Add parallel Print Page Options

Idolatry Brings Destruction

10 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O Israel! This is what the Lord says:

“Do not act like the other nations,
    who try to read their future in the stars.
Do not be afraid of their predictions,
    even though other nations are terrified by them.
Their ways are futile and foolish.
    They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.
They decorate it with gold and silver
    and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails
    so it won’t fall over.
Their gods are like
    helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field!
They cannot speak,
    and they need to be carried because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of such gods,
    for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

Lord, there is no one like you!
    For you are great, and your name is full of power.
Who would not fear you, O King of nations?
    That title belongs to you alone!
Among all the wise people of the earth
    and in all the kingdoms of the world,
    there is no one like you.

People who worship idols are stupid and foolish.
    The things they worship are made of wood!
They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish
    and gold from Uphaz,
and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen
    who make their idols.
Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes
    made by expert tailors.
10 But the Lord is the only true God.
    He is the living God and the everlasting King!
The whole earth trembles at his anger.
    The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.

11 Say this to those who worship other gods: “Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.”[a]

12 But the Lord made the earth by his power,
    and he preserves it by his wisdom.
With his own understanding
    he stretched out the heavens.
13 When he speaks in the thunder,
    the heavens roar with rain.
He causes the clouds to rise over the earth.
    He sends the lightning with the rain
    and releases the wind from his storehouses.
14 The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge!
    The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make,
for their carefully shaped works are a fraud.
    These idols have no breath or power.
15 Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies!
    On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.
16 But the God of Israel[b] is no idol!
    He is the Creator of everything that exists,
including Israel, his own special possession.
    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!

The Coming Destruction

17 Pack your bags and prepare to leave;
    the siege is about to begin.
18 For this is what the Lord says:
“Suddenly, I will fling out
    all you who live in this land.
I will pour great troubles upon you,
    and at last you will feel my anger.”

19 My wound is severe,
    and my grief is great.
My sickness is incurable,
    but I must bear it.
20 My home is gone,
    and no one is left to help me rebuild it.
My children have been taken away,
    and I will never see them again.
21 The shepherds of my people have lost their senses.
    They no longer seek wisdom from the Lord.
Therefore, they fail completely,
    and their flocks are scattered.
22 Listen! Hear the terrifying roar of great armies
    as they roll down from the north.
The towns of Judah will be destroyed
    and become a haunt for jackals.

Jeremiah’s Prayer

23 I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.
    We are not able to plan our own course.
24 So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle.
    Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—
    on the peoples that do not call upon your name.
For they have devoured your people Israel[c];
    they have devoured and consumed them,
    making the land a desolate wilderness.

Judah’s Broken Covenant

11 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Remind the people of Judah and Jerusalem about the terms of my covenant with them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of my covenant! For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, “If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God.” I said this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey—the land you live in today.’”

Then I replied, “Amen, Lord! May it be so.”

Then the Lord said, “Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go from town to town throughout the land and say, ‘Remember the ancient covenant, and do everything it requires. For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, “Obey me!” I have repeated this warning over and over to this day, but your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the curses described in this covenant.’”

Again the Lord spoke to me and said, “I have discovered a conspiracy against me among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am going to bring calamity upon them, and they will not escape. Though they beg for mercy, I will not listen to their cries. 12 Then the people of Judah and Jerusalem will pray to their idols and burn incense before them. But the idols will not save them when disaster strikes! 13 Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame—altars for burning incense to your god Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.

14 “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress.

15 “What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple,
    when they have done so many immoral things?
Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction?
    They actually rejoice in doing evil!
16 I, the Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree,
    beautiful to see and full of good fruit.
But now I have sent the fury of their enemies
    to burn them with fire,
    leaving them charred and broken.

17 “I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal.”

A Plot against Jeremiah

18 Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me. 19 I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”

20 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
you make righteous judgments,
    and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets.
Let me see your vengeance against them,
    for I have committed my cause to you.

21 This is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had said, “We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the Lord’s name.” 22 So this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says about them: “I will punish them! Their young men will die in battle, and their boys and girls will starve to death. 23 Not one of these plotters from Anathoth will survive, for I will bring disaster upon them when their time of punishment comes.”

Jeremiah Questions the Lord’s Justice

12 Lord, you always give me justice
    when I bring a case before you.
So let me bring you this complaint:
Why are the wicked so prosperous?
    Why are evil people so happy?
You have planted them,
    and they have taken root and prospered.
Your name is on their lips,
    but you are far from their hearts.
But as for me, Lord, you know my heart.
    You see me and test my thoughts.
Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered!
    Set them aside to be slaughtered!

How long must this land mourn?
    Even the grass in the fields has withered.
The wild animals and birds have disappeared
    because of the evil in the land.
For the people have said,
    “The Lord doesn’t see what’s ahead for us!”

The Lord’s Reply to Jeremiah

“If racing against mere men makes you tired,
    how will you race against horses?
If you stumble and fall on open ground,
    what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?
Even your brothers, members of your own family,
    have turned against you.
    They plot and raise complaints against you.
Do not trust them,
    no matter how pleasantly they speak.

“I have abandoned my people, my special possession.
    I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.
My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest,
    so I have treated them with contempt.
My chosen people act like speckled vultures,[d]
    but they themselves are surrounded by vultures.
    Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!

10 “Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard,
    trampling down the vines
    and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness.
11 They have made it an empty wasteland;
    I hear its mournful cry.
The whole land is desolate,
    and no one even cares.
12 On all the bare hilltops,
    destroying armies can be seen.
The sword of the Lord devours people
    from one end of the nation to the other.
    No one will escape!
13 My people have planted wheat
    but are harvesting thorns.
They have worn themselves out,
    but it has done them no good.
They will harvest a crop of shame
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

A Message for Israel’s Neighbors

14 Now this is what the Lord says: “I will uproot from their land all the evil nations reaching out for the possession I gave my people Israel. And I will uproot Judah from among them. 15 But afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession. 16 And if these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’ (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people. 17 But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Footnotes

  1. 10:11 The original text of this verse is in Aramaic.
  2. 10:16 Hebrew the Portion of Jacob. See note on 5:20.
  3. 10:25 Hebrew devoured Jacob. See note on 5:20.
  4. 12:9 Or speckled hyenas.

A Satire on Idolatry

10 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, house of Israel. This is what the Lord says:

(A)Do not learn the way of the nations,
And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens,
Although the nations are terrified by them;
For the customs of the peoples are (B)futile;
For (C)it is wood cut from the forest,
The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
They (D)decorate the idol with silver and gold;
They (E)fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not totter.
They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
And they (F)cannot speak;
They must be (G)carried,
Because they cannot walk!
Do not fear them,
For they (H)can do no harm,
Nor can they do any good.”

(I)There is none like You, Lord;
You are (J)great, and Your name is great in might.
(K)Who would not fear You, O (L)King of the nations?
For it is Your due!
For among all the (M)wise men of the nations
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
But they are altogether (N)stupid and foolish;
The instruction from idols is nothing but wood!
Beaten (O)silver is brought from (P)Tarshish,
And (Q)gold from Uphaz,
The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith;
Their clothing is of violet and purple;
They are all the (R)work of skilled people.
10 But the Lord is the (S)true God;
He is the (T)living God and the (U)everlasting King.
The (V)earth quakes at His wrath,
And the nations cannot (W)endure His indignation.

11 [a]This is what you shall say to them: “The (X)gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will (Y)perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”

12 It is (Z)He who made the earth by His power,
Who (AA)established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has (AB)stretched out the heavens.
13 When He utters His (AC)voice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens,
And He makes the (AD)clouds ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain,
And brings out the (AE)wind from His storehouses.
14 Every person is (AF)stupid, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
For his cast metal images are deceitful,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are (AG)worthless, a work of mockery;
At the (AH)time of their punishment they will perish.
16 The (AI)Portion of Jacob is not like these;
For He is the [b](AJ)Maker of everything,
And (AK)Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
The (AL)Lord of armies is His name.

