But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed [it,] "Why have you made me like this?"

For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save [your] husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save [your] wife?

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.

"You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments.

But [it is] good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

[It is] good that [one] should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.

"But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that [it is] good.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given [us] everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,

" And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

"[and] to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

"For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him."

Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, [And] to heed than the fat of rams.

To do righteousness and justice [Is] more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,

" Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

" [Is] this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?

Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

[If] you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall [be] as the noonday.

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

"For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

So you, by [the help of] your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.

But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD's anger.

"Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

"And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This [is] the first commandment.

So the scribe said to Him, "Well [said,] Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.

Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him.

"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

[He is] ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants [are] blessed.

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; [He is] gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.

The righteous perishes, And no man takes [it] to heart; Merciful men [are] taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil.

He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, [Each one] walking [in] his uprightness.

Blessed [are] the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

"Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

"And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

"Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Therefore, as [the] elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

Finally, all [of you be] of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, [be] tenderhearted, [be] courteous;

After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.

and [that] I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt --

Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD [was] God.

Also his prayer and [how God] received his entreaty, and all his sin and trespass, and the sites where he built high places and set up wooden images and carved images, before he was humbled, indeed they [are] written among the sayings of Hozai.

And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

"because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard [you,"] says the LORD.

For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name [is] Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy [place,] With him [who] has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

For all those [things] My hand has made, And all those [things] exist," Says the LORD. "But on this [one] will I look: On [him who is] poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

"that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done," says the Lord GOD.' "

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works [are] truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

"Blessed [are] the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise [his] eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw [it,] they rebuked them.

"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [you] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [you] double-minded.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to [your] elders. Yes, all of [you] be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,