Hosea 2:1-14

New International Version

2 ^[a]“Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’^(A)

Israel Punished and Restored

²“Rebuke your mother,^(B) rebuke her,
    for she is not my wife,
    and I am not her husband.
Let her remove the adulterous^(C) look from her face
    and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.
³Otherwise I will strip^(D) her naked
    and make her as bare as on the day she was born;^(E)
I will make her like a desert,^(F)
    turn her into a parched land,
    and slay her with thirst.
⁴I will not show my love to her children,^(G)
    because they are the children of adultery.^(H)
⁵Their mother has been unfaithful
    and has conceived them in disgrace.
She said, ‘I will go after my lovers,^(I)
    who give me my food and my water,
    my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’^(J)
⁶Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes;
    I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.^(K)
⁷She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
    she will look for them but not find them.^(L)
Then she will say,
    ‘I will go back to my husband^(M) as at first,^(N)
    for then I was better off^(O) than now.’
⁸She has not acknowledged^(P) that I was the one
    who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,^(Q)
who lavished on her the silver and gold^(R)—
    which they used for Baal.^(S)

⁹“Therefore I will take away my grain^(T) when it ripens,
    and my new wine^(U) when it is ready.
I will take back my wool and my linen,
    intended to cover her naked body.
¹⁰So now I will expose^(V) her lewdness
    before the eyes of her lovers;^(W)
    no one will take her out of my hands.^(X)
¹¹I will stop^(Y) all her celebrations:^(Z)
    her yearly festivals, her New Moons,
    her Sabbath days—all her appointed festivals.^(AA)
¹²I will ruin her vines^(AB) and her fig trees,^(AC)
    which she said were her pay from her lovers;^(AD)
I will make them a thicket,^(AE)
    and wild animals will devour them.^(AF)
¹³I will punish her for the days
    she burned incense^(AG) to the Baals;^(AH)
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,^(AI)
    and went after her lovers,^(AJ)
    but me she forgot,^(AK)”
declares the Lord.^(AL)

¹⁴“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness^(AM)
and speak tenderly to her.

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Footnotes

Hosea 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-23 is numbered 2:3-25.

James 3:1-13

New International Version

Taming the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers,^(A) my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged^(B) more strictly.^(C) ²We all stumble^(D) in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say^(E) is perfect,^(F) able to keep their whole body in check.^(G)

³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.^(H) ⁴Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.^(I) Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire,^(J) a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body,^(K) sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.^(L)

⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.^(M)

⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.^(N) ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?^(O) Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it^(P) by their good life, by deeds^(Q) done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

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Matthew 13:44-52

New International Version

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like^(A) treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.^(B)

⁴⁵“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like^(C) a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like^(D) a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds^(E) of fish. ⁴⁸When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous^(F) ⁵⁰and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(G)

⁵¹“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

⁵²He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

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