Backsliders

remember, then, whence thou hast fallen, and reform, and the first works do; and if not, I come to thee quickly, and will remove thy lamp-stand from its place--if thou mayest not reform;

and Jesus said unto him, `No one having put his hand on a plough, and looking back, is fit for the reign of God.'

for it were better to them not to have acknowledged the way of the righteousness, than having acknowledged <FI>it<Fi> , to turn back from the holy command delivered to them,

From his ways is the backslider in heart filled, And a good man--from his fruits.

For we--wilfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth--no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice, — read the full passage →

`But I have against thee: That thy first love thou didst leave!

Brethren, if a man also may be overtaken in any trespass, ye who <FI>are<Fi> spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering thyself--lest thou also may be tempted;

draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you; cleanse hands, ye sinners! and purify hearts, ye two-souled!

Turn back, O backsliding sons, I cause your backslidings to cease. --Behold us, we have come to Thee, For Thou <FI>art<Fi> Jehovah our God.

and now, having known God--and rather being known by God--how turn ye again unto the weak and poor elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude?

Surely our iniquities have testified against us, O Jehovah, work for Thy name's sake, For many have been our backslidings, Against Thee we have sinned.

for, if having escaped from the pollutions of the world, in the acknowledging of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and by these again being entangled, they have been overcome, become to them hath the last things worse than the first, — read the full passage →

to him, then, knowing to do good, and not doing, sin it is to him.

Ye were running well; who did hinder you--not to obey the truth?

and `the righteous by faith shall live,' and `if he may draw back, My soul hath no pleasure in him,' — read the full passage →

`But I have against thee: That thy first love thou didst leave! — read the full passage →

I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For turned back hath Mine anger from him.

`Remember, then, how thou hast received, and heard, and be keeping, and reform: if, then, thou mayest not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou mayest not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Even from the days of your fathers Ye have turned aside from My statutes, And ye have not taken heed. Turn back unto Me, and I turn back to you, Said Jehovah of Hosts. And ye have said, `In what do we turn back?'

become watching, and strengthen the rest of the things that are about to die, for I have not found thy works fulfilled before God.

for, if having escaped from the pollutions of the world, in the acknowledging of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and by these again being entangled, they have been overcome, become to them hath the last things worse than the first,

for <FI>it is<Fi> impossible for those once enlightened, having tasted also of the heavenly gift, and partakers having became of the Holy Spirit, — read the full passage →

And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked hath done, he doth--thus he liveth, All his righteousnesses that he hath done are not remembered, For his trespass that he hath trespassed, And for his sin that he hath sinned, For them he doth die.

having faith and a good conscience, which certain having thrust away, concerning the faith did make shipwreck,

and My people on whom My name is called be humbled, and pray, and seek My face, and turn back from their evil ways, then I--I hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.

And he said, `A certain man had two sons, — read the full passage →

lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.

Brethren, if any among you may go astray from the truth, and any one may turn him back, — read the full passage →

And My people are hanging in suspense, about My returning, And unto the Most High they do call, Together they exalt not.

`When the strong man armed may keep his hall, in peace are his goods; — read the full passage →

As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.

if we may confess our sins, stedfast He is and righteous that He may forgive us the sins, and may cleanse us from every unrighteousness;

for <FI>it is<Fi> impossible for those once enlightened, having tasted also of the heavenly gift, and partakers having became of the Holy Spirit, — read the full passage →

if any one may not remain in me, he was cast forth without as the branch, and was withered, and they gather them, and cast to fire, and they are burned;

for Demas forsook me, having loved the present age, and went on to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia,

if we do endure together--we shall also reign together; if we deny <FI>him<Fi> , he also shall deny us;

I wonder that ye are so quickly removed from Him who did call you in the grace of Christ to another good news;

The salt <FI>is<Fi> good, but if the salt may become saltless, in what will ye season <FI>it<Fi> ? Have in yourselves salt, and have peace in one another.'

And the Spirit expressly speaketh, that in latter times shall certain fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons,

Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, And the rock of thy strength hast not remembered, Therefore thou plantest plants of pleasantness, And with a strange slip sowest it,

that is not another, except there be certain who are troubling you, and wishing to pervert the good news of the Christ;

looking diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled;

And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, — read the full passage →

for already certain did turn aside after the Adversary.

Turn back to Him from whom sons of Israel Have deepened apostasy.

Whoredom is actually heard of among you, and such whoredom as is not even named among the nations--as that one hath the wife of the father! -- — read the full passage →

O thoughtless Galatians, who did bewitch you, not to obey the truth--before whose eyes Jesus Christ was described before among you crucified?

then he saith to Thomas, `Bring thy finger hither, and see my hands, and bring thy hand, and put <FI>it<Fi> to my side, and become not unbelieving, but believing.' — read the full passage →

then doth it go, and take with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and having gone in they dwell there, and the last of that man doth become worse than the first; so shall it be also to this evil generation.'

And Jonah prayeth unto Jehovah his God from the bowels of the fish. — read the full passage →

for I fear lest, having come, not such as I wish I may find you, and I--I may be found by you such as ye do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, evil-speakings, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections,

In the day thy plant thou causest to become great, And in the morning thy seed makest to flourish, A heap <FI>is<Fi> the harvest in a day of overflowing, And of mortal pain.

and `the righteous by faith shall live,' and `if he may draw back, My soul hath no pleasure in him,'

remember the wife of Lot.

