October 20 Reading through the Bible

JEREMIAH 35:1-36:32

1 TIMOTHY 5:1-25

PSALM 89:14-37

PROVERBS 25:25-27

JEREMIAH 35:1-36:32

This is the message the LORD gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah: 2 " Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the LORD's Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine." 3 So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons--representing all the Recabite families. 4 I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the palace officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper. 5 I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink, 6 but they refused. " No," they said. " We don't drink wine, because Jehonadab son of Recab, our ancestor, gave us this command: ` You and your descendants must never drink wine. 7 And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.' 8 So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine since then, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters. 9 We haven't built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor. 11 But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon arrived in this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Aramean armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here." 12 Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 13 " The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ` Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me. 14 The Recabites do not drink wine because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to listen or obey. 15 I have sent you prophet after prophet to tell you to turn from your wicked ways and to stop worshiping other gods, so that you might live in peace here in the land I gave to you and your ancestors. But you would not listen to me or obey. 16 The families of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.' 17 " Therefore, the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened." 18 Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, " This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions. 19 Because of this, Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me. I, the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, have spoken!"36:1 DURING the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah, the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 2 " Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message you have given, right up to the present time. 3 Perhaps the people of Judah will repent if they see in writing all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings." 4 So Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote down all the prophecies that the LORD had given him. 5 Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, " I am a prisoner here and unable to go to the Temple. 6 So you go to the Temple on the next day of fasting, and read the messages from the LORD that are on this scroll. On that day people will be there from all over Judah. 7 Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the LORD's forgiveness before it is too late. For the LORD's terrible anger has been pronounced against them." 8 Baruch did as Jeremiah told him and read these messages from the LORD to the people at the Temple. 9 This happened on the day of sacred fasting held in late autumn, during the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah. People from all over Judah came to attend the services at the Temple on that day. 10 Baruch read Jeremiah's words to all the people from the Temple room of Gemariah son of Shaphan. This room was just off the upper courtyard of the Temple, near the New Gate entrance.11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan heard the messages from the LORD, 12 he went down to the secretary's room in the palace where the administrative officials were meeting. Elishama the secretary was there, along with Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the others with official responsibilities. 13 When Micaiah told them about the messages Baruch was reading to the people, 14 the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, grandson of Shelemiah, and great-grandson of Cushi, to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them, too. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them. 15 " Sit down and read the scroll to us," the officials said, and Baruch did as they requested. 16 By the time Baruch had finished reading, they were badly frightened. " We must tell the king what we have heard," they said. 17 " But first, tell us how you got these messages. Did they come directly from Jeremiah?" 18 So Baruch explained, " Jeremiah dictated them to me word by word, and I wrote down his words with ink on this scroll." 19 " You and Jeremiah should both hide," the officials told Baruch. " Don't tell anyone where you are!" 20 Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king. 21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama's room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by. 22 It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm. 23 Whenever Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took his knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up. 24 Neither the king nor his officials showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard. 25 Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn't listen. 26 Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the LORD had hidden them.27 After the king had burned Jeremiah's scroll, the LORD gave Jeremiah another message. He said, 28 " Get another scroll, and write everything again just as you did on the scroll King Jehoiakim burned. 29 Then say to the king, ` This is what the LORD says: You burned the scroll because it said the king of Babylon would destroy this land and everything in it. 30 Now this is what the LORD says about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no heirs to sit on the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to lie unburied--exposed to hot days and frosty nights. 31 I will punish him and his family and his officials because of their sins. I will pour out on them and on all the people of Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have promised, for they would not listen to my warnings.' " 32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to his secretary Baruch. He wrote everything that had been on the scroll King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. Only this time, he added much more!