17 (AM)Pick up your bundle from the ground,
You who live under siege!
18 For this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, I am (AN)slinging out the inhabitants of the land
At this time,
And I will cause them distress,
So that they may [c]be found.”

19 (AO)Woe to me, because of my [d]injury!
My (AP)wound is incurable.
But I said, “This certainly is a sickness,
And I (AQ)must endure it.”
20 My (AR)tent is destroyed,
And all my ropes are broken.
My (AS)sons have gone from me and are no more.
There is (AT)no one to stretch out my tent again
Or to set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become stupid
And (AU)have not sought the Lord.
Therefore they have not prospered,
And (AV)all their flock is scattered.
22 The sound of a (AW)report! Behold, it is coming—
A great roar (AX)from the land of the north—
To (AY)make the cities of Judah
A desolation, a haunt of jackals.

23 I know, Lord, that (AZ)a person’s way is not in himself,
(BA)Nor is it in a person who walks to direct his steps.
24 (BB)Correct me, Lord, but with justice;
Not with Your anger, or You will [e]bring me to nothing.
25 (BC)Pour out Your wrath on the nations that (BD)do not know You,
And on the families who (BE)do not call upon Your name;
For they have devoured Jacob;
They have (BF)devoured him and consumed him,
And have laid waste his [f]settlement.

The Broken Covenant

11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, (BG)Hear the words of this (BH)covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “(BI)Cursed is the one who does not obey the words of this covenant which I commanded your forefathers on the (BJ)day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the (BK)iron furnace, saying, ‘(BL)Listen to My voice, and [g]do according to all that I command you; so you shall be (BM)My people, and I will be your God,’ in order to confirm the (BN)oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I replied, “(BO)Amen, Lord.”

And the Lord said to me, “(BP)Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘(BQ)Hear the words of this covenant and (BR)do them. For I solemnly (BS)warned your fathers on the (BT)day I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, (BU)warning them persistently, saying, “(BV)Listen to My voice.” Yet they (BW)did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart, each one of them; therefore I brought on them all the (BX)words of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”

Then the Lord said to me, “A (BY)conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have (BZ)turned back to the wrongdoings of their [h]ancestors who (CA)refused to hear My words, and they (CB)have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have (CC)broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am (CD)bringing disaster on them which they will (CE)not be able to escape; though they will (CF)cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will (CG)go and cry out to the gods to whom they [i]burn incense, but they certainly will not save them in the time of their disaster. 13 For your gods are [j](CH)as many as your cities, Judah; and [k]as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the (CI)shameful thing, altars for [l](CJ)burning incense to Baal.

14 “So as for you, (CK)do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will (CL)not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.

15 What right has My (CM)beloved in My house
When (CN)she has carried out many evil schemes?
Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster,
[m]So that you can rejoice?”
16 The Lord named you
“A (CO)green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”;
With the (CP)noise of a great [n]tumult
He has (CQ)set fire to it,
And its branches are worthless.

17 The Lord of armies, who (CR)planted you, has (CS)pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have [o]done to provoke Me by [p](CT)offering sacrifices to Baal.

Plots against Jeremiah

18 Moreover, the Lord (CU)made it known to me and I knew it;
Then You showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle (CV)lamb led to the slaughter;
And I did not know that they had (CW)devised plots against me, saying,
“Let’s destroy the tree with its [q]fruit,
And (CX)let’s cut him off from the (CY)land of the living,
So that his (CZ)name will no longer be remembered.”
20 But, Lord of armies, who (DA)judges righteously,
Who (DB)puts the [r]feelings and the heart to the test,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You I have [s]committed my cause.

