To the Church in Sardis

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him (A)who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation (B)of being alive, (C)but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works (D)complete in the sight of my God. (E)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, (F)I will come (G)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not (H)soiled their garments, and they will walk with me (I)in white, for they are (J)worthy. (K)The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never (L)blot his name out of (M)the book of life. (N)I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. (O)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Philadelphia

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of (P)the holy one, (Q)the true one, (R)who has the key of David, (S)who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you (T)an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of (U)the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, (V)I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that (W)I have loved you. 10 (X)Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try (Y)those who dwell on the earth. 11 (Z)I am coming soon. (AA)Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize (AB)your crown. 12 (AC)The one who conquers, I will make him (AD)a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him (AE)the name of my God, and (AF)the name of the city of my God, (AG)the new Jerusalem, (AH)which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own (AI)new name. 13 (AJ)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Laodicea

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

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. (AN)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 (AO)For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, (AP)blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you (AQ)to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and (AR)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and (AS)the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, (AT)so that you may see. 19 (AU)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and (AV)knock. (AW)If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (AX)I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 (AY)The one who conquers, (AZ)I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as (BA)I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 (BB)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

20 (A)Wine is a mocker, (B)strong drink a brawler,
    and whoever (C)is led astray by it is not wise.[a]
The terror of a king is like (D)the growling of a lion;
    whoever provokes him to anger (E)forfeits his life.
It is an honor for a man to (F)keep aloof from strife,
    but every fool will be quarreling.
(G)The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
    (H)he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
The purpose in a man's heart is like (I)deep water,
    but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Many a man (J)proclaims his own steadfast love,
    but (K)a faithful man who can find?
The righteous who (L)walks in his integrity—
    (M)blessed are his children after him!
(N)A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    (O)winnows all evil with his eyes.
(P)Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
    I am clean from my sin”?
10 (Q)Unequal[b] weights and unequal measures
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child (R)makes himself known by his acts,
    by whether his conduct is pure and upright.[c]
12 (S)The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
    (T)the Lord has made them both.
13 (U)Love not sleep, lest you (V)come to poverty;
    open your eyes, and you will have (W)plenty of bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
    but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of (X)costly stones,
    (Y)but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 (Z)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and (AA)hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.[d]
17 (AB)Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
    but afterward his mouth will be full of (AC)gravel.
18 (AD)Plans are established by counsel;
    by (AE)wise guidance (AF)wage war.
19 Whoever (AG)goes about slandering reveals secrets;
    therefore do not associate with (AH)a simple babbler.[e]
20 (AI)If one curses his father or his mother,
    (AJ)his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21 (AK)An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
    will not be blessed in the end.
22 Do not say, (AL)“I will repay evil”;
    (AM)wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
23 (AN)Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,
    and (AO)false scales are not good.
24 A man's (AP)steps are from the Lord;
    how then can man understand his way?
25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
    and to reflect only (AQ)after making vows.
26 A wise king (AR)winnows the wicked
    and drives (AS)the wheel over them.
27 (AT)The spirit[f] of man is the lamp of the Lord,
    (AU)searching all (AV)his innermost parts.
28 (AW)Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
    and by steadfast love his (AX)throne is upheld.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
    but (AY)the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30 (AZ)Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
    strokes make clean (BA)the innermost parts.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:1 Or will not become wise
  2. Proverbs 20:10 Or Two kinds of; also verse 23
  3. Proverbs 20:11 Or Even a child can dissemble in his actions, though his conduct seems pure and upright
  4. Proverbs 20:16 Or for an adulteress (compare 27:13)
  5. Proverbs 20:19 Hebrew with one who is simple in his lips
  6. Proverbs 20:27 Hebrew breath

The Ruined Loincloth

13 Thus says the Lord to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and (A)put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, (B)go to the Euphrates and hide it there in (C)a cleft of the rock.” So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. And after many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there (D)the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took (E)the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was (F)spoiled; it was (G)good for nothing.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Thus says the Lord: (H)Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great (I)pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, (J)who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is (K)good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, (L)that they might be for me a people, (M)a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.

The Jars Filled with Wine

12 “You shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Every jar shall be filled with wine.”’ And they will say to you, ‘Do we not indeed know that (N)every jar will be filled with wine?’ 13 Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: (O)Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: (P)the kings who sit on David's throne, (Q)the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 14 And I will (R)dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the Lord. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.’”

Exile Threatened

15 Hear and give ear; be not proud,
    for the Lord has spoken.
16 (S)Give glory to the Lord your God
    (T)before he brings darkness,
before your feet stumble
    on the twilight mountains,
and (U)while you look for light
    he turns it into gloom
    and makes it (V)deep darkness.
17 But if you will not listen,
    (W)my soul will weep in secret for your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears,
    because the Lord's flock has been taken captive.

18 Say to (X)the king and (Y)the queen mother:
    “Take a lowly seat,
for (Z)your beautiful crown
    has come down from your head.”
19 (AA)The cities of the Negeb are shut up,
    with none to open them;
all Judah is taken into exile,
    wholly taken into exile.

