The Wicked Are Slain

9 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a ^[a]deadly weapon in his hand.” ² And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his ^[b]battle-ax in his hand. ^(A)One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn ^[c]at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

³ Now ^(B)the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the ^[d]temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; ⁴ and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put ^(C)a mark on the foreheads of the men ^(D)who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

⁵ To the others He said in my ^[e]hearing, “Go after him through the city and ^(E)kill;^{[f] (F)}do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. ^6 (G)Utterly^[g] slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but ^(H)do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and ^(I)begin at My sanctuary.” ^(J)So they began with the elders who were before the ^[h]temple. ⁷ Then He said to them, “Defile the ^[i]temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

⁸ So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I ^(K)fell on my face and cried out, and said, ^(L)“Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”

⁹ Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and ^(M)the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ^(N)‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and ^(O)the Lord does not see!’ ¹⁰ And as for Me also, My ^(P)eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but ^(Q)I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”

¹¹ Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”

Character of the New Man

¹² Therefore, ^(A)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, ^(B)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ^13 (C)bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ^14 (D)But above all these things ^(E)put on love, which is the ^(F)bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let ^(G)the peace of God rule in your hearts, ^(H)to which also you were called ^(I)in one body; and ^(J)be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ^(K)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And ^(L)whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The Christian Home^(M)

^18 (N)Wives, submit to your own husbands, ^(O)as is fitting in the Lord.

^19 (P)Husbands, love your wives and do not be ^(Q)bitter toward them.

^20 (R)Children, obey your parents ^(S)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

^21 (T)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

^22 (U)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ^23 (V)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ^24 (W)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; ^(X)for^[a] you serve the Lord Christ. ²⁵ But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and ^(Y)there is no partiality.

Christian Graces; Final Greetings

4 Masters,^(Z) give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Judgment on Wicked Counselors

11 Then ^(A)the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to ^(B)the East Gate of the Lord’s house, which faces eastward; and there ^(C)at the door of the gate were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. ² And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked ^[a]counsel in this city, ³ who say, ‘The time is not ^(D)near to build houses; ^(E)this city is the ^[b]caldron, and we are the meat.’ ⁴ Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”

⁵ Then ^(F)the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me, “Speak! ‘Thus says the Lord: “Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for ^(G)I know the things that come into your mind. ^6 (H)You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.” ⁷ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ^(I)“Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron; ^(J)but I shall bring you out of the midst of it. ⁸ You have ^(K)feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,” says the Lord God. ⁹ “And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and ^(L)execute judgments on you. ^10 (M)You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at ^(N)the border of Israel. ^(O)Then you shall know that I am the Lord. ^11 (P)This city shall not be your ^[c]caldron, nor shall you be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel. ¹² And you shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but ^(Q)have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.” ’ ”

¹³ Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that ^(R)Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then ^(S)I fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?”

Jesus Prays for Himself

17 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, ^(A)the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ^2 (B)as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He ^[a]should give eternal life to as many ^(C)as You have given Him. ³ And ^(D)this is eternal life, that they may know You, ^(E)the only true God, and Jesus Christ ^(F)whom You have sent. ^4 (G)I have glorified You on the earth. ^(H)I have finished the work ^(I)which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together ^[b]with Yourself, with the glory ^(J)which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

^6 (K)“I have ^[c]manifested Your name to the men ^(L)whom You have given Me out of the world. ^(M)They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷ Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. ⁸ For I have given to them the words ^(N)which You have given Me; and they have received them, ^(O)and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that ^(P)You sent Me.

⁹ “I pray for them. ^(Q)I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰ And all Mine are Yours, and ^(R)Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. ^11 (S)Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, ^(T)keep^[d] through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one ^(U)as We are. ¹² While I was with them ^[e]in the world, ^(V)I kept them in ^[f]Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and ^(W)none of them is ^[g]lost ^(X)except the son of ^[h]perdition, ^(Y)that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them Your word; ^(Z)and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, ^(AA)just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but ^(AB)that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ^17 (AC)Sanctify^[i] them by Your truth. ^(AD)Your word is truth. ^18 (AE)As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And ^(AF)for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who ^[j]will believe in Me through their word; ^21 (AG)that they all may be one, as ^(AH)You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the ^(AI)glory which You gave Me I have given them, ^(AJ)that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; ^(AK)that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

^24 (AL)“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; ^(AM)for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! ^(AN)The world has not known You, but ^(AO)I have known You; and ^(AP)these have known that You sent Me. ^26 (AQ)And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love ^(AR)with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”