Mark 13 Cross References - MSB

¹ As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!” ² “Do you see all these great buildings?” Jesus replied. “Not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” ³ While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?” ⁵ Jesus began by telling them, “See to it that no one deceives you. ⁶ For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. For these things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁸ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines and riots. These are the beginning of birth pains. ⁹ So be on your guard. For you will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. ¹¹ But when they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand or premeditate what to say. Instead, speak whatever you are given at that time, for it will not be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. ¹³ You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let no one on the housetop go back inside the house to retrieve anything from his house. ¹⁶ And let no one in the field return for his cloak. ¹⁷ How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! ¹⁸ Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter. ¹⁹ For those will be days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again. ²⁰ If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short. ²¹ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. ²² For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. ²³ So be on your guard; See, I have told you everything in advance. ²⁴ But in those days, after that tribulation: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; ²⁵ the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ ²⁶ At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And He will send out His angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. ²⁸ Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things happening, know that He is near, right at the door. ³⁰ Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. ³² No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on your guard, stay alert, and pray! For you do not know when the appointed time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. ³⁵ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. ³⁶ Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”

²⁰ His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them. ²¹ And I will hand these things over as plunder to foreigners and loot to the wicked of the earth, who will defile them. ²² I will turn My face away from them, and they will defile My treasured place. Violent men will enter it, and they will defile it.

⁶ “Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing—to drive Me far from My sanctuary? Yet you will see even greater abominations.”

⁴ Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and stood over the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.

¹⁹ As I watched, the cherubim lifted their wings and rose up from the ground, with the wheels beside them as they went. And they stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, with the glory of the God of Israel above them.

²² Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. ²³ And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city.

¹ “Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts. ² But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.

¹ As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings. ² “Do you see all these things?” Jesus replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” ³ While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” ⁴ Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. All these things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains. ⁹ Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. ¹⁰ At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, ¹¹ and many false prophets will arise and mislead many. ¹² Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. ¹⁵ So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. ¹⁸ And let no one in the field return for his garments. ¹⁹ How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! ²⁰ Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. ²² If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. ²³ At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. ²⁵ See, I have told you in advance. ²⁶ So if they tell you, ‘There He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ For wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. ²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ ³⁰ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming 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 from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. ³² Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door. ³⁴ Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. ³⁶ No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, but only My Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. ³⁹ And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴² Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the hour in which your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. ⁴⁵ Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’ ⁴⁹ And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰ The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. ⁵¹ Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵ As some of the disciples were remarking how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts, Jesus said, ⁶ “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” ⁷ “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” ⁸ Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Therefore do not follow them. ⁹ When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.” ¹⁰ Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes in various places, famines and pestilences, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven. ¹² But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors. ¹³ This will be your opportunity to serve as witnesses. ¹⁴ So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves. ¹⁵ For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to contradict or resist. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents and relatives and friends and brothers, and some of you will be put to death. ¹⁷ And you will be hated by everyone because of My name. ¹⁸ Yet not even a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your patient endurance you will gain your souls. ²⁰ But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. ²² For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. ²³ How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ²⁵ There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. ²⁶ Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” ²⁹ Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. ³⁴ But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare. ³⁵ For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. ³⁶ So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may be deemed worthy to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

⁷ then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples. ⁸ And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’

²⁰ then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples. ²¹ And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’

¹⁸ “Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.’

¹² Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.

² “Do you see all these things?” Jesus replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

⁴¹ As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it ⁴² and said, “If only you had known, even you, at least on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴ They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

⁶ “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

¹⁴ For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

² But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

¹⁰ Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”

³⁶ Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

¹ After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

¹ As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,

³ While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

¹⁶ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” ¹⁸ And at once they left their nets and followed Him. ¹⁹ Going on a little farther from there, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.

³⁴ He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.

³⁷ And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

² After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.

³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

³³ He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus. ⁴¹ He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).

⁶ One of them said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long until the fulfillment of these wonders?”

⁸ I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”

⁷ “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

²¹ When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” ²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? You follow Me!”

⁶ So when they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.

⁸ For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.

⁴ Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

⁸ Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Therefore do not follow them.

³³ Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

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

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

³ Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of sin—the son of destruction—is revealed.

¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

⁷ When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison, ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.

¹⁴ “The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.

²¹ I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. ²² But if they had stood in My council, they would have proclaimed My words to My people and turned them back from their evil ways and deeds.” ²³ “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away?” ²⁴ “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD. ²⁵ “I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’

⁵ For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

¹¹ and many false prophets will arise and mislead many.

