Jeremiah 23:9-32

New American Standard Bible

False Prophets Denounced

⁹As for the prophets:
My ^(A)heart is broken within me,
All my bones tremble;
I have become like a drunken man,
And like a man overcome by wine,
Because of the Lord
And because of His holy words.
¹⁰For the land is full of ^(B)adulterers;
For the land ^(C)mourns because of the curse.
The ^(D)pastures of the wilderness have dried up.
Their course is evil
And their might is not right.
¹¹“For ^(E)both prophet and priest are defiled;
Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the Lord.
¹²“Therefore their way will be like ^(F)slippery paths to them,
They will be driven away into the ^(G)gloom and fall down in it;
For I will bring ^(H)disaster upon them,
The year of their punishment,” declares the Lord.

¹³“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an ^(I)offensive thing:
They ^(J)prophesied by Baal and ^(K)led My people Israel astray.
¹⁴Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a ^(L)horrible thing:
The committing of ^(M)adultery and walking in deceit;
And they strengthen the hands of ^(N)evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.
All of them have become to Me like ^(O)Sodom,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

¹⁵Therefore this is what the Lord of armies says concerning the prophets:

‘Behold, I am going to ^(P)feed them wormwood
And make them drink poisonous water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Ungodliness has spread into all the land.’”

¹⁶This is what the Lord of armies says:
“^(Q)Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are ^(R)leading you into futility;
They tell a ^(S)vision of their own ^[a]imagination,
Not ^(T)from the mouth of the Lord.
¹⁷They keep saying to those who ^(U)despise Me,
‘The Lord has said, “^(V)You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the ^(W)stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘^(X)Disaster will not come on you.’
¹⁸But ^(Y)who has stood in the council of the Lord,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has paid ^(Z)attention to ^[b]His word and listened?
¹⁹Behold, the ^(AA)storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
²⁰The ^(AB)anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has ^(AC)performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
^(AD)In the last days you will clearly understand it.
²¹^(AE)I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.
²²But if they had ^(AF)stood in My council,
Then they would have ^(AG)announced My words to My people,
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.

²³“Am I a God who is ^(AH)near,” declares the Lord,
“And not a God far off?
²⁴Can a person ^(AI)hide himself in hiding places
So that I do not see him?” declares the Lord.
“^(AJ)Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.

²⁵“I have ^(AK)heard what the prophets have said who ^(AL)prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a ^(AM)dream, I had a dream!’ ²⁶How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the ^(AN)deceitfulness of their own heart, ²⁷who intend to ^(AO)make My people forget My name by their dreams which they report to one another, just as their fathers ^(AP)forgot My name because of Baal? ²⁸The prophet who has a dream may report his dream, but let him who has ^(AQ)My word speak My word truthfully. ^(AR)What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. ²⁹“Is My word not like ^(AS)fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a ^(AT)hammer which shatters a rock? ³⁰Therefore behold, ^(AU)I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other. ³¹Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who ^[c]use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares!’ ³²Behold, I am against those who have prophesied ^(AV)false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and reported them and led My people astray by their lies and ^(AW)reckless boasting; yet ^(AX)I did not send them nor command them, nor do they ^(AY)provide this people the slightest benefit,” declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 23:16 Lit heart
Jeremiah 23:18 Another reading is My
Jeremiah 23:31 Lit take

Acts 17:16-34

New American Standard Bible

Paul in Athens

¹⁶Now while Paul was waiting for them in ^(A)Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he observed that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷So he was reasoning ^(B)in the synagogue with the Jews and ^(C)the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. ¹⁸And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers as well were ^[a]conversing with him. Some were saying, “What could ^(D)this ^[b]scavenger of tidbits want to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching ^(E)Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹And they ^(F)took him and brought him ^[c]to the ^[d]^(G)Areopagus, saying, “May we know what ^(H)this new teaching is ^[e]which you are proclaiming? ²⁰For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.” ²¹(Now all the Athenians and the strangers ^(I)visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

