Old/New Testament
Grief over Zion
9 [a](A)Oh, that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For those slain of the (B)daughter of my people!
2 [b](C)Oh that I had in the desert
A travelers’ lodging place;
So that I might leave my people
And go away from them!
For all of them are (D)adulterers,
An assembly of (E)treacherous people.
3 “They (F)bend their tongues like their bows;
Lies and not truth prevail in the land;
For they (G)proceed from evil to evil,
And they (H)do not know Me,” declares the Lord.
4 “Let everyone (I)be on guard against his neighbor,
And (J)do not trust any brother;
Because every (K)brother utterly [c]betrays,
And every neighbor (L)goes about as a slanderer.
5 Everyone (M)deceives his neighbor
And does not speak the truth.
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They (N)weary themselves committing wrongdoing.
6 Your (O)dwelling is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they (P)refuse to know Me,” declares the Lord.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord of armies says:
“Behold, I will refine them and (Q)put them to the test;
For (R)what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?
8 Their (S)tongue is a deadly arrow;
It speaks deceit;
With his mouth one (T)speaks peace to his neighbor,
But inwardly he (U)sets an ambush for him.
9 (V)Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord.
“Shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?
10 “I will take up a weeping and wailing for the (W)mountains,
And for the pastures of the (X)wilderness a song of mourning,
Because they are (Y)laid waste so that no one passes through,
And the sound of the livestock is not heard;
Both the (Z)birds of the sky and the animals have fled; they are gone.
11 I will make Jerusalem a (AA)heap of ruins,
A haunt of (AB)jackals;
And I will make the cities of Judah a (AC)desolation without inhabitant.”
12 Who is the (AD)wise person who may understand this? And who is he to whom (AE)the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? (AF)Why is the land destroyed, laid waste like the desert, so that no one passes through? 13 The Lord said, “Because they have (AG)abandoned My Law which I put before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, 14 but have (AH)followed the stubbornness of their heart and the (AI)Baals, [d]as their (AJ)fathers taught them,” 15 therefore this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, (AK)I will feed this people wormwood; and I will give them (AL)poisoned water to drink. 16 I will also (AM)scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the (AN)sword after them until I have put an end to them.”
17 This is what the Lord of armies says:
“Consider and call for the (AO)mourning women, that they may come;
And send for the [e](AP)skillful women, that they may come!
18 Have them hurry and take up a wailing for us,
So that our (AQ)eyes may shed tears,
And our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a voice of (AR)wailing is heard from Zion:
‘(AS)How devastated we are!
We are put to great shame,
For we have (AT)abandoned the land
Because they have torn down our homes.’”
20 Now hear the word of the Lord, you (AU)women,
And let your ears receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And have every woman teach her neighbor a song of mourning.
21 For (AV)death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To eliminate the (AW)children from the streets,
The young men from the public squares.
22 Speak, “This is what the Lord says:
‘The corpses of people will fall (AX)like dung on the open field,
And like the sheaf after the reaper,
But no one will gather them.’”
23 This is what the Lord says: “(AY)Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the (AZ)mighty man boast of his might, nor a (BA)rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts (BB)boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who (BC)exercises [f]mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I (BD)delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet (BE)uncircumcised— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and (BF)all those inhabiting the desert who trim the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are (BG)uncircumcised of heart.”
A Satire on Idolatry
10 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, house of Israel. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“(BH)Do not learn the way of the nations,
And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens,
Although the nations are terrified by them;
3 For the customs of the peoples are (BI)futile;
For (BJ)it is wood cut from the forest,
The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
4 They (BK)decorate the idol with silver and gold;
They (BL)fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not totter.
5 They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
And they (BM)cannot speak;
They must be (BN)carried,
Because they cannot walk!
Do not fear them,
For they (BO)can do no harm,
Nor can they do any good.”
6 (BP)There is none like You, Lord;
You are (BQ)great, and Your name is great in might.
7 (BR)Who would not fear You, O (BS)King of the nations?
For it is Your due!
For among all the (BT)wise men of the nations
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
8 But they are altogether (BU)stupid and foolish;
The instruction from idols is nothing but wood!
9 Beaten (BV)silver is brought from (BW)Tarshish,
And (BX)gold from Uphaz,
The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith;
Their clothing is of violet and purple;
They are all the (BY)work of skilled people.
10 But the Lord is the (BZ)true God;
He is the (CA)living God and the (CB)everlasting King.
The (CC)earth quakes at His wrath,
And the nations cannot (CD)endure His indignation.
11 [g]This is what you shall say to them: “The (CE)gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will (CF)perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”
12 It is (CG)He who made the earth by His power,
Who (CH)established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has (CI)stretched out the heavens.
13 When He utters His (CJ)voice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens,
And He makes the (CK)clouds ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain,
And brings out the (CL)wind from His storehouses.
14 Every person is (CM)stupid, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
For his cast metal images are deceitful,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are (CN)worthless, a work of mockery;
At the (CO)time of their punishment they will perish.
16 The (CP)Portion of Jacob is not like these;
For He is the [h](CQ)Maker of everything,
And (CR)Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
The (CS)Lord of armies is His name.
17 (CT)Pick up your bundle from the ground,
You who live under siege!
18 For this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, I am (CU)slinging out the inhabitants of the land
At this time,
And I will cause them distress,
So that they may [i]be found.”
19 (CV)Woe to me, because of my [j]injury!
My (CW)wound is incurable.
But I said, “This certainly is a sickness,
And I (CX)must endure it.”
20 My (CY)tent is destroyed,
And all my ropes are broken.
