Book of Common Prayer

⁷ So brothers, take your troubles quietly and wait until the Lord comes. A farmer waits until the harvest grows from the ground. He waits for it a long time until it has had the first and second rain.

⁸ You must wait also. Keep your hearts strong, because the Lord will come soon.

⁹ Brothers, do not say mean things to each other. If you do, you will be judged. Listen, the judge is standing at the door now.

¹⁰ My brothers, look at the lives of the prophets of God who spoke in the name of the Lord. See the troubles they had. They took them and waited. Do as they did.

¹¹ God blesses those who take their troubles quietly and keep on believing. You have heard about Job's troubles and how he took them. And you have seen what the Lord did for him at the end. The Lord is very kind and helps people.

¹² My brothers, here is something that matters very much. When you make a promise do not ask heaven to hear it, or the earth, or any other thing. When you mean `Yes,' just say, `Yes.' And when you mean `No,' just say, `No.' If you do that, you will not be judged.

18 Jesus told them a story to teach them that they should keep on talking with God and not give up.

² He said, `There was a judge in a city. He did not respect God or care about people.

³ There was a woman in that city whose husband was dead. The woman came to the judge again and again. She said, "Save me from my enemy!"

⁴ For a long time he would not do it. But after a time he said, "I do not respect God or care about people.

⁵ But this woman is troubling me. So I will save her from her enemy. If I do not, she will keep coming until I am tired." '

⁶ The Lord said, `The judge was a bad man. And yet you should listen to what he says.

⁷ When the people whom God has chosen call to him day and night, he will save them from their enemies. He may let them wait a time.

⁸ But I tell you, he will save them from their enemies soon. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any people who believe in him?'