strong foundation

²⁴Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and does them shall be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. ²⁵And the rains descended, and the floods rose up, and the winds blew, and rushed upon that house, but it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them shall be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. ²⁷And the rains descended, and the floods rose up, and the winds blew, and rushed upon that house, and it did fall, and great was its ruin.”

¹⁶For this reason, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will set a stone within the foundations of Zion, a tested stone, a cornerstone, a precious stone, which has been established in the foundation: whoever trusts in him need not hurry.

¹¹For no one is able to lay any other foundation, in place of that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus.

⁴⁷Anyone who comes to me, and listens to my words, and does them: I will reveal to you what he is like. ⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who has dug deep and has laid the foundation upon the rock. Then, when the floodwaters came, the river was rushing against that house, and it was not able to move it. For it was founded upon the rock. ⁴⁹But whoever hears and does not do: he is like a man building his house upon the soil, without a foundation. The river rushed against it, and it soon fell down, and the ruin of that house was great.”

⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who has dug deep and has laid the foundation upon the rock. Then, when the floodwaters came, the river was rushing against that house, and it was not able to move it. For it was founded upon the rock.

¹⁸And I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.

⁴For they have destroyed the things that you have completed. But what has the just one done?

¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think over you, says the Lord: thoughts of peace and not of affliction, so that I may give you patience and an end.

¹⁹But the firm foundation of God remains standing, having this seal: the Lord knows those who are his own, and all who know the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.

¹³each one’s work shall be made manifest. For the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it will be revealed by fire. And this fire will test each one’s work, as to what kind it is. ¹⁴If anyone’s work, which he has built upon it, remains, then he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer its loss, but he himself will still be saved, but only as through fire. ¹⁶Do you not know that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God lives within you?

²²The stone which the builders have rejected, this has become the head of the corner.

¹¹And they sung together with hymns and confession to the Lord: “For he is good. For his mercy is over Israel unto eternity.” And likewise, all the people shouted with a great clamor in praise to the Lord, because the temple of the Lord had been founded.

¹⁹Now, therefore, you are no longer visitors and new arrivals. Instead, you are citizens among the saints in the household of God, ²⁰having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the preeminent cornerstone. ²¹In him, all that has been built is framed together, rising up into a holy temple in the Lord. ²²In him, you also have been built together into a habitation of God in the Spirit.

⁴And approaching him as if he were a living stone, rejected by men, certainly, but elect and honored by God, ⁵be also yourselves like living stones, built upon him, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, so as to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶Because of this, Scripture asserts: “Behold, I am setting in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious. And whoever will have believed in him will not be confounded.”