False Prophets Ashamed

13 “On that day a ^(A)fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for ^(B)sin and for ^(C)defilement.

² “And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord of armies, “that I will ^(D)eliminate the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the ^(E)prophets and the ^(F)unclean spirit from the land. ³ And if anyone still ^(G)prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall ^(H)not live, because you have spoken ^(I)falsely in the name of the Lord’; and his ^(J)father and mother who gave birth to him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. ⁴ Also it will come about on that day that the prophets will each be ^(K)ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a ^(L)hairy robe in order to deceive; ⁵ but he will say, ‘I am ^(M)not a prophet; I am a cultivator of the ground, because a man ^[a]sold me as a slave in my youth.’ ⁶ And someone will say to him, ‘What are these wounds ^(N)between your ^[b]arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was wounded at the house of ^[c]my friends.’

Abandonment of Faith

4 But ^(A)the Spirit explicitly says that ^(B)in later times some will ^[a]fall away from the faith, paying attention to ^(C)deceitful spirits and ^(D)teachings of demons, ² by means of the hypocrisy of liars ^(E)seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, ³ who ^(F)forbid marriage and advocate ^(G)abstaining from foods which ^(H)God has created to be ^(I)gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For ^(J)everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is ^(K)received with gratitude; ⁵ for it is sanctified by means of ^(L)the word of God and prayer.

A Good Minister’s Discipline

⁶ In pointing out these things to ^(M)the brothers and sisters, you will be a good ^(N)servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the ^(O)good doctrine which you ^(P)have been following. ⁷ But ^[b]stay away from ^(Q)worthless ^(R)stories that are typical of old women. Rather, ^[c]discipline yourself for the purpose of ^(S)godliness; ⁸ for ^(T)bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but ^(U)godliness is beneficial for all things, since it ^(V)holds promise for the ^(W)present life and also for the life to come. ^9 (X)It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. ¹⁰ For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set ^(Y)our hope on ^(Z)the living God, who is ^(AA)the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.

^11 [d](AB)Prescribe and teach these things. ^12 (AC)Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, ^(AD)love, faith, and purity, show yourself ^(AE)an example ^[e]of those who believe. ^13 (AF)Until I come, give your attention to the public ^[f](AG)reading, to exhortation, and teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was granted to you through words of ^(AH)prophecy with ^(AI)the laying on of hands by the ^[g](AJ)council of elders. ¹⁵ Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. ^16 (AK)Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ^(AL)save both yourself and those who hear you.

¹⁰ On the ^(A)twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, ¹¹ “The Lord of armies says this: ‘^(B)Now ask the priests for a ^[a]ruling: ¹² If someone carries ^(C)holy meat in the ^[b]fold of his garment, and touches bread with ^[c]this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” ¹³ Then Haggai said, “^(D)If one who is unclean from a ^[d]corpse touches any of these things, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” ¹⁴ Then Haggai responded and said, “‘^(E)So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. ¹⁵ But now, do ^[e](F)consider from this day ^[f]onward: before one ^(G)stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord, ^16 [g]from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty ^[h]measures, there would be only twenty. ¹⁷ I struck you and every work of your hands with ^(H)scorching wind, mildew, and hail; ^[i]yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord. ¹⁸ ‘Do ^[j](I)consider from this day ^[k]onward, from the ^(J)twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was ^(K)founded, ^[l]consider: ¹⁹ Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will ^(L)bless you.’”

²⁰ Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the ^(M)twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, ²¹ “Speak to ^(N)Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to ^(O)shake the heavens and the earth. ²² And I will ^(P)overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the ^(Q)power of the kingdoms of the ^[m]nations; and I will ^(R)overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the ^(S)horses and their riders will go down, ^(T)every one by the sword of another.’ ²³ ‘On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a ^[n](U)signet ring, for ^(V)I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of armies.

The Old and the New

9 Now even the first covenant had ^(A)regulations for divine worship and ^(B)the earthly sanctuary. ² For ^(C)a ^[a]tabernacle was equipped, the ^[b]outer sanctuary, in which were ^(D)the lampstand, ^(E)the table, and ^(F)the ^[c]sacred bread; this is called the Holy Place. ³ Behind ^(G)the second veil there was a ^[d]tabernacle which is called the ^(H)Most Holy Place, ⁴ having a golden ^[e](I)altar of incense and ^(J)the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was ^(K)a golden jar holding the manna, ^(L)Aaron’s staff which budded, and ^(M)the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ and above it were the ^(N)cherubim of glory ^(O)overshadowing the ^[f]atoning cover; but about these things we cannot now speak in detail.

⁶ Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests ^(P)are continually entering the ^[g]outer ^[h]tabernacle, performing the divine worship, ⁷ but into ^(Q)the second, only ^(R)the high priest enters ^(S)once a year, ^(T)not without taking blood which he ^(U)offers for himself and for the ^[i](V)sins of the people committed in ignorance. ^8 (W)The Holy Spirit is signifying this, ^(X)that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the ^[j]outer tabernacle is still standing, ⁹ which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly ^(Y)both gifts and sacrifices are offered which ^(Z)cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, ¹⁰ since they relate only to ^(AA)food, ^(AB)drink, and various ^(AC)washings, ^(AD)regulations for the ^[k]body imposed until ^(AE)a time of reformation.

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as a ^(AF)high priest of the ^(AG)good things ^[l]having come, He entered through ^(AH)the greater and more perfect ^[m]tabernacle, ^(AI)not made by hands, that is, ^(AJ)not of this creation; ¹² and not through ^(AK)the blood of goats and calves, but ^(AL)through His own blood, He ^(AM)entered the holy place ^(AN)once for all time, ^[n]having obtained ^(AO)eternal redemption. ¹³ For if ^(AP)the blood of goats and bulls, and ^(AQ)the ^[o]ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the ^[p]cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will ^(AR)the blood of Christ, who through ^[q](AS)the eternal Spirit ^(AT)offered Himself without blemish to God, ^(AU)cleanse your conscience from ^(AV)dead works to serve ^(AW)the living God?