The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes^(A) in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.^{(B) 32} All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate^(C) the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.^{(D) 33} He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom^(E) prepared for you since the creation of the world.^{(F) 35} For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,^{(G) 36} I needed clothes and you clothed me,^(H) I was sick and you looked after me,^(I) I was in prison and you came to visit me.’^(J)

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’^(K)

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,^(L) you who are cursed, into the eternal fire^(M) prepared for the devil and his angels.^{(N) 42} For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’^(O)

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.^(P)”^(Q)

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.^(A) You believe^(B) in God^[a];^(C) believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there^(D) to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back^(E) and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.^(F)

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up^(A) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white^(B) stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,”^(C) 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^(D) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

²⁰ But our citizenship^(A) is in heaven.^(B) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,^{(C) 21} who, by the power^(D) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies^(E) so that they will be like his glorious body.^(F)

Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^(A) about those who sleep in death,^(B) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^{(C) 14} For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,^(D) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.^{(E) 15} According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^(F) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^{(G) 16} For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(H) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(I) and with the trumpet call of God,^(J) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^{(K) 17} After that, we who are still alive and are left^(L) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(M) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(N) forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another^(O) with these words.

¹¹ For the grace^(A) of God has appeared^(B) that offers salvation to all people.^{(C) 12} It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,^(D) and to live self-controlled,^(E) upright and godly lives^(F) in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing^(G) of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,^{(H) 14} who gave himself for us^(I) to redeem us from all wickedness^(J) and to purify^(K) for himself a people that are his very own,^(L) eager to do what is good.^(M)

²⁶ Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.^(A) But he has appeared^(B) once for all^(C) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.^{(D) 27} Just as people are destined to die once,^(E) and after that to face judgment,^{(F) 28} so Christ was sacrificed once^(G) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(H) not to bear sin,^(I) but to bring salvation^(J) to those who are waiting for him.^(K)

³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days^(A) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.^{(B) 4} They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(C) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^{(D) 5} But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word^(E) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.^{(F) 6} By these waters also the world of that time^(G) was deluged and destroyed.^{(H) 7} By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,^(I) being kept for the day of judgment^(J) and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.^{(K) 9} The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,^(L) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient^(M) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.^(N)

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.^(O) The heavens will disappear with a roar;^(P) the elements will be destroyed by fire,^(Q) and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[a](R)

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward^(S) to the day of God and speed its coming.^[b](T) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.^{(U) 13} But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,^(V) where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless^(W) and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience^(X) means salvation,^(Y) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.^(Z)

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^(D) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(E) the Almighty.”^(F)