For I have not shrunk back from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the Testimony of God.

These things we also speak, not in words which human wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

For Christ did not send me to immerse, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, Entice your husband, that he may expound the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us in order to make us poor? Is that not so?

And the rulers of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.

And your handmaid thought, The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And Jehovah your God be with you.

So the king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered and said, As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab has commanded me, and he has put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid.

And Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. And so it was, whenever anyone who had a dispute came to the king for judgment, that Absalom would call to him and say, What city are you from? And he would say, Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.

Moreover Absalom would say, Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has a dispute or case could come to me, and I would give him justice.

In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. Thus Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

And the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets with one mouth are agreeable to the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak pleasant things.

And Micaiah said, As Jehovah lives, whatever Jehovah says to me, that I will speak.

And Jehovah said, Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner.

So he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall seduce him and also succeed; go out and do so.

With great persuasion she influences him; with her seductive lips she moves him.

A gossip is a revealer of secrets; therefore do not fellowship with him who flatters with his lips.

For I have heard the whisperings of many, terror is all around. Proclaim, they say, and we will report it. Everyone at peace with me is watching for me to stumble and fall, saying, Perhaps he will be lured away, and we shall prevail against him, and shall take our revenge on him.

They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, Jehovah declares! But Jehovah has not sent them; yet they hope that their word may be confirmed.

Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, Peace! when there is no peace; and one builds a wall, and plasters it with whitewash.

Say to those who plaster it with whitewash, that it will fall. There will be a flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall break it down.

For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

Now this I say that no one should delude you with persuasive words.

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through wantonness, the ones who have actually escaped from those living in error.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade me to become a Christian.

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

concerning righteousness, because I go to My Father and you no longer see Me;

I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now.

He will glorify Me, for He will receive from what is Mine and make it known to you.

in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fulfilled the preaching of the gospel of Christ.

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know of what sort we were among you for your sake.

To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven; things which angels desire to look into.