²³ At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

²² For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

⁴³ I have come in My Father’s name, and you have not received Me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him.

²⁴ That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

³⁶ Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. ³⁷ After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. He too perished, and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸ So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

¹⁴ For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.

³ Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust.

¹ For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. ² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, ³ though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah

⁷ He does not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

²⁵ Do not fear sudden danger or the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

¹² “Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.

¹⁹ My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle. ²⁰ Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment. ²¹ How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?

⁴⁶ Do not let your heart grow faint, and do not be afraid when the rumor is heard in the land; for a rumor will come one year—and then another the next year—of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.

⁷ Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. All these things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

⁹ When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.” ¹⁰ Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes in various places, famines and pestilences, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

³ explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared.

⁶ Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God afflicted them with all kinds of adversity.

⁶ Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.

² “So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

³ to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.

³¹ For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child—the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, “Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!”

²⁴ We have heard the report; our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.

²¹ What will you say when He sets over you close allies whom you yourself trained? Will not pangs of anguish grip you, as they do a woman in labor?

²³ O inhabitant of Lebanon, nestled in the cedars, how you will groan when pangs of anguish come upon you, agony like a woman in labor.”

³² This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.”

²⁴ Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee. Panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her like a woman in labor.

⁴³ The king of Babylon has heard the report, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor.

⁹ Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor? ¹⁰ Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!

²² I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their riders; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

¹³ On that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other.

⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

²⁸ One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. (This happened under Claudius Caesar.)

³ For while people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

⁴ Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword.

¹⁷ But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

³⁴ Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town. ³⁵ And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. ³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

⁹ Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. ¹⁰ At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,

⁴⁴ “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

¹¹ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

⁵ Jesus began by telling them, “See to it that no one deceives you.

⁵ If anyone does not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town, as a testimony against them.”

¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents and relatives and friends and brothers, and some of you will be put to death. ¹⁷ And you will be hated by everyone because of My name. ¹⁸ Yet not even a hair of your head will perish.

²⁰ Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.

² They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.

¹ While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, ² greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. ³ They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day. ⁴ But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. ⁵ The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶ along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family. ⁷ They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people of Israel! ⁹ If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed, ¹⁰ then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹ This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ ¹² Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name given to men by which we must be saved.” ¹³ When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response. ¹⁵ So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. ¹⁶ “What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must strictly warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. ²⁰ For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened.

¹⁷ Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out ¹⁸ and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. ¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying, ²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.” ²¹ At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. ²² But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they returned with the report: ²³ “We indeed found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” ²⁴ When the high priest and the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening. ²⁵ Then someone came in and announced, “Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people!” ²⁶ At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them. ²⁷ They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them. ²⁸ “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.” ²⁹ But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³² We are His witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” ³³ When the Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved to put the apostles to death. ³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the apostles be put outside for a short time. ³⁵ “Men of Israel,” he said, “consider carefully what you are about to do to these men. ³⁶ Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. ³⁷ After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. He too perished, and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸ So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.” ⁴⁰ At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

¹¹ Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” ¹² So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin, ¹³ where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemies against this holy place and against the law. ¹⁴ For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” ¹⁵ All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

⁵⁴ On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.

¹ Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest ² and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”

¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”

¹ About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church. ² He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. ³ And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

²⁰ They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil ²¹ by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.” ²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. ²⁴ On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

³¹ While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. ³² Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ Some in the crowd were crying out one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. ³⁵ When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. ³⁶ For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!” ³⁷ As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I speak to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. ³⁸ “Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the ‘Assassins’ into the wilderness?” ³⁹ But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:

¹⁹ ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. ²⁰ And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval to his death and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’

¹ Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.” ² At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

¹ Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, who presented to the governor their case against Paul. ² When Paul had been called in, Tertullus opened the prosecution: “Because of you, we have enjoyed a lasting peace, and your foresight has brought worthy reforms to this nation. ³ In every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude. ⁴ But in order not to burden you any further, I beg your indulgence to hear us briefly. ⁵ We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. ^{7 8} By examining him yourself, you will be able to learn the truth about all our charges against him.” ⁹ The Jews concurred, asserting that these charges were true.

¹ Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, ² where the high priest and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus ³ to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. ⁴ But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. ⁵ So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.” ⁶ After spending more than ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in. ⁷ When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, laying against Paul many serious charges that they could not prove. ⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” ⁹ But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?” ¹⁰ Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” ¹² Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” ¹³ After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. ¹⁴ Since he was staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison. ¹⁵ While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment against him. ¹⁶ I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over to die before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges. ¹⁷ So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought in. ¹⁸ But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with anything I had expected. ¹⁹ They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰ Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate this matter, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. ²¹ But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.” ²² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” Festus declared. ²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city. And Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. ²⁴ Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. ²⁶ I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign one about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this inquiry I may have something to write.