21 Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the people of (DC)Anathoth, who are (DD)seeking your life, saying: “(DE)Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you do not (DF)die by our hand”; 22 therefore, this is what the Lord of armies says: “Behold, I am going to (DG)punish them! The (DH)young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23 and a remnant (DI)will not be left to them, because I will (DJ)bring disaster on the people of Anathoth—(DK)the year of their punishment.”

Jeremiah’s Prayer

12 (DL)Righteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You;
Nevertheless I would (DM)discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the (DN)way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who (DO)deal in treachery at ease?
You have (DP)planted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have also produced fruit.
You are (DQ)near [t]to their lips
But far from their [u]mind.
But You (DR)know me, Lord;
You see me
And (DS)examine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter,
And [v]set them apart for a (DT)day of slaughter!
How long is the (DU)land to mourn,
And the (DV)vegetation of the [w]countryside to dry up?
Due to the (DW)wickedness of those who live in it,
(DX)Animals and birds have been snatched away,
Because people have said, “He will not see our final (DY)end.”

“If you have run with infantrymen and they have tired you out,
How can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace,
How will you do in the (DZ)thicket by the Jordan?
For even your (EA)brothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you,
Even they have called aloud after you.
Do not believe them, though they say (EB)nice things to you.”

God’s Answer

“I have (EC)forsaken My house,
I have abandoned My inheritance;
I have handed the (ED)beloved of My soul
Over to her enemies.
My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has [x](EE)roared against Me;
Therefore I have come to (EF)hate her.
Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?
Are the (EG)birds of prey against her on every side?
Go, gather all the (EH)animals of the field,
Bring them to devour!
10 Many (EI)shepherds have ruined My (EJ)vineyard,
They have (EK)trampled down My field;
They have made My (EL)pleasant field
A desolate wilderness.
11 [y]It has been made a desolation;
Desolate, it (EM)mourns [z]before Me;
The (EN)whole land has been made desolate,
Because no one (EO)takes it to heart.
12 On all the [aa](EP)bare heights in the wilderness
Destroyers have come,
For the (EQ)sword of the Lord is devouring
From one end of the land even to the [ab]other;
There is (ER)no peace for [ac]anyone.
13 They have (ES)sown wheat but have harvested thorns,
They have (ET)strained themselves [ad]to no profit.
So be ashamed of your (EU)produce
Because of the (EV)fierce anger of the Lord.”

14 This is what the Lord says concerning all My (EW)wicked neighbors who (EX)do harm to the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel: “Behold, I am going to drive them out of their land, and I will (EY)drive the house of Judah out from among them. 15 And it will come about that after I have driven them out, I will (EZ)again have compassion on them; and I will (FA)bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 16 Then, if they will really (FB)learn the ways of My people, to (FC)swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they taught My people to (FD)swear by Baal, they will be (FE)built up in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not listen, then I will (FF)drive out that nation, drive it out and destroy it,” declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 10:11 This verse is in Aram
  2. Jeremiah 10:16 Lit Fashioner
  3. Jeremiah 10:18 Lit find
  4. Jeremiah 10:19 Lit breaking
  5. Jeremiah 10:24 Lit diminish me
  6. Jeremiah 10:25 Or pasture
  7. Jeremiah 11:4 Lit do them
  8. Jeremiah 11:10 Lit former fathers
  9. Jeremiah 11:12 Or offer sacrifices
  10. Jeremiah 11:13 Lit the number of
  11. Jeremiah 11:13 Lit the number of
  12. Jeremiah 11:13 Or offering sacrifices to
  13. Jeremiah 11:15 Lit Then
  14. Jeremiah 11:16 I.e., confused noise
  15. Jeremiah 11:17 Or done for themselves
  16. Jeremiah 11:17 Or burning incense
  17. Jeremiah 11:19 Lit bread
  18. Jeremiah 11:20 Lit kidneys
  19. Jeremiah 11:20 Lit rolled
  20. Jeremiah 12:2 Lit in their mouth
  21. Jeremiah 12:2 Lit kidneys
  22. Jeremiah 12:3 Lit sanctify them
  23. Jeremiah 12:4 Lit whole field
  24. Jeremiah 12:8 Lit raised her voice
  25. Jeremiah 12:11 Lit One has made it
  26. Jeremiah 12:11 Or upon
  27. Jeremiah 12:12 Or caravan trails
  28. Jeremiah 12:12 Lit other end of the land
  29. Jeremiah 12:12 Lit all flesh
  30. Jeremiah 12:13 Lit they do not profit

