Ezekiel Prepares for Exile

12 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, you live in the ^(A)midst of the ^(B)rebellious house, who ^(C)have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. ³ So as for you, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; that is, go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. ^(D)Perhaps they will ^[a]understand, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴ Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you shall go out ^(E)at evening in their sight, as those who are going into exile. ⁵ Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and ^[b]go out through it. ⁶ Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall ^(F)cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a ^(G)sign to the house of Israel.”

⁷ Then I ^(H)did so, just as I had been commanded. By day I ^(I)brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.

⁸ And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹ “Son of man, has the house of Israel, the ^(J)rebellious house, not said to you, ‘^(K)What are you doing?’ ¹⁰ Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord ^[c]God says: “This ^(L)pronouncement concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are ^[d]in it.”’ ¹¹ Say, ‘I am ^[e]a ^(M)sign to you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will ^(N)go into exile, into captivity.’ ¹² The ^(O)prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. ^[f]They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out through it. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. ¹³ I will also spread My ^(P)net over him, and he will be caught in My net. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will ^(Q)not see it, though he will die there. ¹⁴ And I will ^(R)scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them. ¹⁵ So they will ^(S)know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. ¹⁶ But I will ^[g]spare a few of them from the ^(T)sword, the famine, and plague so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations where they go, and ^[h]may ^(U)know that I am the Lord.”

^2 (A)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time ^(B)for us as well, that God will open up to us a ^(C)door for ^(D)the word, so that we may proclaim ^(E)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also ^(F)been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear ^(G)in the way that I ought to proclaim it.

^5 [a](H)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward ^(I)outsiders, ^[b](J)making the most of the opportunity. ^6 (K)Your speech must always be ^[c]with grace, as though seasoned with ^(L)salt, so that you will know how you should ^(M)respond to each person.

^7 (N)As to all my affairs, ^(O)Tychicus, our ^(P)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. ^8 (Q)For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may ^(R)encourage your hearts; ^9 [d]and with him is ^(S)Onesimus, our faithful and ^(T)beloved brother, ^(U)who is one of your own. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

^10 (V)Aristarchus, my ^(W)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also ^(X)Barnabas’ cousin Mark (about whom you received ^[e]instructions; ^(Y)if he comes to you, welcome him); ¹¹ and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only ^(Z)fellow workers for the kingdom of God ^(AA)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. ^12 (AB)Epaphras, ^(AC)who is one of your own, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always ^(AD)striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may ^[f]stand ^[g](AE)mature and ^[h]fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³ For I testify for him that he has ^[i]a deep concern for you and for those who are in ^(AF)Laodicea and Hierapolis. ^14 (AG)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and ^(AH)Demas does also. ¹⁵ Greet the brothers and sisters who are in ^(AI)Laodicea and also ^[j]Nympha and ^(AJ)the church that is in ^[k]her house. ^16 (AK)When ^[l]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part, ^(AL)read ^[m]my letter that is coming from ^(AM)Laodicea. ¹⁷ Tell ^(AN)Archippus, “See to the ^(AO)ministry which you have received in the Lord, so that you may ^[n]fulfill it.”

^18 [o]I, Paul, ^(AP)write this greeting with my own hand. ^(AQ)Remember my ^[p](AR)imprisonment. ^(AS)Grace be with you.

¹⁷ Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹⁸ “Son of man, ^(A)eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. ¹⁹ Then say to the people of the land, ‘This is what the Lord God says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: “They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because ^[a]their land will be ^[b](B)stripped of its fullness on account of the violence of all who live in it. ²⁰ The inhabited ^(C)cities will be in ruins, and the ^(D)land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the Lord.”’”

²¹ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²² “Son of man, what is this ^(E)proverb you people have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The ^(F)days are long, and every ^(G)vision fails’? ²³ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “I will put an end to this proverb so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But tell them, “^(H)The days are approaching as well as the ^[c]fulfillment of every vision. ²⁴ For there will no longer be any ^[d](I)false vision or deceptive divination within the house of Israel. ²⁵ For I the Lord will speak whatever ^(J)word I speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in ^(K)your days, you ^(L)rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord God.’”

²⁶ Furthermore, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²⁷ “Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for ^(M)many ^[e]years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ ²⁸ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,”’” declares the Lord God.

Judas Betrays Jesus

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, ^(A)He went away with His disciples across ^(B)the ^[a]ravine of the Kidron, where there was ^(C)a garden which He entered ^[b]with His disciples. ² Now Judas, who was ^[c]betraying Him, also knew the place, because Jesus had ^(D)often met there with His disciples. ^3 (E)So Judas, having obtained ^(F)the Roman ^[d]cohort and ^(G)officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns, ^(H)torches, and weapons. ⁴ Jesus therefore, ^(I)knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, came out into the open and *said to them, “^(J)Whom are you seeking?” ⁵ They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. ⁶ Now then, when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ⁷ He then asked them again, “^(K)Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” ⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you are seeking Me, let these men go on their way.” ⁹ This took place so that the word which He spoke would be fulfilled: “^(L)Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” ¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, ^(M)since he had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. ¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; ^(N)the cup which the Father has given Me, am I not to drink it?”

Jesus before the Priests

^12 (O)So ^(P)the Roman ^[e]cohort, the ^[f]commander, and the ^(Q)officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him, ¹³ and brought Him to ^(R)Annas first; for he was the father-in-law of ^(S)Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁴ Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that ^(T)it was in their best interest for one man to die in behalf of the people.

^15 (U)Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered with Jesus into ^(V)the courtyard of the high priest, ^16 (W)but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. ^17 (X)Then the slave woman who was the doorkeeper *said to Peter, “^(Y)You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He *said, “I am not.” ¹⁸ Now the slaves and the ^(Z)officers were standing there, having made ^(AA)a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were ^(AB)warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

^19 (AC)The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. ²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I ^(AD)have spoken openly to the world; I always ^(AE)taught in ^[g]synagogues and ^(AF)in the temple area, where all the Jews congregate; and I said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why are you asking Me? Ask those who have heard what I spoke to them. Look: these people know what I said.” ²² But when He said this, one of the ^(AG)officers, who was standing nearby, ^(AH)struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?” ^23 (AI)Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” ^24 (AJ)So Annas sent Him bound to ^(AK)Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

^25 (AL)Now ^(AM)Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “^(AN)You are not one of His disciples as well, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” ²⁶ One of the slaves of the high priest, who was related to the one ^(AO)whose ear Peter cut off, *said, “Did I not see you in ^(AP)the garden with Him?” ²⁷ Peter then denied it again, and immediately ^(AQ)a rooster crowed.