13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind(A) and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on(B) toward the goal to win the prize(C) for which God has called(D) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

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13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

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22 In my alarm(A) I said,
    “I am cut off(B) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry(C) for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

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22 For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

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“Will the Lord reject forever?(A)
    Will he never show his favor(B) again?
Has his unfailing love(C) vanished forever?
    Has his promise(D) failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?(E)
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?(F)

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Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?

Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?

Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

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Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees(A) that give way;
say(B) to those with fearful hearts,(C)
    “Be strong, do not fear;(D)
your God will come,(E)
    he will come with vengeance;(F)
with divine retribution
    he will come to save(G) you.”

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Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

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22 You will be hated by everyone because of me,(A) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(B)

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22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

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The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.(A) He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice(B) against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”(C)

And the Lord(D) said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out(E) to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man(F) comes,(G) will he find faith on the earth?”

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18 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

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To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor(A) and immortality,(B) he will give eternal life.(C)

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To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

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24 For in this hope we were saved.(A) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.(B) Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.(C)

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24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

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The Need for Self-Discipline

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?(A) Run(B) in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown(C) that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.(D)

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24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

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14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle(A) and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak,(B) be patient with everyone.

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14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

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36 You need to persevere(A) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.(B)

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36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

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12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run(A) with perseverance(B) the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,(C) the pioneer(D) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,(E) scorning its shame,(F) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.(G) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary(H) and lose heart.

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12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

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11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace(A) for those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.(B) 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[a](C) so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

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