JEREMIAH 42:1-44:23
2 TIMOTHY 2:1-21
PSALM 92:1-93:5
PROVERBS 26:3-5
JEREMIAH 42:1-44:23
Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet. They said, " Please pray to the LORD your God for us. As you know, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. 3 Beg the LORD your God to show us what to do and where to go." 4 " All right," Jeremiah replied. " I will pray to the LORD your God, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you." 5 Then they said to Jeremiah, " May the LORD your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! 6 Whether we like it or not, we will obey the LORD our God to whom we send you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us." 7 Ten days later, the LORD gave his reply to Jeremiah. 8 So he called for Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers, and for all the people, from the least to the greatest. 9 He said to them, " You sent me to the LORD, the God of Israel, with your request, and this is his reply: 10 ` Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. For I am sorry for all the punishment I have had to bring upon you. 11 Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore, says the LORD. For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power. 12 I will be merciful to you by making him kind, so he will let you stay here in your land.' 13 " But if you refuse to obey the LORD your God and say, ` We will not stay here,' 14 and if you insist on going to live in Egypt where you think you will be free from war, famine, and alarms, 15 then this is what the LORD says to the remnant of Judah. The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ` If you insist on going to Egypt, 16 the war and famine you fear will follow close behind you, and you will die there. 17 That is the fate awaiting every one of you who insists on going to live in Egypt. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape from the disaster I will bring upon you there.' 18 " For the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ` Just as my anger and fury were poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so they will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will become an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. And you will never see your homeland again.' 19 " Listen, you remnant of Judah. The LORD has told you: ` Do not go to Egypt!' Don't forget this warning I have given you today. 20 For you were deceitful when you sent me to pray to the LORD your God for you, saying, ` Just tell us what the LORD our God says, and we will do it!' 21 And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the LORD your God any better now than you have in the past. 22 So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going."43:1 WHEN Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the LORD their God to all the people, 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, " You lie! The LORD our God hasn't forbidden us to go to Egypt! 3 Baruch son of Neriah has convinced you to say this, so we will stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile." 4 So Johanan and all the army officers and all the people refused to obey the LORD's command to stay in Judah. 5 Johanan and his officers took with them all the people who had returned from the nearby countries to which they had fled. 6 In the crowd were men, women, and children, the king's daughters, and all those whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah. Also included were the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch. 7 The people refused to obey the LORD and went to Egypt, going as far as the city of Tahpanhes. 8 Then at Tahpanhes, the LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 9 " While the people of Judah are watching, bury large rocks between the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace here in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to the people of Judah, ` The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will surely bring my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, here to Egypt. I will set his throne on these stones that I have hidden. He will spread his royal canopy over them. 11 And when he comes, he will destroy the land of Egypt. He will bring death to those destined for death; he will bring captivity to those destined for captivity; he will bring the sword against those destined for the sword. 12 He will set fire to the temples of Egypt's gods, burning all their idols and carrying away the people as captives. He will pick clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks fleas from his cloak. And he himself will leave unharmed. 13 He will break down the sacred pillars standing in the temple of the sun in Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of Egypt's gods.' " 44:1 THIS is the message Jeremiah received concerning the Judeans living in northern Egypt in the cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and throughout southern Egypt as well: 2 " This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw what I did to Jerusalem and to all the towns of Judah. They now lie in ruins, and no one lives in them. 3 Because of all their wickedness, my anger rose high against them. They burned incense and worshiped other gods--gods that neither they nor you nor any of your ancestors have ever known. 4 " Again and again I sent my servants, the prophets, to plead with them, ` Don't do these horrible things that I hate so much.' 5 But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept right on burning incense to these gods. 6 And so my fury boiled over and fell like fire on the towns of Judah and into the streets of Jerusalem, and now they are a desolate ruin. 7 " And now the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, asks you: Why are you destroying yourselves? For not one of you will survive--not a man, woman, or child among you who has come here from Judah, not even the babies in your arms. 8 Why arouse my anger by burning incense to the idols you have made here in Egypt? You will only destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and mockery for all the nations of the earth. 