Collection for the Saints

16 Now concerning ^(A)the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: ^2 (B)On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. ³ And when I come, ^(C)whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. ^4 (D)But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.

Personal Plans^(E)

⁵ Now I will come to you ^(F)when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia). ⁶ And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may ^(G)send me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, ^(H)if the Lord permits.

⁸ But I will tarry in Ephesus until ^(I)Pentecost. ⁹ For ^(J)a great and effective door has opened to me, and ^(K)there are many adversaries.

¹⁰ And ^(L)if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for ^(M)he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. ^11 (N)Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey ^(O)in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.

¹² Now concerning our brother ^(P)Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time.

Final Exhortations

^13 (Q)Watch, ^(R)stand fast in the faith, be brave, ^(S)be strong. ^14 (T)Let all that you do be done with love.

¹⁵ I urge you, brethren—you know ^(U)the household of Stephanas, that it is ^(V)the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to ^(W)the ministry of the saints— ^16 (X)that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and ^(Y)labors with us.

¹⁷ I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, ^(Z)for what was lacking on your part they supplied. ^18 (AA)For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore ^(AB)acknowledge such men.

Greetings and a Solemn Farewell

¹⁹ The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, ^(AC)with the church that is in their house. ²⁰ All the brethren greet you.

^(AD)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

^21 (AE)The salutation with my own hand—Paul’s.

²² If anyone ^(AF)does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(AG)let him be ^[a]accursed. ^(AH)O^[b] Lord, come!

^23 (AI)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ²⁴ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Moral and Ceremonial Laws

19 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ^(A)‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

^3 (B)‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and ^(C)keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

^4 (D)‘Do not turn to idols, ^(E)nor make for yourselves ^[a]molded gods: I am the Lord your God.

⁵ ‘And ^(F)if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will. ⁶ It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire. ⁷ And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted. ⁸ Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.

^9 (G)‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰ And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

^11 (H)‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, ^(I)nor lie to one another. ¹² And you shall not ^(J)swear by My name falsely, ^(K)nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

^13 (L)‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. ^(M)The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. ¹⁴ You shall not curse the deaf, ^(N)nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

¹⁵ ‘You shall do no injustice in ^(O)judgment. You shall not ^(P)be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. ¹⁶ You shall not go about as a ^(Q)talebearer among your people; nor shall you ^(R)take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

^17 (S)‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. ^(T)You shall surely ^[b]rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. ^18 (U)You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, ^(V)but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

¹⁹ ‘You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.

²⁰ ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is ^(W)betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be ^[c]scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. ²¹ And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, a ram as a trespass offering. ²² The priest shall make ^[d]atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he has committed. And the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.

²³ ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as ^[e]uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. ²⁴ But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord. ²⁵ And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the Lord your God.

²⁶ ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying. ²⁷ You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. ²⁸ You shall not ^(X)make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.

^29 (Y)‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.

³⁰ ‘You shall ^[f]keep My Sabbaths and ^(Z)reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.

³¹ ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after ^(AA)them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

^32 (AB)‘You shall ^[g]rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and ^(AC)fear your God: I am the Lord.

³³ ‘And ^(AD)if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. ^34 (AE)The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as ^[h]one born among you, and ^(AF)you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

³⁵ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. ³⁶ You shall have ^(AG)honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

^37 (AH)‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the Lord.’ ”

The Great Apostasy

4 Now the Spirit ^[a]expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed ^(A)to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ^2 (B)speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience ^(C)seared with a hot iron, ³ forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; ⁵ for it is ^[b]sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

A Good Servant of Jesus Christ

⁶ If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, ^(D)nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. ⁷ But ^(E)reject profane and old wives’ fables, and ^(F)exercise yourself toward godliness. ⁸ For ^(G)bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, ^(H)having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. ⁹ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end ^[c]we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, ^(I)who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. ¹¹ These things command and teach.

Take Heed to Your Ministry

¹² Let no one ^[d]despise your youth, but be an ^(J)example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, ^[e]in spirit, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to ^[f]doctrine. ^14 (K)Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy ^(L)with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. ¹⁵ Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. ¹⁶ Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.