1 TIMOTHY 5:1-25

Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as though he were your own father. Talk to the younger men as you would to your own brothers. 2 Treat the older women as you would your mother, and treat the younger women with all purity as your own sisters. 3 The church should care for any widow who has no one else to care for her. 4 But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God very much. 5 But a woman who is a true widow, one who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. Night and day she asks God for help and spends much time in prayer. 6 But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead. 7 Give these instructions to the church so that the widows you support will not be criticized. 8 But those who won't care for their own relatives, especially those living in the same household, have denied what we believe. Such people are worse than unbelievers. 9 A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband. 10 She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers? Has she served other Christians humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good? 11 The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry. 12 Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge. 13 Besides, they are likely to become lazy and spend their time gossiping from house to house, getting into other people's business and saying things they shouldn't. 14 So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. 15 For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan. 16 If a Christian woman has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for widows who are truly alone. 17 Elders who do their work well should be paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, " Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain." And in another place, " Those who work deserve their pay!" 19 Do not listen to complaints against an elder unless there are two or three witnesses to accuse him. 20 Anyone who sins should be rebuked in front of the whole church so that others will have a proper fear of God. 21 I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing special favor to anyone. 22 Never be in a hurry about appointing an elder. Do not participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.23 Don't drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often. 24 Remember that some people lead sinful lives, and everyone knows they will be judged. But there are others whose sin will not be revealed until later. 25 In the same way, everyone knows how much good some people do, but there are others whose good deeds won't be known until later.

PSALM 89:14-37

Your throne is founded on two strong pillars--righteousness and justice.

Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.

15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD.

16 They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.

They exult in your righteousness.

17 You are their glorious strength.

Our power is based on your favor.

18 Yes, our protection comes from the LORD,

and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.

19 You once spoke in a vision to your prophet and said,

" I have given help to a warrior.

I have selected him from the common people to be king.

20 I have found my servant David.

I have anointed him with my holy oil.

21 I will steady him,

and I will make him strong.

22 His enemies will not get the best of him,

nor will the wicked overpower him.

23 I will beat down his adversaries before him

and destroy those who hate him.

24 My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him,

and he will rise to power because of me.

25 I will extend his rule from the Mediterranean Sea in the west

to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the east.

26 And he will say to me, ` You are my Father,

my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'

27 I will make him my firstborn son,

the mightiest king on earth.

28 I will love him and be kind to him forever;

my covenant with him will never end.

29 I will preserve an heir for him;

his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.

30 But if his sons forsake my law

and fail to walk in my ways,

31 if they do not obey my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

32 then I will punish their sin with the rod,

and their disobedience with beating.

33 But I will never stop loving him,

nor let my promise to him fail.

34 No, I will not break my covenant;

I will not take back a single word I said.

35 I have sworn an oath to David,

and in my holiness I cannot lie:

36 His dynasty will go on forever;

his throne is as secure as the sun,

37 as eternal as the moon,

my faithful witness in the sky!"

Interlude

PROVERBS 25:25-27

Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty. If the godly compromise with the wicked, it is like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring. Just as it is not good to eat too much honey, it is not good for people to think about all the honors they deserve. 

October 19 Reading through the Bible

 

JEREMIAH 33:1-34:22

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-16

PSALM 89:1-13

PROVERBS 25:23-24

JEREMIAH 33:1-34:22

While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the LORD gave him this second message: 2 " The LORD, the Maker of the heavens and earth--the LORD is his name--says this: 3 Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here. 4 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Though you have torn down the houses of this city and even the king's palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the siege weapons of the enemy, 5 the Babylonians will still enter. The men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness. 6 " Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem's damage and give her prosperity and peace. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their cities. 8 I will cleanse away their sins against me, and I will forgive all their sins of rebellion. 9 Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see the good I do for my people and will tremble with awe! 10 " This is what the LORD says: You say, ` This land has been ravaged, and the people and animals have all disappeared.' Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah's other towns, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the LORD. They will sing, ` Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good.

His faithful love endures forever!'

