Jeremiah 20:7-13

New King James Version

Jeremiah’s Unpopular Ministry

⁷O Lord, You ^[a]induced me, and I was persuaded;
^(A)You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
^(B)I am ^[b]in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
⁸For when I spoke, I cried out;
^(C)I shouted, “Violence and plunder!”
Because the word of the Lord was made to me
A reproach and a derision daily.
⁹Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.”
But His word was in my heart like a ^(D)burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And ^(E)I could not.
¹⁰^(F)For I heard many ^[c]mocking:
“Fear on every side!”
“Report,” they say, “and we will report it!”
^(G)All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying,
“Perhaps he can be induced;
Then we will prevail against him,
And we will take our revenge on him.”

¹¹But the Lord is ^(H)with me as a mighty, awesome One.
Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not ^(I)prevail.
They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.
Their ^(J)everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
¹²But, O Lord of hosts,
You who ^(K)test the righteous,
And see the ^[d]mind and heart,
^(L)Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For I have pleaded my cause before You.

¹³Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
For ^(M)He has delivered the life of the poor
From the hand of evildoers.

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 20:7 enticed or persuaded
Jeremiah 20:7 Lit. a laughingstock all the day
Jeremiah 20:10 slandering
Jeremiah 20:12 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys

2 Timothy 4:1-8

New King James Version

Preach the Word

4 I ^(A)charge you ^[a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(B)who will judge the living and the dead ^[b]at His appearing and His kingdom: ²Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. ^(C)Convince, ^(D)rebuke, ^(E)exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³^(F)For the time will come when they will not endure ^(G)sound doctrine, ^(H)but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and ^(I)be turned aside to fables. ⁵But you be watchful in all things, ^(J)endure afflictions, do the work of ^(K)an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Paul’s Valedictory

⁶For ^(L)I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of ^(M)my departure is at hand. ⁷^(N)I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Finally, there is laid up for me ^(O)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous ^(P)Judge, will give to me ^(Q)on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

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Footnotes

2 Timothy 4:1 NU omits therefore
2 Timothy 4:1 NU and by

Matthew 10:16-33

New King James Version

Persecutions Are Coming^(A)

¹⁶^(B)“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. ^(C)Therefore be wise as serpents and ^(D)harmless^[a] as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men, for ^(E)they will deliver you up to councils and ^(F)scourge you in their synagogues. ¹⁸^(G)You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹^(H)But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For ^(I)it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; ²⁰^(J)for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹^(K)“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²²And ^(L)you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. ^(M)But he who endures to the end will be saved. ²³^(N)When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have ^(O)gone through the cities of Israel ^(P)before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴^(Q)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If ^(R)they have called the master of the house ^[b]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! ²⁶Therefore do not fear them. ^(S)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God^(T)

²⁷“Whatever I tell you in the dark, ^(U)speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. ²⁸^(V)And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather ^(W)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[c]hell. ²⁹Are not two ^(X)sparrows sold for a ^[d]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰^(Y)But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men^(Z)

³²^(AA)“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, ^(AB)him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. ³³^(AC)But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

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