⁵ Your fathers, where are they? And ^(A)the prophets, do they live forever?

⁵ they are afraid also of what is high, and ^(A)terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,^[a] and desire fails, because man is going to his ^(B)eternal ^(C)home, and the ^(D)mourners go about the streets—

^2 (A)that you should remember the predictions of ^(B)the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come ^(C)in the last days with scoffing, ^(D)following their own sinful desires. ^4 (E)They will say, “Where is the promise of ^(F)his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

⁷ and ^(A)the dust returns to the earth as it was, and ^(B)the spirit returns to God ^(C)who gave it.

²⁷ And just as ^(A)it is appointed for man to die once, and ^(B)after that comes judgment,

²³ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues ^(A)forever.

³⁶ For David, after he had ^(A)served the purpose of God in his own generation, ^(B)fell asleep and ^(C)was laid with his fathers and saw corruption,

⁵² The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! ^(A)Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet ^(B)you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never ^(C)taste death.’