RESTORE
This chapter from the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching) presents the gospel through a new "Expression" of God’s Love to RESTORE the Truth.
Chapter 58 from the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching) presents the gospel through a new “Expression” of God’s Love to RESTORE people to the Truth.
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Chapter 58: Paradox
When the country is ruled with a light hand 1
The people lead simple and honest lives
When the country is ruled with an iron fist 2
The people become shrewd and cunning
Misfortune is but the shadow of good fortune 3
Good fortune is but the cloak of misfortune
Who knows when the last day will come? 4
Is there any righteousness as it appears to be? 5
What appears right develops into awkwardness
What appears good develops into evil
The people have long been confused by this
Thus, the wise are: 6
Righteous without being condemning
Pointed without being piercing
Straightforward without being ruthless
Filled with light without being flashy
A Light Hand, Not an Iron Fist
“When the country is ruled with a light hand
The people lead simple and honest lives
When the country is ruled with an iron fist
The people become shrewd and cunning”
Chapter 58 of the Christian edition of the Tao Te Ching presents a paradoxical view of governance, fortune, and righteousness that aligns with Christian teachings about humility, wisdom, and the nature of true goodness. It begins by highlighting the difference between a country governed with a light hand and one ruled with an iron fist. When leadership is gentle and humble, people live simple and honest lives, but when governance is harsh and authoritarian, people become shrewd and cunning. This resonates with Jesus’ teachings in John 13:12-17, where He demonstrates servant leadership by washing His disciples’ feet, showing that true leadership is marked by humility and service, not domination. In contrast, harsh, controlling authority leads to distrust and manipulation, as seen in Matthew 23:2-3, where Jesus critiques the Pharisees for placing heavy burdens on others without offering help.
Notice what the chapter is really watching: not the ruler, but the people. The way we lead shapes the hearts of those who live under it. A light hand trusts people, and trust invites honesty. An iron fist breeds fear, and fear teaches people to hide, flatter and scheme just to get by. That is as true in a kitchen, a classroom or a team chat as it is in a country.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:29-30NRSVue
Jesus is Lord of all, yet His hand is light. He does not drive us; He invites us. St. Peter learned this from Jesus Himself and passed it on to the leaders of the early Church. His words still fit every parent, boss, coach and pastor today.
“shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”
1 Peter 5:2-3ESV
A light hand is not a weak hand. Jesus still taught, corrected and drew clear lines. But He led from below, on His knees with a towel, and He gave His life for the very people He led. That kind of authority makes people honest, because they no longer need to be afraid.
“…the exercise of this authority must therefore be measured against the model of Christ, who by love made himself the least and the servant of all.”Catechism 1551
“As the children grow up, the same respect and devotion lead parents to educate them in the right use of their reason and freedom.”Catechism 2228
The Catechism says the first of these about the Church’s pastors, but its measure fits every kind of leader, at home or at work: Christ, who made Himself the servant of all.
Think of two bosses. One checks your screen constantly, rewrites your emails and blows up over small mistakes. Soon the whole team learns to cover, blame and say only what keeps them safe. The other sets clear goals, trusts you, and asks, “How can I help?” People own their mistakes there, because it is safe to. That is Chapter 58 at work: “When the country is ruled with an iron fist, the people become shrewd and cunning.” Whoever you lead, at home or at work, your hand shapes their honesty.
Try this today: Pick one person you lead, at home or at work, and trade one order today for a question: “How can I help?”
Fortune and Its Shadow
“Misfortune is but the shadow of good fortune
Good fortune is but the cloak of misfortune
Who knows when the last day will come?”
The chapter also speaks to the paradox of misfortune and good fortune. It suggests that these opposites are intertwined, with each containing the seed of the other. This mirrors Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 19:30, where He says, “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” The concept that what seems good may lead to evil and what seems evil can lead to good aligns with the Christian understanding of the mystery of God’s providence, as seen in Romans 8:28, where Paul assures that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” The ways of God often defy human expectations, and what we perceive as misfortune or hardship may, in the end, be part of His greater plan.
Scripture is full of these reversals. Joseph was sold as a slave and became the one who saved his family from famine. Job lost nearly everything, yet even his friend Bildad, in the verse this line points to, could see that a humble beginning does not tell the whole story.
“And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great.”
Job 8:7ESV
The reverse is true too. A rich harvest can make a heart forget God. Jesus told of a rich man who tore down his barns to build bigger ones, sure that he was set for years. Good fortune was the cloak that hid the one thing he never planned for.
