Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders
17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:
c“You yourselves know how I lived among you dthe whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with etears and with trials that happened to me through the fplots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 gtestifying both to hJews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.1 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by2 the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit itestifies to me in every city that imprisonment and jafflictions await me. 24 kBut I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about lproclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am minnocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 nPay careful attention to yourselves and to all the oflock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God,3 which he obtained with his own blood.4 29 I know that after my departure fierce pwolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise qmen speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 rI coveted sno one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have tshown you that by working hard in this way we must uhelp the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my bshepherd; cI shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in dgreen pastures.
He eleads me beside still waters.1
3 He frestores my soul.
He gleads me in hpaths of righteousness2
ifor his name’s sake.
4 jEven though I walk through the valley of the kshadow of death,3
I will fear no evil,
for you are lwith me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a mtable before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely4 goodness and mercy5 shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall ndwell6 in the house of the Lord
forever.7
A Great Multitude from Every Nation
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, zfrom every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the aLamb, clothed in bwhite robes, with cpalm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation dbelongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the efour living creatures, and they ffell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, g“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the hgreat tribulation. They have iwashed their robes and made them jwhite in the blood of the Lamb.
15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him kday and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 lThey shall mhunger no more, nneither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their oshepherd,
and he will guide them to psprings of living water,
and God will qwipe away every tear from their eyes.”
I and the Father Are One
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the jcolonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? kIf you are the Christ, tell us lplainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name mbear witness about me, 26 but nyou do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep ohear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I pgive them eternal life, and they will never perish, and qno one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, rwho has given them to me,1 is sgreater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 tI and the Father are one.”
