Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷ Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called ^(A)the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them:

^(B)“You yourselves know ^(C)how I lived among you the whole time ^(D)from the first day that I set foot in Asia, ^19 (E)serving the Lord ^(F)with all humility and with ^(G)tears and with trials that happened to me through ^(H)the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I ^(I)did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and ^(J)teaching you in public and from house to house, ^21 (K)testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of ^(L)repentance towards God and of ^(M)faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ²² And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained ^(N)by^[a] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that ^(O)the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that ^(P)imprisonment and ^(Q)afflictions await me. ²⁴ But ^(R)I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only ^(S)I may finish my course and ^(T)the ministry ^(U)that I received from the Lord Jesus, ^(V)to testify to ^(W)the gospel of ^(X)the grace of God. ²⁵ And now, behold, ^(Y)I know that none of you among whom I have gone about ^(Z)proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore ^(AA)I testify to you this day that ^(AB)I am innocent of the blood of all of you, ²⁷ for ^(AC)I did not shrink from declaring to you ^(AD)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (AE)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(AF)the flock, of which ^(AG)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(AH)overseers, ^(AI)to care for ^(AJ)the church of God,^[b] which he ^(AK)obtained ^(AL)with his own blood.^{[c] 29} I ^(AM)know that after my departure ^(AN)fierce wolves will come in among you, ^(AO)not sparing the flock; ³⁰ and ^(AP)from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore ^(AQ)be alert, remembering that ^(AR)for three years I did not cease night or day ^(AS)to admonish everyone ^(AT)with tears. ³² And now ^(AU)I commend you to God and to ^(AV)the word of his grace, which is able to ^(AW)build you up and to give you ^(AX)the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ^33 (AY)I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. ^34 (AZ)You yourselves know that ^(BA)these hands ministered to my necessities and ^(BB)to those who were with me. ³⁵ In all things ^(BC)I have shown you that ^(BD)by working hard in this way we must ^(BE)help the weak and ^(BF)remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed ^(BG)to give than to receive.’”

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

⁹ After this I looked, and behold, ^(A)a great multitude that no one could number, ^(B)from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, ^(C)clothed in white robes, with ^(D)palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, ^(E)“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and ^(F)the four living creatures, and they ^(G)fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, ^12 (H)saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.”

¹³ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, ^(I)clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of ^(J)the great tribulation. ^(K)They have washed their robes and ^(L)made them white ^(M)in the blood of the Lamb.

I and the Father Are One

²² At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple, ^(A)in the colonnade of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are ^(B)the Christ, ^(C)tell us plainly.” ²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. ^(D)The works that I do ^(E)in my Father's name bear witness about me, ²⁶ but ^(F)you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. ^27 (G)My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ^28 (H)I give them eternal life, and ^(I)they will never perish, and ^(J)no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, ^(K)who has given them to me,^{[a] (L)}is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of ^(M)the Father's hand. ^30 (N)I and the Father are one.”