Zayin

Jeremiah Prays for Understanding

¹⁶ “After I had given the deed of purchase to ^(A)Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: ¹⁷ ‘Ah, Lord God! It is ^(B)you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by ^(C)your outstretched arm! ^(D)Nothing is too hard for you. ^18 (E)You show steadfast love to thousands, ^(F)but you repay the guilt of fathers ^(G)to their children after them, O great and ^(H)mighty God, whose name is the ^(I)Lord of hosts, ^19 (J)great in counsel and ^(K)mighty in deed, ^(L)whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, ^(M)rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. ²⁰ You have shown ^(N)signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, ^(O)and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. ^21 (P)You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and ^(Q)outstretched arm, ^(R)and with great terror. ²² And you gave them this land, ^(S)which you swore to their fathers to give them, ^(T)a land flowing with milk and honey. ²³ And they entered and took possession of it. ^(U)But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. ²⁴ Behold, ^(V)the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and ^(W)because of sword and famine and pestilence ^(X)the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. ²⁵ Yet you, O Lord God, have said to me, ^(Y)“Buy the field for money ^(Z)and get witnesses”—though ^(AA)the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”

²⁶ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁷ “Behold, I am the Lord, ^(AB)the God of all flesh. ^(AC)Is anything too hard for me? ²⁸ Therefore, thus says the Lord: ^(AD)Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. ²⁹ The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city ^(AE)shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, ^(AF)with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal ^(AG)and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, ^(AH)to provoke me to anger. ³⁰ For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight ^(AI)from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but ^(AJ)provoke me to anger ^(AK)by the work of their hands, declares the Lord. ³¹ This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, ^(AL)so that I will remove it from my sight ³² because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—^(AM)their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ^33 (AN)They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them ^(AO)persistently, they have not listened ^(AP)to receive instruction. ³⁴ They set up ^(AQ)their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. ³⁵ They built the high places of Baal ^(AR)in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, ^(AS)to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, ^(AT)though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do ^(AU)this abomination, ^(AV)to cause Judah to sin.

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the ^(A)Amen, ^(B)the faithful and true witness, ^(C)the beginning of God's creation.

¹⁵ “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. ^(D)Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ^17 (E)For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, ^(F)blind, and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you ^(G)to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and ^(H)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and ^(I)the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, ^(J)so that you may see. ^19 (K)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and ^(L)knock. ^(M)If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, ^(N)I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ^21 (O)The one who conquers, ^(P)I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as ^(Q)I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ^22 (R)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”