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96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
    but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

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12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.(A) 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.(B)

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The Inner Conflict

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 7.14 Gk sold under sin

The Law and Sin

What then are we to say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”(A) But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law sin lies dead.(B) I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived 10 and I died, and the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.(C) 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.(D)

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29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;(A) 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(B) 32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’;(C) 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(D) 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.(E)

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35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.(A)

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37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’(A) 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’(B) 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”(C)

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28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.(A)

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18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter,[a] not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.18 Gk one iota

Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity.

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20 Surely there is no one on earth so righteous as to do good without ever sinning.(A)

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11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.(A)

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Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
    vanity of vanities! All is vanity.(A)
What do people gain from all the toil
    at which they toil under the sun?(B)

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You have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight.
Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Selah(A)
    Surely everyone goes about like a shadow.
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
    they heap up and do not know who will gather.(B)

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The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
    making wise the simple;(A)
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
    enlightening the eyes;(B)

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17 They took Absalom, threw him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Meanwhile all the Israelites fled to their homes.(A)

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14 Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak.(A)

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23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself; he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.(A)

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23 Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the oracle[a] of God, so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 16.23 Heb word

David Forgives Absalom

25 Now in all Israel there was no one to be praised so much for his beauty as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.(A)

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Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised may not come and thrust me through and make sport of me.” But his armor-bearer was unwilling, for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.(A) When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

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49 David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine; he grasped his sword, drew it out of its sheath, and killed him; then he cut off his head with it.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.(A)

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He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose[a] a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 17.8 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain

He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the Israelites more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else.(A)

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