Jeremiah 13-14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 13
Judah’s Corruption.[a] 1 The Lord said to me: Go buy yourself a linen loincloth; wear it on your loins, but do not put it in water. 2 I bought the loincloth, as the Lord commanded, and put it on. 3 A second time the word of the Lord came to me thus: 4 Take the loincloth which you bought and are wearing, and go at once to the Perath; hide it there in a cleft of the rock. 5 Obedient to the Lord’s command, I went to the Perath and buried the loincloth. 6 After a long time, the Lord said to me: Go now to the Perath and fetch the loincloth which I told you to hide there. 7 So I went to the Perath, looked for the loincloth and took it from the place I had hidden it. But it was rotted, good for nothing! 8 Then the word came to me from the Lord: 9 Thus says the Lord: So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot, the great pride of Jerusalem.(A) 10 This wicked people who refuse to obey my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and follow other gods, serving and worshiping them, will be like this loincloth, good for nothing.(B) 11 For, as the loincloth clings to a man’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me—oracle of the Lord—to be my people, my fame, my praise, my glory. But they did not listen.(C)
The Broken Wineflask. 12 Now speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every wineflask should be filled with wine. If they reply, “Do we not know that every wineflask should be filled with wine?” 13 say to them: Thus says the Lord: Beware! I am making all the inhabitants of this land drunk, the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests and prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.(D) 14 I will smash them against each other, parents and children together—oracle of the Lord—showing no compassion, I will neither spare nor pity, but I will destroy them.(E)
A Last Warning
15 Listen and give ear, do not be arrogant,
for the Lord speaks.
16 Give glory to the Lord, your God,
before he brings darkness;
Before your feet stumble
on mountains at twilight;
Before the light you look for turns to darkness,
changes into black clouds.(F)
17 If you do not listen to this in your pride,
I will weep many tears in secret;
My eyes will run with tears
for the Lord’s flock, led away to exile.(G)
Exile
18 Say to the king and to the queen mother:
come down from your throne;
From your heads
your splendid crowns will fall.(H)
19 The cities of the Negeb are besieged,
with no one to relieve them;
Judah is taken into exile—all of it—
in total exile.
Jerusalem’s Disgrace
20 Lift up your eyes and see
those coming in from the north.
Where is the flock entrusted to you,
your splendid sheep?(I)
21 What will you say when rulers are appointed over you,
those you taught to be allies?
Will not pains seize you
like those of a woman giving birth?(J)
22 If you say to yourself:
“Why have these things happened to me?”
For your great guilt your skirts are stripped away
and you are violated.(K)
23 Can Ethiopians change their skin,
leopards their spots?
As easily would you be able to do good,
accustomed to evil as you are.(L)
24 I will scatter them like chaff that flies
on the desert wind.(M)
25 This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you—
oracle of the Lord.
Because you have forgotten me,
and trusted in deception,[b](N)
26 I now will strip away your skirts,
so that your shame is visible.(O)
27 Your adulteries, your neighings,
your shameless prostitutions:
On the hills, in the fields
I see your detestable crimes.
Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long will it be
before you are clean?(P)
Chapter 14
The Great Drought. 1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:(Q)
2 Judah mourns,
her gates are lifeless;
They are bowed to the ground,
and the outcry of Jerusalem goes up.(R)
3 The nobles send their servants for water,
but when they come to the cisterns
They find no water
and return with empty jars.(S)
Confounded, despairing, they cover their heads
4 because of the ruined soil;
Because there is no rain in the land
the farmers are confounded, they cover their heads.(T)
5 Even the doe in the field deserts her young
because there is no grass.
6 The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights,
gasping for breath like jackals;
Their eyes grow dim;
there is no grass.
7 Even though our crimes bear witness against us,
act, Lord, for your name’s sake—
Even though our rebellions are many,
and we have sinned against you.(U)
8 Hope of Israel, Lord,
our savior in time of need!
Why should you be a stranger in the land,
like a traveler stopping only for a night?
9 Why are you like someone bewildered,
a champion who cannot save?
You are in our midst, Lord,
your name we bear:
do not forsake us!(V)
10 Thus says the Lord about this people:
They so love to wander
that they cannot restrain their feet.
