choices we make

³¹Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you may do, do everything for the glory of God.

¹⁵Thereafter, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated, produces death.

¹³Temptation should not take hold of you, except what is human. For God is faithful, and he will not permit you to be tempted beyond your ability. Instead, he will effect his Providence, even during temptation, so that you may be able to bear it.

⁶For he will render to each one according to his works: ⁷To those who, in accord with patient good works, seek glory and honor and incorruption, certainly, he will render eternal life. ⁸But to those who are contentious and who do not acquiesce to the truth, but instead trust in iniquity, he will render wrath and indignation.

¹⁵But if it seems evil to you that you would serve the Lord, a choice is given to you. Choose today what pleases you, and whom you ought to serve above all else, either the gods that your fathers served in Mesopotamia, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

¹⁹I call heaven and earth as witnesses this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your offspring may live,

¹“So then, if you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, so as to keep and do all of his commandments, which I instruct to you this day, the Lord your God will cause you to be more exalted than all the nations which exist upon the earth. ²And all these blessings shall come to you and take hold of you, but only if you listen to his precepts. ³Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed in the field. ⁴Blessed shall be the fruit of your loins, and the fruit of your land, and the fruit of your cattle, the droves of your herds, and the folds of your sheep. ⁵Blessed shall be your barns, and blessed your storehouses. ⁶Blessed shall you be entering and departing.

²³For the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹⁰For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has prepared and in which we should walk.

²²The good leave behind heirs: children and grandchildren. And the substance of the sinner is preserved for the just.

²⁷In response, he said: “You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from all your strength, and from all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

⁵Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence. ⁶In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.

⁷Let us be glad and exult. And let us give glory to him. For the marriage feast of the Lamb has arrived, and his wife has prepared herself.” ⁸And it was granted to her that she should cover herself with fine linen, splendid and white. For the fine linen is the justifications of the Saints. ⁹And he said to me: “Write: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These words of God are true.”

²⁰There is desirable treasure, as well as oil, in the habitations of the just. And the imprudent man will waste it.

²⁸For who among you, wanting to build a tower, would not first sit down and determine the costs that are required, to see if he has the means to complete it?

¹“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. ²For with whatever judgment you judge, so shall you be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, so shall it be measured back to you. ³And how can you see the splinter in your brother’s eye, and not see the board in your own eye? ⁴Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter from your eye,’ while, behold, a board is in your own eye? ⁵Hypocrite, first remove the board from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye. ⁶Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not cast your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they may trample them under their feet, and then, turning, they may tear you apart.

²⁸A perverse man stirs up lawsuits. And one who is verbose divides leaders.

¹⁷So if anyone is a new creature in Christ, what is old has passed away. Behold, all things have been made new.