Jeremiah 15:1-12

New International Version

15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses^(A) and Samuel^(B) were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.^(C) Send them away from my presence!^(D) Let them go! ²And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;^(E)
those for starvation, to starvation;^(F)
those for captivity, to captivity.’^(G)

³“I will send four kinds of destroyers^(H) against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword^(I) to kill and the dogs^(J) to drag away and the birds^(K) and the wild animals to devour and destroy.^(L) ⁴I will make them abhorrent^(M) to all the kingdoms of the earth^(N) because of what Manasseh^(O) son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

⁵“Who will have pity^(P) on you, Jerusalem?
    Who will mourn for you?
    Who will stop to ask how you are?
⁶You have rejected^(Q) me,” declares the Lord.
    “You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out^(R) and destroy you;
    I am tired of holding back.^(S)
⁷I will winnow^(T) them with a winnowing fork
    at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement^(U) and destruction on my people,^(V)
    for they have not changed their ways.^(W)
⁸I will make their widows^(X) more numerous
    than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer^(Y)
    against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
    anguish and terror.^(Z)
⁹The mother of seven will grow faint^(AA)
    and breathe her last.^(AB)
Her sun will set while it is still day;
    she will be disgraced^(AC) and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword^(AD)
    before their enemies,”^(AE)
declares the Lord.

¹⁰Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,^(AF)
a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!^(AG)
I have neither lent^(AH) nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses^(AI) me.

¹¹The Lord said,

“Surely I will deliver you^(AJ) for a good purpose;
surely I will make your enemies plead^(AK) with you
in times of disaster and times of distress.

¹²“Can a man break iron—
iron from the north^(AL)—or bronze?

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James 2:1-13

New International Version

Favoritism Forbidden

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious^(A) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.^(B) ²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. ³If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges^(C) with evil thoughts?

⁵Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:^(D) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world^(E) to be rich in faith^(F) and to inherit the kingdom^(G) he promised those who love him?^(H) ⁶But you have dishonored the poor.^(I) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?^(J) ⁷Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

⁸If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”^[a]^(K) you are doing right. ⁹But if you show favoritism,^(L) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.^(M) ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles^(N) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.^(O) ¹¹For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”^[b]^(P) also said, “You shall not murder.”^[c]^(Q) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged^(R) by the law that gives freedom,^(S) ¹³because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.^(T) Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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