⁹ For it seems to me that God has displayed us apostles at the end of the procession, like prisoners appointed for death. We have become a spectacle to the whole world, to angels as well as to men. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. ¹¹ To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. ¹² We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in worse beatings, in more imprisonments, in frequent danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. ²⁶ In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers, ²⁷ in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.

²⁹ For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,

⁵ All this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

⁹ I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus Christ.

¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹³ I know your works and where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

⁹ And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all 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 every creature.

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world.

¹⁸ But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

⁶ that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.

²³ if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.

¹⁰ “Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.” ¹¹ And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD? ¹² Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

² The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.

⁴ The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

⁶ “Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!” ⁷ But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. ⁹ Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

¹⁷ But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.

¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. ²⁰ For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.

⁹ So be on your guard. For you will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.

¹¹ When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say. ¹² For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”

¹⁴ So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves. ¹⁵ For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to contradict or resist.

²⁷ John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him.

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people of Israel! ⁹ If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed, ¹⁰ then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹ This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ ¹² Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name given to men by which we must be saved.” ¹³ When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response. ¹⁵ So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. ¹⁶ “What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must strictly warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. ²⁰ For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened. ²² For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

³¹ After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

¹⁰ but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

¹⁵ All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

⁵⁵ But Stephen, 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 And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Holy Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

⁵ which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

²¹ And I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares the Lord GOD, and every man’s sword will be against his brother.

⁴ The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion. ⁵ Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms. ⁶ For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.

¹⁰ At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,

⁵² From now on, five in one household will be 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 daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents and relatives and friends and brothers, and some of you will be put to death.

¹² Blessed is he who waits and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.

¹¹ Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say every evil thing against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

²² You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

⁹ Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

¹³ But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

²² Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.

¹⁷ And you will be hated by everyone because of My name.

¹⁸ If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.

²¹ But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.

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

⁷ To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.

⁹ Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

¹⁴ We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.

³⁹ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

¹² Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

¹³ So do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

¹⁰ Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

¹⁰ The adversary has seized all her treasures. For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary—those You had forbidden to enter Your assembly.

⁹ This is what the Lord GOD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites.

¹³ Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long until the fulfillment of the vision of the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”

²⁷ And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”

³¹ His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.

¹¹ And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.

⁵¹ Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked them. “Yes, Lord,” they answered.

¹⁵ So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. ¹⁸ And let no one in the field return for his garments. ¹⁹ How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! ²⁰ Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. ²² If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. ²³ At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. ²⁵ See, I have told you in advance. ²⁶ So if they tell you, ‘There He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ For wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

²⁰ But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. ²² For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. ²³ How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

³⁰ So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. ³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

⁷ Even in the case of lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone recognize the tune they are playing unless the notes are distinct? ⁸ Again, if the trumpet sounds a muffled call, who will prepare for battle?

²⁰ Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.

¹⁸ Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.

¹⁵ At daybreak the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” ¹⁶ But when Lot hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters. And they led them safely out of the city, because of the LORD’s compassion for them. ¹⁷ As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

²² Hurry! Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.” That is why the town was called Zoar.

²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.

⁴ Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. ⁵ Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

³ The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.

¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. ¹⁸ And let no one in the field return for his garments.

³¹ On that day, let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve his possessions. Likewise, let no one in the field return for anything he has left behind. ³² Remember Lot’s wife! ³³ Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

¹⁸ We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo. ¹⁹ On the third day, we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.

³⁸ After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

⁷ But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁵⁶ The most gentle and refined woman among you, so gentle and refined she would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground, will begrudge the husband she embraces and her son and daughter ⁵⁷ the afterbirth that comes from between her legs and the children she bears, because she will secretly eat them for lack of anything else in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within your gates.

¹⁹ Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street. ²⁰ Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

³ Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness. ⁴ The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.

¹⁰ The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

¹⁴ Give them, O LORD—what will You give? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that dry up!

¹⁶ Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

¹⁹ How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! ²⁰ Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.

²³ How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.

²⁹ Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’

³² Indeed, ask now from one end of the heavens to the other about the days that long preceded you, from the day that God created man on earth: Has anything as great as this ever happened or been reported?

⁵⁹ He will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary disasters, severe and lasting plagues, and terrible and chronic sicknesses.