For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.

Wash from evil thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, Till when dost thou lodge in thy heart Thoughts of thy strength?

Dost thou not do this to thyself? <FI>By<Fi> thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, At the time He is leading thee in the way?

and now, having known God--and rather being known by God--how turn ye again unto the weak and poor elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude? — read the full passage →

and Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, he having said to him--`Before cock-crowing, thrice thou wilt deny me;' and having gone without, he did weep bitterly.

`Rejoice not, O Israel, be not joyful like the peoples, For thou hast gone a-whoring from thy God, Thou hast loved a gift near all floors of corn. — read the full passage →

of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I did deliver to the Adversary, that they might be instructed not to speak evil.

so that he who is thinking to stand--let him observe, lest he fall.

`Ye are the salt of the land, but if the salt may lose savour, in what shall it be salted? for nothing is it good henceforth, except to be cast without, and to be trodden down by men.

Afterwards turned back have the sons of Israel, and sought Jehovah their God, and David their king, and have hastened unto Jehovah, and unto His goodness, in the latter end of the days.

Instruct thee doth thy wickedness, And thy backslidings reprove thee, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing <FI>Is<Fi> thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, And My fear not being on thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah of Hosts.

O Timotheus, the thing entrusted guard thou, avoiding the profane vain-words and opposition of the falsely-named knowledge,

and having begun from Moses, and from all the prophets, he was expounding to them in all the Writings the things about himself.

Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Judah, And for four, I do not reserve it, Because of their loathing the law of Jehovah, And His statutes they have not kept, And their lies do cause them to err, After which their fathers did walk,

How do I give thee up, O Ephraim? Do I deliver thee up, O Israel? How do I make thee as Admah? Do I set thee as Zeboim? Turned in Me is My heart, kindled together have been My repentings.

If thou dost turn back, O Israel, An affirmation of Jehovah, unto Me turn back, And if thou dost turn aside Thine abominations from My face, Then thou dost not bemoan.

I have spread out My hands all the day Unto an apostate people, Who are going in the way not good after their own thoughts.

Ah, sinning nation, a people heavy <FI>with<Fi> iniquity, A seed of evil doers, sons--corrupters! They have forsaken Jehovah, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have gone away backward.

For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee.

concerning whom we have much discourse and of hard explanation to say, since ye have become dull of hearing,

for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith through love working.

From this <FI>time<Fi> many of his disciples went away backward, and were no more walking with him,

Thus said Jehovah: Stand ye by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where <FI>is<Fi> this--the good way? and go ye in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, `We do not go.'

And certain having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren--`If ye be not circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye are not able to be saved;' — read the full passage →

and because of the abounding of the lawlessness, the love of the many shall become cold;

In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, And he is dying by them, for his perversity That he hath done he dieth.

For the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been only doing evil in Mine eyes, from their youth; for the sons of Israel are only provoking Me with the work of their hands--an affirmation of Jehovah.

O Hope of Israel--its saviour in time of trouble, Why art Thou as a sojourner in the land? And as a traveller turned aside to lodge? — read the full passage →

And Jehovah saith unto me: `A conspiracy is found in the men of Judah, And in the inhabitants of Jerusalem. — read the full passage →

Turn back, O backsliding sons, An affirmation of Jehovah. For I have ruled over you, And taken you one of a city, and two of a family, And have brought you to Zion,

and are making perfume to Jehovah, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and perfume of spices, and the arrangement of bread <FI>is<Fi> on the pure table, and the candlestick of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are keeping the charge of Jehovah our God, and ye--ye have forsaken Him.

`In Thy people Israel being smitten before an enemy, because they sin against Thee, and they have turned back unto Thee, and have confessed Thy name, and prayed, and made supplication unto Thee in this house, — read the full passage →

Wherefore hath this people of Jerusalem Turned back--a perpetual backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back.

A clean heart prepare for me, O God, And a right spirit renew within me. — read the full passage →

for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows;

ye were freed from the Christ, ye who in law are declared righteous; from the grace ye fell away;

Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye may prophecy, — read the full passage →

And thou hast said unto them, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, turn back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I turn back unto you, said Jehovah of Hosts.

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying: — read the full passage →

The people who are provoking Me to anger, To My face continually, Sacrificing in gardens, and making perfume on the bricks:

Seek ye Jehovah, while He is found, Call ye Him, while He is near, — read the full passage →

And Me thou hast not called, O Jacob, For thou hast been wearied of me, O Israel,

And they lust greatly in a wilderness, And try God in a desert.

Lo, God <FI>is<Fi> a helper to me, The Lord <FI>is<Fi> with those supporting my soul, — read the full passage →

do we turn back to break Thy commands, and to join ourselves in marriage with the people of these abominations? art not Thou angry against us--even to consumption--till there is no remnant and escaped part?

and he goeth out before Asa, and saith to him, `Hear, me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> with you--in your being with Him, and if ye seek Him, He is found of you, and if ye forsake Him, He forsaketh you; — read the full passage →