²²So Paul stood in the midst of the ^[f]Areopagus and said, “Men of ^(J)Athens, I see that you are very ^(K)religious in all respects. ²³For while I was passing through and examining the ^(L)objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what ^(M)you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴^(N)The God who made the world and everything that is in it, since He is ^(O)Lord of heaven and earth, does not ^(P)dwell in temples made by hands; ²⁵nor is He served by human hands, ^(Q)as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; ²⁶and ^(R)He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having ^(S)determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, ²⁷that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, ^(T)though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸for ^(U)in Him we live and move and ^[g]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’ ²⁹Therefore, since we are the descendants of God, we ^(V)ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. ³⁰So having ^(W)overlooked ^(X)the times of ignorance, God is ^(Y)now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, ³¹because He has set ^(Z)a day on which ^(AA)He will judge ^[h]^(AB)the world in righteousness ^[i]through a Man whom He has ^(AC)appointed, having furnished proof to all people ^[j]by ^(AD)raising Him from the dead.”

³²Now when they heard of ^(AE)the resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We shall hear from you ^[k]again concerning this.” ³³So Paul went out from among them. ³⁴But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the ^(AF)Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

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Footnotes

Acts 17:18 Or disputing
Acts 17:18 Lit seed gatherer; i.e., an unlearned person collecting only scraps of knowledge
Acts 17:19 Or before
Acts 17:19 Or Hill of Ares; Greek god of war
Acts 17:19 Lit which is being spoken by you
Acts 17:22 Or the Council of the Areopagus
Acts 17:28 Lit are
Acts 17:31 Lit the inhabited earth
Acts 17:31 Lit by; or in
Acts 17:31 Or when He raised
Acts 17:32 Lit also again

Jeremiah 30:1-22

New American Standard Bible

Liberation from Captivity Promised

30 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ²“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘^(A)Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. ³For behold, ^(B)days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will ^(C)restore the fortunes of My people ^(D)Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also ^(E)bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall take possession of it.’”

⁴Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

⁵“For this is what the Lord says:

‘^[a]I have heard a sound of ^(F)terror,
Of fear, and there is no peace.
⁶Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his waist, ^(G)as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?
⁷Woe, for that ^(H)day is great,
There is ^(I)none like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s ^(J)distress,
Yet he will be ^(K)saved from it.

⁸‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘that I will ^(L)break his yoke from ^[b]their necks and will tear to pieces ^[c]their ^(M)restraints; and strangers will no longer ^(N)make ^[d]them their slaves. ⁹But they shall serve the Lord their God and ^(O)David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰And ^(P)do not fear, Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord,
‘And do not be dismayed, Israel;
For behold, I am going to save you ^(Q)from far away,
And your ^[e]descendants from the land of their captivity.
And Jacob will return and be ^(R)at peace, without anxiety,
And ^(S)no one will make him afraid.
¹¹For ^(T)I am with you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to save you;
For I will completely ^(U)destroy all the nations where I have scattered you,
Only I will ^(V)not destroy you completely.
But I will ^(W)discipline you fairly
And will by no means leave you unpunished.’

¹²“For this is what the Lord says:
‘Your broken limb is irreparable,
And your ^(X)wound is incurable.
¹³There is no one to plead your cause;
No healing for your sore,
^(Y)No recovery for you.
¹⁴All your ^(Z)lovers have forgotten you,
They do not seek you;
For I have ^(AA)wounded you with the wound of an enemy,
With the ^(AB)punishment of a ^(AC)cruel one,
Because your ^(AD)wrongdoing is great,
And your ^(AE)sins are numerous.
¹⁵Why do you cry out over your injury?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your wrongdoing is great
And your sins are numerous,
I have done these things to you.
¹⁶Therefore all who ^(AF)devour you will be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, ^(AG)will go into captivity;
And those who plunder you will become plunder,
And all who plunder you I will turn into plunder.
¹⁷For I will ^[f]restore you to ^[g]^(AH)health
And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the Lord,
‘Because they have called you an ^(AI)outcast, saying:
“It is Zion; no one ^[h]cares for her.”’