²² Then the generation to come—your sons who follow you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land—will see the plagues of the land and the sicknesses the LORD has inflicted on it. ²³ All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt, unsown and unproductive, with no plant growing on it, just like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His fierce anger. ²⁴ So all the nations will ask, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’ ²⁵ And the people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. ²⁶ They went and served other gods, and they worshiped gods they had not known—gods that the LORD had not given to them. ²⁷ Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against this land, and He brought upon it every curse written in this book. ²⁸ The LORD uprooted them from their land in His anger, rage, and great wrath, and He cast them into another land, where they are today.’

¹² I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.” ¹³ Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. ¹⁴ My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit. ¹⁵ You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.

¹² Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?

¹³ What can I say for you? To what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may console you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? For your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can ever heal you?

⁶ The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.

¹² You have carried out the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us a great disaster. For under all of heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.

²⁶ Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed.

¹ “At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

² a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.

²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.

⁶ However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

⁹ Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.

¹³ And though a tenth remains in the land, it will be burned again. As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled, so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.”

⁸ This is what the LORD says: “As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes, and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing,’ so I will act on behalf of My servants; I will not destroy them all. ⁹ And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and heirs from Judah; My elect will possess My mountains, and My servants will dwell there.

⁸ And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. ⁹ This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

²² If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

⁵ In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶ And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. But if it is by works, then it is no longer grace. Otherwise work is no longer work. ⁷ What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,

²³ And if they also do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

²⁸ Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. ²⁹ For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may receive mercy through the mercy shown to you. ³² For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.

¹ If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, ² and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” ³ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

²³ At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. ²⁵ See, I have told you in advance.

²³ People will tell you, ‘Look, there He is!’ or ‘Look, here He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. ²⁴ For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

⁶ For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

⁴⁸ Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”

²⁷ My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.

⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, ¹⁰ and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. ¹¹ For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, ¹² in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness. ¹³ But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth. ¹⁴ To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.

²⁶ I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

⁸ And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

¹³ And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down upon the earth in the presence of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived my own people who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

⁸ The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.

⁷ Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take place. ⁸ Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”

³³ Be on your guard, stay alert, and pray! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.

³⁴ But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

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

¹ “I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. ² They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. ³ They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when the hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

¹⁷ Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.

¹⁰ For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.

²⁰ The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again. ²¹ In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below. ²² They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days. ²³ The moon will be confounded and the sun will be ashamed; for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders with great glory.

²³ I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light. ²⁴ I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. ²⁵ I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air had fled.

²⁸ Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above will grow dark. I have spoken, I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back.”

⁷ When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.

¹⁰ Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.

³⁰ I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. ³¹ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.

¹⁵ The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.

²⁰ Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?

¹⁴ The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. ¹⁵ That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, ¹⁶ a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. ¹⁷ I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. ¹⁸ Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ ³⁰ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming 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 from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

²⁵ There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. ²⁶ Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

¹⁹ I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.

¹⁰ But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

¹² as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

¹² And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. ¹⁴ The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.

⁴ All the stars of heaven will be dissolved. The skies will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their stars will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like foliage from the fig tree.

¹³ and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind.

⁹ As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. ¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened. ¹¹ Then I kept watching because of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued to watch, the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ¹² As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but they were granted an extension of life for a season and a time. ¹³ In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. ¹⁴ And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.

²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.

³⁰ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

³¹ When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.

³⁸ If anyone 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 His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

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

¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.

⁷ and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels ⁸ in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might, ¹⁰ on the day He comes to be glorified in His saints and regarded with wonder by all who have believed, including you who have believed our testimony.

⁷ Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.

¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

⁴ Even if you have been banished to the farthest horizon, He will gather you and return you from there.

⁹ And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and heirs from Judah; My elect will possess My mountains, and My servants will dwell there.

⁶ “Get up! Get up! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the LORD, “for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven,” declares the LORD.

⁴² The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.

⁴⁹ So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous,

³¹ And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

³¹ When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

²⁰ If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.

²² One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.

⁷ Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?

¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.

⁵² and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.

³³ Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. ¹⁵ By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. ¹⁷ After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

¹ Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers,

¹⁰ For this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

¹ And after this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back its four winds so that no wind would blow on land or sea or on any tree. ² And I saw another angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God. And he called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³ “Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

⁵ From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, ⁶ from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, ⁷ from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, ⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, and from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. ⁹ After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

⁶ And out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in clean and bright linen and girded with golden sashes around their chests. ⁷ Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.

³² Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.