“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”
Luke 12:20ESV
That is why the chapter asks, “Who knows when the last day will come?” Jesus said no one knows the day or the hour. This is not meant to frighten us but to free us. Christ is “the First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13), so neither our best day nor our worst day has the final word. He does.
“Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life.”Catechism 324
“Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming.”Catechism 1040
You finally get the house you saved for, and within a year the payments have you working late and snapping at your family. Or the opposite: the diagnosis, the breakup, the job that ended, and months later you can see what God grew in you through it. Most of us cannot tell good fortune from misfortune while we are in the middle of it. Chapter 58 is honest about that: “Misfortune is but the shadow of good fortune.” We do not have to know how the story ends. We only have to stay close to the One who does.
Try this today: Write down one “win” and one “loss” from this past season, and pray over both: “Lord, You know how this ends. I trust You.”
What Only Looks Righteous
“Is there any righteousness as it appears to be?
What appears right develops into awkwardness
What appears good develops into evil
The people have long been confused by this”
The chapter’s inquiry into the nature of righteousness and its apparent contradictions challenges conventional understandings of virtue. What seems right may turn out to be awkward, and what seems good may lead to evil. This warning speaks to the dangers of self-righteousness and judgment, which is cautioned against in Matthew 7:1-5. Jesus teaches that those who seek to condemn others often fail to see their own flaws. True righteousness, according to the Christian perspective, is not about outward appearances or harsh judgments, but about humility and a right relationship with God and others.
The prophet Isaiah, in the verse this line points to, saw a people so confused that they had turned good and evil upside down. The danger is not only in obvious wrongs. It hides in things that look right: a lie told to “protect” someone, a kindness that is really control, a cause that starts out well and ends in cruelty.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
Isaiah 5:20ESV
Jesus warned that the confusion would grow, that false prophets would “perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). Looks can fool us. But He also gave us a test: “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). In time, what is in the heart comes out.
So where do we find a righteousness that is real all the way through? Not in our own image or effort. St. Paul, in the passage this line points to, says it is a gift from God, given in Christ to everyone who believes.
“the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”
Romans 3:22-24NRSVue
“It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy.”Catechism 1992
“‘An evil action cannot be justified by reference to a good intention’… The end does not justify the means.”Catechism 1759
“…we need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name, without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception.”Saint John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae 58
A video goes around your group chat. It looks heartfelt, the music swells, and everyone shares it. A week later it turns out to be staged, and the person it attacked did nothing wrong. Or a friend tells a small lie “to keep the peace,” and soon that lie needs more lies to hold it up. Chapter 58 saw this long before phones: “What appears good develops into evil. The people have long been confused by this.” Faith slows us down. It asks not only “Does this look good?” but “Is it true, and is it of God?”
Try this today: Before you share, forward or repeat anything today, stop and ask, “Is this true, and is it kind?”
The Wise: Gentle and Bright
“Thus, the wise are:
Righteous without being condemning
Pointed without being piercing
Straightforward without being ruthless
Filled with light without being flashy”
The wise person, according to this chapter, is one who embodies virtues without excess: righteous without condemning, pointed without being piercing, straightforward without being ruthless, and filled with light without being flashy. This reflects the Christian ideal of meekness and wisdom, as described in 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, where Paul describes the balance of strength and humility in Christian life. The wise person does not boast in their righteousness but humbly serves others, reflecting the character of Christ, who is both powerful and gentle, righteous yet merciful.
Each pair names a strength and the way that strength goes wrong. Righteousness can sour into condemning. A point can become a weapon. Honesty can turn ruthless. Light can turn into a show. The wise keep the strength and drop the poison. Jesus did exactly this with the woman everyone wanted to stone.
“Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”]]”
John 8:10-11NRSVue
St. Paul, in the passage this line points to, describes how he served under pressure and even under attack. His “weapons” are surprising: patience, kindness, sincere love and truthful speech. He was pointed when he had to be, but never piercing.
“by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left”
2 Corinthians 6:6-7ESV
And the light? It is not ours to show off. Christ is the Light, and we shine by reflecting Him. A lamp does not shout. It simply makes the room brighter so that others can find their way.
“…although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.”Catechism 1861
“Truth needs to be sought, found and expressed within the “economy” of charity, but charity in its turn needs to be understood, confirmed and practised in the light of truth.”Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate 2
“…the candle, lit from the Easter candle, signifies that Christ has enlightened the neophyte. In him the baptized are “the light of the world.””Catechism 1243
Your brother says something at a family dinner that you know is wrong. You could stay silent to keep the peace, or you could unload every argument you have and win the room while losing him. Chapter 58 offers a third way: “pointed without being piercing, straightforward without being ruthless.” You say the true thing once, calmly, and you keep loving him at the table. The same goes online: you can disagree without the sarcasm, and you can do good without posting about it. That quiet light lasts longer than any flash.
Try this today: In your next disagreement, say what you believe in one calm sentence, then ask the other person a real question and listen.
Living the Chapter
The whole chapter, put into practice
In conclusion, Chapter 58 of the Tao Te Ching emphasizes the paradoxes of life, leadership, and righteousness, urging leaders and individuals to embody humility, wisdom, and grace. These qualities are central to Christian life, where true greatness is found in serving others, understanding that what appears good or right on the surface may not always align with God’s will, and trusting in His sovereign plan despite outward appearances.
So Chapter 58 gives us a way through a world full of paradox. Lead with a light hand. Hold good fortune and misfortune loosely, because God holds them both. Look past appearances to the righteousness that comes from Christ. And let His light show through us without needing to be seen.
We will not do this perfectly. But the One who washed feet walks with us, and He is the Last as well as the First. Whatever this day brings, good or hard, it is the day to live with Him.
“…“In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
2 Corinthians 6:2ESV
“By living with the mind of Christ, Christians hasten the coming of the Reign of God, “a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.” They do not, for all that, abandon their earthly tasks; faithful to their master, they fulfill them with uprightness, patience, and love.”Catechism 2046
“Because they are members of the Body whose Head is Christ, Christians contribute to building up the Church by the constancy of their convictions and their moral lives.”Catechism 2045
Picture an ordinary Monday lived the Chapter 58 way. You ask your team what they need instead of barking orders. A deal falls through, and you say, “God knows how this ends,” and mean it. A rumor lands in your inbox, and you check it before you forward it. Your teenager pushes back, and you hold the line without crushing him. You do a kindness nobody sees. None of it is flashy. But the people around you start to breathe easier, and some of them begin to wonder where your calm comes from.
Try this today: Tonight, look back on your day and ask, “Where was my hand heavy, and where was it light?” Then give both to Jesus.
RENEWAL
The Trinitarian M.A.P. is the method for RENEWAL, where God’s Love shapes our MINDSET, Trust in the Son directs our AIM, and Faith in the Holy Spirit guides our PRACTICE.
This chapter offers a new “Method” for the New Evangelization to RENEW our hearts and minds through the Trinitarian M.A.P. Bring this chapter into your day with the BFG Companion App. Pick Chapter 58 and an area of your life, and get Guidance made for you.
Renewal starts in the mind, and Chapter 58 starts with how we see power. “When the country is ruled with a light hand, the people lead simple and honest lives.” But “when the country is ruled with an iron fist, the people become shrewd and cunning.” Think of a home or an office run on fear: people learn to hide, spin and cover. Jesus shows another way. He knelt, washed His disciples’ feet, and said, “I have set you an example” (John 13:15). A renewed mind stops seeing authority as control and starts seeing it as service.
Then the chapter turns our thinking upside down: “Misfortune is but the shadow of good fortune. Good fortune is but the cloak of misfortune.” The promotion brings pressure that strains a marriage; the layoff opens the door to the work we were made for. While we are living it, we rarely know which is which. Scripture says it plainly: “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.” So we stop letting every up and down tell us who we are, and we let God hold both.
Try this: The next time you feel the urge to control someone with pressure or fear, pause and ask, “Jesus, how would You serve this person right now?”
John 13:14-15NRSVue “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
Ecclesiastes 7:14NRSVue “…be joyful, and in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other…”
More Scripture: Matthew 11:29-30 · Philippians 4:12
A renewed mind needs a true target. Chapter 58 asks a hard question: “Is there any righteousness as it appears to be?” Some lives look holy on the outside and are hollow within. Jesus said so of the religious leaders of His day: “on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” We can fall into the same trap, chasing a good image instead of a good heart. So we aim deeper: not to look righteous, but to receive the righteousness only God gives, “through faith in Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:22).
The chapter warns, “What appears right develops into awkwardness. What appears good develops into evil.” The shortcut that saves time today becomes the lie we must keep up tomorrow. So we aim at what is truly good, testing things against Christ and His Church, not against the crowd or the trend. And the chapter keeps our aim honest with one more question: “Who knows when the last day will come?” Jesus said no one knows the day or the hour but the Father. We do not aim to look ready someday; we aim to be ready today.
Try this: Before you post, buy or agree to something today, ask yourself: “Is this truly good, or does it only look good?”
Matthew 23:28NRSVue “So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Romans 3:22-24NRSVue “the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”
More Scripture: Matthew 24:36 · Philippians 1:9-10
Renewal becomes real in how we treat people. Chapter 58 describes the wise: “Righteous without being condemning. Pointed without being piercing.” When a woman caught in sin was dragged before Jesus, He did not pretend her sin was fine, and He did not crush her either. “Neither do I condemn you,” He said. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” That is our practice: hold on to what is right, say the true thing when it needs saying, and say it in a way that heals instead of wounds. The goal is to restore a person, not to win.
Then the chapter adds: “Straightforward without being ruthless. Filled with light without being flashy.” Some of us are honest but harsh; others are kind but never say anything true. St. Paul holds both together: “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). And Jesus tells us to let our light shine so that people “glorify your Father in heaven,” not us. So we practice quiet goodness: the honest word said gently, the help given without a post about it, the faith lived more than announced.
Try this: Think of one hard thing you need to say to someone. Pray first, then say it simply, kindly and only once.
John 8:10-11NRSVue “Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”]]”
Ephesians 4:15NRSVue “but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ”
More Scripture: Matthew 5:16 · Colossians 4:6
In short: think humbly, aim at what is eternal, live by the Spirit. Lead with a light hand as Jesus did, aim past what only looks righteous to the righteousness God gives, and let the Spirit make you righteous without condemning and filled with light without being flashy.
RESPOND
Renewal brings the transformation of our spirit with ardor, empowering us to RESPOND to the call of holiness and make disciples of all nations. This encourages meaningful dialogue to embrace shared truths that transcend cultural and religious boundaries.
Renewal does not end with us. When God changes a heart, He sends it out. Chapter 58 shows how the wise go into a confused world: “righteous without being condemning, pointed without being piercing.” People are tired of those who are right and harsh. They are hungry for people who are true and gentle. Go with a light hand and a heart full of His light, and let Christ be the One who shines.
In 1983, Saint John Paul II called the Church to an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, new in its methods, new in its expression.” The Gospel never changes. The way we carry it must be alive for our time. Chapter 58 shows why: when “what appears good develops into evil” and people “have long been confused by this,” our time needs clear, gentle words that point to Christ, the true Light.
Ardor is the fire of a heart that has been loved by God. People feel it before they hear a single word. Chapter 58 says the wise are “filled with light without being flashy.” The fire of the Spirit does not need fireworks; it glows steadily in a heart that loves.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 58 says the wise are “straightforward without being ruthless,” so share the Gospel plainly, in everyday words, and always with kindness.
Meet people where they are: on the phone in their hand. The BFG Handbook and the BFG Companion turn one conversation into a path to Christ and His Church. Chapter 58 says “when the country is ruled with a light hand, the people lead simple and honest lives.” Our tools keep that light hand: they invite and never pressure.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 58 says the wise are “straightforward without being ruthless,” so share the Gospel plainly, in everyday words, and always with kindness.
What my life was like before I really met Jesus.
How He met me, and the moment things began to change.
What is different now, and the hope I carry. Like the chapter’s “misfortune is but the shadow of good fortune,” when did something that looked like a loss turn out to be God at work?
Meet people where they are: on the phone in their hand. The BFG Handbook and the BFG Companion turn one conversation into a path to Christ and His Church. Chapter 58 says “when the country is ruled with a light hand, the people lead simple and honest lives.” Our tools keep that light hand: they invite and never pressure.
Every chapter has its own song and is written in a language people of every faith can understand. A doorway for dialogue. Chapter 58, Paradox, helps anyone worn down by a harsh boss or home, shaken by sudden ups and downs, or tired of people who are right but cruel.
A friend shares a struggle. Together, pick a chapter and an area of life (start with Chapter 58 when someone is struggling under a controlling leader, reeling from a sudden loss or win, or unsure what is truly right). In seconds: a reflection, the M.A.P., a saint, a prayer, Scripture, a song and a church nearby. Send it by email, PDF or a share link.