The Lord takes no pleasure in them;
now he remembers their guilt,
and will punish their sins.(W)
11 Then the Lord said to me: Do not intercede for the well-being of this people.(X) 12 If they fast, I will not listen to their supplication. If they sacrifice burnt offerings or grain offerings, I will take no pleasure in them. Rather, I will destroy them with the sword, famine, and plague.(Y)
13 “Ah! Lord God,” I replied, “it is the prophets who say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword; famine shall not befall you. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”(Z)
14 These prophets utter lies in my name, the Lord said to me: I did not send them; I gave them no command, nor did I speak to them. They prophesy to you lying visions, foolish divination, deceptions from their own imagination.(AA) 15 Therefore, thus says the Lord: Concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, though I did not send them, and who say, “Sword and famine shall not befall this land”: by sword and famine shall these prophets meet their end.(AB) 16 The people to whom they prophesy shall be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and the sword. No one shall bury them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters, for I will pour out upon them their own wickedness.(AC) 17 Speak to them this word:
Let my eyes stream with tears
night and day, without rest,
Over the great destruction which overwhelms
the virgin daughter of my people,
over her incurable wound.(AD)
18 If I walk out into the field,
look! those slain by the sword;
If I enter the city,
look! victims of famine.
Both prophet and priest ply their trade
in a land they do not know.
19 Have you really cast Judah off?
Is Zion loathsome to you?
Why have you struck us a blow
that cannot be healed?
We wait for peace, to no avail;
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.(AE)
20 We recognize our wickedness, Lord,
the guilt of our ancestors:
we have sinned against you.(AF)
21 Do not reject us, for your name’s sake,
do not disgrace your glorious throne.
Remember! Do not break your covenant with us.(AG)
22 Among the idols of the nations are there any that give rain?
Or can the mere heavens send showers?
Is it not you, Lord,
our God, to whom we look?
You alone do all these things.(AH)
Footnotes
- 13:1–11 In this symbolic action, Jeremiah probably went to the village and spring of Parah, two and a half miles northeast of Anathoth, whose name closely resembled the Hebrew name of the river Euphrates (Perath), in order to dramatize the religious corruption of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians.
- 13:25 Heb. sheqer: lit., “deception,” often used to designate an idol.
Ben Sira 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 12
1 If you do good, know for whom you are doing it,[a]
and your kindness will have its effect.
2 Do good to the righteous and reward will be yours,
if not from them, from the Lord.(A)
3 No good comes to those who give comfort to the wicked,
nor is it an act of mercy that they do.
4 Give to the good but refuse the sinner;
5 refresh the downtrodden but give nothing to the proud.
No arms for combat should you give them,
lest they use these against you;
Twofold evil you will obtain for every good deed you do for them.
6 For God also hates sinners,
and takes vengeance on evildoers.[b]
8 In prosperity we cannot know our friends;[c]
in adversity an enemy will not remain concealed.(B)
9 When one is successful even an enemy is friendly;
but in adversity even a friend disappears.(C)
10 Never trust your enemies,
for their wickedness is like corrosion in bronze.
11 Even though they act deferentially and peaceably toward you,
take care to be on your guard against them.(D)
Treat them as those who reveal secrets,[d]
and be certain that in the end there will still be envy.
12 Do not let them stand near you,
lest they push you aside and take your place.
Do not let them sit at your right hand,
or they will demand your seat,
And in the end you will appreciate my advice,
when you groan with regret, as I warned.
13 Who pities a snake charmer when he is bitten,[e]
or anyone who goes near a wild beast?
14 So it is with the companion of the proud,
who is involved in their sins:
15 While you stand firm, they make no move;
but if you slip, they cannot hold back.
16 With their lips enemies speak sweetly,
but in their heart they scheme to plunge you into the abyss.
Though enemies have tears in their eyes,
given the chance, they will never have enough of your blood.(E)
17 If evil comes upon you, you will find them at hand;
pretending to help, they will trip you up,
18 Then they will shake their heads and clap their hands
and hiss repeatedly, and show their true faces.
Footnotes
- 12:1 The import of this verse is brought out in vv. 4–5.
- 12:6 Verse 7 is a variant of verse 4 and is omitted.
- 12:8–18 Adversity distinguishes friends from enemies; to trust the latter or permit them intimacy is to invite disaster. Cf. note on 6:5–17.
- 12:11 Ben Sira has harsh words for those who reveal secrets; see also 8:18; 27:16–21; 42:1; Prv 11:13; 20:19.
- 12:13 For v. 13a, see especially Eccl 10:11.
John 1:24-51
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
24 Some Pharisees[a] were also sent. 25 They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”(A) 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water;[b] but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,(B) 27 the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,[c] where John was baptizing.
