(E)established ^[b]in ^[c]your faith, just as you ^(F)were instructed, and overflowing ^[d]with gratitude.

^8 (G)See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through ^(H)philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the ^(I)elementary principles of the world, ^[e]rather than in accordance with Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(J)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been ^(K)made ^[f]complete, and ^(L)He is the head ^[g]over every ^(M)ruler and authority; ¹¹ and in Him ^(N)you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of ^(O)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been ^(P)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also ^(Q)raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^(R)raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And ^[h]when you were ^(S)dead ^[i]in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^(T)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, ¹⁴ having canceled ^(U)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and ^(V)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had ^[j](W)disarmed the ^(X)rulers and authorities, He ^(Y)made a public display of them, having ^(Z)triumphed over them through ^[k]Him.

Preach the Word

4 ^(A)I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to ^(B)judge the living and the dead, and by His ^(C)appearing and His kingdom: ² preach ^(D)the word; be ready ^[a]in season and out of season; ^(E)correct, rebuke, and ^[b]exhort, with ^[c]great ^(F)patience and instruction. ³ For ^(G)the time will come when they will not tolerate ^(H)sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, ⁴ and they ^(I)will turn their ears away from the truth and ^(J)will turn aside to myths. ⁵ But as for you, ^(K)use self-restraint in all things, ^(L)endure hardship, do the work of an ^(M)evangelist, fulfill your ^(N)ministry.

⁶ For I am already being ^(O)poured out as a drink offering, and the time of ^(P)my departure has come. ^7 (Q)I have fought the good fight, I have finished ^(R)the course, I have kept ^(S)the faith; ⁸ in the future there ^(T)is reserved for me ^(U)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on ^(V)that day; and not only to me, but also to ^(W)all who have loved His ^(X)appearing.

Jesus, the Example

12 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s ^(A)rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s ^(B)run with ^(C)endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the ^[a](D)originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him ^(E)endured the cross, ^(F)despising the shame, and has ^(G)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.