True Fasting

¹⁵ These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

²⁶ Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.^{(A) 27} For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.^(B)

Israel to Reap the Whirlwind

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(A) Your hearts^(B) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?^(C) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him^(D)—

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!^(A) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(B) 8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.^{(C) 9} And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(D) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

¹⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman^(A) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.^{(B) 18} When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,^(C)’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for^[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.^{(D) 19} But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn^(E) from their wickedness^(F) or from their evil ways, they will die^(G) for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.^(H)

²⁰ “Again, when a righteous person turns^(I) from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block^(J) before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.^{(K) 21} But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.^(L)”

⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast^(A) and its image^(B) and receives its mark on their forehead^(C) or on their hand, ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury,^(D) which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.^(E) They will be tormented with burning sulfur^(F) in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.