John the Baptist’s Testimony to Jesus. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,[d] who takes away the sin of the world.(C) 30 [e]He is the one of whom I said,(D) ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ 31 I did not know him,[f] but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” 32 John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove[g] from the sky and remain upon him. 33 I did not know him,(E) but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’(F) 34 [h](G)Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
The First Disciples.(H) 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.”[i] 37 The two disciples[j] heard what he said and followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.[k] 40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”[l] (which is translated Anointed).(I) 42 Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John;[m] you will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).(J)
43 The next day he[n] decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”(K) 46 But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite.[o] There is no duplicity in him.” 48 [p](L)Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God;[q] you are the King of Israel.”(M) 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?[r] You will see greater things than this.” 51 And he said to him, “Amen, amen,[s] I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”(N)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1:24 Some Pharisees: other translations, such as “Now they had been sent from the Pharisees,” misunderstand the grammatical construction. This is a different group from that in Jn 1:19; the priests and Levites would have been Sadducees, not Pharisees.
- 1:26 I baptize with water: the synoptics add “but he will baptize you with the holy Spirit” (Mk 1:8) or “…holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11; Lk 3:16). John’s emphasis is on purification and preparation for a better baptism.
- 1:28 Bethany across the Jordan: site unknown. Another reading is “Bethabara.”
- 1:29 The Lamb of God: the background for this title may be the victorious apocalyptic lamb who would destroy evil in the world (Rev 5–7; 17:14); the paschal lamb, whose blood saved Israel (Ex 12); and/or the suffering servant led like a lamb to the slaughter as a sin-offering (Is 53:7, 10).
- 1:30 He existed before me: possibly as Elijah (to come, Jn 1:27); for the evangelist and his audience, Jesus’ preexistence would be implied (see note on Jn 1:1).
- 1:31 I did not know him: this gospel shows no knowledge of the tradition (Lk 1) about the kinship of Jesus and John the Baptist. The reason why I came baptizing with water: in this gospel, John’s baptism is not connected with forgiveness of sins; its purpose is revelatory, that Jesus may be made known to Israel.
- 1:32 Like a dove: a symbol of the new creation (Gn 8:8) or the community of Israel (Hos 11:11). Remain: the first use of a favorite verb in John, emphasizing the permanency of the relationship between Father and Son (as here) and between the Son and the Christian. Jesus is the permanent bearer of the Spirit.
- 1:34 The Son of God: this reading is supported by good Greek manuscripts, including the Chester Beatty and Bodmer Papyri and the Vatican Codex, but is suspect because it harmonizes this passage with the synoptic version: “This is my beloved Son” (Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22). The poorly attested alternate reading, “God’s chosen One,” is probably a reference to the Servant of Yahweh (Is 42:1).
- 1:36 John the Baptist’s testimony makes his disciples’ following of Jesus plausible.
- 1:37 The two disciples: Andrew (Jn 1:40) and, traditionally, John, son of Zebedee (see note on Jn 13:23).
- 1:39 Four in the afternoon: literally, the tenth hour, from sunrise, in the Roman calculation of time. Some suggest that the next day, beginning at sunset, was the sabbath; they would have stayed with Jesus to avoid travel on it.
- 1:41 Messiah: the Hebrew word māšîaḥ, “anointed one” (see note on Lk 2:11), appears in Greek as the transliterated messias only here and in Jn 4:25. Elsewhere the Greek translation christos is used.
- 1:42 Simon, the son of John: in Mt 16:17, Simon is called Bariōna, “son of Jonah,” a different tradition for the name of Simon’s father. Cephas: in Aramaic = the Rock; cf. Mt 16:18. Neither the Greek equivalent Petros nor, with one isolated exception, Cephas is attested as a personal name before Christian times.
- 1:43 He: grammatically, could be Peter, but logically is probably Jesus.
- 1:47 A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).
- 1:48 Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).
- 1:49 Son of God: this title is used in the Old Testament, among other ways, as a title of adoption for the Davidic king (2 Sm 7:14; Ps 2:7; 89:27), and thus here, with King of Israel, in a messianic sense. For the evangelist, Son of God also points to Jesus’ divinity (cf. Jn 20:28).
- 1:50 Possibly a statement: “You [singular] believe because I saw you under the fig tree.”
- 1:51 The double “Amen” is characteristic of John. You is plural in Greek. The allusion is to Jacob’s ladder (Gn 28:12).
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