Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance

Keep the Sabbath Holy

¹⁹ Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which ^(O)the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, ²⁰ and say: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, ^(P)you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. ²¹ Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and ^(Q)do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. ²² And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath ^(R)or do any work, but ^(S)keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. ²³ Yet ^(T)they did not listen or incline their ear, ^(U)but stiffened their neck, that they ^(V)might not hear and receive instruction.

²⁴ “‘But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and ^(W)bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but ^(X)keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, ²⁵ then ^(Y)there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. ²⁶ And people shall come from ^(Z)the cities of Judah ^(AA)and the places around Jerusalem, ^(AB)from the land of Benjamin, ^(AC)from the Shephelah, from the hill country, ^(AD)and from ^(AE)the Negeb, bringing ^(AF)burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and ^(AG)bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. ²⁷ But if you do not listen to me, to ^(AH)keep the Sabbath day holy, ^(AI)and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will ^(AJ)kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall ^(AK)devour the palaces of Jerusalem and ^(AL)shall not be quenched.’”

The Potter and the Clay

18 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Arise, and go down to ^(AM)the potter's house, and there I will let you hear^[b] my words.” ³ So I went down to ^(AN)the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. ⁴ And the vessel he was making of clay was ^(AO)spoiled in the potter's hand, and ^(AP)he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁶ “O house of Israel, ^(AQ)can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. ^(AR)Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. ⁷ If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will ^(AS)pluck up and break down and destroy it, ⁸ and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, ^(AT)turns from its evil, ^(AU)I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. ⁹ And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will ^(AV)build and plant it, ¹⁰ and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. ¹¹ Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. ^(AW)Return, every one from his evil way, and ^(AX)amend your ways and your deeds.’

¹² “But they say, ^(AY)‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to ^(AZ)the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

Qualifications for Overseers

3 The saying is ^(A)trustworthy: If anyone aspires to ^(B)the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ² Therefore ^(C)an overseer^[a] must be above reproach, ^(D)the husband of one wife,^{[b] (E)}sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, ^(F)hospitable, ^(G)able to teach, ³ not a drunkard, not violent but ^(H)gentle, not quarrelsome, ^(I)not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own household well, with all dignity ^(J)keeping his children submissive, ⁵ for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for ^(K)God's church? ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may ^(L)become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover, he must be well thought of by ^(M)outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into ^(N)a snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

^8 (O)Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,^{[c] (P)}not addicted to much wine, ^(Q)not greedy for dishonest gain. ⁹ They must ^(R)hold the mystery of the faith with ^(S)a clear conscience. ¹⁰ And ^(T)let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. ^11 (U)Their wives likewise^[d] must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, ^(V)faithful in all things. ¹² Let deacons each be ^(W)the husband of one wife, ^(X)managing their children and their own households well. ¹³ For ^(Y)those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

¹⁴ I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, ¹⁵ if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. ¹⁶ Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: