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Jeremiah 23:21-25:38
New Living Translation

21 “I have not sent these prophets,
    yet they run around claiming to speak for me.
I have given them no message,
    yet they go on prophesying.
22 If they had stood before me and listened to me,
    they would have spoken my words,
and they would have turned my people
    from their evil ways and deeds.
23 Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord.
    “No, I am far away at the same time.
24 Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
    Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”
    says the Lord.

25 “I have heard these prophets say, ‘Listen to the dream I had from God last night.’ And then they proceed to tell lies in my name. 26 How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say. 27 By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal.

28 “Let these false prophets tell their dreams,
    but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word.
    There is a difference between straw and grain!
29 Does not my word burn like fire?”
    says the Lord.
“Is it not like a mighty hammer
    that smashes a rock to pieces?

30 “Therefore,” says the Lord, “I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they are from me. 31 I am against these smooth-tongued prophets who say, ‘This prophecy is from the Lord!’ 32 I am against these false prophets. Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!

False Prophecies and False Prophets

33 “Suppose one of the people or one of the prophets or priests asks you, ‘What prophecy has the Lord burdened you with now?’ You must reply, ‘You are the burden![a] The Lord says he will abandon you!’

34 “If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, ‘I have a prophecy from the Lord,’ I will punish that person along with his entire family. 35 You should keep asking each other, ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’ 36 But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the Lord.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

37 “This is what you should say to the prophets: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’ 38 But suppose they respond, ‘This is a prophecy from the Lord!’ Then you should say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Because you have used this phrase, “prophecy from the Lord,” even though I warned you not to use it, 39 I will forget you completely.[b] I will expel you from my presence, along with this city that I gave to you and your ancestors. 40 And I will make you an object of ridicule, and your name will be infamous throughout the ages.’”

Good and Bad Figs

24 After King Nebuchadnezzar[c] of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin[d] son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the officials of Judah and all the craftsmen and artisans, the Lord gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem. 2 One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with bad figs that were too rotten to eat.

3 Then the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

I replied, “Figs, some very good and some very bad, too rotten to eat.”

4 Then the Lord gave me this message: 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians.[e] 6 I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.

8 “But the bad figs,” the Lord said, “represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt. I will treat them like bad figs, too rotten to eat. 9 I will make them an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I scatter them. 10 And I will send war, famine, and disease until they have vanished from the land of Israel, which I gave to them and their ancestors.”

Seventy Years of Captivity

25 This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah.[f] This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar[g] of Babylon began his reign.

2 Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people in Judah and Jerusalem, 3 “For the past twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon,[h] king of Judah, until now—the Lord has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened.

4 “Again and again the Lord has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention. 5 Each time the message was this: ‘Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors forever. 6 Do not provoke my anger by worshiping idols you made with your own hands. Then I will not harm you.’

7 “But you would not listen to me,” says the Lord. “You made me furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. 8 And now the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Because you have not listened to me, 9 I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy[i] you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. 10 I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. 11 This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

12 “Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord. “I will make the country of the Babylonians[j] a wasteland forever. 13 I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book—all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations. 14 Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people.”

The Cup of the Lord’s Anger

15 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. 16 When they drink from it, they will stagger, crazed by the warfare I will send against them.”

17 So I took the cup of anger from the Lord and made all the nations drink from it—every nation to which the Lord sent me. 18 I went to Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah, and their kings and officials drank from the cup. From that day until this, they have been a desolate ruin, an object of horror, contempt, and cursing. 19 I gave the cup to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials, and all his people, 20 along with all the foreigners living in that land. I also gave it to all the kings of the land of Uz and the kings of the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod. 21 Then I gave the cup to the nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon, 22 and the kings of Tyre and Sidon, and the kings of the regions across the sea. 23 I gave it to Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and to the people who live in distant places.[k] 24 I gave it to the kings of Arabia, the kings of the nomadic tribes of the desert, 25 and to the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media. 26 And I gave it to the kings of the northern countries, far and near, one after the other—all the kingdoms of the world. And finally, the king of Babylon[l] himself drank from the cup of the Lord’s anger.

