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24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, “Listen to the Lord’s word, all you people of Judah who are in Egypt. 25 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives made promises, and you have kept them. You said, ‘We will certainly do what we vow. We will burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out wine offerings to her.’
“So go ahead. Keep your vows, and do what you vow. 26 But listen to the Lord’s word, all you people of Judah who live in Egypt. ‘I swear by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that no one from Judah who lives anywhere in Egypt will ever again call on my name and take the oath, “As the Almighty Lord lives.” 27 I am going to watch over them. I am going to watch over them to bring disasters, not blessings. In Egypt the people from Judah will die in wars and famines until everyone is gone. 28 Those who escape the wars will return to Judah from Egypt. Then all the people of Judah who went to live in Egypt will know whose words have come true, mine or theirs. 29 I will give you this sign,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will punish you in this place so that you will know that my threats of disaster will happen to you. 30 This is what the Lord says: I’m going to hand Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, over to his enemies and to those who want to kill him, just as I handed over King Zedekiah of Judah to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to those who wanted to kill him.’ ”
The Lord’s Promise to the Scribe Baruch
45 This is the message that the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Baruch, son of Neriah. Baruch wrote these things on a scroll as Jeremiah dictated them during the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah. Jeremiah said, 2 “This is what the Lord God of Israel says to you, Baruch: 3 You said, ‘I’m so miserable! The Lord has added grief to my pain. I’m worn out from groaning. I can’t find any rest.’
4 “Say this to Baruch, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will tear down what I have built. I will uproot what I have planted throughout the earth. 5 Are you looking for great things for yourself? Don’t look for them, because I’m going to bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord. But wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’ ”
A Prophecy against Egypt
46 The Lord spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the nations.
2 This is the message about Egypt, about the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated his army at Carchemish along the Euphrates River during the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah.
3 “Get your large and small shields ready; advance into battle.
4 Harness your horses. Mount up, you horsemen.
Take your positions, and put on your helmets.
Polish your spears.
Put on your armor.
5 “What do I see in them?
They are terrified.
They are retreating.
Their warriors are defeated.
They flee without looking back.
Terror is all around them,” declares the Lord.
6 “The infantry can’t flee.
The warriors can’t escape.
They stumble and fall in the north by the Euphrates River.
7 Who is this, rising like the Nile River,
like streams that flow swiftly?
8 Egypt is like the rising Nile River,
like a river quickly overflowing its banks.
Egypt says, ‘I will rise; I will cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and the people in them.’
9 Go into battle, you horsemen.
Drive wildly, you chariot drivers.
March into battle, you warriors,
you warriors from Sudan and Put who carry shields,
you warriors from Lydia who use bows and arrows.
10 That day belongs to the Almighty Lord of Armies.
It is a day of vengeance when he will take revenge on his enemies.
His sword will devour until it has had enough,
and it will drink their blood until it’s full.
The Almighty Lord of Armies will offer them as sacrifices
in the north by the Euphrates River.
11 Go to Gilead, and get medicine, dear people of Egypt.
You have used many medicines without results; you can’t be cured.
12 The nations have heard of your shame; your cry fills the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another,
and both will fall together.”
13 The Lord spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who will defeat Egypt.
14 “Tell this in Egypt; announce this in Migdol.
Make it known in Memphis and in Tahpanhes.
Say, ‘Take your positions, and get ready.
Swords will kill those around you.’
15 Why should your soldiers be cut down?
They can’t stand because the Lord will push them down.
16 They have repeatedly stumbled, and now they have fallen.
They say to each other,
‘Get up! Let’s go back to our people,
to the land where we were born,
and escape our enemy’s sword.’
17 There they will cry, ‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is a big windbag.
He has missed his chance.’
18 “As I live,” declares the king, whose name is the Lord of Armies,
“someone who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains will come.
Someone who is like Mount Carmel by the sea will come.
19 Pack your bags, inhabitants of Egypt,
because you will be taken away as captives.
Memphis will become a dreary wasteland,
a pile of rubble where no one lives.
20 “Egypt is like a beautiful cow,
but a horsefly from the north will attack it.
21 Egypt’s hired soldiers are like fattened calves.
They will turn and run away together.
They won’t stand their ground.
The day of destruction is coming.
At that time they will be punished.
22 Egypt will hiss like a snake as it slithers away.
Its enemies will come with full force.
They will attack it with axes like those who chop wood.
23 They will cut down the forest,” declares the Lord,
“since Egypt can’t be found.
They are more numerous than locusts; they can’t be counted.
24 The people of Egypt will be put to shame.
They will be handed over to the people from the north.”
25 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says,
“I’m going to punish Amon, who is the god of Thebes.
I will also punish Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods, its kings,
and whoever trusts Pharaoh.
26 I’ll hand them over to those who want to kill them,
to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers.
Afterward, they will live in peace as they did long ago,”
declares the Lord.
27 “Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob.
Don’t be terrified, Israel.
