¹⁸ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(A) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(B) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(C) 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,^(D) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.^(E)

So Judah went into captivity,^(F) away from her land.^(G)

²² Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah^(H) son of Ahikam,^(I) 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.”

²⁵ In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated^(J) Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.^{(K) 26} At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt^(L) for fear of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Released^(M)

²⁷ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin^(N) king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. ²⁸ He spoke kindly^(O) to him and gave him a seat of honor^(P) higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.^(Q)

Historical Records From Adam to Abraham

To Noah’s Sons

1 Adam,^(A) Seth, Enosh, ² Kenan,^(B) Mahalalel,^(C) Jared,^{(D) 3} Enoch,^(E) Methuselah,^(F) Lamech,^(G) Noah.^(H)

The Japhethites^(K)

The Hamites^(L)

The Semites^(M)

The Family of Abraham

Descendants of Hagar^(O)

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling^(A) or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless^(B) and pure, “children of God^(C) without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[a](D) Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ^(E) that I did not run^(F) or labor in vain.^{(G) 17} But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering^(H) on the sacrifice^(I) and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.^{(J) 18} So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy^(K) to you soon,^(L) that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. ²⁰ I have no one else like him,^(M) who will show genuine concern for your welfare. ²¹ For everyone looks out for their own interests,^(N) not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father^(O) he has served with me in the work of the gospel. ²³ I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.^{(P) 24} And I am confident^(Q) in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

²⁵ But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker^(R) and fellow soldier,^(S) who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.^{(T) 26} For he longs for all of you^(U) and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,^(V) so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. ²⁹ So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,^{(W) 30} because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.^(X)

No Confidence in the Flesh

3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again,^(A) and it is a safeguard for you. ² Watch out for those dogs,^(B) those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. ³ For it is we who are the circumcision,^(C) we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,^(D) and who put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴ though I myself have reasons for such confidence.^(E)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised^(F) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,^(G) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(H) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;^{(I) 6} as for zeal,^(J) persecuting the church;^(K) as for righteousness based on the law,^(L) faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss^(M) for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing^(N) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ^{(O) 9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,^(P) but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness^(Q) that comes from God on the basis of faith.^{(R) 10} I want to know^(S) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,^(T) becoming like him in his death,^{(U) 11} and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection^(V) from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,^(W) but I press on to take hold^(X) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.^(Y)