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The Example of the Rekabites
35 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. 2 “Go to the house of the Rekabites, and bring them into one of the rooms in the House of the Lord, and give them wine to drink.”
3 So I took Ja’azaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, along with his brothers and all his sons—the whole house of the Rekabites— 4 and I brought them into the House of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials that was above the room of Ma’asaiah son of Shallum, the doorkeeper. 5 I set bowls of wine and some cups before the men of the house of the Rekabites, and I said to them, “Drink some wine.”
6 But they said, “We do not drink wine. Our ancestor Jonadab son of Rekab commanded us: ‘You are not to drink wine, neither you nor your descendants, not ever. 7 Also, you are not to build houses, sow seed, plant vineyards, or own any of these things. You must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time on the land where you live as nomads.’ 8 We have obeyed what Jonadab son of Rekab, our ancestor, commanded us. We have never drunk wine—we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters. 9 We have never built houses to live in. We have no vineyards, fields, or crops. 10 We have lived in tents, and we have obeyed everything that Jonadab our ancestor commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, we said, ‘Come on, we have to go to Jerusalem to escape the armies of the Chaldeans and the Arameans.’ That is why we are living in Jerusalem.”
12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.
13 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says. Go ask the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem: Will you learn a lesson and obey my words? declares the Lord. 14 Jonadab son of Rekab commanded his sons not to drink wine, and this command has been kept. To this day they drink no wine, for they have obeyed their ancestor’s command. But I keep speaking to you, again and again, and you have not obeyed me. 15 I have sent my servants the prophets to you again and again. They told you to turn from your evil ways, to reform your actions, and to stop following other gods in order to serve them. Then you would live on the land I have given to you and your fathers. But you have not paid attention or listened to me. 16 The sons of Jonadab son of Rekab have kept this command which their father gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.
17 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says. Watch this. I am going to bring down on Judah and everyone who lives in Jerusalem every disaster I have pronounced against them. I have spoken to them, but they have not listened. I have called them, but they have not answered.
18 Jeremiah said to the house of the Rekabites, “The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says this. Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his instructions and done everything he commanded you, 19 the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says that Jonadab will never fail to have a man to serve me.”
Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll
36 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
2 Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, concerning Judah and all the other nations, from the day I began speaking to you in the days of Josiah until now. 3 Perhaps when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning for them, each of them will turn from his evil ways. Then I will forgive their guilt and their sin.
4 So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah. While Jeremiah dictated all the words that the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. 5 Then Jeremiah gave an order to Baruch, saying, “I am restricted from going into the House of the Lord, 6 so you will have to go. Read from the scroll you have written at my dictation. Read it in the hearing of all the people of Judah who have come from their cities on a day of fasting. 7 Perhaps they will make a request to the Lord, and each of them will turn from his evil ways, for the Lord has planned great anger and wrath against this people.”
8 Baruch son of Neriah did everything that Jeremiah the prophet had commanded him. He read the words of the Lord from the scroll in the House of the Lord.
9 Later, in the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, all the people of Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah proclaimed a fast before the Lord. 10 Then Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll in the House of the Lord, in the hearing of all the people. This was at the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan, the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the House of the Lord.
11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went into the secretary’s room in the king’s palace. All the officials happened to be sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 Micaiah reported to them all the words he had heard when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. 14 Then all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to tell Baruch, “Bring the scroll you have read in the hearing of the people, and come here.”
So Baruch son of Neriah brought the scroll in his hand and went to them. 15 They said, “Please sit down and read it to us.” So Baruch read it to them.
16 When they had heard everything, they turned to one another in fear. They said to Baruch, “We have to report all of these things to the king.” 17 They asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write all of this? Did Jeremiah dictate this to you?”
18 Baruch answered, “He dictated[a] all of these things to me, and I wrote them with ink on the scroll.”
19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah go and hide. Do not let anyone know where you are.”
20 They put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, and then they went to the king in the court. They repeated all of these words to the king. 21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. After he took it from the room of Elishama the secretary, Jehudi read it to the king in the hearing of all the officials who stood beside the king. 22 Now the king was sitting in the winter house (it was the ninth month),[b] and there was a metal heating pan with a fire of burning coals in front of him. 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king would cut it off with a scribe’s knife and throw it into the fire until the entire scroll was burned up in the fire. 24 Neither the king nor his attendants who heard all these words were afraid. They did not tear their clothing. 25 Even when Elnathan and Delaiah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahme’el the king’s son, along with Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abde’el, to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord hid them.
