August 26, 2026

6Neglect of Work. We instruct you, brothers, in the name of [our] Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. 7For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, 8nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. 9Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. 10In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. 16May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 17IV. Final Greetings - This greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s. This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write. 18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

1Psalm 128 The Blessed Home of the Just - A song of ascents. I - Blessed are all who fear the LORD, and who walk in his ways. 2What your hands provide you will enjoy; you will be blessed and prosper: 4Just so will the man be blessed who fears the LORD. 5II - May the LORD bless you from Zion; may you see Jerusalem’s prosperity all the days of your life,

5But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:

27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. 28Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. 29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 30and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; 32now fill up what your ancestors measured out!