For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the LORD. 12 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: This land--though it is now desolate and the people and animals have all disappeared--will once more see shepherds leading sheep and lambs. 13 Once again their flocks will prosper in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the LORD, have spoken! 14 " The day will come, says the LORD, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good I have promised them. 15 At that time I will bring to the throne of David a righteous descendant, and he will do what is just and right throughout the land. 16 In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And their motto will be ` The LORD is our righteousness!' 17 For this is what the LORD says: David will forever have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel. 18 And there will always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me." 19 Then this message came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 20 " If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that they do not come on their usual schedule, 21 only then will my covenant with David, my servant, be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me. 22 And as the stars cannot be counted and the sand on the seashores cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David, my servant, and the Levites who minister before me." 23 The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 24 " Have you heard what people are saying?--` The LORD chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!' They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation. 25 But this is the LORD's reply: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws of night and day, of earth and sky. 26 I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David's descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them."34:1 KING Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all the armies from the kingdoms he ruled, and he fought against Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. At that time this message came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 " Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, ` This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it. 3 You will not escape his grasp but will be taken into captivity. You will stand before the king of Babylon to be judged and sentenced. Then you will be exiled to Babylon.' 4 " But listen to this promise from the LORD, O Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the LORD says: ` You will not be killed in war 5 but will die peacefully among your people. They will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your ancestors. They will weep for you and say, " Alas, our king is dead!" This I have decreed, says the LORD.' " 6 So Jeremiah the prophet delivered the message to King Zedekiah of Judah. 7 At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah--the only cities of Judah with their walls still standing.8 This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves. 9 He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves--both men and women. No one was to keep a fellow Judean in bondage. 10 The officials and all the people had obeyed the king's command, 11 but later they changed their minds. They took back the people they had freed, making them slaves again. 12 So the LORD gave them this message through Jeremiah: 13 " This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors long ago when I rescued them from their slavery in Egypt. 14 I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But this was never done. 15 Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in my Temple. 16 But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, making them slaves once again. 17 " Therefore, this is what the LORD says: Since you have not obeyed me by setting your countrymen free, I will set you free to be destroyed by war, famine, and disease. You will be considered a disgrace by all the nations of the earth. 18 Because you have refused the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows. 19 Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people--for you have broken your oath. 20 I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals. 21 I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon. And though Babylon's king has left this city for a while, 22 I will call the Babylonian armies back again. They will fight against this city and will capture and burn it. I will see to it that all the towns of Judah are destroyed and left completely empty."

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-16

Now the Holy Spirit tells us [believers] clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead. 3 They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanksgiving by people who know and believe the truth. 4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it. We may receive it gladly, with thankful hearts. 5 For we know it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.6 If you explain this to the brothers and sisters,* you will be doing your duty as a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is fed by the message of faith and the true teaching you have followed. 7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. 8 Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. 9 This is true, and everyone should accept it. 10 We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe the truth, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and particularly of those who believe. 11 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. 12 Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. 15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you.

PSALM 89:1-13

A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the tender mercies of the LORD forever!

Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.

2 Your unfailing love will last forever.

Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

3 The LORD said, " I have made a solemn agreement with David, my chosen servant.

I have sworn this oath to him:

4 ` I will establish your descendants as kings forever;

they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.' "

Interlude5 All heaven will praise your miracles, LORD;

myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.

6 For who in all of heaven can compare with the LORD?

What mightiest angel is anything like the LORD?

7 The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.

He is far more awesome than those who surround his throne.

8 O LORD God Almighty!

Where is there anyone as mighty as you, LORD?

Faithfulness is your very character.

9 You are the one who rules the oceans.

When their waves rise in fearful storms, you subdue them.

10 You are the one who crushed the great sea monster.

You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

11 The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;

everything in the world is yours--you created it all.

12 You created north and south.

Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name.

13 Powerful is your arm!

Strong is your hand!

Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.

PROVERBS 25:23-24

As surely as a wind from the north brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger! It is better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a contentious wife in a lovely home.

