Jehoiachin King of Judah^(A)

⁸ Jehoiachin^(B) was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta^(C) daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. ⁹ He did evil^(D) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar^(E) king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, ¹¹ and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered^(F) to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. ¹³ As the Lord had declared,^(G) Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures^(H) from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles^(I) that Solomon^(J) king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ He carried all Jerusalem into exile:^(K) all the officers and fighting men,^(L) and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest^(M) people of the land were left.

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin^(N) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,^(O) his wives, his officials and the prominent people^(P) of the land. ¹⁶ The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.^{(Q) 17} He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.^(R)

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶ “Son of man, with one blow^(A) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.^(B) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.^{(C) 17} Groan quietly;^(D) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban^(E) fastened and your sandals^(F) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard^(G) or eat the customary food of mourners.^(H)”

¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.^(I)

¹⁹ Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?^(J) Why are you acting like this?”

²⁰ So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary^(K)—the stronghold in which you take pride,^(L) the delight of your eyes,^(M) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters^(N) you left behind will fall by the sword.^{(O) 22} And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard^(P) or eat the customary food of mourners.^{(Q) 23} You will keep your turbans^(R) on your heads and your sandals^(S) on your feet. You will not mourn^(T) or weep but will waste away^(U) because of^[a] your sins and groan among yourselves.^{(V) 24} Ezekiel^(W) will be a sign^(X) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

²⁵ “And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,^(Y) their heart’s desire,^(Z) and their sons and daughters^(AA) as well— ²⁶ on that day a fugitive will come to tell you^(AB) the news. ²⁷ At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.^(AC) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.^(AD)”

Psalm 114

⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

⁴² The Lord^(A) answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.^(B) He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.^{(C) 48} But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.^(D) From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹ When Cephas^(A) came to Antioch,^(B) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James,^(C) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(D) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.^{(E) 13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(F) was led astray.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,^(G) I said to Cephas^(H) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.^(I) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?^(J)

¹⁵ “We who are Jews by birth^(K) and not sinful Gentiles^{(L) 16} know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,^(M) but by faith in Jesus Christ.^(N) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in^[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.^(O)

¹⁷ “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners,^(P) doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!^{(Q) 18} If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

¹⁹ “For through the law I died to the law^(R) so that I might live for God.^{(S) 20} I have been crucified with Christ^(T) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.^(U) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,^(V) who loved me^(W) and gave himself for me.^{(X) 21} I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,^(Y) Christ died for nothing!”^[b]