Jeremiah 23:9-32

New International Version

Lying Prophets

⁹Concerning the prophets:

My heart^(A) is broken within me;
    all my bones tremble.^(B)
I am like a drunken man,
    like a strong man overcome by wine,
because of the Lord
    and his holy words.^(C)
¹⁰The land is full of adulterers;^(D)
    because of the curse^[a]^(E) the land lies parched
    and the pastures^(F) in the wilderness are withered.^(G)
The prophets follow an evil course
    and use their power unjustly.

¹¹“Both prophet and priest are godless;^(H)
    even in my temple^(I) I find their wickedness,”
declares the Lord.
¹²“Therefore their path will become slippery;^(J)
    they will be banished to darkness
    and there they will fall.
I will bring disaster on them
    in the year they are punished,^(K)”
declares the Lord.

¹³“Among the prophets of Samaria
    I saw this repulsive thing:
They prophesied by Baal^(L)
    and led my people Israel astray.^(M)
¹⁴And among the prophets of Jerusalem
    I have seen something horrible:^(N)
    They commit adultery and live a lie.^(O)
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,^(P)
    so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.^(Q)
They are all like Sodom^(R) to me;
    the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”^(S)

¹⁵Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets:

“I will make them eat bitter food
and drink poisoned water,^(T)
because from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness^(U) has spread throughout the land.”

¹⁶This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Do not listen^(V) to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
    they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions^(W) from their own minds,
    not from the mouth^(X) of the Lord.
¹⁷They keep saying^(Y) to those who despise me,
    ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’^(Z)
And to all who follow the stubbornness^(AA) of their hearts
    they say, ‘No harm^(AB) will come to you.’
¹⁸But which of them has stood in the council^(AC) of the Lord
    to see or to hear his word?
    Who has listened and heard his word?
¹⁹See, the storm^(AD) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind^(AE) swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
²⁰The anger^(AF) of the Lord will not turn back^(AG)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand it clearly.
²¹I did not send^(AH) these prophets,
    yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
    yet they have prophesied.
²²But if they had stood in my council,^(AI)
    they would have proclaimed^(AJ) my words to my people
and would have turned^(AK) them from their evil ways
    and from their evil deeds.^(AL)

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

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

³⁰“Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against^(BA) the prophets^(BB) who steal from one another words supposedly from me. ³¹Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’^(BC) ³²Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,^(BD)” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray^(BE) with their reckless lies,^(BF) yet I did not send^(BG) or appoint them. They do not benefit^(BH) these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 23:10 Or because of these things

Acts 17:16-34

New International Version

In Athens

¹⁶While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷So he reasoned in the synagogue^(A) with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news^(B) about Jesus and the resurrection.^(C) ¹⁹Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,^(D) where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching^(E) is that you are presenting? ²⁰You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹(All the Athenians^(F) and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

²²Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus^(G) and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.^(H) ²³For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship^(I)—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

²⁴“The God who made the world and everything in it^(J) is the Lord of heaven and earth^(K) and does not live in temples built by human hands.^(L) ²⁵And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.^(M) ²⁶From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.^(N) ²⁷God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.^(O) ²⁸‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’^[a]^(P) As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’^[b]

²⁹“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.^(Q) ³⁰In the past God overlooked^(R) such ignorance,^(S) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.^(T) ³¹For he has set a day when he will judge^(U) the world with justice^(V) by the man he has appointed.^(W) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”^(X)

³²When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,^(Y) some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” ³³At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus,^(Z) also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

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Footnotes

Acts 17:28 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides
Acts 17:28 From the Cilician Stoic philosopher Aratus

Jeremiah 30:1-22

New International Version

Restoration of Israel

30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ²“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write^(A) in a book all the words I have spoken to you. ³The days^(B) are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring^(C) my people Israel and Judah back from captivity^[a] and restore^(D) them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”

⁴These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: ⁵“This is what the Lord says:

“‘Cries of fear^(E) are heard—
    terror, not peace.
⁶Ask and see:
    Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,^(F)
    every face turned deathly pale?^(G)
⁷How awful that day^(H) will be!
    No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble^(I) for Jacob,
    but he will be saved^(J) out of it.

⁸“‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
    ‘I will break the yoke^(K) off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;^(L)
    no longer will foreigners enslave them.^(M)
⁹Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
    and David^(N) their king,^(O)
    whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰“‘So do not be afraid,^(P) Jacob my servant;^(Q)
    do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save^(R) you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,^(S)
    and no one will make him afraid.^(T)
¹¹I am with you^(U) and will save you,’
    declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy^(V) you.
I will discipline^(W) you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’^(X)

¹²“This is what the Lord says:

“‘Your wound^(Y) is incurable,
    your injury beyond healing.^(Z)
¹³There is no one to plead your cause,^(AA)
    no remedy for your sore,
    no healing^(AB) for you.
¹⁴All your allies^(AC) have forgotten you;
    they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy^(AD) would
    and punished you as would the cruel,^(AE)
because your guilt is so great
    and your sins^(AF) so many.
¹⁵Why do you cry out over your wound,
    your pain that has no cure?^(AG)
Because of your great guilt and many sins
    I have done these things to you.^(AH)

¹⁶“‘But all who devour^(AI) you will be devoured;
    all your enemies will go into exile.^(AJ)
Those who plunder^(AK) you will be plundered;
    all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
¹⁷But I will restore you to health
    and heal^(AL) your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,^(AM)
    Zion for whom no one cares.’^(AN)

¹⁸“This is what the Lord says:

“‘I will restore the fortunes^(AO) of Jacob’s tents^(AP)
    and have compassion^(AQ) on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt^(AR) on her ruins,
    and the palace will stand in its proper place.
¹⁹From them will come songs^(AS) of thanksgiving^(AT)
    and the sound of rejoicing.^(AU)
I will add to their numbers,^(AV)
    and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,^(AW)
    and they will not be disdained.
²⁰Their children^(AX) will be as in days of old,
    and their community will be established^(AY) before me;
    I will punish^(AZ) all who oppress them.
²¹Their leader^(BA) will be one of their own;
    their ruler will arise from among them.^(BB)
I will bring him near^(BC) and he will come close to me—
    for who is he who will devote himself
    to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
²²“‘So you will be my people,^(BD)
    and I will be your God.^(BE)’”

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 30:3 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah

Acts 18:1-23

New International Version

In Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens^(A) and went to Corinth.^(B) ²There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,^(C) because Claudius^(D) had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.^(E) ⁴Every Sabbath^(F) he reasoned in the synagogue,^(G) trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵When Silas^(H) and Timothy^(I) came from Macedonia,^(J) Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.^(K) ⁶But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,^(L) he shook out his clothes in protest^(M) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!^(N) I am innocent of it.^(O) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^(P)

⁷Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.^(Q) ⁸Crispus,^(R) the synagogue leader,^(S) and his entire household^(T) believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:^(U) “Do not be afraid;^(V) keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰For I am with you,^(W) and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.^(X)

¹²While Gallio was proconsul^(Y) of Achaia,^(Z) the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³“This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law^(AA)—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶So he drove them off. ¹⁷Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes^(AB) the synagogue leader^(AC) and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

¹⁸Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters^(AD) and sailed for Syria,^(AE) accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.^(AF) Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae^(AG) because of a vow he had taken.^(AH) ¹⁹They arrived at Ephesus,^(AI) where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.”^(AJ) Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²²When he landed at Caesarea,^(AK) he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.^(AL)

²³After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia^(AM) and Phrygia,^(AN) strengthening all the disciples.^(AO)

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