Jesus, the Way to the Father

14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.[a] If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?[b] When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”

“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.[c] From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.

12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, obey[d] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[e] who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.[f] 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”

23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31 but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.

Footnotes

  1. 14:2a Or There are many rooms in my Father’s house.
  2. 14:2b Or If this were not so, I would have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you. Some manuscripts read If this were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.
  3. 14:7 Some manuscripts read If you have really known me, you will know who my Father is.
  4. 14:15 Other manuscripts read you will obey; still others read you should obey.
  5. 14:16 Or Comforter, or Encourager, or Counselor. Greek reads Paraclete; also in 14:26.
  6. 14:17 Some manuscripts read and is in you.

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 (A)Do not let your heart be troubled; [a]believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many [b]rooms; if that were not so, [c]I would have told you, because (B)I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, (C)I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that (D)where I am, there you also will be. And you know the way where I am going.” (E)Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus *said to him, “I am (F)the way, and (G)the truth, and (H)the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

Oneness with the Father

(I)If you [d]had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you (J)know Him, and have (K)seen Him.”

(L)Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus *said to him, “Have I been with [e]you for so long a time, and yet [f]you have not come to know Me, Philip? (M)The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that (N)I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? (O)The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. 11 Believe Me that (P)I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise (Q)believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and (R)greater works than these he will do; because (S)I am going to the Father. 13 And (T)whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that (U)the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything (V)in My name, I will do it.

15 (W)If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

The Holy Spirit

16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [g](X)Helper, so that He may be with you forever; 17 the Helper is (Y)the Spirit of truth, (Z)whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; (AA)I am coming to you. 19 [h](AB)After a little while, (AC)the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; (AD)because I live, you also will live. 20 (AE)On that day you will know that (AF)I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you. 21 (AG)The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and (AH)the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will (AI)reveal Myself to him.” 22 (AJ)Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what has happened (AK)that You are going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, (AL)If anyone loves Me, he will (AM)follow My word; and (AN)My Father will love him, and We (AO)will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. 24 The one who does not love Me (AP)does not follow My words; and (AQ)the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you. 26 But the (AR)Helper, the Holy Spirit (AS)whom the Father will send in My name, (AT)He will teach you all things, and (AU)remind you of all that I said to you. 27 (AV)Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. (AW)[i]Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor [j]fearful. 28 (AX)You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away, and (AY)I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced [k]because (AZ)I am going to the Father, for (BA)the Father is greater than I. 29 And now (BB)I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 I will not speak much more with you, for (BC)the ruler of the world is coming, and he has [l]nothing in regard to Me, 31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, [m]I do exactly as (BD)the Father commanded Me. Get up, (BE)let’s go from here.

Footnotes

  1. John 14:1 Or you believe in God, believe also
  2. John 14:2 Or dwelling places
  3. John 14:2 Or would I have told you that I am going...?
  4. John 14:7 Two early mss have come to know...you will know
  5. John 14:9 I.e., you plural, the disciples
  6. John 14:9 I.e., you singular, Philip
  7. John 14:16 Or Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor
  8. John 14:19 Lit Yet a little and the world
  9. John 14:27 Or Stop letting your hearts
  10. John 14:27 Or cowardly
  11. John 14:28 Or that
  12. John 14:30 I.e., no grounds for any accusation
  13. John 14:31 Lit and just as the Father...so I do