True Wisdom Comes From God (James 3:13-18) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

13  If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 

14  But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 

15  For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 

16  For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17  But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 

18  And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

13  Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom. 

14  But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. 

15  Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic.

16  Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil. 

17  But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. 

18  And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.

Controlling The Tongue (James 3:1-12) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 

2    Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3    We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 

4    And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 

5    In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.  But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 

6    And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

7    People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 

8    but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 

9    Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 

10  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 

11  Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 

12  Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others. 

2    All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being. 

3    We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. 

4    Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go. 

5    So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things.  Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! 

6    And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself. 

7    We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures—wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 

8    But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.

9    We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. 

10  Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!

11  No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. 

12  A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water.

Faith Without Good Deeds Is Dead (James 2:14-26) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

14  What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?

15  Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 

16  and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

18  Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

19  You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 

20  How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

21  Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 

22  You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 

23  And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”  He was even called the friend of God.

24  So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

25  Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 

26  Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

14  My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? 
15  Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 
16  What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life? 
17  So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
18  But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.” 
19  Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear.
20  You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?
21  How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 
22  Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.
23  And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God's friend. 
24  You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.
25  It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.
26  So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.

Warning Against Prejudice (James 2:1-13) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

2    For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 

3    If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 

4    doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

5    Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 

6    But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 

7    Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

8    Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

9    But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

10  For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 

11  For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”  So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

12  So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 

13  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance. 

2    Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. 

3    If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,” 

4    then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.

5    Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. 

6    But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich! 

7    They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.

8    You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 

9    But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. 

10  Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. 

11  For the same one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder. 

12  Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 

13  For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.

Hearing and Doing (James 1:19-27) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

19  Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 

20  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 

21  So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 

23  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 

24  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 

25  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

26  If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 

27  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

19  Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry. 
20  Human anger does not achieve God's righteous purpose. 
21  So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.
22  Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice. 
23  If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are. 
24  They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like. 
25  But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do.
26  Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself. 
27  What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.

Testing and Tempting (James 1:12-18) New Living, Good News And The Message Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
12  God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13  And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.
14  Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
15  These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16  So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
17  Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.  He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
18  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
12  Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him. 
13  If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 
14  But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. 
15  Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16  Do not be deceived, my dear friends! 
17  Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning. 
18  By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.

THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION
12  Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
13-15  Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
16-18  So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

Poverty and Riches (James 1:9-11) VARIOUS TRANSLATIONS

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
9    Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them.
10  And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field.
11  The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
9    Those Christians who are poor must be glad when God lifts them up, 
10  and the rich Christians must be glad when God brings them down. For the rich will pass away like the flower of a wild plant. 
11  The sun rises with its blazing heat and burns the plant; its flower falls off, and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way the rich will be destroyed while they go about their business.

THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION
9-11  When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION

9    Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation [as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God],

10  And the rich [person ought to glory] in being humbled [by being shown his human frailty], because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.

11  For the sun comes up with a scorching heat and parches the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away. Even so will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits.

Denzel Washington ministers to a whole theatre full of up & coming artis...

FAITH AND WISDOM (JAMES 1:2-8) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

2  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 

3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 

4  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5  If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

6  But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 

7  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

8  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

2  My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, 

3  for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. 

4  Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

5  But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all. 

6  But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. 

7-8  If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord.

Closing Prayer (Hebrews 13:20-21) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
20  Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
21  may he equip you with all you need for doing his will.  May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.  All glory to him forever and ever!  
Amen.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
^20-21 God has raised from death our Lord Jesus, who is the Great Shepherd of the sheep as the result of his blood, by which the eternal covenant is sealed. May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will, and may he, through Jesus Christ, do in us what pleases him. And to Christ be the glory forever and ever!  
Amen.

How To Please God (Hebrews 13:1-19) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. 

2    Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 

3    Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

4    Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

5    Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.”

6    So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.  What can mere people do to me?”

7    Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

8    Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

9    So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

10  We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 

11  Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 

12  So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 

13  So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 

14  For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

15  Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 

16  And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

17  Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

18  Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. 

19  And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    Keep on loving one another as Christians. 

2    Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it. 

3    Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering, as though you were suffering as they are.

4    Marriage is to be honored by all, and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

5    Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” 

6    Let us be bold, then, and say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What can anyone do to me?”

7    Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith. 

8    Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

9    Do not let all kinds of strange teachings lead you from the right way. It is good to receive inner strength from God's grace, and not by obeying rules about foods; those who obey these rules have not been helped by them.

10  The priests who serve in the Jewish place of worship have no right to eat any of the sacrifice on our altar.

11  The Jewish high priest brings the blood of the animals into the Most Holy Place to offer it as a sacrifice for sins; but the bodies of the animals are burned outside the camp. 

12  For this reason Jesus also died outside the city, in order to purify the people from sin with his own blood.

13  Let us, then, go to him outside the camp and share his shame. 

14  For there is no permanent city for us here on earth; we are looking for the city which is to come. 

15  Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord. 

16  Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.

17  Obey your leaders and follow their orders. They watch over your souls without resting, since they must give to God an account of their service. If you obey them, they will do their work gladly; if not, they will do it with sadness, and that would be of no help to you.

18  Keep on praying for us. We are sure we have a clear conscience, because we want to do the right thing at all times. 

19  And I beg you even more earnestly to pray that God will send me back to you soon.

A Call To Listen To God (Hebrews 12:12-29) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
12  So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.
13  Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. 
14  Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
15  Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
16  Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.
17  You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.
18  You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.
19  For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking.
20  They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”
21  Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
22  No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.
23  You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.
24  You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
25  Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!
26  When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 
27  This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
28  Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
29  For our God is a devouring fire.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
12  Lift up your tired hands, then, and strengthen your trembling knees! 
13  Keep walking on straight paths, so that the lame foot may not be disabled, but instead be healed.
14  Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it.
15  Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison. 
16  Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau, who for a single meal sold his rights as the older son. 
17  Afterward, you know, he wanted to receive his father's blessing; but he was turned back, because he could not find any way to change what he had done, even though in tears he looked for it.
18  You have not come, as the people of Israel came, to what you can feel, to Mount Sinai with its blazing fire, the darkness and the gloom, the storm, 
19  the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word, 
20  because they could not bear the order which said, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 
21  The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling and afraid!”
22  Instead, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, with its thousands of angels. 
23  You have come to the joyful gathering of God's first-born, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, who is the judge of all people, and to the spirits of good people made perfect. 
24  You have come to Jesus, who arranged the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that promises much better things than does the blood of Abel.
25  Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven! 
26  His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven as well.” 
27  The words “once more” plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
28  Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe; 
29  because our God is indeed a destroying fire.