Lament over Jerusalem

³¹ At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from ^(A)here, for ^(B)Herod wants to kill you.” ³² And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day ^(C)I finish my course. ³³ Nevertheless, ^(D)I ^(E)must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that ^(F)a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ ^34 (G)O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that ^(H)kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! ^(I)How often would I have ^(J)gathered ^(K)your children together ^(L)as a hen gathers her brood ^(M)under her wings, and ^(N)you would not! ³⁵ Behold, ^(O)your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ^(P)‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

A Worker Approved by God

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and ^(A)charge them before God^{[a] (B)}not to quarrel about words, ^(C)which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,^[b] a worker ^(D)who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶ But ^(E)avoid ^(F)irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are ^(G)Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth, ^(H)saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹ But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ^(I)“The Lord knows those who are his”, and, “Let everyone ^(J)who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁰ Now in ^(K)a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, ^(L)some for honourable use, some for dishonourable. ²¹ Therefore, ^(M)if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable,^[c] he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ^(N)ready for every good work.

²² So ^(O)flee ^(P)youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with ^(Q)those who call on the Lord ^(R)from a pure heart. ²³ Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant ^(S)controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And ^(T)the Lord's servant^[d] must not be quarrelsome but ^(U)kind to everyone, ^(V)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents ^(W)with gentleness. God ^(X)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(Y)leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(Z)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.