"Then I will change the people of the nations, and they will pray to me alone and not to other gods. They will all obey me.

This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored;

"Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread?

As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

and ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him.

For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father,

The LORD your God is supreme over all gods and over all powers. He is great and mighty, and he is to be obeyed. He does not show partiality, and he does not accept bribes.

Honor the LORD and act carefully, because the LORD our God does not tolerate fraud or partiality or the taking of bribes."

He does not take the side of rulers nor favor the rich over the poor, for he created everyone.

Then they sent to him some of their disciples and some members of Herod's party. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you tell the truth. You teach the truth about God's will for people, without worrying about what others think, because you pay no attention to anyone's status.

Peter began to speak: "I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis.

Those who fear him and do what is right are acceptable to him, no matter what race they belong to.

But God will give glory, honor, and peace to all who do what is good, to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles.

For God judges everyone by the same standard.

But those who seemed to be the leaders---I say this because it makes no difference to me what they were; God does not judge by outward appearances---those leaders, I say, made no new suggestions to me.

Masters, behave in the same way toward your slaves and stop using threats. Remember that you and your slaves belong to the same Master in heaven, who judges everyone by the same standard.

And all wrongdoers will be repaid for the wrong things they do, because God judges everyone by the same standard.

Jacob answered, "My life of wandering has lasted a hundred and thirty years. Those years have been few and difficult, unlike the long years of my ancestors in their wanderings."

You know, O LORD, that we pass through life like exiles and strangers, as our ancestors did. Our days are like a passing shadow, and we cannot escape death.

Hear my prayer, LORD, and listen to my cry; come to my aid when I weep. Like all my ancestors I am only your guest for a little while.

It was in faith that all these persons died. They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth.

They did not keep thinking about the country they had left; if they had, they would have had the chance to return.

I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul.

Sensible people are careful to stay out of trouble, but stupid people are careless and act too quickly.

Always obey the LORD and you will be happy. If you are stubborn, you will be ruined.

That is true. They were broken off because they did not believe, while you remain in place because you do believe. But do not be proud of it; instead, be afraid.

So we are always full of courage. We know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord's home.

All these promises are made to us, my dear friends. So then, let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy by living in awe of God.

See what God did with this sadness of yours: how earnest it has made you, how eager to prove your innocence! Such indignation, such alarm, such feelings, such devotion, such readiness to punish wrongdoing! You have shown yourselves to be without fault in the whole matter.

So then, dear friends, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now while I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation,

Now, God has offered us the promise that we may receive that rest he spoke about. Let us take care, then, that none of you will be found to have failed to receive that promised rest.

Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe;