Mark 13 Cross References - LEB

¹ And as* he was going out of the temple courts,* one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look! What great stones and what wonderful buildings!" ² And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another stone that will not be thrown down!" ³ And as* he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" ⁵ So Jesus began to say to them, "Watch out that no one deceives you! ⁶ Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and they will deceive many. ⁷ And when you hear about wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These things are the beginning of birth pains. ⁹ "But you, watch out for yourselves! They will hand you over to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues and will have to stand before governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.* ¹¹ And when they arrest you and* hand you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you should say, but whatever is given to you at that hour, say this. For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his* child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ And you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved. ¹⁴ "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be" (let the one who reads understand), "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁵ The one* who is on his* housetop must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house, ¹⁶ and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak. ¹⁷ And woe to those _⌊who are pregnant_⌋* and to those who are nursing their babies* in those days! ¹⁸ But pray that it will not happen in winter. ¹⁹ For in those days there will be tribulation of such a kind as has not happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will happen. ²⁰ And if the Lord had not shortened the days, _⌊no human being would be saved_⌋.* But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has shortened the days. ²¹ "And at that time if anyone should say to you, "Behold, here is the Christ,' 'Behold, there he is,' do not believe him!* ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce signs and wonders in order to mislead, if possible, the elect. ²³ But you, watch out! I have told you everything ahead of time! ²⁴ "But in those days, after that tribulation,
'the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.'* ²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then he will send out the angels, and will gather the* elect together from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven. ²⁸ "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its* leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also you, when you see these things happening, know* that he is near, at the door. ³⁰ Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these things take place! ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ³² "But concerning that day or hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven nor the Son—except the Father. ³³ Watch out! Be alert, because you do not know when the time is! ³⁴ It is like a man away on a journey, who left his house and gave his slaves authority—to each one his work—and to the doorkeeper he gave orders that he should be on the alert. ³⁵ Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning— ³⁶ lest he arrive suddenly and* find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be on the alert!"

²⁰ " 'And the beauty of its* ornament _⌊he made into a prideful thing_⌋* and made with it their detestable things and their vile idols; therefore I will make it into an impure thing for them. ²¹ And I will give it into the hand of strangers as plunder and to the wicked people of the earth as spoil, and they will defile it. ²² And I will turn my face from them, and they will defile my treasured place, and violent ones will enter and defile it.

⁶ And he said to me, "Son of man,* "_⌊Do you see_⌋* what they are doing—great detestable things that the house of Israel is committing* here so as to drive me from* my sanctuary, and yet _⌊you will see again_⌋* greater* detestable things."

⁴ And the glory of Yahweh rose up from on the cherub toward* the threshold of the house,* and the house* was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh.

¹⁹ And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and they rose from the earth before my eyes. At their going out, the wheels were* beside them. And he stood at the doorway of the eastern gate of the temple* of Yahweh, and the glory of the God of Israel _⌊was over them_⌋.*

²² Then* the cherubim lifted up their wings, and their* wheels were beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel _⌊was over them_⌋.* ²³ And the glory of Yahweh went up from the midst of the city, and it stood still on the mountain that is to the east of the city.

¹ "Look! I am going to send my messenger,* and he will prepare* the way _⌊before me_⌋.* And the Lord whom you are seeking will come suddenly to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you are taking pleasure—look!—he is about to come," says Yahweh of hosts. ² And who can endure the day of his coming? And who is the one who can stand _⌊when he appears_⌋?* For he is like a refiner's fire, like launderers' alkali.*

¹ And as Jesus went out of the temple courts* he was going along, and his disciples came up to point out to him the buildings of the temple. ² But he answered and* said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone will be left here on another stone that will not be thrown down!" ³ And as* he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" ⁴ And Jesus answered and* said to them, "Watch out that no one deceives you! ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will deceive many. ⁶ And you are going to hear about wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.* ⁸ But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. ⁹ "Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations* because of my name. ¹⁰ And then many will be led into sin and will betray one another and will hate one another, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many, ¹² and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end—this person will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations,* and then the end will come. ¹⁵ "So when you see the abomination of desolation* spoken about by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place" (let the one who reads understand), ¹⁶ "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁷ The one who is on his* housetop must not come down to take things out of his house, ¹⁸ and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak. ¹⁹ And woe to those _⌊who are pregnant_⌋* and to those who are nursing their babies* in those days! ²⁰ But pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen. ²² And unless those days had been shortened, _⌊no human being would be saved_⌋.* But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. ²³ "At that time if anyone should say to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'Here he is,' do not believe him!* ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ Behold, I have told you ahead of time! ²⁶ Therefore if they say to you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or* 'Behold, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it!* ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ²⁸ Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. ²⁹ "And immediately after the tribulation of those days,
'the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.'* ³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,* and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven* with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from one end of heaven* to the other end of it. ³² "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its* leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also you, when you see all these things, know* that he is near, at the door. ³⁴ Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these things take place! ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ³⁶ "But concerning that day and hour no one knows—not even the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone. ³⁷ For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ³⁸ For as in the days* before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. ³⁹ And they did not know anything* until the deluge came and swept them* all away. So also the coming of the Son of Man will be. ⁴⁰ Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴² Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know what day your Lord is coming! ⁴³ But understand this: that if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ For this reason you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come.* ⁴⁵ "Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household slaves to give them their* food at the right time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he* comes back. ⁴⁷ Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that evil slave should say _⌊to himself_⌋,* 'My master is staying away for a long time,' ⁴⁹ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know, ⁵¹ and will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

⁵ And while* some were speaking about the temple, that it was adorned with precious stones and votive offerings, he said, ⁶ "As for these things that you see—days will come in which not one stone will be left on another stone that will not be thrown down!" ⁷ And they asked him, saying, "Teacher, when therefore will these things happen, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?" ⁸ And he said, Watch out that you are not deceived! For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time is near!' Do not go after them! ⁹ And when you hear about wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end will not be at once." ¹⁰ Then he said to them, "nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes and famines and plagues in various places. There will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven. ¹² "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you,* handing you* over to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before* kings and governors because of my name. ¹³ This will turn out to you for a time of witness. ¹⁴ _⌊Therefore make up your minds_⌋* not to prepare in advance to speak in your own defense, ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom that all your opponents will not be able to resist or contradict. ¹⁶ And you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death some of you. ¹⁷ And you will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸ Even a hair of your head will never perish! ¹⁹ By your patient endurance you will gain your lives. ²⁰ "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. ²¹ Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those _⌊inside it_⌋* must depart, and those in the fields must not enter into it, ²² because these are days of vengeance, so that all the things that are written can be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those _⌊who are pregnant_⌋* and to those who are nursing their babies* in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people, ²⁴ and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations,* and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ²⁵ "And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity from the noise of the sea and its surging, ²⁶ people fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.* ²⁷ And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud* with power and great glory. ²⁸ But when* these things begin to happen, stand up straight and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!" ²⁹ And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they put out foliage,* now you see for yourselves and* know that by this time the summer is near. ³¹ So also you, when you see these things happening, know* that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all things take place! ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ³⁴ "But take care for yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of daily life, and that day come upon you suddenly ³⁵ like a trap. For it will come upon all who reside on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man."

⁷ then I will cut Israel off from the face of the land that I have given to them, even the house which I have consecrated for my name I will cast away from my face; and Israel shall become a proverb and an object of taunting among all the peoples. ⁸ This house shall become a heap of ruins; all those passing by will be appalled by it and hiss, and they will say, 'On what account did Yahweh do this to this land and to this house?'

²⁰ then I will uproot them from upon my land that I have given to them, and this house that I have consecrated for my name I will send away from before my face, and I will make it a proverb and a taunt among all the nations. ²¹ And as for this house, which was exalted, all who pass by it will be appalled and will say, 'Why has Yahweh done thus to this land and to this house?'

¹⁸ "Micah the Morashtite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he said to all the people of Judah, _⌊saying_⌋:*
'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Zion will be plowed, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the _⌊temple_⌋* as high places of wood." '

¹² Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and _⌊the temple mount_⌋* as a high place in a forest.

² But he answered and* said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone will be left here on another stone that will not be thrown down!"

⁴¹ And when he approached and* saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, "If you had known on this day—even you—the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For days will come upon you and your enemies will put up an embankment* against you, and will surround you and press you hard from all directions. ⁴⁴ And they will raze you to the ground, you and your children within you, and will not leave a stone upon a stone within you, _⌊because_⌋* you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

⁶ "As for these things that you see—days will come in which not one stone will be left on another stone that will not be thrown down!"

¹⁴ For we have heard him saying that this Nazarene Jesus will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us."

² And leave out the courtyard outside of the temple, and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample the holy city for forty two months.

¹⁰ And the disciples came up and* said to him, "_⌊Why_⌋* do you speak to them in parables?"

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and* came into the house, and his disciples came to him saying, "Explain the parable of the darnel in the field to us."

¹ And after six days Jesus took along Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

¹ And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

³ And as* he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

¹⁶ And as he* was passing by along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting a net* into the sea (for they were fishermen). ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, "_⌊Follow_⌋* me and I will make you become fishers of people." ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and* followed him. ¹⁹ And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, and they were in the boat mending the nets.

³⁴ And he did not speak to them without a parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.

³⁷ And he did not allow anyone to follow along with him except Peter and James and John, the brother of James.

² And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, and led them to a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them,

³⁵ And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and* said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you."

³³ And he took along Peter and James and John with him, and he began to be distressed and troubled.

⁴⁰ Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. ⁴¹ This one first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which is translated "Christ").

⁶ Then he said to the man who was clothed in linen who was above* the water of the stream,* "_⌊How long until_⌋* the end of the wonders?"

⁸ Now I myself heard, but I did not understand, and I said, "My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?"

⁷ And they asked him, saying, "Teacher, when therefore will these things happen, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?"

²¹ So when he* saw this one, Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, but what about this one?" ²² Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that* to you? You follow me!"

⁶ So when* they had come together, they began asking* him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" ⁷ But he said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority.

⁸ For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst, and your diviners, deceive you, and you must not listen to your dreams that you are causing them to dream.

⁴ And Jesus answered and* said to them, "Watch out that no one deceives you! ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will deceive many.

⁸ And he said, Watch out that you are not deceived! For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time is near!' Do not go after them!

³³ Do not be deceived! "Bad company corrupts good morals."*

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

⁸ Beware lest _⌊anyone take you captive_⌋* through philosophy and empty deceit, according to _⌊human tradition_⌋*, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ,

³ Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

¹ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

⁷ And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and he will go out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to assemble them for battle, _⌊whose number_⌋* is like the sand of the sea.

¹⁴ And Yahweh said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies* in my name. I have not sent them, and I have not commanded them, and I have not spoken to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, and a divination, worthless, and the deceitfulness of their _⌊minds_⌋."*

²¹ I have not sent the prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. ²² But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have caused them to turn from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds. ²³ Am I a God from near," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "and not a God from far? ²⁴ Or can a person hide himself in secret places and I cannot see him?" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. "Do I not fill up the heaven and the earth?" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ²⁵ "I have heard what the prophets who prophesy lies* have said in my name, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'I have dreamed! I have dreamed!'

⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will deceive many.

¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many,

²³ "At that time if anyone should say to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'Here he is,' do not believe him!* ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

²² For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce signs and wonders in order to mislead, if possible, the elect.

⁴³ I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me. If another should come in his own name, you would accept that one!

²⁴ Thus I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins."

³⁶ For before these days, Theudas rose up saying he was somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined _⌊him_⌋.* _⌊He_⌋* was executed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. ³⁷ After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and _⌊caused people to follow him in revolt_⌋.* And that one perished, and all who followed him were scattered. ³⁸ And now I tell you, keep away from these men, and leave them alone, because if this plan or this matter is from people, it will be overthrown.* ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them, lest you even be found fighting against God." So they were persuaded by him.

¹⁴ For _⌊we must certainly die_⌋,* and we are as the waters spilled to the ground which cannot be gathered. God will not take a life but devises plans for a banished person not to be cast out from him.

³ Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear. Though war arise against me, even in this I will remain confident.

¹ For the music director. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.*
God is our refuge and strength, a very sufficient help in troubles. ² Therefore we will not fear though the earth change, and though the mountains totter into the _⌊midst_⌋* of the sea, ³ though its waters roar and foam, though mountains shake with its surging water. Selah

⁷ He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is steadfast, secure* in Yahweh.

²⁵ Do not be afraid of sudden panic,* or the storm of wickedness that will come.

¹² "You must not call conspiracy everything that this people calls conspiracy, and you must not _⌊share its fear_⌋,* and you must not be in dread.

¹⁹ My bowels, my bowels! I writhe! The walls of my heart! My heart is restless within me, I cannot keep silent, for I hear in my inner self the sound of a horn, the alarm of war. ²⁰ Destruction on destruction is proclaimed, for all of the land is devastated. Suddenly my tents are devastated, my tent curtains in a moment. ²¹ How long must I see the banner, and hear the sound of a horn?

⁴⁶ Now _⌊so that you are not fainthearted_⌋,* and you are afraid at the rumors* that are heard in the land— and in the year the rumor comes, and in the year after it the rumor, and violence is in the land, with ruler against ruler—

⁷ Woe to the world because of causes for stumbling, for it is a necessity that causes for stumbling come; nevertheless, woe to the person through whom the cause for stumbling comes.

⁶ And you are going to hear about wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.*

⁹ And when you hear about wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end will not be at once." ¹⁰ Then he said to them, "nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes and famines and plagues in various places. There will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.

¹ "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe* in God; believe* also in me.

²⁷ "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you—not as the world gives, I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them* be afraid.

³ explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary for the Christ* to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."*

⁶ Nation was crushed by nation, and city was against city, for God threw them into confusion by all sorts of trouble.

⁶ Trembling seized them there— pain as of a woman in labor.

² "And I will stir up _⌊Egyptians_⌋* against _⌊Egyptians_⌋,* and each one will fight against his brother and each one against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

³ And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the cervical opening, and there is no strength to give birth.

³¹ For I heard a voice like an ill woman, anxiety like a woman who bears her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion. She is gasping for breath, she is spreading out her hands: "Woe is me, for I am becoming tired* before killers."

²⁴ We have heard news of it, our hands grow slack, anxiety has grasped us, pain as a woman who gives birth.

²¹ What will you say when he sets over you— and you have taught them—allies as head over you? Will not labor pains take hold of you, like a woman giving birth?

²³ Inhabitants* of Lebanon, nestled among the cedars, how you will groan when labor pains come to you, fear and pain as the woman who gives birth.

³² Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
"Look, disaster is going out from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth.

²⁴ Damascus has grown slack. She has turned away to flee and panic. Anxiety has seized her, and labor pains have grasped her, like a woman in labor.

⁴³ The king of Babylon heard their report and his hands grew slack. Anxiety has seized him, fear and pain like the woman who gives birth.

⁹ So then, why do you shout a loud shout? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished that pangs like a woman in labor have seized you? ¹⁰ Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will go forth from the city, and you will camp in the field; you will go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; there Yahweh will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.

²² and I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the military strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, every one by the sword of another!

¹³ _⌊And then_⌋* on that day a great panic from Yahweh will fall* on them, and _⌊they will seize one another's hand_⌋,* and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of _⌊another_⌋.*

⁸ But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

²⁸ And one of them _⌊named_⌋* Agabus stood up and* indicated by the Spirit that a great famine was about to come over the whole inhabited earth (which took place in the time of Claudius).

³ Whenever they say "Peace and security," then sudden destruction will overtake them like the birth pains of _⌊a pregnant woman_⌋*, and they will not possibly escape.

⁴ And another horse came out, fiery red, and it was granted to the one seated on it to take peace from the earth, and that they would slaughter one another, and a large sword was given to him.

¹⁷ But beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils, and they will flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ And you will be brought before both governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles.

³⁴ For this reason, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town, ³⁵ so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation! ³⁷ "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together _⌊the way_⌋* a hen gathers her young together under her* wings, and you were not willing!

⁹ "Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations* because of my name. ¹⁰ And then many will be led into sin and will betray one another and will hate one another,

⁴⁴ And he said to him, "See to it that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and bring for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.

¹¹ And whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, as you* go out from there, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them."

⁵ So Jesus began to say to them, "Watch out that no one deceives you!

⁵ And as for all those who do not welcome you—when you* depart from that town, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

¹⁶ And you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death some of you. ¹⁷ And you will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸ Even a hair of your head will never perish!

²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also.

² _⌊They will expel you from the synagogue_⌋,* but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God.

¹ And while* they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees approached them, ² greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them and put them* in custody until the next day, because it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who listened to the message believed, and the number of the men was approximately five thousand. ⁵ And it happened that on the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes came together in Jerusalem, ⁶ and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all those who were from the high priest's family. ⁷ And they made them stand in their* midst and* began to ask,* "By what power or by what name did you do this?" ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a sick man—by what means* this man was healed— ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man stands before you healthy! ¹¹ This one* is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become _⌊the cornerstone_⌋.* ¹² And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among people by which we must be saved." ¹³ Now when they* saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were astonished, and recognized them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And because they* saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in return. ¹⁵ But after they* had ordered them to go outside the Sanhedrin,* they began to confer* with one another, ¹⁶ saying, "What should we do with these men? For that a remarkable sign has taken place through them is evident to all those who live in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny it!* ¹⁷ But in order that it may not spread much further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more in this name _⌊to anyone at all_⌋."* ¹⁸ And they called them back and* commanded them* not to speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and* said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you decide! ²⁰ For we are not able to refrain from speaking about the things that we have seen and heard." ²¹ So after* threatening them* further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened.

¹⁷ Now the high priest rose up and all those who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and* they were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison. ¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out and* said, ²⁰ "Go and stand in the temple courts* and* proclaim to the people all the words of this life." ²¹ And when they* heard this,* they entered at daybreak into the temple courts* and began teaching.*
Now when* the high priest and those with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin—even the whole council of elders of the sons of Israel—and sent to the prison to have them brought. ²² But the officers who came* did not find them in the prison, and they returned and* reported, ²³ saying, "We found the prison locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but when we* opened them,* we found no one inside!" ²⁴ Now when both the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed concerning them, as to what this might be. ²⁵ But someone came and* reported to them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple courts* and teaching the people!" ²⁶ Then the captain went with the officers and* brought them, not with force (for they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned by them).* ²⁷ And when they* had brought them, they made them* stand in the Sanhedrin,* and the high priest put a question to them, ²⁸ saying, "_⌊We strictly commanded_⌋* you* not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!" ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered and* said, "It is necessary to obey God rather than men! ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed by* hanging him* on a tree. ³¹ This one God has exalted to his right hand as Leader and Savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we are witnesses of these things, and so is* the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." ³³ Now when* they heard this,* they were infuriated, and were wanting to execute them. ³⁴ But a certain man stood up in the Sanhedrin,* a Pharisee _⌊named_⌋* Gamaliel, a teacher of the law respected by all the people, and* gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. ³⁵ And he said to them, "Men and Israelites, take care for yourselves what you are about to do to these men! ³⁶ For before these days, Theudas rose up saying he was somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined _⌊him_⌋.* _⌊He_⌋* was executed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. ³⁷ After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and _⌊caused people to follow him in revolt_⌋.* And that one perished, and all who followed him were scattered. ³⁸ And now I tell you, keep away from these men, and leave them alone, because if this plan or this matter is from people, it will be overthrown.* ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them, lest you even be found fighting against God." So they were persuaded by him. ⁴⁰ And they summoned the apostles, beat them,* commanded them* not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.*

¹¹ Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!" ¹² And they incited the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came up and* seized him and brought him* to the Sanhedrin.* ¹³ And they put forward false witnesses who said, "This man does not stop speaking words against the holy place* and the law! ¹⁴ For we have heard him saying that this Nazarene Jesus will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us." ¹⁵ And as they* looked intently at him, all those who were sitting in the Sanhedrin* saw his face was like the face of an angel.

⁵⁴ Now when they* heard these things, they were infuriated in their hearts and gnashed their* teeth at him.

¹ But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and* asked for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, both men and women, he could bring them* tied up* to Jerusalem.

¹³ But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and here he has authority from the chief priests to tie up* all who call upon your name!"

¹⁶ For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

¹ Now at that time, Herod the king laid hands on some of those from the church to harm them.* ² So he executed James the brother of John with a sword. ³ And when he* saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (_⌊Now this was during the feast_⌋* of Unleavened Bread.)

²⁰ And when they* had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, ²¹ and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, because we* are Romans!" ²² And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing and* gave orders to beat them* with rods. ²³ And after they* had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them* into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. ²⁴ Having received such an order, _⌊he_⌋* put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.*

¹¹ And he came to us and took Paul's belt. Tying up his own feet and hands, he said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will deliver him* into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

³¹ And as they* were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the military tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ³² _⌊He_⌋* immediately took along soldiers and centurions and* ran down to them. And when* they saw the military tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the military tribune came up and* arrested him and ordered him* to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what it was that he had done. ³⁴ But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others another, and because* he was not able to find out the truth on account of the commotion, he gave orders to bring him into the barracks.* ³⁵ And when he came to the steps, it happened that he had to be carried by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd, ³⁶ for the crowd of people was following them,* shouting, "Away with him!" ³⁷ And as he* was about to be brought into the barracks,* Paul said to the military tribune, "Is it permitted for me to say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Then you are not the Egyptian who before these days raised a revolt and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?"* ³⁹ But Paul said, "I am a Jewish man from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no unimportant city. Now I ask you, allow me to speak to the people." ⁴⁰ So when* he permitted him,* Paul, standing there on the steps, motioned with his* hand to the people. And when there* was a great silence, he addressed them* in the Aramaic language, saying,

¹⁹ And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that from synagogue to synagogue I was imprisoning and beating those who believed in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself also was standing near and was approving, and was guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.'

¹ And looking intently at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Men and brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience before God to this day." ² So the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike his mouth.

¹ And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, all of whom brought charges against Paul to the governor. ² And when* he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him,* saying, "We have experienced* much* peace through you, and reforms are taking place in this nation through your foresight. ³ Both in every way and everywhere we acknowledge this,* most excellent Felix, with all gratitude. ⁴ But so that I may not impose on you for longer, I implore you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. ⁵ For we have found* this man to be a public menace and one who causes riots among all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire* and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ who even attempted to desecrate the temple, and we arrested _⌊him*_⌋.*

⁸ When* you yourself examine him* you will be able to find out from _⌊him_⌋* about all these things of which we are accusing him." ⁹ And the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting these things were so.

¹ Now when* Festus set foot in the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him, ³ asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, because they* were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way. ⁴ Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself was about to go there* in a short time. ⁵ So he said, "Let those among you who are prominent go down with me,* and* if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him." ⁶ And after he* had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat and* gave orders for Paul to be brought. ⁷ And when* he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges that they were not able to prove, ⁸ while* Paul said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!" ⁹ But Festus, because he* wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered and* said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these things?" ¹⁰ But Paul said, "I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹¹ If then I am doing wrong* and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid* dying. But if there is nothing true of the things which these people are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!" ¹² Then Festus, after* discussing this* with his* council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar—to Caesar you will go!" ¹³ Now after* some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. ¹⁴ And while they were staying there many days, Festus laid out the case against Paul to the king, saying, "There is a certain man left behind by Felix as a prisoner, ¹⁵ concerning whom when* I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented evidence, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. ¹⁶ To _⌊them_⌋* I replied that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before the one who had been accused met his* accusers face to face and received an opportunity for a defense concerning the accusation. ¹⁷ Therefore, when* they had assembled here, I made* no delay; on the next day I sat down on the judgment seat and* gave orders for the man to be brought. ¹⁸ When they* stood up, his* accusers began bringing* no charge concerning _⌊him_⌋* of the evil deeds that I was suspecting, ¹⁹ but they had some issues with him concerning their own religion, and concerning a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive. ²⁰ And because* I was at a loss with regard to the investigation concerning these things, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and to be judged there concerning these things. ²¹ But when* Paul appealed that he be kept under guard for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, I gave orders for him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar." ²² So Agrippa said to Festus, "I want to hear the man myself also." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him." ²³ So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pageantry and entered into the audience hall, along with military tribunes and the most prominent men of the city. And when* Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole population of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he must not live any longer. ²⁵ But I understood that he had done nothing deserving death himself, and when* this man appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send him.* ²⁶ I do not have anything definite to write to my* lord about _⌊him_⌋.* Therefore I have brought him before you all*—and especially before you, King Agrippa—so that after* this preliminary hearing has taken place, I may have something to write.

⁹ For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as condemned to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to people. ¹⁰ We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are prudent in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, but we are dishonored! ¹¹ Until the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty and poorly clothed and roughly treated and homeless, ¹² and we toil, working with our own hands. When we are* reviled, we bless; when we are* persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when we are* slandered, we encourage. We have become like the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things, until now.

²³ Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as though I were beside myself—I am more so, with far greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with beatings to a much greater degree, in danger of death many times. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I have spent in the deep water. ²⁶ I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own people, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers because of false brothers, ²⁷ with toil and hardship, often in sleepless nights, with hunger and thirst, often going hungry, in cold and poorly clothed.

²⁹ because to you has been graciously granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on behalf of him,

⁵ a proof of the righteous judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, on behalf of which also you are suffering,

⁹ I, John, your brother and co-sharer in the affliction and kingdom and steadfastness in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus.

¹⁰ Do not be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will experience affliction ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹³ 'I know where you live, where the throne of Satan is. And you hold fast to my name and did not deny your* faith in me, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.

⁹ And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had, ¹⁰ and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "_⌊How long_⌋*, holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?" ¹¹ And to each one of them a white robe was given, and it was said to them that they should rest yet a short time, until the number of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they had been were completed also.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations,* and then the end will come.

¹⁸ And Jesus approached and* spoke to them, saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore, go* and* make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

¹⁵ And he said to them, "Go* into all the world and* preach the gospel to all creation.

⁸ First, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed in the whole world.

¹⁸ But I say, they have not heard, have they?* On the contrary,
"Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world."*

¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit,* so that from Jerusalem and traveling around as far as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

⁶ that has come to you, just as also in all the world it is bearing fruit and increasing, just as also among you from the day you heard about and understood the grace of God in truth,

²³ if indeed you remain in the faith, established and steadfast and not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

⁶ And I saw another angel flying _⌊directly overhead_⌋*, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who reside on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people,

¹⁰ And Moses said to Yahweh, "Please, Lord, I am not a man of words, _⌊neither recently nor in the past nor since your speaking_⌋* to your servant, because I am heavy of mouth and of tongue." ¹¹ And Yahweh said to him, "Who gave a mouth to humankind, or who makes mute or deaf or sighted or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? ¹² So then go, and I myself will be with your mouth, and I will teach you what you must speak."

² "The spirit of Yahweh speaks through me, and his word is upon my tongue.

⁴ The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of a pupil, to know how to help the weary with a word. He awakens _⌊morning by morning_⌋,* awakens an ear for me to listen as do the pupils.

⁶ Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth."* ⁷ But Yahweh said to me, "You must not say, 'I am a youth,'* for to _⌊whomever_⌋* I send you, you will go, and _⌊whatever_⌋* I command you, you will speak. ⁸ _⌊Do not be afraid of them_⌋,* for I am with you to deliver you," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ⁹ Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and he touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me,
"Look, I have put my words in your mouth.

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, "We have no need on this matter _⌊to present a defense to you_⌋.* ¹⁷ _⌊If it is so_⌋,* our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. And from your hand, O king, let him rescue us. ¹⁸ And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that _⌊we will not serve your gods_⌋,* and the statue of gold* that you have set up we will not worship."

¹⁷ But beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils, and they will flog you in their synagogues.

¹⁹ But whenever they hand you over, do not be anxious how to speak* or what you should say, for what you should say will be given to you at that hour. ²⁰ For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father who is speaking through you. ²¹ "And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his children, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death,

⁹ "But you, watch out for yourselves! They will hand you over to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues and will have to stand before governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them.

¹¹ But when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you should speak in your own defense or what you should say, ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what it is necessary to say."

¹⁴ _⌊Therefore make up your minds_⌋* not to prepare in advance to speak in your own defense, ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom that all your opponents will not be able to resist or contradict.

²⁷ John answered and said, "A man can receive not one thing unless it is granted to him from heaven!

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages* as the Spirit gave them ability to speak out.

¹³ The God of Abraham and of Isaac* and of Jacob,* the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, after* he had decided to release him.*

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a sick man—by what means* this man was healed— ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man stands before you healthy! ¹¹ This one* is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become _⌊the cornerstone_⌋.* ¹² And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among people by which we must be saved." ¹³ Now when they* saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were astonished, and recognized them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And because they* saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in return. ¹⁵ But after they* had ordered them to go outside the Sanhedrin,* they began to confer* with one another, ¹⁶ saying, "What should we do with these men? For that a remarkable sign has taken place through them is evident to all those who live in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny it!* ¹⁷ But in order that it may not spread much further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more in this name _⌊to anyone at all_⌋."* ¹⁸ And they called them back and* commanded them* not to speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and* said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you decide! ²⁰ For we are not able to refrain from speaking about the things that we have seen and heard." ²¹ So after* threatening them* further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.

³¹ And when* they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak* the word* of God with boldness.

¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

¹⁵ And as they* looked intently at him, all those who were sitting in the Sanhedrin* saw his face was like the face of an angel.

⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and* saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

¹³ things which we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.*

⁵ (which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit):

¹⁹ and for me, that a word may be given to me at the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for the sake of which I am an ambassador in chains, that _⌊in them_⌋* I may speak freely, as it is necessary for me to speak.

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from God, who gives to all without reservation and not reproaching, and it will be given to him.

¹² to whom it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you with reference to the same things which now have been announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, _⌊things into which_⌋* angels desire to look.

²¹ And I will call against him* in all of my mountains a sword,' _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh, 'And the sword of each person will be against his brother.

⁴ The best of them is like a brier; the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchman, your punishment, has come; now their confusion will come. ⁵ Do not put faith in a friend; put no trust in a close friend. Guard the doorways of your mouth from the one who lies in your lap. ⁶ For a son treats a father with contempt; a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; the enemies of a man are the men of his own house.

²¹ "And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his children, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death,

¹⁰ And then many will be led into sin and will betray one another and will hate one another,

⁵² For from now on there will be five in one household, divided three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

¹⁶ And you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death some of you.

¹² Happy is the one who is persevering, and attains to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

¹¹ Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

²² and you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved.

⁹ "Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations* because of my name.

¹³ But the one who endures to the end—this person will be saved.

²² Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.

¹⁷ And you will be hated by all because of my name.

¹⁸ If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated* you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.

²¹ But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.

¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world.

⁷ to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life,

⁹ And let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we* do not give up.

¹⁴ For we have become partners of Christ, if indeed we hold fast the beginning of our commitment steadfast until the end,

³⁹ But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but among those who have faith to the preservation of our souls.

¹² Blessed is the person* who endures testing, because when he* is approved he will receive the crown of life that he* has promised to those who love him.

¹³ Do not marvel,* brothers, if the world hates you.

¹⁰ Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth.

¹⁰ The enemy has stretched out his hand over all her treasures; for she has seen the nations, they entered her sanctuary, those whom you commanded not to enter in your assembly.

⁹ Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Every _⌊foreigner_⌋* uncircumcised of heart and uncircumcised of flesh shall not come into my sanctuary—not any of the _⌊foreigners_⌋* who are in the midst of the _⌊Israelites_⌋.*

¹³ And I heard a certain holy one speaking, and a certain other holy one said to the specific one _⌊who was speaking_⌋,* "_⌊For how long_⌋* is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, and the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and the host to trampling?"

²⁷ And he will make a strong covenant with the many for one week, but in half of the week he will let cease sacrifice and offering _⌊and in its place_⌋* a desolating abomination comes even until _⌊the determined complete destruction_⌋* is poured out on the desolator."

³¹ And military forces from him _⌊will occupy_⌋* and will profane* the _⌊sanctuary stronghold_⌋,* and they will abolish the regular burnt offering, and they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

¹¹ And from the time the regular burnt offering is removed and the abomination that causes desolation _⌊is set up_⌋* there will be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

⁵¹ "Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes."

¹⁵ "So when you see the abomination of desolation* spoken about by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place" (let the one who reads understand), ¹⁶ "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁷ The one who is on his* housetop must not come down to take things out of his house, ¹⁸ and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak. ¹⁹ And woe to those _⌊who are pregnant_⌋* and to those who are nursing their babies* in those days! ²⁰ But pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen. ²² And unless those days had been shortened, _⌊no human being would be saved_⌋.* But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. ²³ "At that time if anyone should say to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'Here he is,' do not believe him!* ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ Behold, I have told you ahead of time! ²⁶ Therefore if they say to you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or* 'Behold, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it!* ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ²⁸ Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

²⁰ "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. ²¹ Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those _⌊inside it_⌋* must depart, and those in the fields must not enter into it, ²² because these are days of vengeance, so that all the things that are written can be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those _⌊who are pregnant_⌋* and to those who are nursing their babies* in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people, ²⁴ and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations,* and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

³⁰ So Philip ran up to it* and* heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet and said, "So then, do you understand what you are reading?" ³¹ And he said, "So how could I, unless someone will guide me?" And he invited Philip to come up and* sit with him.

⁷ Likewise, the inanimate things which produce a sound, whether flute or lyre, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the lyre? ⁸ For indeed, if the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare for battle?

²⁰ Brothers, do not become children in your understanding, but with respect to wickedness be as a child, and in your understanding be mature.

³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud and blessed are* those who hear the words of the prophecy and observe the things written in it, because the time is near!

¹⁸ Here is wisdom: the one who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number,* and his number is six hundred sixty-six.*

¹⁵ And as the dawn came up the angels urged Lot saying, "Get up, take your wife and your two daughters _⌊who are staying with you_⌋,* lest you be destroyed with the punishment of the city." ¹⁶ But when he lingered, the men seized him by his hand and his wife's hand, and his two daughters by hand, on account of the mercy of Yahweh upon him. And they brought him out and set him outside of the city. ¹⁷ And after bringing them outside one said, "Flee for your life; do not look behind you, and do not stand anywhere in the plain. Flee to the mountains lest you be destroyed."

²² Escape there quickly, for I cannot do this thing until you get there." Therefore, there name of the city was called Zoar.

²⁶ But his* wife looked _⌊back_⌋,* and she became a pillar of salt.

⁴ Then* Satan* answered him and said, "Skin for skin! All that _⌊that_⌋* man has he will give for his life.

⁴ Do not give sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids. ⁵ Save yourself like a gazelle from a hand, or like a bird from the hand of a fowler.

³ The clever sees danger and hides, but the simple go on and suffer.

¹⁶ "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁷ The one who is on his* housetop must not come down to take things out of his house, ¹⁸ and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak.

³¹ On that day, whoever is on the housetop and his goods are in the house must not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back ³² Remember Lot's wife! ³³ Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it* will keep it.

¹⁸ And because* we were violently battered by the storm, on the next day _⌊they began_⌋* jettisoning the cargo,* ¹⁹ and on the third day they threw overboard the gear of the ship with their own hands.

³⁸ And when they* had eaten their fill of food, they lightened the ship by* throwing the wheat* into the sea.

⁷ But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have considered loss because of Christ. ⁸ _⌊More than that_⌋*, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them* dung, in order that I may gain Christ

⁷ By faith Noah, having been warned about things not yet seen, out of reverence constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family, by which he pronounced sentence on the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁵⁶ The most refined and the most delicate woman among you, who shall* not venture to put the sole of her foot on the ground from being so delicate and from such gentleness, _⌊shall be mean to her beloved husband_⌋* and against her son and against her daughter, ⁵⁷ and even concerning her afterbirth _⌊that goes out_⌋* from between her feet and also concerning her children that she bears, because she eats them for lack of anything in secret _⌊during the siege and during the distress_⌋* that your enemy inflicts upon her in your _⌊towns_⌋.*

¹⁹ "Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches; pour out your heart like water, before the face of the Lord. Lift to him your hands, for the life of your children, who faint in starvation, at the head of all streets." ²⁰ See, Yahweh, and take note! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat their young children of tender care? Should priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

³ Even the jackal bears the beast and nurses their cubs; but the daughter of my people has become ruthless, like ostriches in the wilderness. ⁴ The tongue of the nursling cleaves to its palate in thirst. Children beg for food, _⌊no one lays it out before them_⌋.*

¹⁰ The hands of compassionate women, have cooked their children; they became as something to eat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

¹⁴ Give them, O Yahweh— what will you give them? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

¹⁶ * Samaria will be guilty, because she has rebelled against her God; they will fall by the sword, their children will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.

¹⁹ And woe to those _⌊who are pregnant_⌋* and to those who are nursing their babies* in those days! ²⁰ But pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen.

²³ Woe to those _⌊who are pregnant_⌋* and to those who are nursing their babies* in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people,

²⁹ For behold, days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and the breasts that did not nurse!'

³² "Yes, ask, please, about former days that _⌊preceded you_⌋* from the day that God created humankind on the earth; ask even from one end of the heaven up to the other end of heaven _⌊whether anything ever happened_⌋* like this great thing or _⌊whether anything like it was ever heard_⌋.*

⁵⁹ then Yahweh shall overwhelm you with your plagues and the plagues of your offspring, severe plagues and lasting illnesses, grievous and enduring.

²² "And the next generation, that is, your children who will rise up after you, and the foreigner who will come from a distant land, when* they will see the plagues of that land and its diseases that Yahweh has inflicted upon it, will say, ²³ 'All its land is brimstone and salt left by fire, _⌊none of its land will be sown_⌋,* and it will not make plants sprout out and it will not grow any vegetation; it is as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Adman and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overturned in his anger and in his wrath.' ²⁴ And all the nations will say, '_⌊Why_⌋* has Yahweh done _⌊such a thing_⌋* to this land? What caused the fierceness of this great anger?' ²⁵ And they will say,* 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,* which he _⌊made_⌋* with them _⌊when he brought them out_⌋* from the land of Egypt. ²⁶ And they went and served other gods and bowed down to them, gods whom they did not know them and he* had not allotted to them. ²⁷ So _⌊the anger of Yahweh was kindled_⌋* against that land to bring upon it all the curses written in this scroll, ²⁸ and Yahweh uprooted them from their land in anger and in wrath and in great fury, and he cast them into another land, _⌊just as it is today_⌋.'*

¹² and I will remit you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because I called, but* you did not answer; I spoke, but* you did not listen, but* you did the evil in my eyes, and you chose that in which I do not delight." ¹³ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh:
"Look! My servants shall eat but* you, you shall be hungry. Look! My servants shall drink but* you, you shall be thirsty. Look! My servants shall rejoice but* you, you shall be ashamed. ¹⁴ Look! My servants shall shout _⌊for joy_⌋,* but* you, you shall cry out _⌊for pain_⌋* and howl _⌊for sadness_⌋.* ¹⁵ And you shall leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse, and the Lord Yahweh will kill you, and he will _⌊give_⌋* his servants another name.

¹² Is it nothing to you, _⌊all who pass by_⌋?* Look and see if there is sorrow like my sorrow,* which was dealt to me, which Yahweh inflicted on the _⌊day of his wrath_⌋.*

¹³ What can I say for you? What can I compare to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you so that I can comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your destruction is as vast as the sea; who can heal you?

⁶ The iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom; it was overthrown in a moment and no hands were laid on her.

¹² And so he has carried out his words which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring upon us a great calamity which was not done under all of heaven as it was done in Jerusalem.

²⁶ "And after the sixty and two weeks an anointed one* shall be cut off, and _⌊he shall have nothing_⌋,* and the people of the coming leader will destroy the city and the sanctuary,* and its end will be with the flood and on to the end there shall be war; these desolations are determined.

¹ "Now at that time, Michael, the great prince, will arise, _⌊the protector_⌋* over the sons of your people, and it will be a time of distress that has not been since your people _⌊have been_⌋* a nation until that time. And at that time your people will escape, _⌊everyone who is found_⌋* written in the scroll.*

² A day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness, like the dawn spreads on the mountains, a great and strong army! There has been nothing like it from old, and after it nothing will be again _⌊for generations to come_⌋.*

²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen.

⁶ But from the beginning of creation 'he made them male and female.*

⁹ If Yahweh of hosts had not left us survivors,* we would have been as few as Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah.

¹³ And _⌊even if only a tenth part remain_⌋,* _⌊again she will be destroyed_⌋* like a terebinth or like an oak, which although felled, a tree stump remains in them. The seed of holiness will be her tree stump."

⁸ Thus says Yahweh: "Just as the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say 'You must not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,' so I will do for the sake of my servants _⌊by_⌋* not destroying _⌊everyone_⌋.* ⁹ And I will bring descendant s* out from Jacob, and a _⌊people_⌋* from Judah to take possession of my mountain, and my chosen ones shall inherit it, and my servants shall settle there.

⁸ _⌊And then_⌋* in all the land," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "_⌊two thirds_⌋* will be cut off and perish, and one third will be left alive* in it. ⁹ And I will bring the remaining third into the fire, and I will refine them like one refines silver, and I will test them like one tests gold. They* will call my name, and I will answer them.* I will say, 'They* are my people,' and they* will say, 'Yahweh is my God.'"

²² And unless those days had been shortened, _⌊no human being would be saved_⌋.* But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.

⁵ So in this way also at the present time, there is a remnant _⌊selected by grace_⌋*. ⁶ But if by grace, it is no longer by works, for otherwise grace would no longer be grace. ⁷ What then? What Israel was searching for, this it did not obtain. But the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened,

²³ And those also, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are _⌊natural branches_⌋* be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁸ With respect to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but with respect to election, they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of the disobedience of these, ³¹ so also these have now been disobedient for your mercy, in order that they also may now be shown mercy. ³² For God confined them all in disobedience, in order that he could have mercy on them all.

¹ "If a prophet stands up in your midst or a dreamer of dreams* and he gives to you a sign or wonder, ² and the sign or* the wonder comes about that he spoke* to you, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Let us go after other gods (those whom you have not known), and let us serve them,' ³ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer, for Yahweh your God _⌊is testing you to know whether you love_⌋* Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your inner self.*

²³ "At that time if anyone should say to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'Here he is,' do not believe him!* ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ Behold, I have told you ahead of time!

²³ And they will say to you, 'Behold, there!' 'Behold, here!'* Do not go out or run after them!* ²⁴ For just as the lightning shines forth, flashing from one place under heaven to another place under heaven, so the Son of Man will be in his day.

¹⁵ "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves.

²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

⁶ Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and they will deceive many.

⁴⁸ So Jesus said to him, "Unless you people* see signs and wonders, you will never believe!"

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish _⌊forever_⌋,* and no one will seize them out of my hand.

⁸ and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth, and wipe out by the appearance of his coming, ⁹ whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with every unrighteous deception against those who are perishing, in place of which they did not accept the love of the truth, so that they would be saved. ¹¹ And because of this, God sends them _⌊a powerful delusion_⌋* so that they will believe the lie, ¹² in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but delighted in unrighteousness. ¹³ But we ought to give thanks to God always concerning you, brothers dearly loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you as first fruits for salvation by the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth, ¹⁴ for which purpose he called* you through our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ However, the solid foundation of God stands firm, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his,"* and "Everyone who names the name of the Lord must abstain from unrighteousness."

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went out*, in order that it might be shown that all of them are not of us.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning the ones who are trying to deceive you.

⁸ And all those who live on the earth will worship him, _⌊everyone whose name is not written_⌋* from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

¹³ And he performs great signs, so that he even causes fire from heaven to come down to the earth before people. ¹⁴ And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that it has been granted to him to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who has the wound of the sword and yet lived.

⁸ The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is going to come up from the abyss, and he is going to destruction. And those who live on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they* see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present.

⁷ And who is like me? Let him proclaim* it! And let him declare it and set it in order for me _⌊since I established an eternal people_⌋* and things that are to come, and let them tell them the things that are coming. ⁸ You must not tremble,* and you must not be paralyzed with fear. Have I not made you hear from of old* and declared it, and you are my witnesses? Is there a god besides me? And there is no rock! I know none!"

³³ Watch out! Be alert, because you do not know when the time is!

³⁴ "But take care for yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of daily life, and that day come upon you suddenly

²⁹ And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

¹ "I have said these things to you so that you will not fall away. ² _⌊They will expel you from the synagogue_⌋,* but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God. ³ And they will do these things because they do not know the Father or me. ⁴ But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you about them.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, because you* know this beforehand, guard yourselves so that you do not lose your own safe position because you* have been led away by the error of lawless persons.

¹⁰ For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will keep back when it comes out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.

²⁰ The earth staggers to and fro like the drunkard, and it sways like a hut, and its transgression is heavy upon it, and it falls and does not rise again. ²¹ And this shall happen on that day:
Yahweh will punish the host of heaven in heaven, and the kings of the earth on the earth. ²² And they will be gathered in a gathering, like a prisoner _⌊in_⌋* a pit. And they will be shut _⌊in_⌋* a prison and be punished _⌊after_⌋* many days. ²³ And the full moon will be ashamed and the sun will be ashamed, for Yahweh of hosts will rule on _⌊Mount Zion_⌋* and in Jerusalem, and before his elders in glory.

²³ I looked at the earth, and behold, it was wasteland and emptiness, and to the heavens, and they were without their light. ²⁴ I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all of the hills were jolted to and fro. ²⁵ I looked and behold, there was no person, and all of the birds* of the sky had fled.

²⁸ Because of this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above will become dark. Because I have spoken, I have planned, and I have not relented, and I will not turn back from it."

⁷ And I will cover you at* extinguishing your heavens, and I will make dark their stars, and I will cover the sun with the cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

¹⁰ A stream of fire issued forth and flowed _⌊from his presence_⌋;* thousands upon thousands served him and ten thousand upon ten thousand stood before him. The judge sat, and the books were opened.

¹⁰ _⌊Before them_⌋* the earth quakes; the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars _⌊have withheld_⌋* their splendor

³⁰ And I will _⌊set_⌋* wonders in the heavens, and on earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. ³¹ The sun will be changed to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh.

¹⁵ The sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars _⌊have withheld_⌋* their splendor.

²⁰ Is not the day of Yahweh darkness and not light, and pitch dark with no brightness in it?

¹⁴ The great day of Yahweh draws near; it is near and coming very swiftly. The sound of the day of Yahweh is bitterness; there, a warrior cries out! ¹⁵ That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of disaster and ruination, a day of darkness and deep gloom, a day of clouds* and thick clouds,* ¹⁶ a day of trumpet and trumpet blast against the fortified cities and against the high corner towers. ¹⁷ And I will bring distress to all humankind, and they shall walk about like the blind, for they sinned against Yahweh; their blood shall be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. ¹⁸ Moreover, their silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of Yahweh. And in the fire of his zeal, the whole land shall be consumed, for a terrifying end he shall make for all the inhabitants of the land.

²⁹ "And immediately after the tribulation of those days,
'the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.'* ³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,* and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven* with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from one end of heaven* to the other end of it.

²⁵ "And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity from the noise of the sea and its surging, ²⁶ people fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.* ²⁷ And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud* with power and great glory.

¹⁹ And I will cause wonders in the heaven* above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. ²⁰ The sun will be changed to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a rushing noise, and the celestial bodies will be destroyed by* being burned up, and the earth and the deeds done on it will be disclosed.

¹² while* waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by* being burned up and the celestial bodies will melt as they* are consumed by heat!

¹² And I watched when he opened the sixth seal, and a great earthquake took place, and the sun became black like sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood, ¹³ and the stars of heaven* fell to the earth like a fig tree throws down its unripe figs when* shaken by a great wind. ¹⁴ And the sky was split apart like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved from their place.

¹¹ And I saw a great white throne and the one who was seated on it, _⌊from whose presence_⌋* earth and heaven fled, and a place was not found for them.

⁴ and all the host of heaven shall rot. And the skies shall roll up like a scroll, and all their host shall wither like the withering of a leaf from a vine, or* like the withering from a fig tree.

¹³ and the stars of heaven* fell to the earth like a fig tree throws down its unripe figs when* shaken by a great wind.

⁹ "_⌊I continued watching_⌋* until thrones were placed and an Ancient of Days sat; his clothing was like white snow and the hair of his head was like pure wool and his throne was a flame* of fire and its wheels* were burning fire. ¹⁰ A stream of fire issued forth and flowed _⌊from his presence_⌋;* thousands upon thousands served him and ten thousand upon ten thousand stood before him. The judge sat, and the books were opened. ¹¹ "_⌊I continued watching_⌋* then* because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn who was speaking; _⌊I continued watching_⌋* until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given over to burning with fire. ¹² And as for the remainder of the beasts, _⌊their dominion was taken away_⌋,* but a prolongation _⌊of their life_⌋* was given to them for a season and a time. ¹³ "_⌊I continued watching_⌋* in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man* was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and _⌊was presented_⌋* before him. ¹⁴ And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that* all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is a dominion _⌊without end_⌋* that will not cease, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and* said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this* to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and at that time he will reward each one according to _⌊what he has done_⌋.*

³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,* and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven* with power and great glory.

³¹ Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

⁶² And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power* and coming with the clouds of heaven."