Hard question? Ask it together. Answers are grounded in Catholic teaching, the saints and the BFG Handbook. Talk or type. Try asking together: “How can I tell the difference between what looks good and what is truly good?”
Pray the Rosary with a guided voice, the daily mysteries and beads that follow along. Pray it with someone, even over the phone. In the Rosary the Sorrowful Mysteries lead straight into the Glorious ones, the clearest sign that in God’s hands, as Chapter 58 says, “misfortune is but the shadow of good fortune.”
Catholic churches near anyone, with Mass and Confession times, directions, and one tap to add a time to the calendar. Every conversation can end at a church door. In Confession we meet Jesus just as Chapter 58 describes the wise: “righteous without being condemning,” naming our sin and sending us away forgiven.
Morning, midday and evening prayer reminders, a daily streak and a steady prayer rhythm help a new believer keep going. A gentle daily nudge, a light hand and not an iron fist, keeps us ready, because “who knows when the last day will come?”
Free to start, no card needed. Read aloud in 48 languages.
One tool that walks with a person from the first question to the church door.
Jesus sent His apostles first to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria, then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Start where you are. Chapter 58 says the wise are “filled with light without being flashy,” so begin right where you are, shining quietly in the places you already show up every day.
- Pray the Rosary together on Pray My Rosary.
- Bless your children at bedtime.
- Share a Guidance with a spouse or child who is struggling.
- Find Sunday Mass times together with Church Finder.
- At dinner, read the line “Misfortune is but the shadow of good fortune” and ask: “What looked bad this week but brought something good?”
- Text a verse from your Guidance.
- Ask, “How can I pray for you?” and pray right then.
- Invite a friend to Mass, then go for coffee.
- Send the line: “Righteous without being condemning, pointed without being piercing.”
- Be the calm, kind one.
- Pray on your lunch break with a reminder.
- Start a small chapter group that meets once a week. Begin with Chapter 58, Paradox.
- Respect the rules: invite, never push.
- Listen for the moment: “Things have been hard.”
- Offer: “Can I send you something that helped me?”
- Share the Chapter 58 song.
- Ask good questions and really listen.
- Share your three-part story.
- Open Ask BFG together when a question comes up.
- When a friend is crushed by a harsh boss or parent, share the line “When the country is ruled with a light hand, the people lead simple and honest lives,” and remind them that Jesus leads that way.
- Visit the sick, the elderly and the lonely; pray the Rosary with them.
- Serve at a food bank.
- Welcome newcomers at Mass.
- Join your parish evangelization team.
- Ask shops, cafés and offices to display a BFG card with a QR code.
- Offer a short lunch talk on faith at work.
- Business owners: offer the Companion to staff as a free gift, never a requirement.
- Go where people already gather, and be the friendly one who listens.
- Pray quietly for the people around you.
- When a talk turns real, share a Guidance or the chapter song.
- Wear or carry a simple sign of your faith, like a cross or a rosary, that can start a conversation.
- At a game day, when the lead keeps changing hands, share that Chapter 58 says “misfortune is but the shadow of good fortune,” and only God knows how the story ends.
- Host a Chapter 58 “Paradox” night, a Handbook chapter night, a Rosary night or an “Ask Anything” faith night.
- Show the Companion on a big screen and let people try it.
- We did this at our free conference, The New Evangelization in the Age of AI, at Christ Cathedral.
- Share a Guidance, a chapter song or a Scripture card. Try: “Righteous without being condemning, filled with light without being flashy.”
- One post can reach someone you will never meet.
- Join a parish or diocese mission trip.
- The Companion speaks 48 languages, so you leave behind something that keeps speaking after you go home.
- Every culture knows rulers with a light hand and rulers with an iron fist, a natural bridge to Jesus, who led by washing feet.
- Your parish ministries, the Legion of Mary, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, prison, hospital and campus ministries, and mission groups.
- Bring the BFG tools to their work.
You will meet people who are tired of being controlled, confused about what is good, and wary of Christians who are right but cruel. Chapter 58 shows you how to meet them: “righteous without being condemning, pointed without being piercing, straightforward without being ruthless.” Go gently. Go honestly. Go ready, for no one knows when the last day will come. The same Spirit who renewed you now sends you, filled with His light and never flashy, to serve as Jesus served.
Jesus, gentle Lord who washed our feet, Holy Spirit, set my heart on fire. Jesus, send me to the one You love. Father, make me Your witness today. Amen.
NRSVue © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.