Removal of Idolatry

31 When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars^(A) throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one.^[a] Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.

Offerings for Levites

² Hezekiah reestablished the divisions^(B) of the priests and Levites for the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord,^(C) each division corresponding to his service among the priests and Levites. ³ The king contributed^[b] from his own possessions^(D) for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings of the Sabbaths, of the New Moons, and of the appointed feasts, as written in the law of the Lord.^{(E) 4} He told the people who lived in Jerusalem to give a contribution^(F) for the priests and Levites so that they could devote their energy to the law of the Lord. ⁵ When the word spread, the Israelites gave liberally of the best of the grain, new wine, fresh oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance, a tenth^(G) of everything. ⁶ As for the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tenth of the herds and flocks, and a tenth of the dedicated things that were consecrated to the Lord their God.^(H) They gathered them into large piles. ⁷ In the third month they began building up the piles, and they finished in the seventh month. ⁸ When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the piles, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.

⁹ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles. ¹⁰ The chief priest Azariah, of the household of Zadok,^(I) answered him, “Since they began bringing the offering to the Lord’s temple, we have been eating and are satisfied and there is plenty left over because the Lord has blessed his people; this abundance is what is left over.”^(J)

¹¹ Hezekiah told them to prepare chambers^(K) in the Lord’s temple, and they prepared them. ¹² The offering, the tenth, and the dedicated things were brought faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.^{(L) 13} Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were deputies under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of God’s temple.

¹⁴ Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God to distribute the contribution to the Lord and the consecrated things.^{(M) 15} Eden,^(N) Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests^(O) were to distribute it faithfully under his authority to their brothers by divisions, whether large or small. ¹⁶ In addition, they distributed it to males registered by genealogy three^[c](P) years old and above; to all who would enter the Lord’s temple for their daily duty,^(Q) for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions. ¹⁷ They distributed also to those recorded by genealogy of the priests by their ancestral families^[d] and the Levites twenty years old and above,^(R) by their responsibilities in their divisions; ¹⁸ to those registered by genealogy—with all their dependents, wives, sons, and daughters—of the whole assembly (for they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy); ¹⁹ and to the descendants of Aaron, the priests, in the common fields of their cities,^(S) in each and every city. There were men who were registered by name^(T) to distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Levite recorded by genealogy.

²⁰ Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the Lord his God.^{(U) 21} He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.

The Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls^(A) came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute^[a](B) who is seated on many^[b] waters.^{(C) 2} The kings of the earth^(D) committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.”^{(E) 3} Then he carried me away in the Spirit^[c](F) to a wilderness.

I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered^[d] with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.^{(G) 4} The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls.^(H) She had a golden cup in her hand filled with everything detestable^(I) and with the impurities of her^[e] prostitution. ⁵ On her forehead was written a name, a mystery:^(J) Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Detestable Things of the Earth. ⁶ Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.^(K) When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

The Meaning of the Woman and of the Beast

⁷ Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the ten horns, that carries her. ⁸ The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss^(L) and go to destruction.^(M) Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world^(N) will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and is to come.^{(O) 9} This calls for a mind that has wisdom.^[f](P)

“The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings: ¹⁰ Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹ The beast that was and is not, is itself an eighth king, but it belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. ¹² The ten horns you saw are ten kings^(Q) who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.^{(R) 13} These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings.^(S) Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”^(T)

¹⁵ He also said to me, “The waters you saw,^(U) where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.^{(V) 16} The ten horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute.^(W) They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.^{(X) 17} For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his plan by having one purpose^(Y) and to give their kingdom^[g] to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.^{(Z) 18} And the woman you saw is the great city that has royal power over the kings of the earth.”

² On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“I will remove the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered.^(A) I will banish the prophets^[a] and the unclean spirit from the land. ³ If a man still prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You cannot remain alive because you have spoken a lie in the name of the Lord.’ When he prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will pierce him through.^{(B) 4} On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not put on a hairy cloak^(C) in order to deceive. ⁵ He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for a man purchased^[b] me as a servant since my youth.’^{(D) 6} If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds^(E) on your chest?’^[c]—then he will answer, ‘I received the wounds in the house of my friends.’

16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. ² They will ban you from the synagogues.^(A) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service^(B) to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven’t known^(C) the Father or me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when their time^[a] comes you will remember^(D) I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going away^(E) to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’^{(F) 6} Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.^(G) It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.^{(H) 8} When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: ⁹ About sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father^(I) and you will no longer see me; ¹¹ and about judgment,^(J) because the ruler of this world^(K) has been judged.^(L)

¹² “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.^{(M) 13} When the Spirit of truth^(N) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.^(O) For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ Everything the Father^(P) has is mine.^(Q) This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.^(R)

Sorrow Turned to Joy

¹⁶ “In a little while,^(S) you will no longer see me; ^(T) again in a little while, you will see me.”^[b]

¹⁷ Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this he’s telling us: ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’^(U)?” ¹⁸ They said, “What is this he is saying,^[c] ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”

¹⁹ Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me’? ²⁰ Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn,^(V) but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful,^(W) but your sorrow will turn to joy. ²¹ When a woman is in labor, she has pain^(X) because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child,^(Y) she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. ²² So you also have sorrow^[d] now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice,^(Z) and no one will take away your joy from you.^(AA)

²³ “In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.^{(AB) 24} Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.^(AC) Ask and you will receive,^(AD) so that your joy may be complete.^(AE)

Jesus the Victor

²⁵ “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ On that day you will ask^(AF) in my name, and^(AG) I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved^(AH) me and have believed that I came from God.^{[e](AI) 28} I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”^(AJ)

²⁹ His disciples said, “Look, now you’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. ³⁰ Now we know that you know everything^(AK) and don’t need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”^(AL)

³¹ Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? ³² Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come,^(AM) when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.^{(AN) 33} I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”