³ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.^(A)’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

⁸ Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.”^(A)

¹⁴ They will wage war^(A) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over^(B) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings^(C)—and with him will be his called, chosen^(D) and faithful followers.”

⁸ But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars^(A)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.^(B) This is the second death.”^(C)

The Cost of Being a Disciple

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.^{(A) 27} And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.^(B)

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.^(C)

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”^(A)

²¹ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.^(A)