^13 (A)“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. ^(B)But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ ¹⁴ You have said, ^(C)‘It is vain to serve God. ^(D)What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? ¹⁵ And now we call ^(E)the arrogant blessed. ^(F)Evildoers not only prosper but ^(G)they put God to the test and they escape.’”

The Book of Remembrance

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord ^(H)spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and ^(I)a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. ¹⁷ “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, ^(J)in the day when I make up ^(K)my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸ Then once more you shall ^(L)see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

The Great Day of the Lord

4 ^[a] “For behold, ^(M)the day is coming, ^(N)burning like an oven, when ^(O)all the arrogant and ^(P)all evildoers ^(Q)will be stubble. The day that is coming ^(R)shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ² But for you ^(S)who fear my name, ^(T)the sun ^(U)of righteousness shall rise ^(V)with healing in its wings. You shall go out ^(W)leaping like calves from the stall. ³ And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, ^(X)on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

^4 (Y)“Remember ^(Z)the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules^[b] that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

^5 (AA)“Behold, I will send you ^(AB)Elijah the prophet ^(AC)before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ⁶ And he will ^(AD)turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and ^(AE)strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”^[c]

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

A Psalm.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ Now we command you, brothers, ^(A)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(B)that you keep away from any ^(C)brother ^(D)who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know ^(E)how you ought to imitate us, because ^(F)we were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but ^(G)with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It was ^(H)not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves ^(I)an example to imitate. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: ^(J)If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ¹¹ For we hear that some among you ^(K)walk in idleness, not busy at work, but ^(L)busybodies. ¹² Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.^[a]

¹³ As for you, brothers, ^(M)do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and ^(N)have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. ^15 (O)Do not regard him as an enemy, but ^(P)warn him as a brother.

Benediction

¹⁶ Now may ^(Q)the Lord of peace himself ^(R)give you peace at all times in every way. ^(S)The Lord be with you all.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

^5 (A)And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ⁶ “As for these things that you see, ^(B)the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” ⁷ And they asked him, “Teacher, ^(C)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” ⁸ And he said, ^(D)“See that you are not led astray. For ^(E)many will come in my name, saying, ^(F)‘I am he!’ and, ^(G)‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. ⁹ And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be ^(H)terrified, for these things ^(I)must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

¹⁰ Then he said to them, ^(J)“Nation will rise against nation, and ^(K)kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great ^(L)earthquakes, and in various places ^(M)famines and pestilences. And there will be ^(N)terrors and great ^(O)signs from heaven. ¹² But before all this ^(P)they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to ^(Q)the synagogues and ^(R)prisons, and you ^(S)will be brought before ^(T)kings and ^(U)governors for my name's sake. ^13 (V)This will be your opportunity to bear witness. ¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your minds ^(W)not to meditate beforehand how to answer, ¹⁵ for ^(X)I will give you a mouth and ^(Y)wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or ^(Z)contradict. ¹⁶ You will be delivered up ^(AA)even by parents and brothers^[a] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. ^17 (AB)You will be hated by all for my name's sake. ¹⁸ But ^(AC)not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your ^(AD)endurance you will gain your lives.