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Jeremiah 19-21
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Jeremiah 19-21
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 19
Symbol of the Potter’s Flask. 1 Thus said the Lord: Go, buy a potter’s earthenware flask. Take along some of the elders of the people and some of the priests, 2 and go out toward the Valley of Ben-hinnom, at the entrance of the Potsherd Gate;[a] there proclaim the words which I will speak to you: 3 You shall say, Listen to the word of the Lord, kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to bring such evil upon this place that the ears of all who hear of it will ring. 4 All because they have forsaken me and profaned this place by burning incense to other gods which neither they nor their ancestors knew; and because the kings of Judah have filled this place with innocent blood,(A) 5 building high places for Baal to burn their children in fire as offerings to Baal—something I never considered or said or commanded.(B) 6 [b]Therefore, days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when this place will no longer be called Topheth, or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather, the Valley of Slaughter.(C) 7 In this place I will foil the plan of Judah and Jerusalem; I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, at the hand of those who seek their lives. Their corpses I will give as food to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.(D) 8 I will make this city a waste and an object of hissing. Because of all its wounds, every passerby will be horrified and hiss. 9 I will have them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters; they shall eat one another’s flesh during the harsh siege under which their enemies and those who seek their lives will confine them.(E)
10 And you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who went with you, 11 and say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Thus will I smash this people and this city, as one smashes a clay pot so that it cannot be repaired. And Topheth shall be its burial place, for there will be no other place for burial.(F) 12 Thus I will do to this place and to its inhabitants—oracle of the Lord; I will make this city like Topheth.(G) 13 And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Topheth, all the houses upon whose roofs they burnt incense to the whole host of heaven and poured out libations to other gods.(H)
14 When Jeremiah returned from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he stood in the court of the house of the Lord and said to all the people:(I) 15 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I will bring upon this city all the evil I have spoken against it, because they have become stubborn and have not obeyed my words.(J)
Chapter 20
1 Now the priest Pashhur,(K) son of Immer, chief officer in the house of the Lord,[c] heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2 So he struck the prophet and put him in the stocks at the upper Gate of Benjamin in the house of the Lord.(L) 3 The next morning, after Pashhur had released Jeremiah from the stocks, the prophet said to him:(M) “Instead of Pashhur, the Lord names you ‘Terror on every side.’[d] 4 For thus says the Lord: Indeed, I will hand you over to terror, you and all your friends. Your own eyes shall see them fall by the sword of their enemies. All Judah I will hand over to the power of the king of Babylon,[e] who shall take them captive to Babylon or strike them down with the sword. 5 All the wealth of this city, all its resources and its valuables, all the treasures of the kings of Judah, I will hand over to their enemies, who will plunder it and carry it away to Babylon.(N) 6 You, Pashhur, and all the members of your household shall go into exile. To Babylon you shall go; there you shall die and be buried, you and all your friends, because you have prophesied lies to them.”(O)
Jeremiah’s Interior Crisis
7 You seduced me,[f] Lord, and I let myself be seduced;
you were too strong for me, and you prevailed.
All day long I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
8 Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage I proclaim;
The word of the Lord has brought me
reproach and derision all day long.
9 I say I will not mention him,
I will no longer speak in his name.
But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding back,
I cannot!(P)
10 Yes, I hear the whisperings of many:
“Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!”
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
“Perhaps he can be tricked; then we will prevail,
and take our revenge on him.”(Q)
11 But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not prevail.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.(R)
12 Lord of hosts, you test the just,
you see mind and heart,
Let me see the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.(S)
13 Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the evildoers!(T)
14 Cursed be the day[g]
on which I was born!
May the day my mother gave me birth
never be blessed!(U)
15 Cursed be the one who brought the news
to my father,
“A child, a son, has been born to you!”
filling him with great joy.
16 Let that man be like the cities
which the Lord relentlessly overthrew;
Let him hear war cries in the morning,
battle alarms at noonday,(V)
17 because he did not kill me in the womb!
