Colossians 1:1-8

New International Version

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) and Timothy^(C) our brother,

²To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters^[a] in Christ:

Grace^(D) and peace to you from God our Father.^[b]^(E)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³We always thank God,^(F) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love^(G) you have for all God’s people^(H)— ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope^(I) stored up for you in heaven^(J) and about which you have already heard in the true message^(K) of the gospel ⁶that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit^(L) and growing throughout the whole world^(M)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷You learned it from Epaphras,^(N) our dear fellow servant,^[c] who is a faithful minister^(O) of Christ on our^[d] behalf, ⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.^(P)

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Footnotes

Colossians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15.
Colossians 1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Colossians 1:7 Or slave
Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your

Psalm 34:9-22

New International Version

⁹Fear the Lord,^(A) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.^(B)
¹⁰The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.^(C)
¹¹Come, my children, listen^(D) to me;
    I will teach you^(E) the fear of the Lord.^(F)
¹²Whoever of you loves life^(G)
    and desires to see many good days,
¹³keep your tongue^(H) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.^(I)
¹⁴Turn from evil and do good;^(J)
    seek peace^(K) and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord^(L) are on the righteous,^(M)
and his ears are attentive^(N) to their cry;
¹⁶but the face of the Lord is against^(O) those who do evil,^(P)
to blot out their name^(Q) from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears^(R) them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is close^(S) to the brokenhearted^(T)
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹The righteous person may have many troubles,^(U)
but the Lord delivers him from them all;^(V)
²⁰he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.^(W)

²¹Evil will slay the wicked;^(X)
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²²The Lord will rescue^(Y) his servants;
no one who takes refuge^(Z) in him will be condemned.

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Luke 4:38-44

New International Version

Jesus Heals Many^(A)^(B)

³⁸Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹So he bent over her and rebuked^(C) the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

⁴⁰At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one,^(D) he healed them.^(E) ⁴¹Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”^(F) But he rebuked^(G) them and would not allow them to speak,^(H) because they knew he was the Messiah.

⁴²At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God^(I) to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.^(J)

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