The LORD said to him, "Who gives man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or dumb? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? It is I, the LORD.

Now, go! I will help you to speak, and I will tell you what to say."

Return to the LORD, and let this prayer be your offering to him: "Forgive all our sins and accept our prayer, and we will praise you as we have promised.

because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say.

And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel's secret.

At the same time pray also for us, so that God will give us a good opportunity to preach his message about the secret of Christ. For that is why I am now in prison.

Pray, then, that I may speak, as I should, in such a way as to make it clear.

Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord.

If the people in that house welcome you, let your greeting of peace remain; but if they do not welcome you, then take back your greeting.

He said to them, "Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people.

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!"

Whenever you go into a house, first say, 'Peace be with this house.'

If someone who is peace-loving lives there, let your greeting of peace remain on that person; if not, take back your greeting of peace.

For God's promise was made to you and your children, and to all who are far away---all whom the Lord our God calls to himself."

You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends!

Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies.

By his death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross he united both races into one body and brought them back to God.