The Daily Audio Bible
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28 Israel is a nation lacking sense
with no understanding at all.[a]
29 If only they were wise, they would figure it out;
they would understand their fate.
30 How could one man pursue a thousand,
or two put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
unless the Lord had given them up?
31 But their “rock” is not like our Rock;
even our enemies concede.
32 For their vine is from the vine of Sodom
and from the fields of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are poisonous;
their clusters are bitter.
33 Their wine is serpents’ venom,
the deadly poison of cobras.
34 “Is it not stored up with Me,
sealed up in My vaults?
35 Vengeance[b] belongs to Me; I will repay.[c](A)
In time their foot will slip,
for their day of disaster is near,
and their doom is coming quickly.”
36 The Lord will indeed vindicate His people
and have compassion on His servants(B)
when He sees that their strength is gone
and no one is left—slave or free.
37 He will say: “Where are their gods,
the ‘rock’ they found refuge in?
38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise up and help you;
let it[d] be a shelter for you.
39 See now that I alone am He;
there is no God but Me.(C)
I bring death and I give life;
I wound and I heal.
No one can rescue anyone from My hand.(D)
40 I raise My hand to heaven and declare:
As surely as I live forever,
41 when I sharpen My flashing sword,
and My hand takes hold of judgment,
I will take vengeance on My adversaries
and repay those who hate Me.
42 I will make My arrows drunk with blood
while My sword devours flesh—
the blood of the slain and the captives,
the heads of the enemy leaders.”[e]
43 Rejoice, you nations, concerning His people,[f](E)
for He will avenge the blood of His servants.[g]
He will take vengeance on His adversaries;[h](F)
He will purify His land and His people.[i]
44 Moses came with Joshua[j] son of Nun and recited all the words of this song in the presence of the people. 45 After Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to carefully follow all the words of this law. 47 For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
Moses’ Impending Death
48 On that same day the Lord spoke to Moses,(G) 49 “Go up Mount Nebo in the Abarim range in the land of Moab, across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan I am giving the Israelites as a possession. 50 Then you will die on the mountain that you go up, and you will be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.(H) 51 For both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites at the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence. 52 Although from a distance you will view the land that I am giving the Israelites, you will not go there.”(I)
Ready for the Master’s Return
35 “Be ready for service[a] and have your lamps lit.(A) 36 You must be like people waiting for their master(B) to return[b] from the wedding banquet(C) so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.(D) 37 Those slaves the master will find alert(E) when he comes will be blessed. I assure you: He will get ready,[c] have them recline at the table, then come and serve them.(F) 38 If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn,[d] and finds them alert, those slaves are blessed. 39 But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming,(G) he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also be ready,(H) because the Son of Man(I) is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”(J)
Rewards and Punishment
41 “Lord,” Peter asked, “are You telling this parable to us or to everyone?”
42 The Lord said: “Who then is the faithful and sensible manager(K) his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food(L) at the proper time? 43 That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded. 44 I tell you the truth: He will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’(M) and starts to beat the male and female slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 that slave’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces[e] and assign him a place with the unbelievers.[f] 47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it[g] will be severely beaten.(N) 48 But the one who did not know and did things deserving(O) of blows will be beaten lightly. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.[h](P)
Not Peace but Division
49 “I came(Q) to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with,(R) and how it consumes(S) Me until it is finished!(T) 51 Do you think that I came here to give peace to the earth?(U) No, I tell you, but rather division! 52 From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son,
son against father,
mother against daughter,
daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”(V)[i]
Interpreting the Time
54 He also said to the crowds:(W) “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does.(X) 55 And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be a scorcher!’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites!(Y) You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this time?(Z)
Settling Accounts
57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?(AA) 58 As you are going with your adversary(AB) to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge,(AC) the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison.(AD) 59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent.”[j](AE)
56 But they rebelliously tested the Most High God,
for they did not keep His decrees.(A)
57 They treacherously turned away like their fathers;
they became warped like a faulty bow.(B)
58 They enraged Him with their high places
and provoked His jealousy with their carved images.(C)
59 God heard and became furious;
He completely rejected Israel.(D)
60 He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh,
the tent where He resided among men.[a](E)
61 He gave up His strength[b] to captivity
and His splendor to the hand of a foe.(F)
62 He surrendered His people to the sword
because He was enraged with His heritage.(G)
63 Fire consumed His chosen young men,
and His young women had no wedding songs.[c](H)
64 His priests fell by the sword,
but the[d] widows could not lament.[e](I)
24 The diligent hand will rule,
but laziness will lead to forced labor.(A)
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