13  I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 

14  And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 

15  And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

16  If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. 

17  All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.

18  We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 

19  We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

20  And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

21  Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

1    Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

2    Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough?

3    There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.

4    Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people; come near and rescue me.

5    Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones. Let me rejoice in the joy of your people; let me praise you with those who are your heritage.

6    Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!

7    Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.

8    Even so, he saved them— to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power.

9    He commanded the Red Sea to dry up. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.

10  So he rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes.

11  Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived.

12  Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise.

21  Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. 

22  When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

23  When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 

24  Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 

25  “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

13  One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, 

14  a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, 

15  when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

16  While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

17  While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

18  While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. 

19  Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

20  Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 

21  He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

22  In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

1    “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord.

2    “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense!

3    For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.

4    “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood.

5    For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.

6    For the Lord has called you back from your grief— as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God.

7    “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back.

8    In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while.

3    May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

4    I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 

5    Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 

6    This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 

7    Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

8    He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 

9    God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

10  I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 

11  For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 

12  Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”

13  Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 

14  I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 

15  for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 

16  (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 

17  For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

8    The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

9    The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.

10  All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you.

11  They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power.

12  They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.

13  For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.

14  The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

15  The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.

16  When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

17  The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.

18  The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.

26  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 

27  to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 

28  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29  Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 

30  “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 

32  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 

33  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34  Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 

36  What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 

37  For the word of God will never fail.”

38  Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.