¹But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. ²In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, ³and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. ⁴For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. ⁵Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; ⁶like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. ⁷In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. ⁸They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. ⁹Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.

¹The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; ²he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; ³he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

¹See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

⁵¹I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” ⁵²The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; ⁵⁴he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.”