Trials, temptation and perseverance

4 Then Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) was taken into the wilderness by the spirit, to be tempted by the devil.[ref] 2 As he’d been fasting for forty days (and nights), he was hungry, 3 and the tempter approached him and asked, “If you’re God’s son, command some of these stones to turn into buns.”

4 But Yeshua answered, “It’s written in the scriptures that it’s not just food that a person needs to live, but also all of God’s messages.”[ref]

5 Then the devil took him to Yerushalem (Jerusalem), and stood him on the highest point of the temple 6 and told him, “Throw yourself down if you’re God’s son, because it’s written in the scriptures that God will command his messengers to look after you and to carry you in their arms so that you won’t bash your foot on a rock.”[ref]

7 “Yes, but it’s also written,” Yeshua answered, “that you shouldn’t test your God Yahweh.”[ref]

8 Then the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the countries in the world, with all their splendour, 9 then told him, “I’ll give you all of those if you get down on your face in front of me.”

10 “Go away, Satan,” Yeshua replied, “because it’s written in the scriptures that you should worship your God Yahweh and must only serve him.”[ref]

11 Then the devil left him, and God’s messengers came and looked after him.

10 Now brothers and sisters, I don’t want you all to be ignorant about how our Jewish ancestors sheltered under the cloud[ref] and then they all passed through the sea,[ref] 2 so they were all immersed ‘into Mosheh’ (Moses) in both the cloud and the sea. 3 They all ate the same supernatural food[ref] 4 and they all drank the same supernatural drink, because they drank from a supernatural rock that followed them,[ref] and that rock was the messiah. 5 Despite that, God wasn’t very happy with most of them, and they ended up dying in the wilderness.[ref]

6 Those things back then became examples for us, so that we wouldn’t be desiring evil things like they did.[ref] 7 Don’t worship idols like some of them did, as it’s written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and then stood up to dance to the golden calf.’[ref] 8 Nor should we commit sexual immorality like many of them did, and 23,000 people died in one day.[ref] 9 And nor should we challenge the master like some of our Jewish ancestors did, and then they were killed by the snakes.[ref] 10 Don’t grumble like many of them did, and then they were killed by the death angel.[ref]

11 All of those things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us who are living at the ends of the ages.

12 So if you think your faith is solid, be careful that you don’t fall. 13 You all haven’t been tempted by anything except what is common to humanity, but God is faithful and won’t allow you to be tempted beyond what you all can handle. In fact, along with the temptations, God will provide the way out so that you’ll be able to endure them.

12 Any person who’s enduring testing circumstances is fortunate, because once they’ve passed the test, they’ll receive a crown of life that Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) promised to those who love him. 13 No one should say ‘It’s God tempting me’ when they’re being tempted, because God can’t be tempted to do evil and he doesn’t tempt others, 14 but rather they’re being tempted by their own lusts. They’re being drawn away and enticed into what they know is wrong, 15 and after the desire is conceived it leads to sin, and once the sin is concluded it leads to death.

16 Don’t be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every gift that’s good and perfect comes from heaven. It comes down from the father of lights, none of which are changing or casting moving shadows. 18 Once he had decided it, he created us by his spoken commands so that we’d become a kind of special first ‘harvest’ out of all of his creatures.

10 Concluding then, be enabled by Yahweh and from the power which comes from his strength. 11 Wear God’s complete armour because it will enable you to stand up against the devil’s schemes. 12 Our struggle isn’t against people, but against rulers, authorities, the powers of this world’s darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. 13 Because of that, make use of every piece of God’s armour so that you’ll be able to resist those powers in the evil day and having done everything, to remain standing.

14 So then, stand with the belt of truth around your waist,[ref] wearing the breastplate of righteousness,[ref] 15 and ready your feet with the good message of peace.[ref] 16 Whatever arises, hold up the shield of faith which you all will be able to use to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation[ref] and the sword of God’s spirit which is the message from God.

18 Make your requests as you pray in the spirit at every occasion and similarly staying alert and persevering as you make requests on behalf of all the dedicated believers

For the musical director: a song by Korah’s descendants. To be sung by soprano[fn] voices.

1 God is our protection and our strength,

always ready to help when troubles come.

2 That’s why we won’t be afraid, even if the earth were to change—

even if the mountains were shaken into the ocean depths,

3 making its waters roar and rage,

as the mountains shake against the surging waters. (Instrumental break.)

4 There’s a river whose streams make God’s city happy—

the sacred place where the highest one lives.

5 God is in the middle of that city—she won’t be affected.

God will help her, and he will do so at dawn.

6 The nations raged and the kingdoms were shaken.

He spoke out and the earth melted.

7 Commander-in-chief Yahweh is with us.

Ya’akov’s (Jacob) god is our protection. (Instrumental break.)

8 Come and see what Yahweh has done—

the destruction he’s caused on earth.

9 He stops wars all over the world.

He breaks bows and cuts spears into pieces.

He incinerates the shields.

10 Stay quiet and be aware that I am God.

I will be honoured among the nations.

I will be honoured throughout the world.

11 Commander-in-chief Yahweh is with us.

Ya’akov’s (Jacob) god is our protection. (Instrumental break.)

5 So now because we’ve been declared guiltless by our faith, we can have peace with God through our master Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) Messiah. 2 Through him we also have access by faith into this generosity that we depend on, and we’re boasting in hope of God’s glory. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? 3 Not only that, but we’re also boasting even though we’re still being persecuted, because we know that difficulties produce endurance, 4 and endurance shows who we really are, and knowing that produces hope, 5 and we’re not disgraced by that hope, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit who’s been given to us.

2 Be cheerful my fellow believers, when you face a range of difficult situations, 3 knowing that you will learn endurance as your faith is tested. 4 Let that endurance do its perfect work so that you all might become perfect and mature—not lacking anything.