I’m going to rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land,
from the land where you are captives.
Then Jacob’s descendants will again have undisturbed peace,
and no one will make them afraid.
28 Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,” declares the Lord.
“I am with you.
I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you,
but I will not completely destroy you.
I will correct you with justice.
I won’t let you go entirely unpunished.”
A Prophecy against Philistia
47 The Lord spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the Philistines before Pharaoh defeated Gaza. 2 This is what the Lord says:
Water is rising in the north.
It will become an overflowing river.
It will overflow the land and everything in it,
the cities and those who live in them.
People will cry out and everyone who lives in the land will cry loudly.
3 They will hear the sound of galloping war horses,
the rattling of enemy chariots,
and the rumbling of their wheels.
Fathers who lack courage abandon their children.
4 The time has come to destroy all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon any Philistine
who might have escaped to get help.
The Lord will destroy the Philistines
and anyone who is left from the island of Crete.
5 Gaza will shave its head in mourning.
Ashkelon will be destroyed.
How long will you cut yourselves, you people left on the plains?
6 You cry out, “Sword of the Lord,
how long will you keep on fighting?
Go back into your scabbard.
Stay there and rest!”
7 How can the sword of the Lord rest?
The Lord has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast.
He has put it there.
22 Stay away from lusts which tempt young people. Pursue what has God’s approval. Pursue faith, love, and peace together with those who worship the Lord with a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments. You know they cause quarrels. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel. Instead, he must be kind to everyone. He must be a good teacher. He must be willing to suffer wrong. 25 He must be gentle in correcting those who oppose the Good News. Maybe God will allow them to change the way they think and act and lead them to know the truth. 26 Then they might come back to their senses and God will free them from the devil’s snare so that they can do his will.
Watch Out for Sinful People
3 You must understand this: In the last days there will be violent periods of time. 2 People will be selfish and love money. They will brag, be arrogant, and use abusive language. They will curse their parents, show no gratitude, have no respect for what is holy, 3 and lack normal affection for their families. They will refuse to make peace with anyone. They will be slanderous, lack self-control, be brutal, and have no love for what is good. 4 They will be traitors. They will be reckless and conceited. They will love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will appear to have a godly life, but they will not let its power change them. Stay away from such people.
6 Some of these men go into homes and mislead weak-minded women who are burdened with sins and led by all kinds of desires. 7 These women are always studying but are never able to recognize the truth.
8 As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men oppose the truth. Their minds are corrupt, and the faith they teach is counterfeit. 9 Certainly, they won’t get very far. Like the stupidity of Jannes and Jambres, their stupidity will be plain to everyone.
Teach the Truth
10 But you know all about my teachings, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. 11 You also know about the kind of persecutions and sufferings which happened to me in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions, and the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Those who try to live a godly life because they believe in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil people and phony preachers will go from bad to worse as they mislead people and are themselves misled.
14 However, continue in what you have learned and found to be true. You know who your teachers were. 15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. They have the power to give you wisdom so that you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval. 17 They equip God’s servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things.
94 O Lord, God of vengeance,
O God of vengeance, appear!
2 Arise, O Judge of the earth.
Give arrogant people what they deserve.
3 How long, O Lord, will wicked people triumph?
How long?
4 They ramble.
They speak arrogantly.
All troublemakers brag about themselves.
5 They crush your people, O Lord.
They make those who belong to you suffer.
6 They kill widows and foreigners, and they murder orphans.
7 They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it.
The God of Jacob doesn’t even pay attention to it.”
8 Pay attention, you stupid people!
When will you become wise, you fools?
9 God created ears.
Do you think he can’t hear?
He formed eyes.
Do you think he can’t see?
10 He disciplines nations.
Do you think he can’t punish?
He teaches people.
Do you think he doesn’t know anything?
11 The Lord knows that people’s thoughts are pointless.
12 O Lord, blessed is the person
whom you discipline and instruct from your teachings.
13 You give him peace and quiet from times of trouble
while a pit is dug to trap wicked people.
14 The Lord will never desert his people
or abandon those who belong to him.
15 The decisions of judges will again become fair,
and everyone whose motives are decent will pursue justice.
16 Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Who will stand by my side against troublemakers?
17 If the Lord had not come to help me,
my soul would have quickly fallen silent ⌞in death⌟.
18 When I said, “My feet are slipping,”
your mercy, O Lord, continued to hold me up.
19 When I worried about many things,
your assuring words soothed my soul.
20 Are wicked rulers who use the law to do unlawful things
able to be your partners?
21 They join forces to take the lives of righteous people.
They condemn innocent people to death.
22 The Lord has become my stronghold.
My God has become my rock of refuge.
23 He has turned their own wickedness against them.
He will destroy them because of their sins.
The Lord our God will destroy them.
6 Whoever uses a fool to send a message
cuts off his own feet and brings violence upon himself.
7 ⌞Like⌟ a lame person’s limp legs,
so is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8 Like tying a stone to a sling,
so is giving honor to a fool.
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