The Daily Audio Bible
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False Gods and the True God
10 Hear the word that the Lord is speaking to you, house of Israel.
2 This is what the Lord says.
Do not learn the ways of the nations,
or be frightened by signs in the heavens,
although the nations are frightened by them.
3 The rituals of the peoples are worthless.
They cut down a tree in the forest.
Then the hands of a craftsman work it with an ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold,
but they have to nail it down with hammers,
so that it will not tip over.
5 Their idols are like a scarecrow in a melon[a] patch.
They cannot speak.
They must be carried because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them. They can do no harm,
nor can they do any good.
6 No one is like you, Lord.
You are great and your name is powerful.
7 Is there anyone who should not fear you, King of the Nations?
That is what you deserve.
Among all the wise men of the nations
and in all their kingdoms,
there is no one like you.
8 They are stupid and foolish,
because they are instructed by worthless idols made of wood.
9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish,
and gold is brought from Uphaz.
The handiwork of a goldsmith
and the work of a craftsman,
their idols are dressed in blue and purple.
But they are nothing but the work of skilled craftsmen.
10 But the Lord is the true God.
He is the living God, the eternal King.
The earth quakes at his wrath.
The nations cannot endure his fury.
11 You are to say this to them:
“These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth,
will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”[b]
12 But the one who made the earth by his power,
established the world by his wisdom,
and stretched out the heavens by his understanding—
13 he thunders, and the waters in the heavens roar.
He makes storm clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and he brings out the wind from his warehouses.
14 But as for mankind, they are all stupid.
Their knowledge has dried up.
Every goldsmith is embarrassed by his idols.
The images he makes are false.
There is no breath in them.
15 They are worthless,
an achievement to be mocked.
At the time of their punishment, they will perish.
16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
because he is the Maker of all things,
including Israel, the tribe that belongs to him.
The Lord of Armies is his name.
17 Pick up your pack from the ground,
you who live under siege.
18 For this is what the Lord says.
Watch, I am going to throw out those who live in the land at this time.
I am going to bring them distress that they will feel.
Jeremiah’s Lament
19 Woe to me because of my wound!
My injury is severe!
But I said, “Yes, this is my suffering,
and I must bear it.”
20 My tent is destroyed.
All its ropes are broken.
My children are gone, and they are no more.
No one is left to pitch my tent
or to set up my dwelling.
21 The shepherds have become as senseless as animals.
They do not seek the Lord.
That is why they do not prosper
and all their flock is scattered.
22 Listen! I hear noise—
a great commotion from a land in the north.
It will make the cities of Judah desolate.
It will make them a haunt for jackals.
Jeremiah’s Prayer
23 I know, Lord, that a man’s way is not his own,
nor can a man direct his own steps.
24 Correct me, Lord, but with justice,
not in your anger,
or you will reduce me to nothing.
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations who do not acknowledge you,
on the peoples who do not call on your name,
for they have devoured Jacob.
They have devoured him completely
and made his homeland desolate.
The Broken Covenant
11 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord.
2 Listen to the terms of this covenant, and announce them to every man in Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. A curse on the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant, 4 the terms I commanded your fathers[c] when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace. I said, “Obey me and do everything that I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.” 5 Then I will ratify the oath I swore to your fathers, that I would give them a land flowing with milk and honey—as it is today.
I answered, “Amen, Lord.”
6 The Lord then told me to proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.
Listen to the terms of this covenant and obey them. 7 From the time when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, I have warned them again and again to obey my voice, 8 but they did not obey. They did not pay attention. Each one lived according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart. So I brought all the curses of this covenant on them. I commanded them to obey, but they did not obey.
9 The Lord also said to me:
A conspiracy has been uncovered among the men of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their fathers, who refused to obey my words. They are following other gods and serving them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.
11 Therefore this is what the Lord says. Watch this. I am going to bring a disaster on them that they will not be able to escape. They will cry out to me, but I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem will cry out to the gods to whom they have been burning offerings, but who cannot do anything to save them in the time of trouble. 13 Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. You have set up as many altars to burn offerings to Shame—that is, to Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.
14 As for you, Jeremiah, do not pray for this people or lift up a cry or a request for them. I will not listen to them when they call to me in their time of distress. 15 She is my beloved, but what right does she have to be in my temple when she has done so many wicked things? Can consecrated meat prevent you from being punished if you rejoice when you do evil?
16 The Lord called you a green olive tree with beautifully formed fruit. But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it ablaze, and its branches will be broken.
17 The Lord of Armies, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done. They have provoked me to anger by burning incense to Baal.
A Plot Against Jeremiah
18 The Lord revealed their plot to me so I became aware of it. He showed me what they were doing. 19 I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I had not realized that they had plotted against me. They were saying:
“Let us destroy the tree along with its fruit.
Let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will no longer be remembered.”
20 But, Lord of Armies, you judge righteously.
You test the heart and mind.
Let me see your vengeance on them,
for I have presented my case to you.
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the men of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hands.” 22 This is what the Lord of Armies says. I will certainly punish them. Their young men will die by the sword. Their sons and daughters will die by famine, 23 and none of them will be left. I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.
Household Duties
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not treat them harshly.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, so that they do not become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your human masters[a] in everything, not just when they are watching you, like people-pleasers, but with a sincere heart, out of respect for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, keep working at it with all your heart, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. Keep serving the Lord Christ! 25 Indeed, the one who does what is wrong will be repaid for what he did wrong, and there is no favoritism.
4 Masters, show justice and fairness to your slaves, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
Exhortations
2 Be persistent in prayer, and as you pray, be alert and thankful. 3 At the same time, pray for us too, that God might open a door for our message, so that we can tell the mystery about Christ, for which I am in prison. 4 Pray that I may make it known clearly, as it is necessary for me to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom in the way you act toward those on the outside, making the most of your opportunity.[b] 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you are to answer each person.
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you everything about me. 8 I am sending him to you for this very reason, that you may know how we are,[c] and that he may comfort your hearts. 9 I am sending him along with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is going on here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You received instructions about him. If he comes to you, welcome him. 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also greets you. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are circumcised,[d] and who have been a source of comfort to me. 12 Epaphras greets you. He is one of you and is a servant of Christ.[e] He is always struggling in prayer for you, praying that you may stand complete and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 Indeed, I can testify about him that he has worked very hard in your place, in the place of those in Laodicea, and in the place of those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the dearly loved doctor, greets you, as does Demas.
15 Greet the brothers in Laodicea. Greet Nympha and the church at her[f] house. 16 When this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans. And make sure that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 Tell Archippus, “See to it that you fulfill the ministry that you received in the Lord.”
18 This greeting is written by me, Paul, with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.[g]
Rebellion in the Land (Judges)
56 But they tested him.
They rebelled against God Most High,
and they did not keep his testimonies.
57 Yes, they turned aside and were treacherous like their fathers.
They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
58 Then they angered him with their high places,
and they made him jealous with their idols.
Judgment in the Land
59 God heard, and he showed his anger.
He completely rejected Israel.
60 So he abandoned his dwelling in Shiloh,
the tent where he dwelled among people.
61 So he sent the symbol of his strength[a] away into captivity.
He gave his splendor into the hand of the foe.
62 He also handed over his people to the sword,
and he showed his anger against his possession.
63 Fire consumed their best young men,
so their virgins were not praised in wedding songs.
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows did not weep.
Mercy in the Land
65 Then the Lord awoke like someone who has been sleeping,
like a warrior overcome by wine.
66 Then he drove back his foes.
He gave them everlasting shame.
67 Then he rejected the tent of Joseph,
and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 But he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loved.
69 Then he built up his sanctuary like the heights,
like the world that he established for all time.
70 Then he chose David his servant
and took him from the sheep pens.
71 He brought him from following the mother sheep
to shepherd his people Jacob
and his possession Israel.
72 So he shepherded them with a sincere heart,
and with skillful hands he led them.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause.
Do not practice deception with your lips.
29 Do not think, “I will do to him what he did to me.
I will pay the man back for what he did.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.