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⁵In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders.^* And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for
‘God opposes the proud,
   but gives grace to the humble.’

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. ⁸Discipline yourselves; keep alert.^* Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters^* throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. ¹⁰And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings and Benediction

12 Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you, and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. ¹³Your sister church^* in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark. ¹⁴Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.^*

Psalm 89

God’s Covenant with David

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
¹ I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord,^* for ever;
   with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
² I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever;
   your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

³ You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
   I have sworn to my servant David:
⁴ “I will establish your descendants for ever,
   and build your throne for all generations.” ’
          Selah

⁵ Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
   your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.
⁶ For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
   Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
⁷ a God feared in the council of the holy ones,
   great and awesome^* above all that are around him?
⁸ O Lord God of hosts,
   who is as mighty as you, O Lord?
   Your faithfulness surrounds you.
⁹ You rule the raging of the sea;
   when its waves rise, you still them.
¹⁰ You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
   you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
¹¹ The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours;
   the world and all that is in it—you have founded them.
¹² The north and the south^*—you created them;
   Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
¹³ You have a mighty arm;
   strong is your hand, high your right hand.
¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
   steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
¹⁵ Happy are the people who know the festal shout,
   who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance;
¹⁶ they exult in your name all day long,
   and extol^* your righteousness.
¹⁷ For you are the glory of their strength;
   by your favour our horn is exalted.
¹⁸ For our shield belongs to the Lord,
   our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹ Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said:
   ‘I have set the crown^* on one who is mighty,
   I have exalted one chosen from the people.
²⁰ I have found my servant David;
   with my holy oil I have anointed him;
²¹ my hand shall always remain with him;
   my arm also shall strengthen him.
²² The enemy shall not outwit him,
   the wicked shall not humble him.
²³ I will crush his foes before him
   and strike down those who hate him.
²⁴ My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
   and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
²⁵ I will set his hand on the sea
   and his right hand on the rivers.
²⁶ He shall cry to me, “You are my Father,
   my God, and the Rock of my salvation!”
²⁷ I will make him the firstborn,
   the highest of the kings of the earth.
²⁸ For-ever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
   and my covenant with him will stand firm.
²⁹ I will establish his line for ever,
   and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
³⁰ If his children forsake my law
   and do not walk according to my ordinances,
³¹ if they violate my statutes
   and do not keep my commandments,
³² then I will punish their transgression with the rod
   and their iniquity with scourges;
³³ but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
   or be false to my faithfulness.
³⁴ I will not violate my covenant,
   or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
³⁵ Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness;
   I will not lie to David.
³⁶ His line shall continue for ever,
   and his throne endure before me like the sun.
³⁷ It shall be established for ever like the moon,
   an enduring witness in the skies.’
          Selah

³⁸ But now you have spurned and rejected him;
   you are full of wrath against your anointed.
³⁹ You have renounced the covenant with your servant;
   you have defiled his crown in the dust.
⁴⁰ You have broken through all his walls;
   you have laid his strongholds in ruins.
⁴¹ All who pass by plunder him;
   he has become the scorn of his neighbours.
⁴² You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
   you have made all his enemies rejoice.
⁴³ Moreover, you have turned back the edge of his sword,
   and you have not supported him in battle.
⁴⁴ You have removed the sceptre from his hand,^*
   and hurled his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵ You have cut short the days of his youth;
   you have covered him with shame.
          Selah

⁴⁶ How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever?
   How long will your wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷ Remember how short my time is—^*
   for what vanity you have created all mortals!
⁴⁸ Who can live and never see death?
   Who can escape the power of Sheol?
          Selah

⁴⁹ Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,
   which by your faithfulness you swore to David?
⁵⁰ Remember, O Lord, how your servant is taunted;
   how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,^*
51 with which your enemies taunt, O Lord,
   with which they taunted the footsteps of your anointed.

⁵² Blessed be the Lord for ever.Amen and Amen.

¹⁵And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news^* to the whole creation. ¹⁶The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸they will pick up snakes in their hands,^* and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’

The Ascension of Jesus

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.^* ]]