27 Then the Lord said to me, “Now tell them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink from this cup of my anger. Get drunk and vomit; fall to rise no more, for I am sending terrible wars against you.’ 28 And if they refuse to accept the cup, tell them, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You have no choice but to drink from it. 29 I have begun to punish Jerusalem, the city that bears my name. Now should I let you go unpunished? No, you will not escape disaster. I will call for war against all the nations of the earth. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!’

30 “Now prophesy all these things, and say to them,

“‘The Lord will roar against his own land
    from his holy dwelling in heaven.
He will shout like those who tread grapes;
    he will shout against everyone on earth.
31 His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth,
    for the Lord will bring his case against all the nations.
He will judge all the people of the earth,
    slaughtering the wicked with the sword.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!’”

32 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:
    “Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation!
A great whirlwind of fury is rising
    from the most distant corners of the earth!”

33 In that day those the Lord has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered on the ground like manure.

34 Weep and moan, you evil shepherds!
    Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock!
The time of your slaughter has arrived;
    you will fall and shatter like a fragile vase.
35 You will find no place to hide;
    there will be no way to escape.
36 Listen to the frantic cries of the shepherds.
    The leaders of the flock are wailing in despair,
    for the Lord is ruining their pastures.
37 Peaceful meadows will be turned into a wasteland
    by the Lord’s fierce anger.
38 He has left his den like a strong lion seeking its prey,
    and their land will be made desolate
by the sword[m] of the enemy
    and the Lord’s fierce anger.

Footnotes

  1. 23:33 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew reads What burden?
  2. 23:39 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version read I will surely lift you up.
  3. 24:1a Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar.
  4. 24:1b Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant spelling of Jehoiachin.
  5. 24:5 Or Chaldeans.
  6. 25:1a The fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign and the accession year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was 605 B.c.
  7. 25:1b Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar; also in 25:9.
  8. 25:3 The thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign was 627 B.c.
  9. 25:9 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
  10. 25:12 Or Chaldeans.
  11. 25:23 Or who clip the corners of their hair.
  12. 25:26 Hebrew of Sheshach, a code name for Babylon.
  13. 25:38 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version; Masoretic Text reads by the anger.
Listen to Jeremiah 23:21-25:38, 2 Thessalonians 2, Psalm 84, Proverbs 25:15
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Jeremiah 23:21-25:38
New International Version

21 I did not send(A) these prophets,
    yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
    yet they have prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my council,(B)
    they would have proclaimed(C) my words to my people
and would have turned(D) them from their evil ways
    and from their evil deeds.(E)

23 “Am I only a God nearby,(F)”
declares the Lord,
    “and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide(G) in secret places
    so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
    “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”(H)
declares the Lord.

25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies(I) in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream!(J) I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions(K) of their own minds?(L) 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget(M) my name, just as their ancestors forgot(N) my name through Baal worship.(O) 28 Let the prophet who has a dream(P) recount the dream, but let the one who has my word(Q) speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is not my word like fire,”(R) declares the Lord, “and like a hammer(S) that breaks a rock in pieces?

30 “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against(T) the prophets(U) who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’(V) 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,(W)” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray(X) with their reckless lies,(Y) yet I did not send(Z) or appoint them. They do not benefit(AA) these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

False Prophecy

33 “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message(AB) from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake(AC) you, declares the Lord.’ 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message(AD) from the Lord,’ I will punish(AE) them and their household. 35 This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’(AF) or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort(AG) the words of the living God,(AH) the Lord Almighty, our God. 37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ 39 Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast(AI) you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring on you everlasting disgrace(AJ)—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”

Two Baskets of Figs

24 After Jehoiachin[a](AK) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the skilled workers and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs(AL) placed in front of the temple of the Lord. 2 One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early;(AM) the other basket had very bad(AN) figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

3 Then the Lord asked me, “What do you see,(AO) Jeremiah?”

“Figs,” I answered. “The good ones are very good, but the bad ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent(AP) away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.[b] 6 My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back(AQ) to this land. I will build(AR) them up and not tear them down; I will plant(AS) them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a heart to know(AT) me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people,(AU) and I will be their God, for they will return(AV) to me with all their heart.(AW)

