What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

He has said in his heart, "God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see."

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

"and [then] come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'?

"Son of man, what [is] this proverb [that] you [people] have about the land of Israel, which says, 'The days are prolonged, and every vision fails'?

"Tell them therefore, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel." But say to them, "The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.

"But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,'

"and begins to beat [his] fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,

and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable [are] His judgments and His ways past finding out!

For You, Lord, [are] good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions --

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and [attaining] to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

whom God set forth [as] a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

[What] if God, wanting to show [His] wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,

'The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears [the guilty,] visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth [generation.']

But He, [being] full of compassion, forgave [their] iniquity, And did not destroy [them.] Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;

But You, O Lord, [are] a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD [is] a God of justice; Blessed [are] all those who wait for Him.

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD [And] the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.

In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old.

So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You [are] a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.

However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while [the] ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Then he looks at men and says, 'I have sinned, and perverted [what was] right, And it did not profit me.'

"Behold, God works all these [things,] Twice, [in fact,] three [times] with a man,

If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

But [there is] forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD [is] a God of justice; Blessed [are] all those who wait for Him.

"Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: 'Return, backsliding Israel,' says the LORD; 'I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I [am] merciful,' says the LORD; 'I will not remain angry forever.

Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,' says the LORD.

"Return, you backsliding children, [And] I will heal your backslidings." "Indeed we do come to You, For You are the LORD our God.

Truly, in vain [is salvation hoped for] from the hills, [And from] the multitude of mountains; Truly, in the LORD our God [Is] the salvation of Israel.

"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.' "

Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.

"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

"and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." '

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."

But when they saw [it,] they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

and consider [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation -- as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.