Old/New Testament
Warnings to the Stubborn Nation
30 The Lord said,
“How terrible it will be for these stubborn children.
They make plans, but they don’t ask me to help them.
They make agreements with other nations, without asking my Spirit.
They are adding more and more sins to themselves.
2 They go down to Egypt for help,
but they didn’t ask me about it first.
They hope they will be saved by the king of Egypt.
They want Egypt to protect them.
3 But hiding in Egypt will bring you only shame.
Egypt’s protection will only disappoint you.
4 Your officers have gone to Zoan.
Your messengers have gone to Hanes.
5 But they will be put to shame,
because Egypt is useless to them.
Egypt will give no help and be of no use.
It will cause them only shame and embarrassment.”
God’s Message to Judah
6 This is the message about the animals in southern Judah:
Southern Judah is a dangerous place.
It is full of lions and lionesses,
poisonous snakes and darting snakes.
The messengers travel through there with their wealth on donkeys’ backs.
They have put their treasure on the backs of camels.
They carry them to a nation that cannot help them.
7 They go to Egypt whose help is useless.
So I call that country Rahab the Do-Nothing.
8 Now write this on a sign for the people.
Write this on a scroll.
Write these things for the days to come.
Write them so they will last forever.
9 These people are like children who lie and refuse to obey.
They refuse to listen to the Lord’s teachings.
10 They tell the seers,
“Don’t see any more visions!”
They say to the prophets,
“Don’t tell us the truth!
Say things that will make us feel good.
See only good things for us.
11 Stop blocking our path.
Get out of our way.
Stop telling us
about God, the Holy One of Israel.”
12 So this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“You people have refused to accept this message from the Lord.
You depended on cruelty and lies to help you.
13 You are guilty of these things.
So you are like a high wall with cracks in it.
It will fall suddenly and break into small pieces.
14 You will be like a clay jar that breaks.
It breaks into many pieces.
Those pieces will be too small
to take coals from the fire
or to get water from a well.”
15 This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“If you come back to me and trust me, you will be saved.
If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.”
But you don’t want to do that.
16 You say, “No, we need horses to run away on.”
So you will run away on horses.
You say, “We will ride away on fast horses.”
So those who chase you will be fast.
17 One enemy will make threats,
and 1,000 of your men will run away.
Five enemies will make threats,
and all of you will run from them.
You will be left alone like a flagpole on a hilltop.
You will be like a banner on a hill.
18 The Lord wants to show his mercy to you.
He wants to rise and comfort you.
The Lord is a fair God.
And everyone who waits for his help will be happy.
God Will Help His People
19 You people who live on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will not cry anymore. The Lord will hear your crying, and he will comfort you. The Lord will hear you, and he will help you. 20 The Lord has given you sorrow and hurt. It was like the bread and water you ate every day. But he is your teacher, and he will not continue to hide from you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you. It will say, “This is the right way. You should go this way.” 22 You have statues covered with silver and gold. But you will ruin them for further use. You will throw them away like filthy rags. You will say, “Go away!”
23 At that time the Lord will send rain for you. You will plant seeds in the ground, and the ground will grow food for you. The harvest will be very great. You will have plenty of food in the fields for your animals. There will be large fields for your sheep. 24 Your oxen and donkeys will work the soil. They will have all the food they need. You will have to use shovels and pitchforks to spread all the food for your animals to eat. 25 Every mountain and hill will have streams filled with water. These things will happen after many people are killed and the towers are pulled down. 26 At that time the light from the moon will be bright like the sun. The light from the sun will be seven times brighter than now. The light from the sun in one day will be like a full week. These things will happen when the Lord bandages his broken people and heals the hurts he gave them.
27 Look! The Lord comes from far away.
His anger is like a fire with thick clouds of smoke.
His mouth is filled with anger,
and his tongue is like a burning fire.
28 The Lord’s breath is like a rushing river.
It rises until it reaches the throat.
He will judge the nations as if he is sifting them through the strainer of destruction.
He will place in their mouths a bit that will lead them the wrong way.
29 You will sing happy songs
as on the nights you begin a festival.
You will be happy as people listening to flutes
as they go to the mountain of the Lord.
The Lord is the Rock of Israel.
30 The Lord will cause all people to hear his great voice.
He will cause them to see his powerful arm come down.
It will come with anger like a great fire that burns everything.
It will be like a great storm with much rain and hail.
31 Assyria will be afraid when it hears the voice of the Lord.
The Lord will beat Assyria with a rod.
32 The Lord will punish Assyria with a rod.
He will beat them to the music of tambourines and harps.
The Lord will fight against them with his mighty weapons.
33 Topheth[a] has been made ready for a long time.
It is ready for the king.
It was made deep and wide.
There is much wood and fire there.
And the Lord’s breath will come
like a stream of burning sulfur and burn it.
Warnings About Relying on Egypt
31 How terrible it will be for those people who go down to Egypt for help.
They think horses will save them.
They think their many chariots
and strong horsemen will save them.
They don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel.
They don’t ask the Lord for help.
2 But it is the Lord who is wise and who can bring them trouble.
He does not change his warnings.
He will rise up and fight against the evil people.
And he will fight against those who try to help evil people.
3 The Egyptians are only people and are not God.
Their horses are only animals and are not spirit.
The Lord will stretch out his arm,
and the one who helps will stumble.
The people who wanted help will fall.
All of them will be destroyed together.
4 The Lord says this to me:
“When a lion or a lion’s cub kills an animal to eat,
it stands over the dead animal and roars.
A band of shepherds
may be assembled against it.
But the lion will not be afraid of their yelling.
It will not be upset by their noise.
So the Lord of heaven’s armies will come down
to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 The Lord of heaven’s armies will defend Jerusalem.
He will defend it like birds flying over their nests.
He will defend and save it.
He will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”
6 You children of Israel, come back to the God that you fought against. 7 The time is coming when each of you will stop worshiping the idols of gold and silver that you made. You truly sinned when you made them.
8 “Assyria will be defeated by a sword, but not the sword of a man.
Assyria will be destroyed, but not by a man’s sword.
Assyria will run away from the sword of God.
But their young men will be caught and made slaves.
9 They will panic, and their place of safety will be destroyed.
Their commanders will be terrified when they see God’s battle flag.”
The Lord said all these things.
The Lord’s fire is in Jerusalem.
His furnace is in Jerusalem.
What the Christians Are to Do
4 My dear brothers, I love you and want to see you. You bring me joy and make me proud of you. Continue following the Lord as I have told you.
2 I ask Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 And because you serve faithfully with me, my friend, I ask you to help these women to do this. They served with me in telling people the Good News. They served together with Clement and others who worked with me. Their names are written in the book of life.[a]
4 Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy.
5 Let all men see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks. 7 And God’s peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that God gives is so great that we cannot understand it.
8 Brothers, continue to think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 And do what you learned and received from me. Do what I told you and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.
Paul Thanks the Christians
10 I am very happy in the Lord that you have shown your care for me again. You continued to care about me, but there was no way for you to show it. 11 I am telling you this, but it is not because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. 12 I know how to live when I am poor. And I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens. I have learned to be happy when I have enough to eat and when I do not have enough to eat. I have learned to be happy when I have all that I need and when I do not have the things I need. 13 I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength.
14 But it was good that you helped me when I needed help. 15 You people in Philippi remember when I first preached the Good News there. When I left Macedonia, you were the only church that gave me help. 16 Several times you sent me things I needed when I was in Thessalonica. 17 Really, it is not that I want to receive gifts from you. But I want you to have the good that comes from giving. 18 And now I have everything, and more. I have all I need because Epaphroditus brought your gift to me. Your gift is like a sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God. God accepts that sacrifice, and it pleases him. 19 My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need. 20 Glory to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.
21 Greet each of God’s people in Christ. God’s people who are with me send greetings to you. 22 All of God’s people greet you. And those believers from the palace of Caesar greet you, too.
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.