⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a](A) made his light shine in our hearts^(B) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.^(C)

²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.^(A) My Father will honor the one who serves me.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back^(A) and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.^(B)

¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left^(A) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(B) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(C) forever.

² Dear friends,^(A) now we are children of God,^(B) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a](C) we shall be like him,^(D) for we shall see him as he is.^(E)

²⁸ You are those who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹ And I confer on you a kingdom,^(A) just as my Father conferred one on me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom^(B) and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^(C)

¹³ Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt^(A) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.^(B)”