¹¹ who also said, "Men _⌊of Galilee_⌋,* why do you stand there looking* into the sky? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven like this will come back in the same way you saw him departing into heaven!"

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

⁷ and to you who are being afflicted, rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels, ⁸ with burning flame* giving punishment to those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, ⁹ who will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, ¹⁰ whenever he should come to be glorified on that day by his saints and to be marveled at by all who believe, because our testimony was believed among you,

⁷ Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even every one who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him.
Yes, amen.

¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations.

⁴ "Even if _⌊you are outcasts_⌋* at the end of the heavens, even from there Yahweh your God shall gather you, and from there _⌊he shall bring you back_⌋.*

⁹ And I will bring descendant s* out from Jacob, and a _⌊people_⌋* from Judah to take possession of my mountain, and my chosen ones shall inherit it, and my servants shall settle there.

⁶ "Woe! Woe! Flee from the land of the north," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

⁴² The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something* greater than Solomon is here!

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the causes of sin and those who do lawless deeds,

⁴⁹ Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous

³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from one end of heaven* to the other end of it.

³¹ Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

²⁰ And if the Lord had not shortened the days, _⌊no human being would be saved_⌋.* But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has shortened the days.

²² Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to _⌊Abraham's side_⌋.* And the rich man also died and was buried.

⁷ And will not God surely _⌊see to it that justice is done_⌋* to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them?

¹⁶ And I have other sheep which are not from this fold. I must bring these also, and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock—one shepherd.

⁵² and not for the nation only, but also that the children of God who are scattered would be gathered into one.)

³³ Who will bring charges against God's elect? God is the one who justifies.

¹² Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and dearly loved, put on affection, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience,

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, thus also God will bring those who have fallen asleep through Jesus together with him. ¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the Lord's coming, will not possibly precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always.

¹ Now we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to him,

¹⁰ Because of this, I endure all things for the sake of the chosen, in order that they also may obtain salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

¹ After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. ² And I saw another angel ascending _⌊from the east_⌋*, holding the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels _⌊who were given permission_⌋* to damage the earth and the sea, ³ saying, "Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the slaves of our God on their foreheads."

⁵ from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand, ⁶ from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand, ⁷ from the tribe of Simeon,* twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand, ⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. ⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great crowd that no one was able to number, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands.

⁶ and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out from the temple, dressed in clean, bright linen garments, and girded with golden belts around their* chests. ⁷ And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives _⌊forever and ever_⌋*,

³² "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its* leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also you, when you see all these things, know* that he is near, at the door.

²⁹ And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they put out foliage,* now you see for yourselves and* know that by this time the summer is near. ³¹ So also you, when you see these things happening, know* that the kingdom of God is near.

¹⁰ Look! The day is coming; doom goes out, the staff blossoms, pride sprouts. ¹¹ Violence has grown to become a staff of wickedness; _⌊none_⌋* from them will remain, and _⌊none_⌋* from their abundance nor from their wealth;* and prominence will not be among them. ¹² The time has come, the day has arrived; let not the buyer rejoice, and let the seller not mourn, for anger is on all their multitude.

²⁵ For I, Yahweh, I will speak what I will speak as a word, and it will be done. It will not prolong itself any longer, for in your days, house of rebellion, I will speak a word and I will fulfill it!" _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh. ²⁶ And the word of Yahweh _⌊came_⌋* to me, _⌊saying_⌋,* ²⁷ "Son of man,* look! The house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he is seeing is for many days from now, and for distant times he is prophesying.' ²⁸ Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "None of my words will be prolonged any longer that I speak as a word, and it will be fulfilled!" '" _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

²⁵ not abandoning _⌊our meeting together_⌋*, as is the habit of some, but encouraging each other, and by so much more as you see the day drawing near. ²⁶ For if* we keep on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that is about to consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment do you think the person will be considered worthy of who treats with disdain the Son of God and who considers ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy and who insults the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the one who said,
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay,"*
and again,
"The Lord will judge his people."* ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ³² But remember the former days in which, after you* were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, ³³ sometimes being publicly exposed both to insults and to afflictions, and sometimes becoming sharers with those who were treated in this way. ³⁴ For you both sympathized with the prisoners and put up with the seizure of your belongings with joy because you* knew that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession. ³⁵ Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. ³⁶ For you have need of endurance, in order that after you* have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. ³⁷ For yet
"a very, very little while, and the one who is coming will come and will not delay.

⁹ Brothers, do not complain against one another, in order that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the doors!

¹⁷ For it is the time for the judgment to begin out from the household of God. But if it begins out from us first, what will be the outcome for those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And if the righteous are saved with difficulty, _⌊what will become of the ungodly and the sinner_⌋*?*

²⁸ Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

³⁶ Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation!

³⁴ Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these things take place!

¹ And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power."

³² Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all things take place!

¹⁹ God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of humankind, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

¹⁴ Look! _⌊I am about to die_⌋,* and you know in all your hearts* and souls* that not one thing _⌊failed_⌋* from all the good things that Yahweh your God promised concerning you; everything _⌊has been fulfilled_⌋;* _⌊not one thing failed_⌋.* ¹⁵ But just as all the good things* came to you that Yahweh your God promised, so will Yahweh bring to you all the bad things* until he has destroyed you from this good land that Yahweh your God has given to you.

⁷ The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life.* The testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple.

²⁵ Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. ²⁶ They will perish, but you will endure. And like a garment they will all wear out, you will replace them like clothing, and they will be set aside. ²⁷ But you are the same, and your years do not end.

⁸ Grass withers; the flower withers, but* the word of our God will stand forever.

⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look to the earth beneath, for the heavens will be torn to pieces like smoke, and the earth will be worn out like a garment, and those who inhabit her will die like gnats. But* my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not be broken to pieces.

⁶ However, did not my words and my regulations which I commanded my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors?* And they repented and said, 'Yahweh of hosts planned to do with us according to our ways, and according to our deeds so he has dealt with us.'" '"

¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one tiny letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all takes place.

³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

¹³ if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful—_⌊he cannot deny himself_⌋*.*

² in the hope of eternal life which God, who does not lie, promised before eternal ages,

¹⁰ And,
"You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of your hands; ¹¹ they will perish, but you continue, and they will all become old like a garment, ¹² and like a robe you will roll them up, and like a garment they will be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not run out."*

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a rushing noise, and the celestial bodies will be destroyed by* being burned up, and the earth and the deeds done on it will be disclosed. ¹¹ Because* all these things are being destroyed in this way, what sort of people must you be in holy behavior and godliness, ¹² while* waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by* being burned up and the celestial bodies will melt as they* are consumed by heat!

³⁶ "But concerning that day and hour no one knows—not even the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone. ³⁷ For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ³⁸ For as in the days* before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. ³⁹ And they did not know anything* until the deluge came and swept them* all away. So also the coming of the Son of Man will be. ⁴⁰ Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴² Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know what day your Lord is coming!

⁶ But in the middle of the night there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

¹³ Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know the day or the hour!

¹⁹ Now after a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.

²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then he will send out the angels, and will gather the* elect together from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.

⁷ But he said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority.

¹ Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you, ² for you yourselves well know that the day of the Lord is coming in the same way as a thief in the night.

¹ The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his slaves the things which must take place in a short time, and communicated it by* sending it through his angel to his slave John,

³ Therefore remember how you have received and heard, and observe it, and repent. If therefore you are not on the alert, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.

⁴² Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know what day your Lord is coming! ⁴³ But understand this: that if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ For this reason you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come.*

⁴⁰ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "So, were you not able to stay awake with me one hour? ⁴¹ Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!"

²³ But you, watch out! I have told you everything ahead of time!

³⁵ Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning— ³⁶ lest he arrive suddenly and* find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be on the alert!"

³⁷ And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Were you not able to stay awake one hour? ³⁸ Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!"

⁴⁰ You also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come."*

¹¹ And do this because you* know the time, that it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we believed. ¹² The night is far gone, and the day has drawn near. Therefore let us throw off* the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light.

¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not make provision for the desires of the flesh.

¹³ Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act courageously, be strong.

¹⁸ with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and to this end being alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

⁵ for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶ So then, we must not sleep like the rest, but must be on the alert and be self-controlled. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. ⁸ But because* we are of the day, we must be sober, by* putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation,

¹⁵ Take care that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no one growing up like a root of bitterness causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

⁷ Now the end of all things draws near. Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for your prayers.

