¹² “Therefore, son of man, say to your people,^(A) ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’^{(B) 13} If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.^{(C) 14} And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just^(D) and right— ¹⁵ if they give back what they took in pledge^(E) for a loan, return what they have stolen,^(F) follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.^{(G) 16} None of the sins^(H) that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.^(I)

¹⁷ “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. ¹⁸ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil,^(J) they will die for it.^{(K) 19} And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.^{(L) 20} Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”^(M)

Living to Please God

4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,^(A) we instructed you how to live^(B) in order to please God,^(C) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ² For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³ It is God’s will^(D) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;^{(E) 4} that each of you should learn to control your own body^[a](F) in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵ not in passionate lust^(G) like the pagans,^(H) who do not know God;^{(I) 6} and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.^[b](J) The Lord will punish^(K) all those who commit such sins,^(L) as we told you and warned you before. ⁷ For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.^{(M) 8} Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.^(N)

⁹ Now about your love for one another^(O) we do not need to write to you,^(P) for you yourselves have been taught by God^(Q) to love each other.^{(R) 10} And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.^(S) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,^{(T) 11} and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,^(U) just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders^(V) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Jerusalem’s Fall Explained

²¹ In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped^(A) from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!^(B)” ²² Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me,^(C) and he opened my mouth^(D) before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.^(E)

²³ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, the people living in those ruins^(F) in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many;^(G) surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’^{(H) 25} Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat^(I) meat with the blood^(J) still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?^{(K) 26} You rely on your sword, you do detestable things,^(L) and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife.^(M) Should you then possess the land?’

²⁷ “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.^{(N) 28} I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains^(O) of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.^{(P) 29} Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate^(Q) waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’^(R)

³⁰ “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ ³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before^(S) you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy^(T) for unjust gain.^{(U) 32} Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs^(V) with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.^(W)

³³ “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.^(X)”

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples,^(A) by the Sea of Galilee.^[a](B) It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas^(C) (also known as Didymus^[b]), Nathanael^(D) from Cana in Galilee,^(E) the sons of Zebedee,^(F) and two other disciples were together. ³ “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.^(G)

⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.^(H)

⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

⁶ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.^(I)

⁷ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved^(J) said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ⁸ The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.^{[c] 9} When they landed, they saw a fire^(K) of burning coals there with fish on it,^(L) and some bread.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.^{(M) 14} This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples^(N) after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”^(O)

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”^(P)

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”^(Q)

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”^(R) He said, “Lord, you know all things;^(S) you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.^{(T) 18} Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death^(U) by which Peter would glorify God.^(V) Then he said to him, “Follow me!”^(W)

²⁰ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved^(X) was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)^{(Y) 21} When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return,^(Z) what is that to you? You must follow me.”^{(AA) 23} Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers^(AB) that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things^(AC) and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.^(AD)

²⁵ Jesus did many other things as well.^(AE) If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.