²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of ^(A)the kingdom and ^(B)does not understand it, ^(C)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. ²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately ^(D)receives it with joy, ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but ^(E)endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately ^(F)he falls away.^{[a] 22} As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but ^(G)the cares of ^(H)the world and ^(I)the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

²⁶ For ^(A)if we go on sinning deliberately ^(B)after receiving the knowledge of the truth, ^(C)there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ^27 (D)but a fearful expectation of judgment, and ^(E)a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. ^28 (F)Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy ^(G)on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one ^(H)who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned ^(I)the blood of the covenant ^(J)by which he was sanctified, and has ^(K)outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, ^(L)“Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, ^(M)“The Lord will judge his people.” ^31 (N)It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

^13 (A)each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed ^(B)by fire, and ^(C)the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

²⁰ For if, ^(A)after they have escaped the defilements of the world ^(B)through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, ^(C)the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For ^(D)it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from ^(E)the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The ^(F)dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

¹⁰ Precisely because they have misled my people, ^(A)saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, ^(B)these prophets smear it with whitewash,^{[a] 11} say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! ^(C)There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. ¹² And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ ¹³ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ^(D)I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, ^(E)and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. ¹⁴ And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, ^(F)and you shall know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, ¹⁶ the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem ^(G)and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

⁴³ “When ^(A)the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through ^(B)waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and ^(C)the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this ^(D)evil generation.”