Jesus and Peter
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my blambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, c“Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the dthird time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, eyou know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but fwhen you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said gto show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, h“Follow me.”
Jesus and the Beloved Apostle
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, ithe one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers1 that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
24 jThis is the disciple who is kbearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that lhis testimony is true.
25 mNow there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
The River of Life
1 Then the angel1 showed me the briver of the cwater of life, bright as dcrystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the eLamb 2 through the middle of fthe street of the city; also, gon either side of the river, the htree of life2 with its twelve kinds of fruit, iyielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 jNo longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will ksee his face, and lhis name will be on their foreheads. 5 And mnight will be no more. nThey will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will oreign forever and ever.
Jesus Is Coming
6 And he said to me, p“These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of qthe spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants rwhat must soon take place.”
7 “And behold, sI am coming soon. tBlessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, uI fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not vseal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for wthe time is near. 11 xLet the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, yand the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, zbringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 aI am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who bwash their robes,3 cso that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 dOutside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my eangel to testify to you about these things for fthe churches. I am the groot and the descendant of David, the bright hmorning star.”
17 The Spirit and the iBride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And jlet the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone kadds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. lCome, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.4 Amen.
Job’s Confession and Repentance
1 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2 “I know that nyou can do all things,
and that ono purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 p‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things qtoo wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
rI will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 sI had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now tmy eye sees you;
6 therefore uI despise myself,
and repent in1 dust and ashes.”
The Lord Rebukes Job’s Friends
7 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: v“My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall wpray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
The Lord Restores Job’s Fortunes
10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they xshowed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil2 that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money3 and a ring of gold.
12 And the Lord blessed ythe latter days of Job more than his beginning. And zhe had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also aseven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and bsaw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an cold man, and dfull of days.
1 The aoracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.1
The Lord’s Love for Israel
2 b“I have loved you,” says the Lord. cBut you say, “How have you loved us?” d“Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet eI have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, f“Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”
The Priests’ Polluted Offerings
6 “A son ghonors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a hfather, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, iO priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, jis that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have kno pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will lnot accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting mmy name will be2 great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food, may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and nvows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a ogreat King, says the Lord of hosts, and pmy name will be feared among the nations.
The Lord Rebukes the Priests
1 “And now, qO priests, this command is for you. 2 rIf you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, sI have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring,3 and spread dung on your faces, the tdung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.4 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my ucovenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and vpeace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 wTrue instruction5 was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the xlips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people6 should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have yturned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but zshow partiality in your instruction.”
Judah Profaned the Covenant
10 aHave we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been bfaithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has cmarried the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant7 of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!
13 And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them done, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?8 And what was the one God9 seeking?10 Godly offspring. So guard yourselves11 in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but edivorces her,12 says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers13 his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
The Messenger of the Lord
17 You have fwearied the Lord with your gwords. hBut you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, i“Where is the God of justice?”
1 j“Behold, I send my messenger, and khe will lprepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But mwho can endure the day of his coming, and nwho can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them olike gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.14 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the psorcerers, against the qadulterers, against those who rswear falsely, against those who soppress the hired worker in his wages, the twidow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the usojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Robbing God
6 “For I the Lord vdo not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. wReturn to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. xBut you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 yYou are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. zAnd thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer15 for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of adelight, says the Lord of hosts.
13 b“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”
The Book of Remembrance
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a cbook of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my dtreasured possession, and I will spare them eas a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
16The Great Day of the Lord
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them fneither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall grise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules17 that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, hI will send you Elijah the prophet before the igreat and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 jAnd he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and kstrike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”18
