¹¹ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(A) the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.^{(B) 12} But the commander left behind some of the poorest people^(C) of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹³ The Babylonians broke^(D) up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes^(E) and all the bronze articles^(F) used in the temple service. ¹⁵ The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(G)

¹⁶ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. ¹⁷ Each pillar^(H) was eighteen cubits^[a] high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits^[b] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.

¹⁸ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(I) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(J) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(K) 19} Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ There at Riblah,^(L) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.^(M)

So Judah went into captivity,^(N) away from her land.^(O)

²² Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah^(P) son of Ahikam,^(Q) the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. ²³ When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. ²⁴ Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands.^{(A) 16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate^(B) to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth.^(C) The world cannot accept him,^(D) because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans;^(E) I will come to you.^{(F) 19} Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.^(G) Because I live, you also will live.^{(H) 20} On that day^(I) you will realize that I am in my Father,^(J) and you are in me, and I am in you.^{(K) 21} Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.^(L) The one who loves me will be loved by my Father,^(M) and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

²² Then Judas^(N) (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”^(O)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.^(P) My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.^{(Q) 24} Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.^(R)

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate,^(S) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,^(T) will teach you all things^(U) and will remind you of everything I have said to you.^{(V) 27} Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.^(W) I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled^(X) and do not be afraid.

²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’^(Y) If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father,^(Z) for the Father is greater than I.^{(AA) 29} I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.^{(AB) 30} I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world^(AC) is coming. He has no hold over me, ³¹ but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.^(AD)

“Come now; let us leave.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³ We ought always to thank God for you,^(A) brothers and sisters,^[a] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.^{(B) 4} Therefore, among God’s churches we boast^(C) about your perseverance and faith^(D) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.^(E)

⁵ All this is evidence^(F) that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy^(G) of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁶ God is just:^(H) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you^{(I) 7} and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven^(J) in blazing fire^(K) with his powerful angels.^{(L) 8} He will punish^(M) those who do not know God^(N) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.^{(O) 9} They will be punished with everlasting destruction^(P) and shut out from the presence of the Lord^(Q) and from the glory of his might^{(R) 10} on the day^(S) he comes to be glorified^(T) in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.^(U)

¹¹ With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,^(V) that our God may make you worthy^(W) of his calling,^(X) and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness^(Y) and your every deed prompted by faith.^{(Z) 12} We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,^(AA) and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.^[b]