My (CZ)sons have gone from me and are no more.
There is (DA)no one to stretch out my tent again
Or to set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become stupid
And (DB)have not sought the Lord.
Therefore they have not prospered,
And (DC)all their flock is scattered.
22 The sound of a (DD)report! Behold, it is coming—
A great roar (DE)from the land of the north—
To (DF)make the cities of Judah
A desolation, a haunt of jackals.
23 I know, Lord, that (DG)a person’s way is not in himself,
(DH)Nor is it in a person who walks to direct his steps.
24 (DI)Correct me, Lord, but with justice;
Not with Your anger, or You will [k]bring me to nothing.
25 (DJ)Pour out Your wrath on the nations that (DK)do not know You,
And on the families who (DL)do not call upon Your name;
For they have devoured Jacob;
They have (DM)devoured him and consumed him,
And have laid waste his [l]settlement.
The Broken Covenant
11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “(DN)Hear the words of this (DO)covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “(DP)Cursed is the one who does not obey the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your forefathers on the (DQ)day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the (DR)iron furnace, saying, ‘(DS)Listen to My voice, and [m]do according to all that I command you; so you shall be (DT)My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 in order to confirm the (DU)oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I replied, “(DV)Amen, Lord.”
6 And the Lord said to me, “(DW)Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘(DX)Hear the words of this covenant and (DY)do them. 7 For I solemnly (DZ)warned your fathers on the (EA)day I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, (EB)warning them persistently, saying, “(EC)Listen to My voice.” 8 Yet they (ED)did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart, each one of them; therefore I brought on them all the (EE)words of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”
9 Then the Lord said to me, “A (EF)conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have (EG)turned back to the wrongdoings of their [n]ancestors who (EH)refused to hear My words, and they (EI)have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have (EJ)broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am (EK)bringing disaster on them which they will (EL)not be able to escape; though they will (EM)cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will (EN)go and cry out to the gods to whom they [o]burn incense, but they certainly will not save them in the time of their disaster. 13 For your gods are [p](EO)as many as your cities, Judah; and [q]as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the (EP)shameful thing, altars for [r](EQ)burning incense to Baal.
14 “So as for you, (ER)do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will (ES)not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.
15 What right has My (ET)beloved in My house
When (EU)she has carried out many evil schemes?
Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster,
[s]So that you can rejoice?”
16 The Lord named you
“A (EV)green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”;
With the (EW)noise of a great [t]tumult
He has (EX)set fire to it,
And its branches are worthless.
17 The Lord of armies, who (EY)planted you, has (EZ)pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have [u]done to provoke Me by [v](FA)offering sacrifices to Baal.
Plots against Jeremiah
18 Moreover, the Lord (FB)made it known to me and I knew it;
Then You showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle (FC)lamb led to the slaughter;
And I did not know that they had (FD)devised plots against me, saying,
“Let’s destroy the tree with its [w]fruit,
And (FE)let’s cut him off from the (FF)land of the living,
So that his (FG)name will no longer be remembered.”
20 But, Lord of armies, who (FH)judges righteously,
Who (FI)puts the [x]feelings and the heart to the test,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You I have [y]committed my cause.
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the people of (FJ)Anathoth, who are (FK)seeking your life, saying: “(FL)Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you do not (FM)die by our hand”; 22 therefore, this is what the Lord of armies says: “Behold, I am going to (FN)punish them! The (FO)young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23 and a remnant (FP)will not be left to them, because I will (FQ)bring disaster on the people of Anathoth—(FR)the year of their punishment.”
Instructions to Those Who Minister
6 (A)All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor (B)so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be [a]spoken against. 2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are (C)brothers or sisters, but must serve them all the more, because those who [b]partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. (D)Teach and [c]preach these principles.
3 If anyone (E)advocates a different doctrine and does not [d]agree with (F)sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine (G)conforming to godliness, 4 he is (H)conceited and understands nothing; but he [e]has a sick craving for (I)controversial questions and (J)disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between (K)people of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who (L)suppose that [f]godliness is a means of gain. 6 (M)But godliness actually is a means of (N)great gain when accompanied by (O)contentment. 7 For (P)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. 8 If we (Q)have food and [g]covering, with these we shall be content. 9 (R)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and (S)a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For (T)the love of money is a root of all [h]sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have (U)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many [i]griefs.
11 But (V)flee from these things, you (W)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, (X)faith, (Y)love, [j]perseverance, and gentleness. 12 (Z)Fight the good fight of (AA)faith; (AB)take hold of the eternal life (AC)to which you were called, and for which you made the good (AD)confession in the presence of (AE)many witnesses. 13 (AF)I direct you in the presence of God, who [k]gives life to all things, and of (AG)Christ Jesus, who testified the (AH)good confession (AI)before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without [l]fault or reproach until the (AJ)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [m]bring about at (AK)the proper time—He who is (AL)the blessed and (AM)only Sovereign, (AN)the King of [n]kings and (AO)Lord of [o]lords, 16 (AP)who alone possesses immortality and (AQ)dwells in unapproachable light, (AR)whom [p]no one has seen or can see. (AS)To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
17 Instruct those who are rich in (AT)this present world (AU)not to be conceited or to (AV)set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, (AW)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in (AX)good [q]works, (AY)to be generous and ready to share, 19 (AZ)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may (BA)take hold of that which is truly life.
20 (BB)Timothy, protect (BC)what has been entrusted to you, avoiding (BD)worldly, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thereby have (BE)gone astray [r]from (BF)the faith.
(BG)Grace be with you.
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