CHAPTER 35

35:1 Behold, beloved, how blessed and wonderful are the gifts of God

35:2 -- life in immortality, cheerfulness in righteousness, truth in liberty, faith in confidence, temperance in sanctification; and all these things have already come within our cognizance.

35:3 What therefore are the things that are prepared for them that abide in patience? The Maker and Father of the worlds, the all-holy one, he knoweth how many and how beautiful they are.

35:4 Let us, therefore, strive to be found in the number of them that await him, that we may partake of the promised gifts.

35:5 And how will this be, beloved? If our mind be established by faith toward God; if we seek out what is pleasant and acceptable in his sight; if we perform such things as harmonize with his blameless will, and follow in the way of truth, casting from us all unrighteousness and lawlessness, covetousness, strife, malice and fraud, whispering and evil speaking, hatred of God, pride and insolence, vainglory and churlishness.

35:6 For they who do these things are hateful unto God, and not only they who do them, but also they who have pleasure in them that do them.

35:7 For the scripture saith: But unto the sinner God hath said, Why dost thou speak of my ordinances, and takest my covenant in thy mouth:

35:8 but thou hast hated instruction and hast cast my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief thou wentest with him, and hast cast in thy portion with the adulterers; thy mouth hath abounded with evil, and thy tongue hath contrived deceit. Thou satest and spakest against thy brother, and hast slandered the son of thy mother.

35:9 This hast thou done, and I kept silence. Thou thoughtest, O wicked one, that I was like unto thee;

35:10 but I will convict thee, and set thyself before thee.

35:11 Consider this, ye who forget God, lest he seize you as a lion, and there be none to save you.

35:12 The sacrifice of praise shall honour me; and there is the way by which I will show him the salvation of God.