²⁹ Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

¹⁰ Behold, the day is here! It has come! Doom has gone out, the rod has budded, arrogance has bloomed. ¹¹ Their violence has grown into a rod to punish their wickedness. None of them will remain: none of their multitude, none of their wealth, and nothing of value. ¹² The time has come; the day has arrived. Let the buyer not rejoice and the seller not mourn, for wrath is upon the whole multitude.

²⁵ because I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass, declares the Lord GOD.’” ²⁶ Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ²⁷ “Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’ ²⁸ Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘None of My words will be delayed any longer. The message I speak will be fulfilled, declares the Lord GOD.’”

²⁵ Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. ²⁶ If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, ²⁷ but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ³² Remember the early days that you were in the light. In those days, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution; at other times you were partners with those who were so treated. ³⁴ You sympathized with me in my chains and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession in heaven. ³⁵ So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. ³⁶ You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. ³⁷ For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.

⁹ Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!

¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

²⁸ Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

³⁶ Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

³⁴ Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.

¹ Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”

³² Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.

¹⁹ God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

¹⁴ Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed. ¹⁵ But just as every good thing the LORD your God promised you has come to pass, likewise the LORD will bring upon you the calamity He has threatened, until He has destroyed you from this good land He has given you.

⁷ The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple.

²⁵ In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. ²⁶ They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on. ²⁷ But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail.

⁶ But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”

¹⁸ For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

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 faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

² in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

¹⁰ And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. ¹¹ They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. ¹² You will roll them up like a robe; they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”

¹⁰ But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be burned up. ¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed, then, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness ¹² as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

³⁶ No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, but only My Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. ³⁹ And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴² Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the hour in which your Lord will come.

⁶ At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’

¹³ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour when the Son of Man comes.

¹⁹ After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them.

²⁶ At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And He will send out His angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

⁷ Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.

¹ Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to write to you. ² For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

¹ This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,

³ Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.

⁴² Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the hour in which your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.

⁴⁰ Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. ⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

²³ So be on your guard; See, I have told you everything in advance.

³⁵ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. ³⁶ Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”

³⁷ Then Jesus returned and found them sleeping. “Simon, are you asleep?” He asked. “Were you not able to keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

⁴⁰ Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

¹¹ And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for us to wake up from our slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

¹⁴ Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

¹³ Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

⁵ You are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.

¹⁵ See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.

⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.

⁸ Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

² Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.

¹⁵ “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”

¹⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. ¹⁸ If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. ¹⁹ But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself. ²⁰ Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood. ²¹ But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

² “Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land choose a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman, ³ and he sees the sword coming against that land and blows the ram’s horn to warn the people. ⁴ Then if anyone hears the sound of the horn but fails to heed the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. ⁵ Since he heard the sound of the horn but failed to heed the warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the horn to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one will be taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’ ⁷ As for you, O son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word from My mouth and give them the warning from Me. ⁸ If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to dissuade him from his way, then that wicked man will die in his iniquity, yet I will hold you accountable for his blood. ⁹ But if you warn the wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not turn from it, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.

¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

⁴⁵ Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

¹⁴ For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and made five more talents. ¹⁷ Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹ After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them. ²⁰ The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more besides them.’ ²¹ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ ²² The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more besides them.’ ²³ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ ²⁴ Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’ ²⁶ ‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. ²⁷ Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. ²⁸ Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. ²⁹ For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

³⁶ Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them. ³⁸ Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed. ³⁹ But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

¹² So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return. ¹³ Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said. ¹⁴ But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ ¹⁵ When he returned from procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned. ¹⁶ The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’ ¹⁷ His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

²⁹ For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. ³⁰ Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

⁴ Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another. ⁶ We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; ⁷ if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸ if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

⁶ This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.

⁵ Who then is Paul? And who is Apollos? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. ⁶ I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ⁷ So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.

⁴ There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people. ⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines. ¹² The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given into one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it. ²⁸ And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

²⁴ because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. For it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

¹ Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

⁷ To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut (except Him who opens) and no one can open.

⁴² Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the hour in which your Lord will come.

⁴⁴ For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.

⁴⁸ He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them,

³⁰ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

⁹ How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? ¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, ¹¹ and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, ³⁴ and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

¹ On my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him.

² I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”

¹⁰ Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.

⁵ When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

³⁷ Then Jesus returned and found them sleeping. “Simon, are you asleep?” He asked. “Were you not able to keep watch for one hour?

⁴⁰ And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping—for their eyes were heavy. And they did not know what to answer Him.

⁴⁵ When Jesus rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

¹¹ And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for us to wake up from our slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

¹⁴ So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

⁶ So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

³⁵ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.

⁴¹ “Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” ⁴² And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.