5 If anyone of you is lacking wisdom, then it should be requested from God who gives it generously and without disparagement, and so it will be given to you, 6 but the person who’s asking should demonstrate their faith and not be doubting. That’s because a person who doubts is like a wave on the sea that’s just blown and tossed around 7 and a person like that shouldn’t expect to get anything from the master 8 because that person is double-minded, and everything they attempt ends up in difficulty.

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised about the fiery trials that you’ll have to face as a test, as though it’s something unusual that’s happening to you, 13 but rather, as you, friends, share in the messiah’s sufferings, stay positive so that you’ll be happy, just as you’re glad to see his honour revealed. 14 You, friends, will be blessed if you’re derided in the messiah’s name, because God’s spirit rests on you—the spirit that honours him. 15 None of you should suffer persecution because you’re a murderer or a thief or a troublemaker or nosey-parker, 16 but if you suffer for being one of the messiah’s people, then there’s no need to feel ashamed, but instead praise God in that name.

17 It’s time for the judgement to begin—and to begin with God’s people—and if we’re judged first, what will the outcome be for those who refuse to believe in God’s good message? 18 Yes,

‘if it’s difficult for godly people to be saved,

what will it be like for the ungodly and for sinners?’[ref]

19 So for everyone who’s suffering according to God’s intentions, let them entrust their souls’ well-being to the faithful creator.

18 I’m sure that any sufferings we experience in this age are nothing in comparison with the coming splendour that’s going to be revealed to us, 19 because all of creation is eagerly expecting and waiting for God’s children to be revealed. 20 Yes, all of creation has been subjected to lack of purpose, not willingly, but because it was decided by the one who subjected it, but it remains with the hope[ref] 21 that it too will be freed from the slavery of corruption, and then released into the freedom of the splendour of God’s children, 22 because we’re aware that all of creation is groaning and suffering[fn] along with us right through to the present time. 23 And not only that, but we ourselves who have the initial tastes of the spirit life, we’re also groaning and waiting like children for our bodies to be set free from slavery,[ref] 24 because we were saved, having hope, but if you can see it then it’s not hope, because you don’t need to hope for something you can already see. 25 So we hope for what we can’t yet see, and so we have to patiently keep waiting.

26 Similarly, the spirit also helps us with our weaknesses, because we don’t even know what to pray for, but the spirit intercedes with groanings that we can’t put into words. 27 The one who searches our hearts knows the mindset of the spirit, because the spirit intercedes for the believers as God desires.

28 We know that God makes all things work together for good for everyone who loves him—those who are being invited according to his purpose. 29 After all, those he knew in advance, he also determined in advance to be similar to his son’s image, so that his son would become the eldest of many siblings. 30 The ones he’d determined in advance he also invited, and the ones he’d invited, he also declared guiltless, and the ones he declared guiltless, he also honoured in heaven.

31 So then, what can we say about all this? If God is for us, who’s against us? 32 If he didn’t spare his own son, but gave him to be executed for us, won’t they together also give us everything else? 33 Who’ll bring charges against people chosen by God? God is the one declaring us guiltless. 34 So who’s the one condemning us? Messiah Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) (the one who died but came back to life and who’s now sitting beside God) is also pleading for us.[ref] 35 Who will separate us from Messiah’s love? Troubles or distress or persecution or famine or poverty or danger or execution? 36 As it’s been written:

‘We are being put to death all day

on your account.

We were counted like sheep ready to be slaughtered.’[ref]

37 But in all that, we’re more than conquerors through the one who loved us. 38 Yes, I’ve been persuaded that neither death or life, angels or rulers, present or future events, powers, 39 height or depth, or anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from God’s love that’s revealed in our master Messiah Yeshua.

16 Because of that we’re not discouraged because even if our outer person is being ruined, our inner person is being renewed day by day 17 because our small, temporary troubles will produce an excess of great honour for us. 18 We don’t just look at what we can see, but include the things that can’t be seen, because visible things are temporary, but the things that last forever are invisible to our eyes.

12 So then with us having a cloud of witnesses around us, we should discard everything that’s a burden, as well as the sin that’s always so near to us. We should run the race that’s ahead of us with endurance, 2 with our eyes on Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus), the originator and perfecter of our faith, who endured execution on a stake and disregarded the shame of that event for the satisfaction that he’d gain. Now he’s seated there in the seat of honour beside God’s throne.

3 You all need to think about Yeshua and how he persevered when sinners quarrelled with him (although they only hurt themselves) so that you can be strong on the inside and persevere. 4 So far, you all haven’t had to resist to the point of sweating or shedding blood in the struggle against sin. 5 What’s more, you’ve failed to remember what Shelomoh (Solomon) encouraged his children to do, which also applies to all of you:

“My child, learn carefully when Yahweh trains you.

Indeed, you shouldn’t become despondent when he corrects you.

6 Because it’s the people that Yahweh loves that he disciplines,

Indeed he punishes every child that he calls his own.”[ref]

7 It’s for your own discipline that you all have to endure. God is treating you as his children, and what sort of father wouldn’t discipline them? 8 If you all weren’t disciplined (which all children experience), then you wouldn’t be true children, but rather illegitimate ones. 9 What’s more, our human parents trained us when we were children and we changed our behaviour, so, we should accept it even more when our spiritual father, God, trains us so that we can have life. 10 Indeed, they were disciplining us for a few days according to what seemed best to them, but God our father does it for our benefit so that we can also distance ourselves from sin. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful, however later it produces peace in those who’ve been trained in this way so they do what’s good and right.

12 So then, straighten your drooping arms and paralysed legs, and be strong.[ref] 13 Make your paths straight[ref] so that those who are lame won’t be discouraged, but rather come and be healed.