Watch Yourselves

³⁴ “But watch yourselves ^(A)lest ^(B)your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and ^(C)cares of this life, and ^(D)that day come upon you suddenly ^(E)like a trap.

¹⁹ but ^(A)the cares of ^(B)the world and ^(C)the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

⁴⁵ But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master ^(A)is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and ^(B)get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come ^(C)on a day when he does not expect him and ^(D)at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

⁴⁰ You also must be ^(A)ready, for ^(B)the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

³ For the time that is past ^(A)suffices ^(B)for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. ⁴ With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of ^(C)debauchery, and ^(D)they malign you; ⁵ but they will give account to him who is ready ^(E)to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is why ^(F)the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

^7 (G)The end of all things is at hand; therefore ^(H)be self-controlled and sober-minded ^(I)for the sake of your prayers.

² For you yourselves are fully aware that ^(A)the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then ^(B)sudden destruction will come upon them ^(C)as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you ^(D)are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all ^(E)children^[a] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶ So then ^(F)let us not sleep, as others do, but let us ^(G)keep awake and ^(H)be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, ^(I)are drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, ^(J)having put on the breastplate of ^(K)faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

^3 (A)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, ^(B)I will come ^(C)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Final Words

^14 (A)Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him ^(B)without spot or ^(C)blemish, and ^(D)at peace.