8 “‘But like the bad(AX) figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the Lord, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah(AY) king of Judah, his officials(AZ) and the survivors(BA) from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt.(BB) 9 I will make them abhorrent(BC) and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword,(BD) a curse[c](BE) and an object of ridicule, wherever I banish(BF) them. 10 I will send the sword,(BG) famine(BH) and plague(BI) against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.(BJ)’”

Seventy Years of Captivity

25 The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(BK) son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar(BL) king of Babylon. 2 So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah(BM) and to all those living in Jerusalem: 3 For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah(BN) son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again,(BO) but you have not listened.(BP)

4 And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets(BQ) to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.(BR) 5 They said, “Turn(BS) now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land(BT) the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. 6 Do not follow other gods(BU) to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”

7 “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused(BV) my anger with what your hands have made,(BW) and you have brought harm(BX) to yourselves.”

8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, 9 I will summon(BY) all the peoples of the north(BZ) and my servant(CA) Nebuchadnezzar(CB) king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy[d](CC) them and make them an object of horror and scorn,(CD) and an everlasting ruin.(CE) 10 I will banish from them the sounds(CF) of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom,(CG) the sound of millstones(CH) and the light of the lamp.(CI) 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland,(CJ) and these nations will serve(CK) the king of Babylon seventy years.(CL)

12 “But when the seventy years(CM) are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon(CN) and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,[e] for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate(CO) forever. 13 I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written(CP) in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved(CQ) by many nations(CR) and great kings; I will repay(CS) them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

The Cup of God’s Wrath

15 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup(CT) filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send(CU) you drink it. 16 When they drink(CV) it, they will stagger(CW) and go mad(CX) because of the sword(CY) I will send among them.”

17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom he sent(CZ) me drink it: 18 Jerusalem(DA) and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin(DB) and an object of horror and scorn,(DC) a curse[f](DD)—as they are today;(DE) 19 Pharaoh king(DF) of Egypt,(DG) his attendants, his officials and all his people, 20 and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz;(DH) all the kings of the Philistines(DI) (those of Ashkelon,(DJ) Gaza,(DK) Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); 21 Edom,(DL) Moab(DM) and Ammon;(DN) 22 all the kings of Tyre(DO) and Sidon;(DP) the kings of the coastlands(DQ) across the sea; 23 Dedan,(DR) Tema,(DS) Buz(DT) and all who are in distant places[g];(DU) 24 all the kings of Arabia(DV) and all the kings of the foreign people(DW) who live in the wilderness; 25 all the kings of Zimri,(DX) Elam(DY) and Media;(DZ) 26 and all the kings of the north,(EA) near and far, one after the other—all the kingdoms(EB) on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshak[h](EC) will drink it too.

27 “Then tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk(ED) and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword(EE) I will send among you.’ 28 But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink(EF), tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: You must drink it! 29 See, I am beginning to bring disaster(EG) on the city that bears my Name,(EH) and will you indeed go unpunished?(EI) You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword(EJ) on all(EK) who live on the earth,(EL) declares the Lord Almighty.’

30 “Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:

“‘The Lord will roar(EM) from on high;
    he will thunder(EN) from his holy dwelling(EO)
    and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread(EP) the grapes,
    shout against all who live on the earth.
31 The tumult(EQ) will resound to the ends of the earth,
    for the Lord will bring charges(ER) against the nations;
he will bring judgment(ES) on all(ET) mankind
    and put the wicked to the sword,(EU)’”
declares the Lord.

32 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Look! Disaster(EV) is spreading
    from nation to nation;(EW)
a mighty storm(EX) is rising
    from the ends of the earth.”(EY)

33 At that time those slain(EZ) by the Lord will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered(FA) up or buried,(FB) but will be like dung lying on the ground.