Then my mother would have been my grave,
her womb confining me forever.(W)
18 Why did I come forth from the womb,
to see sorrow and pain,
to end my days in shame?(X)
III. Oracles in the Last Years of Jerusalem
Chapter 21
Fate of Zedekiah and Jerusalem. 1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah[h] sent Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, to him with this request: 2 Inquire for us of the Lord, because Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will act for us in accord with his wonderful works by making him withdraw from us. 3 But Jeremiah answered them: This is what you shall report to Zedekiah: 4 Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I will turn against you the weapons with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls. These weapons I will pile up in the midst of this city,(Y) 5 and I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and mighty arm, in anger, wrath, and great rage!(Z) 6 I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, human being and beast; they shall die in a great pestilence.(AA) 7 After that—oracle of the Lord—I will hand over Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his ministers and the people in this city who survive pestilence, sword, and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to their enemies and those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword, without quarter, without mercy or compassion.(AB) 8 And to this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord: See, I am giving you a choice between the way to life and the way to death.(AC) 9 Whoever remains in this city shall die by the sword or famine or pestilence. But whoever leaves and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and escape with his life. 10 I have set my face against this city, for evil and not for good—oracle of the Lord. It shall be given into the power of the king of Babylon who shall set it on fire.[i]
Oracles Regarding the Kings[j]
11 To the royal house of Judah:
Hear the word of the Lord,
12 house of David!
Thus says the Lord:
Each morning dispense justice,
rescue the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor,
Or my fury will break out like fire
and burn with no one to quench it
because of your evil deeds.(AD)
13 Beware! I am against you, Ruler of the Valley,
Rock of the Plain[k]—oracle of the Lord.
You say, “Who will attack us,
who can storm our defenses?”
14 I will punish you—oracle of the Lord—
as your deeds deserve!
I will kindle a fire in its forest[l]
that shall devour all its surroundings.(AE)
Footnotes
- 19:2 Potsherd Gate: perhaps in the south wall of Jerusalem, through which potsherds and other refuse were thrown into the Valley of Ben-hinnom.
- 19:6 Cf. note on 7:31.
- 20:1 Chief officer in the house of the Lord: head of the Temple police; cf. 29:26. By entering the Temple court (19:14), Jeremiah had put himself under Pashhur’s jurisdiction.
- 20:3 Terror on every side: the name indicates the siege that will beset Jerusalem.
- 20:4 Babylon: mentioned here for the first time in Jeremiah as the land of exile. The prophecy dates from after 605 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt and made the Babylonian (Chaldean) empire dominant in Syria and Palestine.
- 20:7 You seduced me: Jeremiah accuses the Lord of having deceived him; cf. 15:18.
- 20:14–18 Deception, sorrow and terror have brought the prophet to the point of despair; nevertheless he maintains confidence in God (vv. 11–13); cf. Jb 3:3–12.
- 21:1 Zedekiah: brother of Jehoiakim, appointed king by Nebuchadnezzar after he had carried Jehoiachin away to captivity (2 Kgs 24:17). Pashhur: different from the one in 20:1–3 but also one of Jeremiah’s enemies; cf. 38:1, 4.
- 21:10 Jeremiah consistently pointed out the uselessness of resistance to Babylon, since the Lord had delivered Judah to Nebuchadnezzar (27:6). Because of this the prophet was denounced and imprisoned as a traitor (37:13–14).
- 21:11–23:8 This section contains an editor’s collection of Jeremiah’s oracles against the kings of Judah. They are placed in the chronological order of the kings, and are prefaced by oracles against the kings of Judah in general (21:11–22:9).
- 21:13 Ruler of the Valley, Rock of the Plain: Mount Zion, surrounded by valleys, was regarded by the royal house as impregnable. Despite this natural fortification, God derides it as no more than a rock rising from the plain, useless against the attack of his fury.
- 21:14 Its forest: probably the royal palace, built of cedar wood; cf. 22:14; in 1 Kgs 7:2 the palace is called “the house of the forest of Lebanon.”
Jeremiah 19-21
New International Version
Jeremiah 19-21
New International Version
19 This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter.(A) Take along some of the elders(B) of the people and of the priests 2 and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom,(C) near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, 3 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings(D) of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Listen! I am going to bring a disaster(E) on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.(F) 4 For they have forsaken(G) me and made this a place of foreign gods(H); they have burned incense(I) in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.(J) 5 They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children(K) in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.(L) 6 So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call this place Topheth(M) or the Valley of Ben Hinnom,(N) but the Valley of Slaughter.(O)
7 “‘In this place I will ruin[a] the plans(P) of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies,(Q) at the hands of those who want to kill them, and I will give their carcasses(R) as food(S) to the birds and the wild animals. 8 I will devastate this city and make it an object of horror and scorn;(T) all who pass by will be appalled(U) and will scoff because of all its wounds.(V) 9 I will make them eat(W) the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh because their enemies(X) will press the siege so hard against them to destroy them.’
