JEREMIAH 1:1- 2:30
PHILIPPIANS 4:1- 23
PSALM 75:1- 10
PROVERBS 24:17- 20
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from Anathoth, a town in the land of Benjamin. 2 The LORD first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of King Josiah's reign in Judah. 3 He continued to give messages throughout the reign of Josiah's son, King Jehoiakim, until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign in Judah. In August of that year, the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives. 4 The LORD gave me a message. He said, 5 "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." 6 "O Sovereign LORD," I said, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!" 7 "Don't say that," the LORD replied, "for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 9 Then the LORD touched my mouth and said, "See, I have put my words in your mouth! 10 Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. You are to uproot some and tear them down, to destroy and overthrow them. You are to build others up and plant them." 11 Then the LORD said to me, "Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?" And I replied, "I see a branch from an almond tree." 12 And the LORD said, "That's right, and it means that I am watching, and I will surely carry out my threats of punishment." 13 Then the LORD spoke to me again and asked, "What do you see now?" And I replied, "I see a pot of boiling water, tipping from the north." 14 "Yes," the LORD said, "for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. 15 Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. They will set their thrones at the gates of the city. They will attack its walls and all the other towns of Judah. 16 I will pronounce judgment on my people for all their evil-- for deserting me and worshiping other gods. Yes, they worship idols that they themselves have made! 17" Get up and get dressed. Go out, and tell them whatever I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. 18 For see, today I have made you immune to their attacks. You are strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings, officials, priests, or people of Judah will be able to stand against you. 19 They will try, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the LORD, have spoken! "2:1 THE LORD gave me another message. He said, 2" Go and shout in Jerusalem's streets:`This is what the LORD says:I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness. 3 In those days Israel was holy to the LORD, the first of my children. All who harmed my people were considered guilty, and disaster fell upon them. I, the LORD, have spoken! '"4 Listen to the word of the LORD, people of Jacob-- all you families of Israel! 5 This is what the LORD says:" What sin did your ancestors find in me that led them to stray so far? They worshiped foolish idols, only to become foolish themselves. 6 They did not ask, `Where is the LORD who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness-- a land of deserts and pits, of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels?' 7 "And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the inheritance I had promised you. 8 The priests did not ask, `Where is the LORD? 'The judges ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on nonsense. 9 Therefore, I will bring my case against you and will keep on accusing you, even against your children's children in the years to come. I, the LORD, have spoken! 10" Go west to the land of Cyprus; go east to the land of Kedar. Think about what you see there. See if anyone has ever heard of anything as strange as this. 11 Has any nation ever exchanged its gods for another god, even though its gods are nothing? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! 12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay, says the LORD. 13 For my people have done two evil things:They have forsaken me-- the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all! 14 "Why has Israel become a nation of slaves? Why has she been carried away as plunder? 15 Lions have roared against her. The land has been destroyed, and the cities are now in ruins. No one lives in them anymore. 16 Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes, have utterly destroyed Israel's glory and power. 17 And you have brought this on yourselves by rebelling against the LORD your God when he wanted to lead you and show you the way! 18" What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and Assyria? What good to you are the waters of the Nile and the Euphrates? 19 Your own wickedness will punish you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to forsake the LORD your God, having no fear of him. I, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, have spoken! 20 Long ago I broke your yoke and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you would not obey me. On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols. 21 "How could this happen? When I planted you, I chose a vine of the purest stock-- the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine? 22 No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. You are stained with guilt that cannot be washed away. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! 23" You say, `That's not true! We haven't worshiped the images of Baal!' But how can you say that? Go and look in any valley in the land! Face the awful sins you have done. You are like a restless female camel, desperate for a male! 24 You are like a wild donkey, sniffing the wind at mating time. Who can restrain your lust? Those who desire you do not even need to search, for you come running to them! 25 Why do you refuse to turn from all this running after other gods? But you say, `Don't waste your breath. I have fallen in love with these foreign gods, and I can't stop loving them now! '26 "Like a thief, Israel feels shame only when she gets caught. Kings, officials, priests, and prophets-- all are alike in this. 27 To an image carved from a piece of wood they say, `You are my father.' To an idol chiseled out of stone they say, `You are my mother. 'They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out for me to save them! 28 Why don't you call on these gods you have made? When danger comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are cities and towns in Judah. 29 Why do you accuse me of doing wrong? You are the ones who have rebelled, says the LORD. 30 I have punished your children, but it did them no good. They still refuse to obey. You yourselves have killed your prophets as a lion kills its prey."
Dear brothers and sisters, *I [Paul] love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends. 2 And now I want to plead with those two women, Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true teammate, to help these women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. And they worked with Clement and the rest of my co- workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-- rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you. 10 How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn't have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. 14 But even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. 15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don't say this because I want a gift from you. What I want is for you to receive a well- earned reward because of your kindness. 18 At the moment I have all I need-- more than I need! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet- smelling sacrifice that is acceptable to God and pleases him. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 20 Now glory be to God our Father forever and ever. Amen. 21 Give my greetings to all the Christians there. The brothers who are with me here send you their greetings. 22 And all the other Christians send their greetings, too, especially those who work in Caesar's palace. 23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
For the choir director:A psalm of Asaph, to be sung to the tune "Do Not Destroy!" A song.
1 We thank you, O God!
We give thanks because you are near.
People everywhere tell of your mighty miracles.
2 God says, "At the time I have planned,
I will bring justice against the wicked.
3 When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil,
I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.
Interlude4" I warned the proud, `Stop your boasting!'
I told the wicked, `Don't raise your fists!
5 Don't lift your fists in defiance at the heavens
or speak with rebellious arrogance. '"
6 For no one on earth-- from east or west,
or even from the wilderness--
can raise another person up.
7 It is God alone who judges;
he decides who will rise and who will fall.
8 For the LORD holds a cup in his hand;
it is full of foaming wine mixed with spices.
He pours the wine out in judgment,
and all the wicked must drink it,
draining it to the dregs.
9 But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done;
I will sing praises to the God of Israel.
10 For God says," I will cut off the strength of the wicked,
but I will increase the power of the godly. "
Do not rejoice when your enemies fall into trouble. Don't be happy when they stumble. For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them. Do not fret because of evildoers; don't envy the wicked. For the evil have no future; their light will be snuffed out
PHILIPPIANS 4:1- 23
PSALM 75:1- 10
PROVERBS 24:17- 20
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from Anathoth, a town in the land of Benjamin. 2 The LORD first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of King Josiah's reign in Judah. 3 He continued to give messages throughout the reign of Josiah's son, King Jehoiakim, until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign in Judah. In August of that year, the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives. 4 The LORD gave me a message. He said, 5 "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." 6 "O Sovereign LORD," I said, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!" 7 "Don't say that," the LORD replied, "for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 9 Then the LORD touched my mouth and said, "See, I have put my words in your mouth! 10 Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. You are to uproot some and tear them down, to destroy and overthrow them. You are to build others up and plant them." 11 Then the LORD said to me, "Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?" And I replied, "I see a branch from an almond tree." 12 And the LORD said, "That's right, and it means that I am watching, and I will surely carry out my threats of punishment." 13 Then the LORD spoke to me again and asked, "What do you see now?" And I replied, "I see a pot of boiling water, tipping from the north." 14 "Yes," the LORD said, "for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. 15 Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. They will set their thrones at the gates of the city. They will attack its walls and all the other towns of Judah. 16 I will pronounce judgment on my people for all their evil-- for deserting me and worshiping other gods. Yes, they worship idols that they themselves have made! 17" Get up and get dressed. Go out, and tell them whatever I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. 18 For see, today I have made you immune to their attacks. You are strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings, officials, priests, or people of Judah will be able to stand against you. 19 They will try, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the LORD, have spoken! "2:1 THE LORD gave me another message. He said, 2" Go and shout in Jerusalem's streets:`This is what the LORD says:I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness. 3 In those days Israel was holy to the LORD, the first of my children. All who harmed my people were considered guilty, and disaster fell upon them. I, the LORD, have spoken! '"4 Listen to the word of the LORD, people of Jacob-- all you families of Israel! 5 This is what the LORD says:" What sin did your ancestors find in me that led them to stray so far? They worshiped foolish idols, only to become foolish themselves. 6 They did not ask, `Where is the LORD who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness-- a land of deserts and pits, of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels?' 7 "And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the inheritance I had promised you. 8 The priests did not ask, `Where is the LORD? 'The judges ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on nonsense. 