Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Coronation of Messianic King

Psalm 2

Shattering a Clay Jar

19 Thus said Adonai: “Go, buy a potter’s clay jar, take some elders of the people, some elders of the kohanim, ² and go out to the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there the words that I will tell you, ³ and say, “Hear the word of Adonai, kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: ‘I am about to bring such a catastrophe on this place that whoever hears about it, his ears will tingle. ⁴ For they have forsaken Me and have alienated this place, by burning sacrifices in it to other gods, which neither they nor their forefathers, nor the kings of Judah have known. They have also filled this place with the blood of innocents. ⁵ They have built high places for Baal, in order to burn their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal—something I never commanded, nor mentioned, nor did it ever come into My mind.’”

⁶ “Therefore behold, the days are coming”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“when this place will no longer be called Topheth or The Valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. ⁷ So I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place. I will have them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hand of them that seek their life. I will give their carcasses as food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. ⁸ And I will make this city a horror and a hissing—every one passing by will be stunned and hiss because of all her wounds. ⁹ And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone will eat his companion’s flesh during the siege and distress, which their enemies and those who seek their life will inflict on them.

¹⁰ “Then you will shatter the jar in the presence of the people who accompany you, ¹¹ and say to them, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘Even so I will shatter this people and this city, as one shatters a potter’s jar, which can never be made whole again. So they will be burying in Topheth, for there will be no other place to bury.’”

¹² “Thus I will do to this place”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and to its inhabitants, making this city as Topheth. ¹³ The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be as defiled as the place Topheth—all the houses on whose roofs they burned incense to the whole heavenly host and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”

¹⁴ Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where Adonai had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of Adonai’s House, and said to all the people, ¹⁵ thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “I am about to bring on this city and on all her towns the whole disaster that I pronounced against it, because they stiffened their neck, rather than hearing My words.”

⁶ In pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Messiah Yeshua, nourished in the words of the faith and the sound teaching that you have been following. ⁷ But avoid godless myths and old wives’ tales; instead, train yourself in godliness. ⁸ For physical exercise has some benefit; but godliness is beneficial for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the one to come. ⁹ Trustworthy is the saying and deserving of complete acceptance ¹⁰ (for to this end we work hard and strive): “We have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially those who trust.” ¹¹ Insist on these things and teach them.

¹² Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but become an example of the faithful—in speech, in conduct, in love, in faithfulness, and in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to encouragement, and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift^[a] within you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands of the elders. ¹⁵ Practice these things—be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be clear to all. ¹⁶ Give attention to yourself and your teaching. Persevere in these things, for in doing so you will save yourself^[b] and those who hear you.