I Love the Lord

The Lord's Faithfulness Endures Forever

The Branch of the Lord Glorified

² In that day ^(A)the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and ^(B)the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. ^3 (C)And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called ^(D)holy, everyone who has ^(E)been recorded for life in Jerusalem, ⁴ when ^(F)the Lord shall have washed away the filth of ^(G)the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by ^(H)a spirit of burning.^{[a] 5} Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies ^(I)a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be ^(J)a canopy. ^6 (K)There will be a ^(L)booth for shade by day from the heat, and ^(M)for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(A)that you may not grieve as others do ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(C)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(D)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(E)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(F)we who are alive, who are left until ^(G)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(H)the Lord himself will descend ^(I)from heaven ^(J)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(K)an archangel, and ^(L)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(M)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(N)caught up together with them ^(O)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(P)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

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.