⁸ Be alert and of sober mind.^(A) Your enemy the devil prowls around^(B) like a roaring lion^(C) looking for someone to devour.

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead,^(A) and in view of his appearing^(B) and his kingdom, I give you this charge:^{(C) 2} Preach^(D) the word;^(E) be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke^(F) and encourage^(G)—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.^(H) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.^{(I) 4} They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.^(J)

⁷ The end of all things is near.^(A) Therefore be alert and of sober mind^(B) so that you may pray.

²⁸ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock^(A) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^(B) Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a](C) which he bought^(D) with his own blood.^{[b](E) 29} I know that after I leave, savage wolves^(F) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.^{(G) 30} Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples^(H) after them. ³¹ So be on your guard! Remember that for three years^(I) I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.^(J)

³³ Be on guard! Be alert^[a]!^(A) You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants^(B) in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”^(C)

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked^(A) to sift all of you as wheat.^{(B) 32} But I have prayed for you,^(C) Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”^(D)