9 Therefore, I will bring my case against you and will keep on accusing you, even against your children's children in the years to come. I, the LORD, have spoken! 10" Go west to the land of Cyprus; go east to the land of Kedar. Think about what you see there. See if anyone has ever heard of anything as strange as this. 11 Has any nation ever exchanged its gods for another god, even though its gods are nothing? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! 12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay, says the LORD. 13 For my people have done two evil things:They have forsaken me-- the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all! 14 "Why has Israel become a nation of slaves? Why has she been carried away as plunder? 15 Lions have roared against her. The land has been destroyed, and the cities are now in ruins. No one lives in them anymore. 16 Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes, have utterly destroyed Israel's glory and power. 17 And you have brought this on yourselves by rebelling against the LORD your God when he wanted to lead you and show you the way! 18" What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and Assyria? What good to you are the waters of the Nile and the Euphrates? 19 Your own wickedness will punish you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to forsake the LORD your God, having no fear of him. I, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, have spoken! 20 Long ago I broke your yoke and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you would not obey me. On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols. 21 "How could this happen? When I planted you, I chose a vine of the purest stock-- the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine? 22 No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. You are stained with guilt that cannot be washed away. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! 23" You say, `That's not true! We haven't worshiped the images of Baal!' But how can you say that? Go and look in any valley in the land! Face the awful sins you have done. You are like a restless female camel, desperate for a male! 24 You are like a wild donkey, sniffing the wind at mating time. Who can restrain your lust? Those who desire you do not even need to search, for you come running to them! 25 Why do you refuse to turn from all this running after other gods? But you say, `Don't waste your breath. I have fallen in love with these foreign gods, and I can't stop loving them now! '26 "Like a thief, Israel feels shame only when she gets caught. Kings, officials, priests, and prophets-- all are alike in this. 27 To an image carved from a piece of wood they say, `You are my father.' To an idol chiseled out of stone they say, `You are my mother. 'They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out for me to save them! 28 Why don't you call on these gods you have made? When danger comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are cities and towns in Judah. 29 Why do you accuse me of doing wrong? You are the ones who have rebelled, says the LORD. 30 I have punished your children, but it did them no good. They still refuse to obey. You yourselves have killed your prophets as a lion kills its prey."
Dear brothers and sisters, *I [Paul] love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends. 2 And now I want to plead with those two women, Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true teammate, to help these women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. And they worked with Clement and the rest of my co- workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-- rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you. 10 How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn't have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. 14 But even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. 15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don't say this because I want a gift from you. What I want is for you to receive a well- earned reward because of your kindness. 18 At the moment I have all I need-- more than I need! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet- smelling sacrifice that is acceptable to God and pleases him. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 20 Now glory be to God our Father forever and ever. Amen. 21 Give my greetings to all the Christians there. The brothers who are with me here send you their greetings. 22 And all the other Christians send their greetings, too, especially those who work in Caesar's palace. 23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
For the choir director:A psalm of Asaph, to be sung to the tune "Do Not Destroy!" A song.
1 We thank you, O God!
We give thanks because you are near.
People everywhere tell of your mighty miracles.
2 God says, "At the time I have planned,
I will bring justice against the wicked.
3 When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil,
I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.
Interlude4" I warned the proud, `Stop your boasting!'
I told the wicked, `Don't raise your fists!
5 Don't lift your fists in defiance at the heavens
or speak with rebellious arrogance. '"
6 For no one on earth-- from east or west,
or even from the wilderness--
can raise another person up.
7 It is God alone who judges;
he decides who will rise and who will fall.
8 For the LORD holds a cup in his hand;
it is full of foaming wine mixed with spices.
He pours the wine out in judgment,
and all the wicked must drink it,
draining it to the dregs.
9 But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done;
I will sing praises to the God of Israel.
10 For God says," I will cut off the strength of the wicked,
but I will increase the power of the godly. "
Do not rejoice when your enemies fall into trouble. Don't be happy when they stumble. For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them. Do not fret because of evildoers; don't envy the wicked. For the evil have no future; their light will be snuffed out
