And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning(A) and have put out of your fellowship(B) the man who has been doing this?

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And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

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20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,(A) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.(B) 21 I have given her time(C) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.(D) 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery(E) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

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20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

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21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved(A) over many who have sinned earlier(B) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery(C) in which they have indulged.

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21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

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and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter,(A) I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation(B) and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern,(C) what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

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And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

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13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 5:13 Deut. 13:5; 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7

13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

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Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”(A) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.(B) For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?(C) And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!(D) You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!

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And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

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Slaughter(A) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,(B) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.(C) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men(D) who were in front of the temple.(E)

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Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

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and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem(A) and put a mark(B) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament(C) over all the detestable things that are done in it.(D)

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And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

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17 If you do not listen,(A)
    I will weep in secret
    because of your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly,
    overflowing with tears,(B)
    because the Lord’s flock(C) will be taken captive.(D)

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17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive.

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136 Streams of tears(A) flow from my eyes,
    for your law is not obeyed.(B)

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136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

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The People’s Confession of Sin

10 While Ezra was praying and confessing,(A) weeping(B) and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam,(C) said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful(D) to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.(E) Now let us make a covenant(F) before our God to send away(G) all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath(H) to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water,(I) because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

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10 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

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They have taken some of their daughters(A) as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled(B) the holy race(C) with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”(D)

When I heard this, I tore(E) my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.(F) Then everyone who trembled(G) at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled(H) until the evening sacrifice.

Then, at the evening sacrifice,(I) I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands(J) spread out to the Lord my God and prayed:

“I am too ashamed(K) and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.(L)

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For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God,

And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

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19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled(A) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse[a](B) and be laid waste(C)—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 22:19 That is, their names would be used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, others would see that they are cursed.

19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.

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