You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you.

You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth.

Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination,

All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death.

I am also aware that you have persisted steadfastly, endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary.

But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels.

and no lie was found on their lips; they are blameless.

Every island fled away and no mountains could be found.

Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend.

For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed,

But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter?

When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.

For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen.

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; we wailed in mourning, yet you did not weep.’