The Lord's Comfort for Zion

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

^32 (A)And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and ^(B)Jesus was walking ahead of them. And ^(C)they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, ³³ saying, “See, ^(D)we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will ^(E)condemn him to death and ^(F)deliver him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ And they will ^(G)mock him and ^(H)spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And ^(I)after three days he will rise.”

The Request of James and John

^35 (J)And James and John, ^(K)the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us ^(L)whatever we ask of you.” ³⁶ And he said to them, ^(M)“What do you want me to do for you?” ³⁷ And they said to him, “Grant us ^(N)to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, ^(O)in your glory.” ³⁸ Jesus said to them, ^(P)“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ^(Q)to drink the cup that I drink, or ^(R)to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” ³⁹ And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, ^(S)“The cup that I drink ^(T)you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, ^(U)you will be baptized, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, ^(V)but it is for those for whom it has been ^(W)prepared.” ⁴¹ And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. ^42 (X)And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles ^(Y)lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But ^(Z)it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,^{[a] 44} and whoever would be first among you must be ^(AA)slave^[b] of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but ^(AB)to serve, and ^(AC)to give his life as a ransom for ^(AD)many.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

^46 (AE)And they came to Jericho. And ^(AF)as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, ^(AG)a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was ^(AH)Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ And many ^(AI)rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, ^(AJ)“Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” ⁵⁰ And throwing off his ^(AK)cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ And Jesus said to him, ^(AL)“What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, ^(AM)“Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” ⁵² And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; ^(AN)your faith has ^(AO)made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

The Lord's Coming Salvation

³ For thus says the Lord: ^(U)“You were sold for nothing, and ^(V)you shall be redeemed without money.” ⁴ For thus says the Lord God: ^(W)“My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing.^{[b] 5} Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and ^(X)continually all the day my name is despised. ⁶ Therefore my people shall know my name. ^(Y)Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”

Greeting

¹ Jude, a servant^[a] of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

^(A)To those who are called, ^(B)beloved in God the Father and ^(C)kept for^[b] Jesus Christ:

² May ^(D)mercy, ^(E)peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Judgment on False Teachers

³ Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our ^(F)common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you ^(G)to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴ For ^(H)certain people ^(I)have crept in unnoticed ^(J)who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert ^(K)the grace of our God into sensuality and ^(L)deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

⁵ Now I want ^(M)to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that ^(N)Jesus, who saved^[c] a people out of the land of Egypt, ^(O)afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And ^(P)the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— ⁷ just as ^(Q)Sodom and Gomorrah and ^(R)the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and ^(S)pursued unnatural desire,^[d] serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

⁸ Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and ^(T)blaspheme the glorious ones. ⁹ But when ^(U)the archangel ^(V)Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing ^(W)about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ^(X)“The Lord rebuke you.” ^10 (Y)But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they walked in ^(Z)the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain ^(AA)to Balaam's error and ^(AB)perished in Korah's rebellion. ¹² These are hidden reefs^{[e] (AC)}at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, ^(AD)shepherds feeding themselves; ^(AE)waterless clouds, ^(AF)swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, ^(AG)uprooted; ^13 (AH)wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of ^(AI)their own shame; ^(AJ)wandering stars, ^(AK)for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

¹⁴ It was also about these that Enoch, ^(AL)the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ^(AM)“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, ^15 (AN)to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have ^(AO)committed in such an ungodly way, and of all ^(AP)the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ¹⁶ These are grumblers, malcontents, ^(AQ)following their own sinful desires; ^(AR)they are loud-mouthed boasters, ^(AS)showing favoritism to gain advantage.

A Call to Persevere

¹⁷ But you must ^(AT)remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They^[f] said to you, ^(AU)“In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” ¹⁹ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, ^(AV)devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, ^(AW)building yourselves up in your most holy faith and ^(AX)praying in the Holy Spirit, ^21 (AY)keep yourselves in the love of God, ^(AZ)waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by ^(BA)snatching them out of ^(BB)the fire; to others show mercy ^(BC)with fear, hating even ^(BD)the garment^[g] stained by the flesh.

Doxology

^24 (BE)Now to him who is able ^(BF)to keep you from stumbling and ^(BG)to present you ^(BH)blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to ^(BI)the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, ^(BJ)be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time^[h] and now and forever. Amen.