October 18 Reading through the Bible

 

JEREMIAH 31:27-32:44

1 TIMOTHY 3:1-16

PSALM 88:1-18

PROVERBS 25:20-22

JEREMIAH 31:27-32:44

" The time will come," says the LORD, " when I will greatly increase the population and multiply the number of cattle here in Israel and Judah. 28 In the past I uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will plant it and build it up," says the LORD. 29 " The people will no longer quote this proverb: ` The parents eat sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste.' 30 All people will die for their own sins--those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker. 31 " The day will come," says the LORD, " when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD. 33 " But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the LORD. " I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their family, saying, ` You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will already know me," says the LORD. " And I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins." 35 It is the LORD who provides the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night. It is he who stirs the sea into roaring waves. His name is the LORD Almighty, and this is what he says: 36 " I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to do away with the laws of nature! 37 Just as the heavens cannot be measured and the foundation of the earth cannot be explored, so I will not consider casting them away forever for their sins. I, the LORD, have spoken! 38 " The time is coming," says the LORD, " when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. 40 And the entire area--including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate--will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be captured or destroyed."32:1 THE following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. This was also the eighteenth year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. 2 Jerusalem was under siege from the Babylonian army, and Jeremiah was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. 3 King Zedekiah had put him there because he continued to give this prophecy: " This is what the LORD says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon. 4 King Zedekiah will be captured by the Babylonians and taken to the king of Babylon to be judged and sentenced. 5 I will take Zedekiah to Babylon and will deal with him there. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will never succeed." 6 At that time the LORD sent me a message. He said, 7 " Your cousin Hanamel son of Shallum will come and say to you, ` Buy my field at Anathoth. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else.' " 8 Then, just as the LORD had said he would, Hanamel came and visited me in the prison. He said, " Buy my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else, so buy it for yourself." Then I knew for sure that the message I had heard was from the LORD. 9 So I bought the field at Anathoth, paying Hanamel seventeen pieces of silver for it. 10 I signed and sealed the deed of purchase before witnesses, weighed out the silver, and paid him. 11 Then I took the sealed deed and an unsealed copy of the deed, which contained the terms and conditions of the purchase, 12 and I handed them to Baruch son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I did all this in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed, and all the men of Judah who were there. 13 Then I said to Baruch as they all listened, 14 " The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time. 15 For the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields." 16 Then after I had given the papers to Baruch, I prayed to the LORD: 17 " O Sovereign LORD! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power. Nothing is too hard for you! 18 You are loving and kind to thousands, though children suffer for their parents' sins. You are the great and powerful God, the LORD Almighty. 19 You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You are very aware of the conduct of all people, and you reward them according to their deeds. 20 You performed miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt--things still remembered to this day! And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name very great, as it is today. 21 " You brought Israel out of Egypt with mighty signs and wonders, with great power and overwhelming terror. 22 You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before--a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 Our ancestors came and conquered it and lived in it, but they refused to obey you or follow your law. They have hardly done one thing you told them to! That is why you have sent this terrible disaster upon them. 24 " See how the siege ramps have been built against the city walls! Because of war, famine, and disease, the city has been handed over to the Babylonians, who will conquer it. Everything has happened just as you said it would. 25 And yet, O Sovereign LORD, you have told me to buy the field--paying good money for it before these witnesses--even though the city will soon belong to the Babylonians." 26 Then this message came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 27 " I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? 28 I will hand this city over to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 29 The Babylonians outside the walls will come in and set fire to the city. They will burn down all these houses, where the people caused my fury to rise by offering incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods. 30 Israel and Judah have done nothing but wrong since their earliest days. They have infuriated me with all their evil deeds," says the LORD. 31 " From the time this city was built until now, it has done nothing but anger me, so I am determined to get rid of it. 32 " The sins of Israel and Judah--the sins of the people of Jerusalem, the kings, the officials, the priests, and the prophets--stir up my anger. 33 My people have turned their backs on me and have refused to return. Day after day, year after year, I taught them right from wrong, but they would not listen or obey. 34 They have set up their abominable idols right in my own Temple, defiling it. 35 They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly! 36 " Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ` It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.' But this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and mind to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 40 " And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, promising not to stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will rejoice in doing good to them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land. 42 Just as I have sent all these calamities upon them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. I, the LORD, have spoken!43 " Fields will again be bought and sold in this land about which you now say, ` It has been ravaged by the Babylonians, a land where people and animals have all disappeared.' 44 Yes, fields will once again be bought and sold--deeds signed and sealed and witnessed--in the land of Benjamin and here in Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the hill country, in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev, too. For someday I will restore prosperity to them. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