⁸ Be sober; be on the alert. Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

² Be on the alert and strengthen the remaining things that are about to die, for I have not found your works completed before my God.

¹⁵ (Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is on the alert and who keeps his clothing, so that he does not walk around naked and they see his shamefulness!)

¹⁷ "Son of man,* I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, then you must warn them from me. ¹⁸ _⌊When I say_⌋* to the wicked, 'Surely you will die,' and you do not warn him and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way _⌊so that he may live_⌋,* that wicked person will die because of his guilt, and from your hand I will seek his blood. ¹⁹ And you, if you do warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness and from his wicked way, on account of his guilt he will die, and you yourself will have saved your life.* ²⁰ And _⌊when the righteous turns from his righteousness_⌋* and does injustice, and I place* a stumbling block _⌊before him_⌋,* he will die, for you did not warn him. Because of his sin he will die, and his righteousness* that he did will not be remembered, and his blood I shall seek from your hand. ²¹ And if you warn him, the righteous, not to sin, and the righteous does not sin, surely he will live, for he heeded a warning. And you will have saved your life."*

² "Son of man,* speak to _⌊your people_⌋,* and you must say to them, 'A land, if I bring over it a sword and the people of the land take a man, one from their number, and they appoint him for them as a watchman, ³ and he sees the sword coming against the land, and he blows on the horn and he warns the people, ⁴ and _⌊anyone who listens_⌋* hears the sound of the horn and _⌊he does not take warning_⌋* and the sword comes and it takes him, his blood will be on his own head. ⁵ For he heard the sound of the horn and he did not take warning; his blood will be on him. But if he took warning, he saved his life. ⁶ And as for the watchman, if he sees the sword coming and _⌊he does not blow_⌋* the horn, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and it takes _⌊their lives_⌋,* he will be taken through his guilt, but his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.' ⁷ "And you, son of man,* I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; if you hear a word from my mouth, then you must warn them from me. ⁸ _⌊When I say_⌋* to the wicked, 'Wicked one, you will certainly die,' and you _⌊did not speak_⌋* to warn the wicked from his way, he, the wicked, will die by his guilt, but his blood I will seek from your hand. ⁹ But, you, if you warn the wicked from his way, to turn from it, and _⌊he does not turn_⌋* from his way, he will die by his guilt, and you will have saved your life.

¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound* in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released* in heaven."

⁴⁵ "Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household slaves to give them their* food at the right time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he* comes back. ⁴⁷ Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

¹⁴ For it is like a man going on a journey. He summoned his own slaves and handed over his property to them. ¹⁵ And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his own ability, and he went on a journey immediately. ¹⁶ The one who had received the five talents went out and* traded with them and gained five more. ¹⁷ In the same way the one who had the two gained two more. ¹⁸ But the one who had received the one went away and* dug up the ground and hid his master's money. ¹⁹ Now after a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And the one who had received the five talents came up and* brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents. See, I have gained five more talents!' ²¹ His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!' ²² And the one who had the two talents also came up and* said, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents. See, I have gained two talents more!' ²³ His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!' ²⁴ And the one who had received the one talent came up also and* said, 'Master, because I* knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter seed.* ²⁵ And because I* was afraid, I went away and* hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours!' ²⁶ But his master answered and* said to him, 'Evil and lazy slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter seed.* ²⁷ Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and when I* returned I would have gotten back what was mine with interest! ²⁸ Therefore take the talent from him and give it* to the one who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ³⁰ And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness—in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'

³⁶ And you, be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast,* so that when he* comes back and knocks, they can open the door* for him immediately. ³⁷ Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he returns! Truly I say to you that he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come by and* serve them. ³⁸ Even if he should come back in the second or in the third watch of the night and find them* like this, blessed are they! ³⁹ But understand this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come."*

¹² Therefore he said, "A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. ¹³ And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas* and said to them, 'Do business _⌊until I come back_⌋.'* ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to be king over us!' ¹⁵ And it happened that when he returned after* receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading. ¹⁶ So the first arrived, saying, 'Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!' ¹⁷ And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, _⌊have authority_⌋* over ten cities.'

³ For this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

²⁹ I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ And from among you yourselves men will arise, speaking _⌊perversions of the truth_⌋* in order to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you* with tears.

⁴ For just as in one body we have many members, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ, and _⌊individually_⌋* members of one another, ⁶ but having different gifts according to the grace given to us: if it is prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; ⁷ if it is service, by service; if it is one who teaches, by teaching; ⁸ if it is one who exhorts, by exhortation; one who gives, with sincerity; one who leads, with diligence; one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities* are servants of God, busily engaged in this very thing.

⁵ Therefore, what is Apollos and what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, and to each as the Lord gave. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing it to grow. ⁷ So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who is causing it to grow. ⁸ Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must direct his attention to how he is building upon it.

⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, ⁵ and there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord, ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but the same God, who works all things in all people. ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is beneficial to all. ⁸ For to one is given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another* gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another* _⌊miraculous powers_⌋*, to another* prophecy, to another* distinguishing of spirits, to another kinds of tongues, to another* interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But in all these things one and the same Spirit is at work, distributing to each one individually just as he wishes. ¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of the body, although they* are many, are one body, thus also Christ. ¹³ For by* one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free persons, and all were made to drink one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," not because of this is it not a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, not because of this is it not a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body just as he wanted. ¹⁹ And if they all were one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now there are many members, but one body. ²¹ Now the eye is not able to say to the hand, "I do not have need of you," or again, the head to the feet, "I do not have need of you." ²² But by much more the members of the body which are thought to be weaker are necessary, ²³ and the parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, these we clothe with more abundant honor, and our unpresentable parts come to have more abundant presentability, ²⁴ but our presentable parts do not have need of this. Yet God composed the body by giving more abundant honor to the part which lacked it, ²⁵ in order that there not be a division in the body, but the members would have the same concern for one another. ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer together; if a member* is honored, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members _⌊of it individually_⌋*, ²⁸ and whom God has appointed in the church: first, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Not all are apostles, are they?* Not all are prophets, are they?* Not all are teachers, are they?* Not all are workers of miracles, are they?* ³⁰ Not all have gifts of healing, do they?* Not all speak with tongues, do they?* Not all interpret, do they?* ³¹ But strive* for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

⁵⁸ So then, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you* know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

²⁴ because you* know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve* the Lord Christ.

¹ Masters, grant your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you also have a master in heaven.

⁷ "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
"This is what the holy one, the true one, the one who has the key of David, the one who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one can open, says:

⁴² Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know what day your Lord is coming!

⁴⁴ For this reason you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come.*

⁴⁸ And he saw them being beaten in their rowing* because the wind was against them. Around the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he was wanting to pass by them.

³⁰ And Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you that today—this night—before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times!"

⁹ How long will you lie down, lazy? When will you rise up from your sleep? ¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest— ¹¹ like a _⌊robber_⌋* shall your poverty come, and what you lack like an armed man.

³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest, ³⁴ and your poverty will come running, and your lack like an armed warrior.

¹ On my bed in the night, I sought* him whom my _⌊heart_⌋* loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.

² I was asleep but* my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved knocking!* "Open to me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is full of dew, _⌊my hair drenched from the moist night air_⌋."*

¹⁰ His watchmen are blind, none of them know. They are all dumb dogs; they are unable to bark, panting, lying down, loving to slumber.

⁵ And when* the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.*

³⁷ And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Were you not able to stay awake one hour?

⁴⁰ And again he came and* found them sleeping, _⌊for they could not keep their eyes open_⌋,* and they did not know what to reply to him.

⁴⁵ And when he* got up from the prayer and* came to the disciples, he found them sleeping from sorrow,

¹¹ And do this because you* know the time, that it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we believed. ¹² The night is far gone, and the day has drawn near. Therefore let us throw off* the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light. ¹³ Let us live decently, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not make provision for the desires of the flesh.

¹⁴ for everything made visible is light. Therefore it says,
Wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.*

⁶ So then, we must not sleep like the rest, but must be on the alert and be self-controlled. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.

³⁵ Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning—

⁴¹ And Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us, or also for everyone?" ⁴² And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful wise manager whom the master will put in charge over his servants to give them* their* food allowance at the right time? ⁴³ Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he* comes back. ⁴⁴ Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that slave should say _⌊to himself_⌋,* 'My master is taking a long time to return,' and he begins to beat the male slaves and the female slaves and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two and assign his place with the unbelievers.