Jeremiah 11-12
New King James Version
The Broken Covenant
11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: (A)“Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, (B)from the iron furnace, saying, (C)‘Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 that I may establish the (D)oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them (E)‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is this day.” ’ ”
And I answered and said, [a]“So be it, Lord.”
6 Then the Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: ‘Hear the words of this covenant (F)and do them. 7 For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, (G)rising early and exhorting, saying, “Obey My voice.” 8 (H)Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but (I)everyone [b]followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they have not done.’ ”
9 And the Lord said to me, (J)“A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to (K)the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.”
11 Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to [c]escape; and (L)though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and (M)cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 13 For according to the number of your (N)cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.
14 “So (O)do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.
15 “What(P) has My beloved to do in My house,
Having (Q)done lewd deeds with many?
And (R)the holy flesh has passed from you.
When you do evil, then you (S)rejoice.
16 The Lord called your name,
(T)Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit.
With the noise of a great tumult
He has kindled fire on it,
And its branches are broken.
17 “For the Lord of hosts, (U)who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.”
Jeremiah’s Life Threatened
18 Now the Lord gave me knowledge of it, and I know it; for You showed me their doings. 19 But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, (V)and let us cut him off from (W)the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”
20 But, O Lord of hosts,
You who judge righteously,
(X)Testing the [d]mind and the heart,
Let me see Your (Y)vengeance on them,
For to You I have revealed my cause.
21 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of (Z)Anathoth who seek your life, saying, (AA)‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, lest you die by our hand’— 22 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall (AB)die by famine; 23 and there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even (AC)the year of their punishment.’ ”
Jeremiah’s Question
12 Righteous (AD)are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;
Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
(AE)Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
(AF)You are near in their mouth
But far from their [e]mind.
3 But You, O Lord, (AG)know me;
You have seen me,
And You have (AH)tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for (AI)the day of slaughter.
4 How long will (AJ)the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
(AK)The beasts and birds are consumed,
(AL)For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace,
In which you trusted, they wearied you,
Then how will you do in (AM)the [f]floodplain of the Jordan?
6 For even (AN)your brothers, the house of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you;
Yes, they have called [g]a multitude after you.
(AO)Do not believe them,
Even though they speak [h]smooth words to you.
7 “I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage;
I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.
8 My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest;
It cries out against Me;
Therefore I have (AP)hated it.
9 My [i]heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture;
The vultures all around are against her.
Come, assemble all the beasts of the field,
(AQ)Bring them to devour!
10 “Many (AR)rulers[j] have destroyed (AS)My vineyard,
They have (AT)trodden My portion underfoot;
They have made My [k]pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it (AU)desolate;
Desolate, it mourns to Me;
The whole land is made desolate,
Because (AV)no one takes it to heart.
12 The plunderers have come
On all the desolate heights in the wilderness,
For the sword of the Lord shall devour
From one end of the land to the other end of the land;
No flesh shall have peace.
13 (AW)They have sown wheat but reaped thorns;
They have [l]put themselves to pain but do not profit.
But be ashamed of your harvest
Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”
14 Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbors who (AX)touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will (AY)pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15 (AZ)Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them (BA)and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. 16 And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, (BB)to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be (BC)established in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not (BD)obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 11:5 Heb. Amen
- Jeremiah 11:8 walked in the stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 11:11 Lit. go out
- Jeremiah 11:20 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys
- Jeremiah 12:2 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys
- Jeremiah 12:5 Or thicket
- Jeremiah 12:6 Or abundantly
- Jeremiah 12:6 Lit. good
- Jeremiah 12:9 inheritance
- Jeremiah 12:10 Lit. shepherds or pastors
- Jeremiah 12:10 desired portion of land
- Jeremiah 12:13 Or strained
Colossians 4
New King James Version
Christian Graces; Final Greetings
4 Masters,(A) give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Christian Graces
2 (B)Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it (C)with thanksgiving; 3 (D)meanwhile praying also for us, that God would (E)open to us a door for the word, to speak (F)the [a]mystery of Christ, (G)for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 (H)Walk in (I)wisdom toward those who are outside, (J)redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be (K)with grace, (L)seasoned with salt, (M)that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Final Greetings(N)
7 (O)Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 8 (P)I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that [b]he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, 9 with (Q)Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.
10 (R)Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with (S)Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.
12 (T)Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always (U)laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand (V)perfect and [c]complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has a great [d]zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. 14 (W)Luke the beloved physician and (X)Demas greet you. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and [e]Nymphas and (Y)the church that is in [f]his house.
Closing Exhortations and Blessing
16 Now when (Z)this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. 17 And say to (AA)Archippus, “Take heed to (AB)the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”
18 (AC)This salutation by my own hand—Paul. (AD)Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:3 hidden truth
- Colossians 4:8 NU you may know our circumstances and he may comfort
- Colossians 4:12 NU fully assured
- Colossians 4:13 NU concern
- Colossians 4:15 NU Nympha
- Colossians 4:15 NU her
Psalm 78:31-72
New King James Version
31 The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.
32 In spite of this (A)they still sinned,
And (B)did not believe in His wondrous works.
33 (C)Therefore their days He consumed in futility,
And their years in fear.
34 (D)When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
35 Then they remembered that (E)God was their rock,
And the Most High God (F)their Redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they (G)flattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
37 For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
38 (H)But He, being full of (I)compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time (J)He turned His anger away,
And (K)did not stir up all His wrath;
39 For (L)He remembered (M)that they were but flesh,
(N)A breath that passes away and does not come again.
40 How often they (O)provoked[a] Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, (P)again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His [b]power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
43 When He worked His signs in Egypt,
And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 (Q)Turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, that they could not drink.
45 (R)He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
And (S)frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
And their labor to the (T)locust.
47 (U)He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He also gave up their (V)cattle to the hail,
And their flocks to fiery [c]lightning.
49 He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
By sending angels of destruction among them.
50 He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But gave [d]their life over to the plague,
51 And destroyed all the (W)firstborn in Egypt,
The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 But He (X)made His own people go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 And He (Y)led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea (Z)overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And He brought them to His (AA)holy border,
This mountain (AB)which His right hand had acquired.
55 (AC)He also drove out the nations before them,
(AD)Allotted them an inheritance by [e]survey,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 (AE)Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
57 But (AF)turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were turned aside (AG)like a deceitful bow.
58 (AH)For they provoked Him to anger with their (AI)high places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
59 When God heard this, He was furious,
And greatly abhorred Israel,
60 (AJ)So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent He had placed among men,
61 (AK)And delivered His strength into captivity,
And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 (AL)He also gave His people over to the sword,
And was furious with His inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men,
And (AM)their maidens were not given in marriage.
64 (AN)Their priests fell by the sword,
And (AO)their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
(AP)Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 And (AQ)He beat back His enemies;
He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion (AR)which He loved.
69 And He built His (AS)sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
70 (AT)He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From following (AU)the ewes that had young He brought him,
(AV)To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the (AW)integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Footnotes
- Psalm 78:40 rebelled against Him
- Psalm 78:42 Lit. hand
- Psalm 78:48 lightning bolts
- Psalm 78:50 Or their beasts
- Psalm 78:55 surveyed measurement, lit. measuring cord
Proverbs 24:28-29
New King James Version
28 (A)Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
[a]For would you deceive with your lips?
29 (B)Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:28 LXX, Vg. Do not deceive
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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