Becoming An Adult

When I was a babe, as a babe I was speaking, as a babe I was thinking, as a babe I was reasoning, and when I have become a man, I have made useless the things of the babe;

and the youthful lusts flee thou, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those calling upon the Lord out of a pure heart;

that we may no more be babes, tossed and borne about by every wind of the teaching, in the sleight of men, in craftiness, unto the artifice of leading astray, — read the full passage →

Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not. — read the full passage →

and increase ye in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to him <FI>is<Fi> the glory both now, and to the day of the age! Amen.

Give instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.

let no one despise thy youth, but a pattern become thou of those believing in word, in behaviour, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity;

For I have known the thoughts that I am thinking towards you--an affirmation of Jehovah; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give to you posterity and hope.

A Psalm of David. Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> my shepherd, I do not lack, — read the full passage →

honour thy father and mother, — read the full passage →

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. — read the full passage →

He hath declared to thee, O man, what <FI>is<Fi> good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except--to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?

A revelation of Jesus Christ, that God gave to him, to shew to his servants what things it behoveth to come to pass quickly; and he did signify <FI>it<Fi> , having sent through his messenger to his servant John,

all your care having cast upon Him, because He careth for you.

for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.

And thou--be speaking what doth become the sound teaching; — read the full passage →

For all things I have strength, in Christ's strengthening me;

The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous;

and Jesus was advancing in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour with God and men.

Be not afraid, for with thee I <FI>am<Fi> , Look not around, for I <FI>am<Fi> thy God, I have strengthened thee, Yea, I have helped thee, yea, I upheld thee, With the right hand of My righteousness.

<FI> Nun.<Fi> A lamp to my foot <FI>is<Fi> Thy word, And a light to my path.

and if any one for his own--and especially for those of the household--doth not provide, the faith he hath denied, and than an unbeliever he is worse.

And the fathers! provoke not your children, but nourish them in the instruction and admonition of the Lord.

with Christ I have been crucified, and live no more do I, and Christ doth live in me; and that which I now live in the flesh--in the faith I live of the Son of God, who did love me and did give himself for me;

and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what <FI>is<Fi> the will of God--the good, and acceptable, and perfect.

But those expecting Jehovah pass <FI>to<Fi> power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!

To number our days aright let <FI>us<Fi> know, And we bring the heart to wisdom.

be subject, then, to God; stand up against the devil, and he will flee from you;

An aged person thou mayest not rebuke, but be entreating as a father; younger persons as brethren; — read the full passage →

not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre, but gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money,

The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous; — read the full passage →

for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you--of God the gift, — read the full passage →

for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you--of God the gift,

have ye not known that the unrighteous the reign of God shall not inherit? be not led astray; neither whoremongers, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor sodomites, — read the full passage →

Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and Sosthenes the brother, — read the full passage →

And we have known that to those loving God all things do work together for good, to those who are called according to purpose;

Jesus saith to him, `I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

and the second <FI>is<Fi> like to it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;

And Jesus said to him, `Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding--

Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.

The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.

Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.

Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.

Lo, an inheritance of Jehovah <FI>are<Fi> sons, A reward <FI>is<Fi> the fruit of the womb. — read the full passage →

`Have not I commanded thee? be strong and courageous; be not terrified nor affrighted, for with thee <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah thy God in every <FI>place<Fi> whither thou goest.'

`Honour thy father and thy mother, so that thy days are prolonged on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee.

as new-born babes the word's pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow,

`Peace I leave to you; my peace I give to you, not according as the world doth give do I give to you; let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid;

The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous; — read the full passage →

with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,

for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God--

that we may no more be babes, tossed and borne about by every wind of the teaching, in the sleight of men, in craftiness, unto the artifice of leading astray,

And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant--being lord of all, — read the full passage →

there is not here Jew or Greek, there is not here servant nor freeman, there is not here male and female, for all ye are one in Christ Jesus;

this only do I wish to learn from you--by works of law the Spirit did ye receive, or by the hearing of faith?

wherefore, we faint not, but if also our outward man doth decay, yet the inward is renewed day by day;

Brethren, become not children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the understanding become ye perfect;

for we see now through a mirror obscurely, and then face to face; now I know in part, and then I shall fully know, as also I was known;

and when that which is perfect may come, then that which <FI>is<Fi> in part shall become useless.

And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly--as to babes in Christ; — read the full passage →

`Happy the poor in spirit--because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth <FI>it<Fi> unto his heart.

in which once ye did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,

and whither I go away ye have known, and the way ye have known.'

I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him who <FI>is<Fi> from the beginning; I write to you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil. I write to you, little youths, because ye have known the Father: — read the full passage →

Without covetousness the behaviour, being content with the things present, for He hath said, `No, I will not leave, no, nor forsake thee,' — read the full passage →

And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,

Wherefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance, not again a foundation laying of reformation from dead works, and of faith on God,

The younger men, in like manner, be exhorting to be sober-minded;

for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;

and if any widow have children or grandchildren, let them learn first to their own house to show piety, and to give back a recompense to the parents, for this is right and acceptable before God.

continually pray ye;

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice;

honour thy father and mother,

and, being true in love, we may increase to Him <FI>in<Fi> all things, who is the head--the Christ;

of the things of life, indeed, then, if ye may have judgment, those despised in the assembly--these cause ye to sit;

much in every way; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God;

and having opened his mouth, he was teaching them, saying:

Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Moab, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of his burning the bones of the king of Edom to lime, — read the full passage →

Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.

Have I not compared, and kept silent my soul, As a weaned one by its mother? As a weaned one by me <FI>is<Fi> my soul.