Authority, Judgment, and Watchful Readiness

1. Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead. You know that your servant feared Yahweh. Now the creditor has come to take for himself my two children to be slaves.” 2. Elisha said to her, “What should I do for you? Tell me: what do you have in the house?” She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.” 3. Then he said, “Go, borrow empty containers from of all your neighbors. Don’t borrow just a few containers. 4. Go in and shut the door on you and on your sons, and pour oil into all those containers; and set aside those which are full.” 5. So she went from him, and shut the door on herself and on her sons. They brought the containers to her, and she poured oil. 6. When the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” He said to her, “There isn’t another container.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7. Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” 8. One day Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman; and she persuaded him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread. 9. She said to her husband, “See now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually. 10. Please let us make a little room on the roof. Let us set for him there a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp stand. When he comes to us, he can stay there.” 11. One day he came there, and he went to the room and lay there. 12. He said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13. He said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have cared for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you like to be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” 14. He said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Most certainly she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15. He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the door. 16. He said, “At this season, when the time comes around, you will embrace a son.” She said, “No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant.” 17. The woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came around, as Elisha had said to her. 18. When the child was grown, one day he went out to his father to the reapers. 19. He said to his father, “My head! My head!” He said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20. When he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died. 21. She went up and laid him on the man of God’s bed, and shut the door on him, and went out. 22. She called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the servants, and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.” 23. He said, “Why would you want go to him today? It is not a new moon or a Sabbath.” She said, “It’s alright.” 24. Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward! Don’t slow down for me, unless I ask you to.” 25. So she went, and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her afar off, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, there is the Shunammite. 26. Please run now to meet her, and ask her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with your child?’” She answered, “It is well.” 27. When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, “Leave her alone; for her soul is troubled within her; and Yahweh has hidden it from me, and has not told me.” 28. Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me’?” 29. Then he said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand, and go your way. If you meet any man, don’t greet him; and if anyone greets you, don’t answer him again. Then lay my staff on the child’s face.” 30. The child’s mother said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose, and followed her. 31. Gehazi went ahead of them, and laid the staff on the child’s face; but there was no voice and no hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, “The child has not awakened.” 32. When Elisha had come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and lying on his bed. 33. He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to Yahweh. 34. He went up, and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. He stretched himself on him; and the child’s flesh grew warm. 35. Then he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth; and went up, and stretched himself out on him. Then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36. He called Gehazi, and said, “Call this Shunammite!” So he called her. When she had come in to him, he said, “Take up your son.” 37. Then she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground; then she picked up her son, and went out. 38. Elisha came again to Gilgal. There was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Get the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39. One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered a lap full of wild gourds from it, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew; for they didn’t recognize them. 40. So they poured out for the men to eat. As they were eating some of the stew, they cried out, and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41. But he said, “Then bring meal.” He threw it into the pot; and he said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot. 42. A man from Baal Shalishah came, and brought the man of God some bread of the first fruits: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. He said, “Give to the people, that they may eat.” 43. His servant said, “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give the people, that they may eat; for Yahweh says, ‘They will eat, and will have some left over.’” 44. So he set it before them, and they ate, and had some left over, according to Yahweh’s word. 1. Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2. The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3. She said to her mistress, “I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.” 4. Someone went in, and told his lord, saying, “The maiden who is from the land of Israel said this.” 5. The king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.” 7. When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes, and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.” 8. It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.” 11. But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’ 12. Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them, and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13. His servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?’” 14. Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15. He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” 16. But he said, “As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” He urged him to take it; but he refused. 17. Naaman said, “If not, then, please let two mules’ burden of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh. 18. In this thing may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may Yahweh pardon your servant in this thing.” 19. He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a little way. 20. But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him, and take something from him.” 21. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” 22. He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’” 23. Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they carried them before him. 24. When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stored them in the house. Then he let the men go, and they departed. 25. But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26. He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants? 27. Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow. 1. The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we live and meet with you is too small for us. 2. Please let us go to the Jordan, and each man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go!” 3. One said, “Please be pleased to go with your servants.” He answered, “I will go.” 4. So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. 5. But as one was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water. Then he cried, and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” 6. The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float. 7. He said, “Take it.” So he put out his hand and took it. 8. Now the king of Syria was at war against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” 9. The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass this place; for the Syrians are coming down there.” 10. The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once or twice. 11. The king of Syria’s heart was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” 12. One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13. He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” He was told, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14. Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night, and surrounded the city. 15. When the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16. He answered, “Don’t be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17. Elisha prayed, and said, “Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see.” Yahweh opened the young man’s eyes; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha. 18. When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elishah’s word. 19. Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” He led them to Samaria. 20. When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle of Samaria. 21. The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?” 22. He answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.” 23. He prepared a great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel. 24. After this, Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. 25. There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. 26. As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27. He said, “If Yahweh doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From of the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” 28. The king said to her, “What is your problem?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29. So we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him;’ and she has hidden her son.” 30. When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body. 31. Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stays on him today.” 32. But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33. While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”

1. Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2. saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat. 3. All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do. 4. For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. 5. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments, 6. and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7. the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men. 8. But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. 9. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. 10. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. 11. But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. 12. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 14. “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter. 15. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves. 16. “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’ 17. You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18. ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’ 19. You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20. He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it. 21. He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who has been living in it. 22. He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it. 23. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 24. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel! 25. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. 26. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also. 27. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous, 30. and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31. Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. 32. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33. You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? 34. Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city; 35. that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. 36. Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! 38. Behold, your house is left to you desolate. 39. For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” 1. Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. 2. But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.” 3. As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4. Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. 5. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. 6. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. 7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. 8. But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. 9. Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. 10. Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. 11. Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. 12. Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. 13. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. 14. This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15. “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16. then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house. 18. Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. 19. But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! 20. Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, 21. for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. 22. Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened. 23. “Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it. 24. For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. 25. “Behold, I have told you beforehand. 26. If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. 27. For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28. For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together. 29. But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; 30. and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31. He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. 32. “Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near. 33. Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34. Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished. 35. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 36. But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37. “As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, 39. and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left. 41. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left. 42. Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. 43. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44. Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come. 45. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? 46. Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. 47. Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. 48. But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ 49. and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, 50. the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it, 51. and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be. 1. “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3. Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them, 4. but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5. Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’ 7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9. But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10. While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11. Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ 12. But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13. Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. 14. “For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them. 15. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. 16. Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17. In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two. 18. But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 19. “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them. 20. He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.’ 21. “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22. “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.’ 23. “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24. “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter. 25. I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’ 26. “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. 27. You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. 28. Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29. For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away. 30. Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 31. “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34. Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35. for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. 36. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’ 37. “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? 38. When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? 39. When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ 40. “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41. Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 42. for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 43. I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44. “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’ 45. “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ 46. These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

1. Shout for joy to Yahweh, all you lands! 2. Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. 3. Know that Yahweh, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name. 5. For Yahweh is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations.