¹⁷ “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,^(A) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,^(B) rats^(C) and other unclean things—they will meet their end^(D) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

¹⁸ “And I, because of what they have planned and done,^(E) am about to come^[a] and gather the people of all nations^(F) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.^(G)

¹⁹ “I will set a sign^(H) among them, and I will send some of those who survive^(I) to the nations—to Tarshish,^(J) to the Libyans^[b] and Lydians^(K) (famous as archers), to Tubal^(L) and Greece,^(M) and to the distant islands^(N) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.^(O) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. ²⁰ And they will bring^(P) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain^(Q) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”^(R) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.^{(S) 21} And I will select some of them also to be priests^(T) and Levites,” says the Lord.

²² “As the new heavens and the new earth^(U) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.^{(V) 23} From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath^(W) to another, all mankind will come and bow down^(X) before me,” says the Lord. ²⁴ “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies^(Y) of those who rebelled^(Z) against me; the worms^(AA) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,^(AB) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

1 Paul, a servant of God^(A) and an apostle^(B) of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth^(C) that leads to godliness^(D)— ² in the hope of eternal life,^(E) which God, who does not lie,^(F) promised before the beginning of time,^{(G) 3} and which now at his appointed season^(H) he has brought to light^(I) through the preaching entrusted to me^(J) by the command of God^(K) our Savior,^(L)

⁴ To Titus,^(M) my true son^(N) in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.^(O)

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good^(P)

⁵ The reason I left you in Crete^(Q) was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint^[a] elders^(R) in every town, as I directed you. ⁶ An elder must be blameless,^(S) faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe^[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ⁷ Since an overseer^(T) manages God’s household,^(U) he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.^{(V) 8} Rather, he must be hospitable,^(W) one who loves what is good,^(X) who is self-controlled,^(Y) upright, holy and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firmly^(Z) to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine^(AA) and refute those who oppose it.