²⁴ “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin^[b](N) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring^(O) on my right hand, I would still pull you off. ²⁵ I will deliver^(P) you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians.^{[c] 26} I will hurl^(Q) you and the mother^(R) who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. ²⁷ You will never come back to the land you long to return^(S) to.”

The Righteous Branch

23 “Woe to the shepherds^(AC) who are destroying and scattering^(AD) the sheep of my pasture!”^(AE) declares the Lord. ² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds^(AF) who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock^(AG) and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil^(AH) you have done,” declares the Lord. ³ “I myself will gather the remnant^(AI) of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture,^(AJ) where they will be fruitful and increase in number. ⁴ I will place shepherds^(AK) over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid^(AL) or terrified, nor will any be missing,^(AM)” declares the Lord.

⁷ “So then, the days are coming,”^(AU) declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’^{(AV) 8} but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”^(AW)

³¹ Get rid of^(A) all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.^{(B) 32} Be kind and compassionate to one another,^(C) forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.^(D) 5 ¹ Follow God’s example,^(E) therefore, as dearly loved children^{(F) 2} and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us^(G) and gave himself up for us^(H) as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.^(I)

³ But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,^(J) or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,^(K) because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk^(L) or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.^{(M) 5} For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater^(N)—has any inheritance^(O) in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^{[a](P) 6} Let no one deceive you^(Q) with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath^(R) comes on those who are disobedient.^{(S) 7} Therefore do not be partners with them.

⁸ For you were once^(T) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light^{(U) 9} (for the fruit^(V) of the light consists in all goodness,^(W) righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord.^{(X) 11} Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,^(Y) but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light^(Z) becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live^(AD)—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity,^(AE) because the days are evil.^{(AF) 17} Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.^{(AG) 18} Do not get drunk on wine,^(AH) which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,^{(AI) 19} speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.^(AJ) Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks^(AK) to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Instructions for Christian Households^(AL)

²¹ Submit to one another^(AM) out of reverence for Christ.

Two Baskets of Figs

24 After Jehoiachin^[a](A) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the skilled workers and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs^(B) placed in front of the temple of the Lord. ² One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early;^(C) the other basket had very bad^(D) figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

³ Then the Lord asked me, “What do you see,^(E) Jeremiah?”

“Figs,” I answered. “The good ones are very good, but the bad ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁵ “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent^(F) away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.^{[b] 6} My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back^(G) to this land. I will build^(H) them up and not tear them down; I will plant^(I) them and not uproot them. ⁷ I will give them a heart to know^(J) me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people,^(K) and I will be their God, for they will return^(L) to me with all their heart.^(M)

⁸ “‘But like the bad^(N) figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the Lord, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah^(O) king of Judah, his officials^(P) and the survivors^(Q) from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt.^{(R) 9} I will make them abhorrent^(S) and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword,^(T) a curse^[c](U) and an object of ridicule, wherever I banish^(V) them. ¹⁰ I will send the sword,^(W) famine^(X) and plague^(Y) against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.^(Z)’”

Division Over Who Jesus Is

²⁵ At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?^{(A) 26} Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities^(B) really concluded that he is the Messiah?^{(C) 27} But we know where this man is from;^(D) when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

²⁸ Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts,^(E) cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from.^(F) I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.^(G) You do not know him, ²⁹ but I know him^(H) because I am from him and he sent me.”^(I)

³⁰ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him,^(J) because his hour had not yet come.^{(K) 31} Still, many in the crowd believed in him.^(L) They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs^(M) than this man?”

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

³³ Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time,^(N) and then I am going to the one who sent me.^{(O) 34} You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”^(P)

³⁵ The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered^(Q) among the Greeks,^(R) and teach the Greeks? ³⁶ What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”^(S)

³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival,^(T) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.^{(U) 38} Whoever believes^(V) in me, as Scripture has said,^(W) rivers of living water^(X) will flow from within them.”^{[a](Y) 39} By this he meant the Spirit,^(Z) whom those who believed in him were later to receive.^(AA) Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.^(AB)

⁴⁰ On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”^(AC)

⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?^{(AD) 42} Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants^(AE) and from Bethlehem,^(AF) the town where David lived?” ⁴³ Thus the people were divided^(AG) because of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.^(AH)

Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

⁴⁵ Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

⁴⁶ “No one ever spoke the way this man does,”^(AI) the guards replied.

⁴⁷ “You mean he has deceived you also?”^(AJ) the Pharisees retorted. ⁴⁸ “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?^{(AK) 49} No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

⁵⁰ Nicodemus,^(AL) who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ⁵¹ “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

⁵² They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”^(AM)

[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

⁵³ Then they all went home,