⁴⁰ Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:

The Great Day of the Lord

4 ^[a] “For behold, ^(A)the day is coming, ^(B)burning like an oven, when ^(C)all the arrogant and ^(D)all evildoers ^(E)will be stubble. The day that is coming ^(F)shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

²⁵ See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For ^(A)if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

² But ^(A)who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For ^(B)he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.

The Lord's Answer

¹² Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from ^(A)the living God.

^3 (A)how shall we escape if we ^(B)neglect such a great salvation? It was ^(C)declared at first by the Lord, and it was ^(D)attested to us ^(E)by those who heard,

⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ^(A)‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from ^(B)these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^(C)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

^11 (D)“I baptize you with water ^(E)for repentance, but ^(F)he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you ^(G)with the Holy Spirit and ^(H)fire. ¹² His ^(I)winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and ^(J)gather his wheat into the barn, ^(K)but the chaff he will burn with ^(L)unquenchable fire.”