¹ That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life ² (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled. ⁵ This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.

¹ James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings. ² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. ⁷ For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. ⁹ Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; ¹⁰ and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits. ¹² Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.

¹ Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: ² May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. ³ Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴ For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ. ⁵ Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn’t believe. ⁶ Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. ⁷ Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. ¹⁷ But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.â€� ¹⁹ These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. ²¹ Keep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. ²² On some have compassion, making a distinction, ²³ and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh. ²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

¹⁹ When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle and said to them, “Peace be to you.â€� ²⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.â€� ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.â€� ²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!â€� But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.â€� ²⁶ After eight days, again his disciples were inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.â€� ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.â€� ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!â€� ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.â€� ³⁰ Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

¹¹ But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. ¹² For I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹³ For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it. ¹⁴ I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace, ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus. ¹⁸ Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother.

⁵ Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. ⁷ All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord. ⁸ I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, ⁹ together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you everything that is going on here. ¹⁴ Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you. ¹⁸ I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.

⁵ “The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it. ⁶ Some seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture. ⁷ Some fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. ⁸ Some fell into the good ground and grew and produced one hundred times as much fruit.â€� As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!â€� ⁹ Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?â€� ¹⁰ He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’8:10 Isaiah 6:9 ¹¹ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those along the road are those who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation. ¹⁴ What fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life; and they bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

¹⁶ Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.â€� ¹⁷ The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!â€� ¹⁸ He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.â€� ²¹ In that same hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.â€