10 “Then break the jar(Y) while those who go with you are watching, 11 and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash(Z) this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury(AA) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. 12 This is what I will do to this place and to those who live here, declares the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth. 13 The houses(AB) in Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be defiled(AC) like this place, Topheth—all the houses where they burned incense on the roofs(AD) to all the starry hosts(AE) and poured out drink offerings(AF) to other gods.’”
14 Jeremiah then returned from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and stood in the court(AG) of the Lord’s temple and said to all the people, 15 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on this city and all the villages around it every disaster(AH) I pronounced against them, because they were stiff-necked(AI) and would not listen(AJ) to my words.’”
Jeremiah and Pashhur
20 When the priest Pashhur son of Immer,(AK) the official(AL) in charge of the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, 2 he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten(AM) and put in the stocks(AN) at the Upper Gate of Benjamin(AO) at the Lord’s temple. 3 The next day, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name(AP) for you is not Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side.(AQ) 4 For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes(AR) you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will give(AS) all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry(AT) them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. 5 I will deliver all the wealth(AU) of this city into the hands of their enemies—all its products, all its valuables and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away(AV) as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied(AW) lies.’”
Jeremiah’s Complaint
7 You deceived[b](AX) me, Lord, and I was deceived[c];
you overpowered(AY) me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed(AZ) all day long;
everyone mocks(BA) me.
8 Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.(BB)
So the word of the Lord has brought me
insult and reproach(BC) all day long.
9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word
or speak anymore in his name,”(BD)
his word is in my heart like a fire,(BE)
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;(BF)
indeed, I cannot.
10 I hear many whispering,
“Terror(BG) on every side!
Denounce(BH) him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends(BI)
are waiting for me to slip,(BJ) saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we will prevail(BK) over him
and take our revenge(BL) on him.”
11 But the Lord(BM) is with me like a mighty warrior;
so my persecutors(BN) will stumble and not prevail.(BO)
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;(BP)
their dishonor will never be forgotten.
12 Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous
and probe the heart and mind,(BQ)
let me see your vengeance(BR) on them,
for to you I have committed(BS) my cause.
13 Sing(BT) to the Lord!
Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues(BU) the life of the needy
from the hands of the wicked.(BV)
14 Cursed be the day I was born!(BW)
May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news,
who made him very glad, saying,
“A child is born to you—a son!”
16 May that man be like the towns(BX)
the Lord overthrew without pity.
May he hear wailing(BY) in the morning,
a battle cry at noon.
17 For he did not kill me in the womb,(BZ)
with my mother as my grave,
her womb enlarged forever.
18 Why did I ever come out of the womb(CA)
to see trouble(CB) and sorrow
and to end my days in shame?(CC)
God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request
21 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah(CD) sent to him Pashhur(CE) son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah(CF) son of Maaseiah. They said: 2 “Inquire(CG) now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar[d](CH) king of Babylon(CI) is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders(CJ) for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.”
3 But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, 4 ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn(CK) against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians[e] who are outside the wall besieging(CL) you. And I will gather them inside this city. 5 I myself will fight(CM) against you with an outstretched hand(CN) and a mighty arm(CO) in furious anger and in great wrath. 6 I will strike(CP) down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.(CQ) 7 After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah(CR) king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague,(CS) sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(CT) and to their enemies(CU) who want to kill them.(CV) He will put them to the sword;(CW) he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’(CX)
8 “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life(CY) and the way of death. 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.(CZ) But whoever goes out and surrenders(DA) to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.(DB) 10 I have determined to do this city harm(DC) and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands(DD) of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’(DE)
11 “Moreover, say to the royal house(DF) of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. 12 This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:
“‘Administer justice(DG) every morning;
rescue from the hand of the oppressor(DH)
the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire(DI)
because of the evil(DJ) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(DK) it.
13 I am against(DL) you, Jerusalem,
you who live above this valley(DM)
on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord—
you who say, “Who can come against us?
Who can enter our refuge?”(DN)
14 I will punish you as your deeds(DO) deserve,
declares the Lord.