1 TIMOTHY 3:1-16

It is a true saying that if someone wants to be an elder, he desires an honorable responsibility. 2 For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, peace-loving, and not one who loves money. 4 He must manage his own family well, with children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church? 6 An elder must not be a new Christian, because he might be proud of being chosen so soon, and the Devil will use that pride to make him fall. 7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not fall into the Devil's trap and be disgraced. 8 In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers and must not be greedy for money. 9 They must be committed to the revealed truths of the Christian faith and must live with a clear conscience. 10 Before they are appointed as deacons, they should be given other responsibilities in the church as a test of their character and ability. If they do well, then they may serve as deacons.11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not speak evil of others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. 12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. 13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus. 14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I can't come for a while, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and support of the truth. 16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ appeared in the flesh

and was shown to be righteous by the Spirit.

He was seen by angels

and was announced to the nations.

He was believed on in the world

and was taken up into heaven.

PSALM 88:1-18

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah, to be sung to the tune " The Suffering of Affliction." A psalm of Heman the Ezrahite. A song.

1 O LORD, God of my salvation,

I have cried out to you day and night.

2 Now hear my prayer;

listen to my cry.

3 For my life is full of troubles,

and death draws near.

4 I have been dismissed as one who is dead,

like a strong man with no strength left.

5 They have abandoned me to death,

and I am as good as dead.

I am forgotten,

cut off from your care.

6 You have thrust me down to the lowest pit,

into the darkest depths.

7 Your anger lies heavy on me;

wave after wave engulfs me.

Interlude8 You have caused my friends to loathe me;

you have sent them all away.

I am in a trap with no way of escape.

9 My eyes are blinded by my tears.

Each day I beg for your help, O LORD;

I lift my pleading hands to you for mercy.

10 Of what use to the dead are your miracles?

Do the dead get up and praise you?

Interlude11 Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love?

In the place of destruction, can they proclaim your faithfulness?

12 Can the darkness speak of your miracles?

Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?

13 O LORD, I cry out to you.

I will keep on pleading day by day.

14 O LORD, why do you reject me?

Why do you turn your face away from me?

15 I have been sickly and close to death since my youth.

I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors.

16 Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me.

Your terrors have cut me off.

17 They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long.

They have encircled me completely.

18 You have taken away my companions and loved ones;

only darkness remains.

PROVERBS 25:20-22

Singing cheerful songs to a person whose heart is heavy is as bad as stealing someone's jacket in cold weather or rubbing salt in a wound. If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will heap burning coals on their heads, and the LORD will reward you.

