because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.

For you were going astray like sheep ¹  but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

By your endurance ¹  you will gain ²  your lives. ³ 

The fruit of the righteous is like ¹  a tree producing life, ²  and the one who wins souls ³  is wise. ⁴ 

Take my yoke ¹  on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly ¹  welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.

So those who accepted ¹  his message ²  were baptized, and that day about three thousand people ³  were added. ⁴ 

Their eyes, ¹  full of adultery, ²  never stop sinning; ³  they entice ⁴  unstable people. ⁵  They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children! ⁶ 

Now ¹  when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed ²  because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given.

You have purified ¹  your souls by obeying the truth ²  in order to show sincere mutual love. ³  So ⁴  love one another earnestly from a pure heart. ⁵ 

So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good. ¹ 

and say ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands ¹  on all their wrists ²  and make headbands ³  for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives! ⁴  Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives?

“‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note ¹  that I am against your wristbands with which you entrap people’s lives ²  like birds. I will tear them from your arms and will release the people’s lives, which you hunt like birds.

Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! ¹  If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

They strengthened ¹  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ²  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ³  of God through many persecutions.” ⁴ 

A truthful witness ¹  rescues lives, ²  but the one who breathes lies brings ³  deception. ⁴ 

The Lord said to his people: ¹  “You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path. ²  Ask where the old, reliable paths ³  are. Ask where the path is that leads to blessing ⁴  and follow it. If you do, you will find rest for your souls.” But they said, “We will not follow it!”

For I will not be hostile ¹  forever or perpetually angry, for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, ²  the life-giving breath I created.

Indeed! All lives are mine – the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one ¹  who sins will die.

cinnamon, spice, ¹  incense, perfumed ointment, ²  frankincense, ³  wine, olive oil and costly flour, ⁴  wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages, ⁵  slaves and human lives. ⁶