Restoration of Jacob

¹⁸“This is what the Lord says:
‘Behold, I will ^(AJ)restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And ^(AK)have compassion on his dwellings;
And the ^(AL)city will be rebuilt on its ruins,
And the ^(AM)palace will stand on its rightful place.
¹⁹From them will come a ^(AN)song of thanksgiving
And the voices of those who ^[i]^(AO)celebrate;
And I will ^(AP)multiply them and they will not decrease;
I will ^(AQ)honor them and they will not be insignificant.
²⁰^[j]Their children also will be as before,
And ^[k]their congregation will be ^(AR)established before Me;
And I will punish all ^[l]their oppressors.
²¹^[m]Their ^(AS)leader shall be one of them,
And ^[n]their ruler will come out from ^[o]their midst;
And I will ^(AT)bring him near and he shall approach Me;
For ^[p]who would dare to risk his life to ^(AU)approach Me?’ declares the Lord.
²²‘You shall be ^(AV)My people,
And I will be your God.’”

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 30:5 Lit We
Jeremiah 30:8 As in LXX; MT your neck
Jeremiah 30:8 As in LXX; MT your
Jeremiah 30:8 Lit him their slave
Jeremiah 30:10 Lit seed
Jeremiah 30:17 Lit cause to go up
Jeremiah 30:17 Or healing
Jeremiah 30:17 Lit is seeking
Jeremiah 30:19 Or dance
Jeremiah 30:20 Lit His
Jeremiah 30:20 Lit his
Jeremiah 30:20 Lit his
Jeremiah 30:21 Lit his
Jeremiah 30:21 Lit his
Jeremiah 30:21 Lit his
Jeremiah 30:21 Lit who is he that gives his heart in pledge

Acts 18:1-23

New American Standard Bible

Paul in Corinth

18 After these events Paul left ^(A)Athens and went to ^(B)Corinth. ²And he found a Jew named ^(C)Aquila, a native of ^(D)Pontus having recently come from ^(E)Italy with his wife ^(F)Priscilla, because ^(G)Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, ³and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and ^(H)they worked together, for they were tent-makers by trade. ⁴And Paul was reasoning ^(I)in the synagogue every ^(J)Sabbath and trying to persuade ^(K)Jews and Greeks.

⁵But when ^(L)Silas and Timothy ^(M)came down from ^(N)Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, ^(O)testifying to the Jews that ^(P)Jesus was the ^[a]Christ. ⁶But when they resisted and blasphemed, he ^(Q)shook out his garments and said to them, “Your ^(R)blood is ^[b]on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go ^(S)to the Gentiles.” ⁷Then he left ^[c]the synagogue and went to the house of a man named ^[d]Titius Justus, ^(T)a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸^(U)Crispus, ^(V)the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord ^(W)together with his entire household; and many of the ^(X)Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, were believing and being baptized. ⁹And the Lord said to Paul by ^(Y)a vision at night, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; ¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” ¹¹And he settled there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

¹²But while Gallio was ^(Z)proconsul of ^(AA)Achaia, ^(AB)the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before ^(AC)the ^[e]judgment seat, ¹³saying, “This man is inciting the people to worship God contrary to ^(AD)the ^[f]law.” ¹⁴But when Paul was about to ^(AE)open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or vicious, unscrupulous act, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; ¹⁵but if there are ^[g]^(AF)questions about ^[h]teaching and ^[i]persons and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” ¹⁶And he drove them away from ^(AG)the ^[j]judgment seat. ¹⁷But they all took hold of ^(AH)Sosthenes, ^(AI)the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of ^(AJ)the judgment seat. And yet Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.

¹⁸Now Paul, when he had remained many days longer, ^(AK)took leave of ^(AL)the brothers and sisters and sailed away to ^(AM)Syria, and ^(AN)Priscilla and ^(AO)Aquila were with him. ^[k]Paul first ^(AP)had his hair cut at ^(AQ)Cenchrea, for he was keeping a vow. ¹⁹They came to ^(AR)Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered ^(AS)the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, ²¹but ^(AT)took leave of them and said, “I will return to you again ^(AU)if God wills,” and he set sail from ^(AV)Ephesus.

²²When he had landed in ^(AW)Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and went down to ^(AX)Antioch.

Third Missionary Journey

²³And after spending some time there, he left and passed successively through the ^(AY)Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

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