8 Therefore do not be sashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his tprisoner, but ushare in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and vcalled us to1 a holy calling, wnot because of our works but because of his own xpurpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus ybefore the ages began,2 10 and which now has been zmanifested through the aappearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished bdeath and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was cappointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and dI am convinced that ehe is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.3 13 fFollow the pattern of the gsound4 words that you have heard from me, hin the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who idwells within us, guard the good deposit jentrusted to you.
He Will Not Forsake His Saints
1 Of David.
1 xFret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not yenvious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade zlike the grass
and wither like the green herb.
3 aTrust in the Lord, and bdo good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.2
4 cDelight yourself in the Lord,
and he will dgive you the desires of your heart.
5 eCommit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness fas the light,
and your justice as the gnoonday.
Temptations to Sin
1 xAnd he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin1 are sure to come, but ywoe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.2 3 Pay attention to yourselves! zIf your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you aseven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Increase Our Faith
5 The apostles said to the Lord, b“Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had cfaith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Unworthy Servants
7 “Will any one of you who has a servant3 plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,4 and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants;5 we have only done what was our duty.’”