27 After the king had burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
28 Take another scroll, and write all the earlier words on it that were on the first scroll, the one that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned.
29 Concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, say: This is what the Lord says. You yourself have burned this scroll. You asked, “Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy the land and cut off both men and animals?” 30 That is why the Lord says this about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne. His dead body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat of the day and the frost of the night. 31 I will punish him, his offspring, and his servants for their guilt. I will bring on them and on everyone who lives in Jerusalem and the men of Judah every disaster I have pronounced against them, because they did not listen.
32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to his scribe Baruch son of Neriah, who wrote on it all the same words that had been on the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.
Attitude Toward Various Age Groups
5 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but encourage him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.
Taking Care of Widows
3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to be devoted to their own household and repay their parents,[a] for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 Now the widow who is without relatives has put her hope in God and continues in her petitions and prayers night and day. 6 But the widow who lives only for her own pleasure is dead, even while she lives. 7 Insist on these things also, in order that they may be above criticism. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own family, and especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Let a widow be put on the list if she is over sixty years old, has been a wife of one husband, 10 and has a good reputation for doing good: if she brought up children, if she showed hospitality to strangers, if she washed the feet of the saints, if she provided help for those in distress, and if she dedicated herself to every good work. 11 But do not put younger widows on the list, for when they have strong sensual desires that pull them away from Christ, they want to marry, 12 and so they bring judgment on themselves because they set aside their former pledge.[b] 13 At the same time, they also learn to be lazy as they go about from house to house. They not only learn to be lazy, but also to be gossips and busybodies, saying things that they should not say. 14 Therefore I want younger widows[c] to marry, to have children, to keep house, and to give no opportunity for the enemy to slander them. 15 In fact, some have already turned away to follow Satan.
16 If any believing woman[d] has widows in her family, let her keep helping them rather than letting them become a burden to the church, so that the church may help those who are truly widows.
Dealing With Elders
17 The elders who lead well should be considered worthy of double honor, especially the ones who work hard in the word and doctrine.[e] 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,”[f] and “The worker is worthy of his pay.”[g] 19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 20 In the presence of everyone, rebuke the ones who persist in sin, so that the rest may be afraid.
21 I solemnly charge you, in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, that you follow these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing out of partiality. 22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily and do not take part in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23 Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent sicknesses.
24 The sins of some people are obvious, going on ahead of them to judgment, but the sins of others follow them there. 25 In the same way, good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not obvious cannot stay hidden.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Mercy and truth are right in front of you.
The Security of God’s People
15 How blessed are the people who know the joyful cry.
Lord, they walk in the light from your face.
16 In your name they celebrate all day long.
In your righteousness they are lifted up.
17 For you are the beauty of their strength,
and by your favor you exalt our Horn.[a]
18 Indeed, our Shield belongs to the Lord,
our King to the Holy One of Israel.
The Promise to David
19 Once you spoke in a vision to your favored ones.
You said:
I have granted help to a warrior.
I have raised up a young man from among the people.
20 I found David my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him.
21 He is the one whom my hand will sustain.
Surely my arm will strengthen him.
22 No enemy will subject him to tribute.
No violent man will oppress him.
23 I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and mercy will be with him,
and through my name his horn[b] will be exalted.
25 I will set his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.
26 He will call out to me, “You are my Father,
my God and the Rock that saves me.”
27 I will also make him the Firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my mercy for him forever,
and my covenant with him will stand firm.
29 I will establish his seed forever.
His throne will endure like the days of the heavens.
The Terms of the Covenant
30 If his sons forsake my law,
and they do not walk according to my judgments,
31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commands,
32 I will punish their rebellion with the rod, their guilt with whipping.
33 But I will not break off my mercy from him.
I will not let my truth become false.
34 I will not violate my covenant.
I will not alter what comes out of my lips.
35 Once and for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
surely I will not lie to David—
36 that his seed will continue forever,
and his throne will endure before me like the sun.
37 It will be established forever like the moon. Interlude
This witness in the sky is faithful.
25 Good news from a distant country is
like cold water for a weary soul.
26 A righteous person who is swayed by the wicked
is a muddied spring or a polluted fountain.
27 Eating too much honey is not good,
and people seeking their own glory is not glorious.[a]
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.