34 Weep and wail, you shepherds;(FC)
    roll(FD) in the dust, you leaders of the flock.
For your time to be slaughtered(FE) has come;
    you will fall like the best of the rams.[i](FF)
35 The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
    the leaders of the flock no place to escape.(FG)
36 Hear the cry(FH) of the shepherds,(FI)
    the wailing of the leaders of the flock,
    for the Lord is destroying their pasture.
37 The peaceful meadows will be laid waste
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
38 Like a lion(FJ) he will leave his lair,
    and their land will become desolate(FK)
because of the sword[j] of the oppressor(FL)
    and because of the Lord’s fierce anger.(FM)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 24:1 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
  2. Jeremiah 24:5 Or Chaldeans
  3. Jeremiah 24:9 That is, their names will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that they are cursed.
  4. Jeremiah 25:9 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  5. Jeremiah 25:12 Or Chaldeans
  6. Jeremiah 25:18 That is, their names to be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, to be seen by others as cursed
  7. Jeremiah 25:23 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
  8. Jeremiah 25:26 Sheshak is a cryptogram for Babylon.
  9. Jeremiah 25:34 Septuagint; Hebrew fall and be shattered like fine pottery
  10. Jeremiah 25:38 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 46:16 and 50:16); most Hebrew manuscripts anger
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Jeremiah 22
Jeremiah 26
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2 Thessalonians 2
New Living Translation

Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming

2 Now, dear brothers and sisters,[a] let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed—the one who brings destruction.[c] 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

Believers Should Stand Firm

13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first[d] to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:13, 15.
  2. 2:3a Some manuscripts read the man of sin.
  3. 2:3b Greek the son of destruction.
  4. 2:13 Some manuscripts read chose you from the very beginning.
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2 Thessalonians 2
New International Version

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ(A) and our being gathered to him,(B) we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter(C)—asserting that the day of the Lord(D) has already come.(E) 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you(F) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion(G) occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed,(H) the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God(I) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.(J)

5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?(K) 6 And now you know what is holding him back,(L) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back(M) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed,(N) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth(O) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.(P) 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan(Q) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders(R) that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.(S) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.(T) 11 For this reason God sends them(U) a powerful delusion(V) so that they will believe the lie(W) 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.(X)

Stand Firm

13 But we ought always to thank God for you,(Y) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits[b](Z) to be saved(AA) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit(AB) and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you(AC) to this through our gospel,(AD) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm(AE) and hold fast to the teachings[c] we passed on to you,(AF) whether by word of mouth or by letter.

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,(AG) who loved us(AH) and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage(AI) your hearts and strengthen(AJ) you in every good deed and word.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some manuscripts sin
  2. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you
  3. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Or traditions
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2 Thessalonians 1
2 Thessalonians 3
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Psalm 84
New Living Translation

Psalm 84

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.[a]

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
2 I long, yes, I faint with longing
    to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
    I will shout joyfully to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young
at a place near your altar,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!
4 What joy for those who can live in your house,
    always singing your praises. Interlude

5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
    who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,[b]
    it will become a place of refreshing springs.
    The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
7 They will continue to grow stronger,
    and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.[c]

8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
    Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude

9 O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
    Show favor to the one you have anointed.

10 A single day in your courts
    is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
    He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
    from those who do what is right.
12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    what joy for those who trust in you.

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Footnotes

  1. 84:Title Hebrew according to the gittith.
  2. 84:6 Or Valley of Poplars; Hebrew reads valley of Baca.
  3. 84:7 Hebrew Zion.
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Psalm 84
New International Version

Psalm 84[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,(A)
    Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns,(B) even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.(C)
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,(D)
    Lord Almighty,(E) my King(F) and my God.(G)
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.[c]

5 Blessed are those whose strength(H) is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(I)
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;(J)
    the autumn(K) rains also cover it with pools.[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,(L)
    till each appears(M) before God in Zion.(N)

8 Hear my prayer,(O) Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield,[e](P) O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.(Q)

10 Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper(R) in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun(S) and shield;(T)
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold(U)
    from those whose walk is blameless.

12 Lord Almighty,
    blessed(V) is the one who trusts in you.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 84:1 In Hebrew texts 84:1-12 is numbered 84:2-13.
  2. Psalm 84:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 84:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
  4. Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
  5. Psalm 84:9 Or sovereign
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Psalm 83
Psalm 85
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Proverbs 25:15
New Living Translation

15 Patience can persuade a prince,
    and soft speech can break bones.

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Proverbs 25:15
New International Version

15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,(A)
    and a gentle tongue can break a bone.(B)

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Proverbs 24
Proverbs 26
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