I will kindle a fire(DP) in your forests(DQ)
that will consume everything around you.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 19:7 The Hebrew for ruin sounds like the Hebrew for jar (see verses 1 and 10).
- Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded
- Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded
- Jeremiah 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Jeremiah and Ezekiel
- Jeremiah 21:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 9
Ben Sira 14:1-14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Ben Sira 14:1-14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 14
1 [a]Happy those whose mouth causes them no grief,
those who are not stung by remorse for sin.(A)
2 Happy are those whose conscience does not reproach them,
those who have not lost hope.
The Use of Wealth
3 Wealth is not appropriate for the mean-spirited;[b]
to misers, what use is gold?
4 What they deny themselves they collect for someone else,
and strangers will live sumptuously on their possessions.(B)
5 To whom will they be generous that are stingy with themselves
and do not enjoy what is their own?
6 None are worse than those who are stingy with themselves;
they punish their own avarice.
7 If ever they do good, it is by mistake;
in the end they reveal their meanness.
8 Misers are evil people,
they turn away and disregard others.
9 The greedy see their share as not enough;
greedy injustice dries up the soul.
10 The eye of the miserly is rapacious for food,
but there is none of it on their own table.
11 [c]My son, if you have the means, treat yourself well,
and enjoy life as best you can.(C)
12 Remember that death does not delay,
and you have not been told the grave’s appointed time.
13 Before you die, be good to your friends;
give them a share in what you possess.(D)
14 Do not deprive yourself of good things now
or let a choice portion escape you.
Footnotes
- 14:1–2 A clear conscience, the result of honoring personal commitments and responsibilities, brings contentment and peace.
- 14:3–10 Ben Sira offers a case study about the miserable life of the “small-hearted” (Heb. leb qaṭan) to verify vv. 1–2. They are evil because they do not use their wealth properly to benefit themselves or others. While they are never satisfied that they have enough, they ignore their own needs and hospitality itself, feeding on the generosity of others, in order to protect their own resources. Ironically, after their death, strangers, with no obligation to keep their memory alive, enjoy their wealth.
- 14:11–19 Three realities govern Ben Sira’s attitude toward a proper use of wealth: the inevitability and uncertainty of death, the ephemeral nature of human accomplishments, the lack of reward or punishment after death. He advises generous enjoyment of God’s gift of wealth before death.
John 3:22-36
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
John 3:22-36
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Final Witness of the Baptist. 22 [a]After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.(A) 23 John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,[b] because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, 24 [c](B)for John had not yet been imprisoned. 25 Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew[d] about ceremonial washings. 26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”(C) 27 John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.(D) 28 You yourselves can testify that I said [that] I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him.(E) 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man,[e] who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.(F) 30 He must increase; I must decrease.”(G)
The One from Heaven.[f] 31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven [is above all].(H) 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.(I) 33 Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.(J) 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift[g] of the Spirit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.(K) 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.(L)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 3:22–26 Jesus’ ministry in Judea is only loosely connected with Jn 2:13–3:21; cf. Jn 1:19–36. Perhaps John the Baptist’s further testimony was transposed here to give meaning to “water” in Jn 3:5. Jesus is depicted as baptizing (Jn 3:22); contrast Jn 4:2.
- 3:23 Aenon near Salim: site uncertain, either in the upper Jordan valley or in Samaria.
- 3:24 A remark probably intended to avoid objections based on a chronology like that of the synoptics (Mt 4:12; Mk 1:14).
- 3:25 A Jew: some think Jesus is meant. Many manuscripts read “Jews.”
- 3:29 The best man: literally, “the friend of the groom,” the shoshben of Jewish tradition, who arranged the wedding. Competition between him and the groom would be unthinkable.
- 3:31–36 It is uncertain whether these are words by the Baptist, Jesus, or the evangelist. They are reflections on the two preceding scenes.
- 3:34 His gift: of God or to Jesus, perhaps both. This verse echoes Jn 3:5, 8.
John 3:22-36
New International Version
John 3:22-36
New International Version
John Testifies Again About Jesus
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.(A) 23 Now John(B) also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.)(C) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.(D) 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi,(E) that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified(F) about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’(G) 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom.(H) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.(I) 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”[a]
31 The one who comes from above(J) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.(K) The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard,(L) but no one accepts his testimony.(M) 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent(N) speaks the words of God, for God[b] gives the Spirit(O) without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.(P) 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,(Q) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
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