20 “Lift up your eyes (AB)and see
    those who come from the north.
Where is the flock that was given you,
    your beautiful flock?
21 What will you say when they set as head over you
    those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you?
(AC)Will not pangs take hold of you
    like those of a woman in labor?
22 And if you say in your heart,
    (AD)‘Why have these things come upon me?’
it is for the greatness of your iniquity
    that (AE)your skirts are lifted up
    and you suffer violence.
23 (AF)Can the Ethiopian change his skin
    or (AG)the leopard his spots?
Then also you can do good
    who are accustomed to do evil.
24 I will scatter you[a] (AH)like chaff
    driven by the wind from the desert.
25 (AI)This is your lot,
    the portion I have measured out to you, declares the Lord,
because (AJ)you have forgotten me
    and trusted in lies.
26 (AK)I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,
    and your shame will be seen.
27 I have seen (AL)your abominations,
    your adulteries and (AM)neighings, your lewd whorings,
    (AN)on the hills in the field.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
    How long will it be (AO)before you are made clean?”

Famine, Sword, and Pestilence

14 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning (AP)the drought:

(AQ)“Judah mourns,
    and (AR)her gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
    and (AS)the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
Her nobles send their servants for water;
    they come to the cisterns;
they find no water;
    they return with their vessels empty;
they are (AT)ashamed and confounded
    and (AU)cover their heads.
Because of the ground that is dismayed,
    since there is (AV)no rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed;
    they cover their heads.
Even (AW)the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
    because there is no grass.
(AX)The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
    they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
    because there is no vegetation.

“Though our iniquities testify against us,
    act, O Lord, (AY)for your name's sake;
(AZ)for our backslidings are many;
    (BA)we have sinned against you.
(BB)O you hope of Israel,
    its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
    like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
Why should you be like a man confused,
    (BC)like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
Yet (BD)you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
    and (BE)we are called by your name;
    (BF)do not leave us.”

10 Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
“They have loved to wander thus;
    they have not restrained their feet;
(BG)therefore the Lord does not accept them;
    (BH)now he will remember their iniquity
    and punish their sins.”

11 The Lord said to me: (BI)“Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, (BJ)and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them (BK)by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

Lying Prophets

13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets (BL)say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’” 14 And the Lord said to me: “The (BM)prophets are prophesying lies in my name. (BN)I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, (BO)worthless divination, and (BP)the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although (BQ)I did not send them, and who say, (BR)‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: (BS)By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, (BT)with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

17 “You shall say to them this word:
(BU)‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
    and let them not cease,
for the virgin (BV)daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,
    (BW)with a very grievous blow.
18 (BX)If I go out into the field,
    behold, those pierced by the sword!
(BY)And if I enter the city,
    behold, the diseases of famine!
(BZ)For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land
    and have no knowledge.’”

19 (CA)Have you utterly rejected Judah?
    Does your soul loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
    (CB)so that there is no healing for us?
(CC)We looked for peace, but no good came;
    (CD)for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20 (CE)We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
    and the iniquity of our fathers,
    (CF)for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us, (CG)for your name's sake;
    do not dishonor your glorious throne;
    (CH)remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among (CI)the false gods of the nations (CJ)that can bring rain?
    Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
    We set our hope on you,
    (CK)for you do all these things.

The Lord Will Not Relent

15 Then the Lord said to me, (CL)“Though (CM)Moses (CN)and Samuel (CO)stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord:

(CP)“‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,
    and those who are for the sword, to the sword;
those who are for famine, to famine,
    and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’

(CQ)I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the Lord: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and (CR)the birds of the air (CS)and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. (CT)And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what (CU)Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.

(CV)“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,
    (CW)or who will grieve for you?
Who will turn aside
    to ask about your welfare?
(CX)You have rejected me, declares the Lord;
    (CY)you keep going backward,
so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you—
    (CZ)I am weary of relenting.
(DA)I have winnowed them with (DB)a winnowing fork
    in the gates of the land;
I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people;
    (DC)they did not turn from their ways.
I have made their widows more in number
    than (DD)the sand of the seas;
I have brought against the mothers of young men
    a destroyer at noonday;
I have made anguish and terror
    fall upon them suddenly.
(DE)She who bore seven has grown feeble;
    (DF)she has fainted away;
(DG)her sun went down while it was yet day;
    she has been shamed and disgraced.
And the rest of them I will give to the sword
    before their enemies,
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah's Complaint

10 (DH)Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! (DI)I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. 11 The Lord said, “Have I not[b] set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress? 12 Can one break iron, iron (DJ)from the north, and bronze?

13 (DK)“Your wealth and your treasures I will give as (DL)spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. 14 I will make you serve your enemies (DM)in a land that you do not know, (DN)for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

15 (DO)O Lord, you know;
    (DP)remember me and visit me,
    (DQ)(DR)and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance take me not away;
    (DS)know that (DT)for your sake I bear reproach.
16 Your words were found, (DU)and I ate them,
    and (DV)your words became to me a joy
    and the delight of my heart,
(DW)for I am called by your name,
    O Lord, God of hosts.
17 (DX)I did not sit in the company of revelers,
    nor did I rejoice;
(DY)I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,
    for you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unceasing,
    (DZ)my wound incurable,
    refusing to be healed?
Will you be to me (EA)like a deceitful brook,
    like waters that fail?

19 Therefore thus says the Lord:
(EB)“If you return, I will restore you,
    and you shall (EC)stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
    you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
    but you shall not turn to them.
20 (ED)And I will make you to this people
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
    (EE)but they shall not prevail over you,
(EF)for I am with you
    to save you and deliver you,
declares the Lord.
21 (EG)I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
    and redeem you from the grasp of (EH)the ruthless.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 13:24 Hebrew them
  2. Jeremiah 15:11 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

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