Jeremiah 10-11
New King James Version
Idols and the True God
10 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says the Lord:
(A)“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are [a]futile;
For (B)one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They (C)fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree,
And (D)they cannot speak;
They must be (E)carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For (F)they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.”
6 Inasmuch as there is none (G)like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
7 (H)Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due.
For (I)among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
8 But they are altogether (J)dull-hearted and foolish;
A wooden idol is a [b]worthless doctrine.
9 Silver is beaten into plates;
It is brought from Tarshish,
And (K)gold from Uphaz,
The work of the craftsman
And of the hands of the metalsmith;
Blue and purple are their clothing;
They are all (L)the work of skillful men.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
He is (M)the living God and the (N)everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
11 Thus you shall say to them: (O)“The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth (P)shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”
12 He (Q)has made the earth by His power,
He has (R)established the world by His wisdom,
And (S)has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
13 (T)When He utters His voice,
There is a [c]multitude of waters in the heavens:
(U)“And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”
14 (V)Everyone is (W)dull-hearted, without knowledge;
(X)Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image;
(Y)For his molded image is falsehood,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are futile, a work of errors;
In the time of their punishment they shall perish.
16 (Z)The Portion of Jacob is not like them,
For He is the Maker of all things,
And (AA)Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
(AB)The Lord of hosts is His name.
The Coming Captivity of Judah
18 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will (AD)throw out at this time
The inhabitants of the land,
And will distress them,
(AE)That they may find it so.”
19 (AF)Woe is me for my hurt!
My wound is severe.
But I say, (AG)“Truly this is an infirmity,
And (AH)I must bear it.”
20 (AI)My tent is plundered,
And all my cords are broken;
My children have gone from me,
And they are (AJ)no more.
There is no one to pitch my tent anymore,
Or set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,
And have not sought the Lord;
Therefore they shall not prosper,
And all their flocks shall be (AK)scattered.
22 Behold, the noise of the report has come,
And a great commotion out of the (AL)north country,
To make the cities of Judah desolate, a (AM)den of jackals.
23 O Lord, I know the (AN)way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
24 O Lord, (AO)correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
25 (AP)Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, (AQ)who do not know You,
And on the families who do not call on Your name;
For they have eaten up Jacob,
(AR)Devoured him and consumed him,
And made his dwelling place desolate.
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: (AS)“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, (AT)from the iron furnace, saying, (AU)‘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 (AV)oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them (AW)‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is this day.” ’ ”
And I answered and said, [e]“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 (AX)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, (AY)rising early and exhorting, saying, “Obey My voice.” 8 (AZ)Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but (BA)everyone [f]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, (BB)“A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to (BC)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 [g]escape; and (BD)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 (BE)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 (BF)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 (BG)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(BH) has My beloved to do in My house,
Having (BI)done lewd deeds with many?
And (BJ)the holy flesh has passed from you.
When you do evil, then you (BK)rejoice.
16 The Lord called your name,
(BL)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, (BM)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, (BN)and let us cut him off from (BO)the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”
20 But, O Lord of hosts,
You who judge righteously,
(BP)Testing the [h]mind and the heart,
Let me see Your (BQ)vengeance on them,
For to You I have revealed my cause.
21 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of (BR)Anathoth who seek your life, saying, (BS)‘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 (BT)die by famine; 23 and there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even (BU)the year of their punishment.’ ”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 10:3 Lit. vanity
- Jeremiah 10:8 vain teaching
- Jeremiah 10:13 Or noise
- Jeremiah 10:17 Or you who dwell under siege
- 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
Colossians 3:18-4
New King James Version
The Christian Home(A)
18 (B)Wives, submit to your own husbands, (C)as is fitting in the Lord.
19 (D)Husbands, love your wives and do not be (E)bitter toward them.
20 (F)Children, obey your parents (G)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21 (H)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
22 (I)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 (J)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 (K)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; (L)for[a] you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and (M)there is no partiality.
Christian Graces; Final Greetings
4 Masters,(N) give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Christian Graces
2 (O)Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it (P)with thanksgiving; 3 (Q)meanwhile praying also for us, that God would (R)open to us a door for the word, to speak (S)the [b]mystery of Christ, (T)for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 (U)Walk in (V)wisdom toward those who are outside, (W)redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be (X)with grace, (Y)seasoned with salt, (Z)that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Final Greetings(AA)
7 (AB)Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 8 (AC)I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that [c]he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, 9 with (AD)Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.
10 (AE)Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with (AF)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 (AG)Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always (AH)laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand (AI)perfect and [d]complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has a great [e]zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. 14 (AJ)Luke the beloved physician and (AK)Demas greet you. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and [f]Nymphas and (AL)the church that is in [g]his house.
Closing Exhortations and Blessing
16 Now when (AM)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 (AN)Archippus, “Take heed to (AO)the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”
18 (AP)This salutation by my own hand—Paul. (AQ)Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:24 NU omits for
- 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 78:56-72
New King James Version
56 (A)Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
57 But (B)turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were turned aside (C)like a deceitful bow.
58 (D)For they provoked Him to anger with their (E)high places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
59 When God heard this, He was furious,
And greatly abhorred Israel,
60 (F)So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent He had placed among men,
61 (G)And delivered His strength into captivity,
And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 (H)He also gave His people over to the sword,
And was furious with His inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men,
And (I)their maidens were not given in marriage.
64 (J)Their priests fell by the sword,
And (K)their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
(L)Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 And (M)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 (N)which He loved.
69 And He built His (O)sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
70 (P)He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From following (Q)the ewes that had young He brought him,
(R)To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the (S)integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
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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