9 Have you forgotten the sins of your ancestors, the sins of the kings and queens of Judah, and the sins you and your wives committed in Judah and Jerusalem? 10 To this very hour you have shown no remorse or reverence. No one has chosen to follow my law and the decrees I gave to you and your ancestors before you.11 " Therefore, the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I have made up my mind to destroy every one of you! 12 I will take this remnant of Judah that insisted on coming here to Egypt, and I will consume them. They will fall here in Egypt, killed by war and famine. All will die, from the least to the greatest. They will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. 13 I will punish them in Egypt just as I punished them in Jerusalem, by war, famine, and disease. 14 Of those who fled to Egypt with dreams of returning home to Judah, only a handful will escape." 15 Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols--a great crowd of all the Judeans living in Pathros, the southern region of Egypt--answered Jeremiah, 16 " We will not listen to your messages from the LORD! 17 We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and sacrifice to her just as much as we like--just as we and our ancestors did before us, and as our kings and princes have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! 18 But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her, we have been in great trouble and have suffered the effects of war and famine." 19 " And," the women added, " do you suppose that we were worshiping the Queen of Heaven, pouring out drink offerings to her, and making cakes marked with her image, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!"20 Then Jeremiah said to all of them, men and women alike, who had given him that answer, 21 " Do you think the LORD did not know that you and your ancestors, your kings and officials, and all the people were burning incense to idols in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 22 It was because the LORD could no longer bear all the evil things you were doing that he made your land an object of cursing--a desolate ruin without a single inhabitant--as it is today. 23 The very reason all these terrible things have happened to you is because you have burned incense to idols and sinned against the LORD, refusing to obey him and follow his instructions, laws, and stipulations."
2 TIMOTHY 2:1-21
Timothy, my dear son, be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others. 3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5 Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6 Hardworking farmers are the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things. 8 Never forget that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David's family and that he was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. 11 This is a true saying: If we die with him,
we will also live with him.
12 If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.
14 Remind everyone of these things, and command them in God's name to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 15 Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless, foolish discussions that lead to more and more ungodliness. 17 This kind of talk spreads like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples of this. 18 They have left the path of truth, preaching the lie that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; and they have undermined the faith of some. 19 But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: " The Lord knows those who are his," and " Those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness." 20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
PSALM 92:1-93:5
A psalm to be sung on the LORD's Day. A song.
1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to the Most High.
2 It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
your faithfulness in the evening,
3 accompanied by the harp and lute
and the harmony of the lyre.
4 You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.
5 O LORD, what great miracles you do!
And how deep are your thoughts.
6 Only an ignorant person would not know this!
Only a fool would not understand it.
7 Although the wicked flourish like weeds,
and evildoers blossom with success,
there is only eternal destruction ahead of them.
8 But you are exalted in the heavens.
You, O LORD, continue forever.
9 Your enemies, LORD, will surely perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 But you have made me as strong as a wild bull.
How refreshed I am by your power!
11 With my own eyes I have seen the downfall of my enemies;
with my own ears I have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.
12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 For they are transplanted into the LORD's own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
15 They will declare, " The LORD is just!
He is my rock!
There is nothing but goodness in him!"
93:1 THE LORD is king! He is robed in majesty.
Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be shaken.
2 Your throne, O LORD, has been established from time immemorial.
You yourself are from the everlasting past.
3 The mighty oceans have roared, O LORD.
The mighty oceans roar like thunder;
the mighty oceans roar as they pound the shore.
4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
mightier than the breakers on the shore--
the LORD above is mightier than these!
5 Your royal decrees cannot be changed.
The nature of your reign, O LORD, is holiness forever.
PROVERBS 26:3-5
Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with a rod to his back! When arguing with fools, don't answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.
