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Jeremiah 20

Jeremiah and Pashhur

Jeremiah's Complaint

 ⁸ Whenever I speak, I cry out
       proclaiming violence and destruction.
       So the word of the LORD has brought me
       insult and reproach all day long.

 ⁹ But if I say, "I will not mention him
       or speak any more in his name,"
       his word is in my heart like a fire,
       a fire shut up in my bones.
       I am weary of holding it in;
       indeed, I cannot.

 ¹⁰ I hear many whispering,
       "Terror on every side!
       Report him! Let's report him!"
       All my friends
       are waiting for me to slip, saying,
       "Perhaps he will be deceived;
       then we will prevail over him
       and take our revenge on him."

 ¹¹ But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior;
       so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
       They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
       their dishonor will never be forgotten.

 ¹² O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous
       and probe the heart and mind,
       let me see your vengeance upon them,
       for to you I have committed my cause.

 ¹³ Sing to the LORD!
       Give praise to the LORD!
       He rescues the life of the needy
       from the hands of the wicked.

 ¹⁴ Cursed be the day I was born!
       May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!

 ¹⁵ Cursed be the man who brought my father the news,
       who made him very glad, saying,
       "A child is born to you—a son!"

 ¹⁶ May that man be like the towns
       the LORD overthrew without pity.
       May he hear wailing in the morning,
       a battle cry at noon.

 ¹⁷ For he did not kill me in the womb,
       with my mother as my grave,
       her womb enlarged forever.

 ¹⁸ Why did I ever come out of the womb
       to see trouble and sorrow
       and to end my days in shame?

Jeremiah 21

God Rejects Zedekiah's Request

 ³ But Jeremiah answered them, "Tell Zedekiah, ⁴ 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians ^[e] who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. ⁵ I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath. ⁶ I will strike down those who live in this city—both men and animals—and they will die of a terrible plague. ⁷ After that, declares the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.'

 ⁸ "Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. ⁹ Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life. ¹⁰ I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.'

 ¹¹ "Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, 'Hear the word of the LORD; ¹² O house of David, this is what the LORD says:
       " 'Administer justice every morning;
       rescue from the hand of his oppressor
       the one who has been robbed,
       or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
       because of the evil you have done—
       burn with no one to quench it.

 ¹³ I am against you, Jerusalem,
       you who live above this valley
       on the rocky plateau,
       declares the LORD—
       you who say, "Who can come against us?
       Who can enter our refuge?"

 ¹⁴ I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
       declares the LORD.
       I will kindle a fire in your forests
       that will consume everything around you.' "

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2 Timothy 4

 ¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ²Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

 ⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Personal Remarks

 ¹⁴Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. ¹⁵You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

 ¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

 ²²The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.