October 17 Reading through the Bible

 JEREMIAH 30:1-31:26

1 TIMOTHY 2:1-15

PSALM 87:1-7

PROVERBS 25:18-19

JEREMIAH 30:1-31:26

The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 " This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah. 3 For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to this land that I gave to their ancestors, and they will possess it and live here again. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 4 This is the message the LORD gave concerning Israel and Judah: 5 " This is what the LORD says: I have heard the people crying; there is only fear and trembling. 6 Now let me ask you a question: Do men give birth to babies? Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced, hands pressed against their sides like women about to give birth? 7 In all history there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end, they will be saved! 8 " For in that day, says the LORD Almighty, I will break the yoke from their necks and snap their chains. Foreigners will no longer be their masters. 9 For my people will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. 10 " So do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel, says the LORD. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return and will have peace and quiet in their own land, and no one will make them afraid. 11 For I am with you and will save you, says the LORD. I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not destroy you. But I must discipline you; I cannot let you go unpunished. 12 " This is what the LORD says: Yours is an incurable bruise, a terrible wound. 13 There is no one to help you or bind up your injury. You are beyond the help of any medicine. 14 All your allies have left you and do not care about you anymore. I have wounded you cruelly, as though I were your enemy. For your sins are many, and your guilt is great. 15 Why do you protest your punishment--this wound that has no cure? I have had to punish you because your sins are many and your guilt is great. 16 " But in that coming day, all who destroy you will be destroyed, and all your enemies will be sent into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered, and those who attack you will be attacked. 17 I will give you back your health and heal your wounds, says the LORD. " Now you are called an outcast--` Jerusalem for whom nobody cares.' 18 But the LORD says this: When I bring you home again from your captivity and restore your fortunes, Jerusalem will be rebuilt on her ruins. The palace will be reconstructed as it was before. 19 There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people and make of them a great and honored nation. 20 Their children will prosper as they did long ago. I will establish them as a nation before me, and I will punish anyone who hurts them. 21 They will have their own ruler again, and he will not be a foreigner. I will invite him to approach me, says the LORD, for who would dare to come unless invited? 22 You will be my people, and I will be your God." 23 Look! The LORD's anger bursts out like a storm, a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all his plans. In the days to come, you will understand all this.31:1 " IN that day," says the LORD, " I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2 I will care for the survivors as they travel through the wilderness. I will again come to give rest to the people of Israel." 3 Long ago the LORD said to Israel: " I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. 4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with tambourines. 5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there. 6 The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, ` Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD our God.' " 7 Now this is what the LORD says: " Sing with joy for Israel! Shout for the greatest of nations! Shout out with praise and joy: ` Save your people, O LORD, the remnant of Israel!' 8 For I will bring them from the north and from the distant corners of the earth. I will not forget the blind and lame, the expectant mothers and women about to give birth. A great company will return! 9 Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and not stumble. For I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my oldest child.10 " Listen to this message from the LORD, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The LORD, who scattered his people, will gather them together and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock. 11 For the LORD has redeemed Israel from those too strong for them. 12 They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the many gifts the LORD has given them--the good crops of wheat, wine, and oil, and the healthy flocks and herds. Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone. 13 The young women will dance for joy, and the men--old and young--will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. 14 I will supply the priests with an abundance of offerings. I will satisfy my people with my bounty. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 15 This is what the LORD says: " A cry of anguish is heard in Ramah--mourning and weeping unrestrained. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted--for her children are dead." 16 But now the LORD says, " Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you. Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. 17 There is hope for your future," says the LORD. " Your children will come again to their own land. 18 I have heard Israel saying, ` You disciplined me severely, but I deserved it. I was like a calf that needed to be trained for the yoke and plow. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the LORD my God. 19 I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.' 20 " Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?" asks the LORD. " I had to punish him, but I still love him. I long for him and surely will have mercy on him. 21 " Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came. Come back again, my virgin Israel; return to your cities here. 22 How long will you wander, my wayward daughter? For the LORD will cause something new and different to happen--Israel will embrace her God." 23 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: " When I bring them back again, the people of Judah and its cities will again say, ` The LORD bless you--O righteous home, O holy mountain!' 24 And city dwellers and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness. 25 For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing." 26 At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet.

1 TIMOTHY 2:1-15

I [Paul] urge you [Timothy], first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. 7 And I have been chosen--this is the absolute truth--as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth. 8 So wherever you assemble, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. 9 And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. 10 For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. 11 Women should listen and learn quietly and submissively. 12 I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly. 13 For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. 14 And it was the woman, not Adam, who was deceived by Satan, and sin was the result. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing and by continuing to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.

PSALM 87:1-7

A psalm of the descendants of Korah. A song.

1 On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the LORD.

2 He loves the city of Jerusalem

more than any other city in Israel.

3 O city of God,

what glorious things are said of you!

Interlude4 I will record Egypt and Babylon among those who know me--

also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia.

They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!

5 And it will be said of Jerusalem,

" Everyone has become a citizen here."

And the Most High will personally bless this city.

6 When the LORD registers the nations,

he will say, " This one has become a citizen of Jerusalem."

Interlude7 At all the festivals, the people will sing,

" The source of my life is in Jerusalem!"

PROVERBS 25:18-19

Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow. Putting confidence in an unreliable person is like chewing with a toothache or walking on a broken foot.

October 16 Reading through the Bible

JEREMIAH 28:1-29:32

1 TIMOTHY 1:1-20

PSALM 86:1-17

PROVERBS 25:17

JEREMIAH 28:1-29:32

One day in late summer of that same year--the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah--Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me [Jeremiah] publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said, 2 " The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks. 3 Within two years, I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon. 4 And I will bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 5 Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple. 6 He said, " Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the LORD does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all our loved ones. 7 But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people. 8 The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, famine, and disease. 9 So a prophet who predicts peace must carry the burden of proof. Only when his predictions come true can it be known that he is really from the LORD." 10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah's neck and broke it. 11 And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, " The LORD has promised that within two years he will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon." At that, Jeremiah left the Temple area. 12 Soon afterward the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 13 " Go and tell Hananiah, ` This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. 14 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.' " 15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, " Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. 16 Therefore, the LORD says you must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the LORD." 17 Two months later, Hananiah died.29:1 JEREMIAH wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. 2 This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah, and all the craftsmen had been deported from Jerusalem. 3 He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah's ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah's letter said: 4 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, sends this message to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 " Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food you produce. 6 Marry, and have children. Then find spouses for them, and have many grand-children. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon. Pray to the LORD for that city where you are held captive, for if Babylon has peace, so will you." 8 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says, " Do not let the prophets and mediums who are there in Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams 9 because they prophesy lies in my name. I have not sent them," says the LORD. 10 " The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. " They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. 14 I will be found by you," says the LORD. " I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land." 15 You may claim that the LORD has raised up prophets for you in Babylon. 16 But this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem--your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon. 17 This is what the LORD Almighty says: " I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like rotting figs--too bad to eat. 18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery. 19 For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through my prophets. And you who are in exile have not listened either," says the LORD. 20 Therefore, listen to this message from the LORD, all you captives there in Babylon. 21 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about your prophets--Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah--who are telling you lies in my name: " I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for a public execution. 22 Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that whenever the Judean exiles want to curse someone they will say, ` May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!' 23 For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have lied in my name. I am a witness to this," says the LORD.24 The LORD sent this message to Shemaiah the Nehelamite in Babylon: 25 " This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You said to Zephaniah, 26 ` The LORD has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the LORD. You are responsible to put anyone who claims to be a prophet in the stocks and neck irons. 27 So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you? 28 Jeremiah sent a letter here to Babylon, predicting that our captivity will be a long one. He said we should build homes and plan to stay for many years. He said we should plant fruit trees, because we will be here to eat the fruit for many years to come.' " 29 But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah's letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him. 30 Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 31 " Send an open letter to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, ` This is what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Since he has prophesied to you when I did not send him and has tricked you into believing his lies, 32 I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has taught you to rebel against me. I, the LORD, have spoken!' "

1 TIMOTHY 1:1-20

This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and by Christ Jesus our hope. 2 It is written to Timothy, my true child in the faith. May God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. 3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine. 4 Don't let people waste time in endless speculation over myths and spiritual pedigrees. For these things only cause arguments; they don't help people live a life of faith in God. 5 The purpose of my instruction is that all the Christians there would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and sincere faith. 6 But some teachers have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time arguing and talking foolishness. 7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don't know what they are talking about, even though they seem so confident. 8 We know these laws are good when they are used as God intended. 9 But they were not made for people who do what is right. They are for people who are disobedient and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who murder their father or mother or other people. 10 These laws are for people who are sexually immoral, for homosexuals and slave traders, for liars and oath breakers, and for those who do anything else that contradicts the right teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. 12 How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for considering me trustworthy and appointing me to serve him, 13 even though I used to scoff at the name of Christ. I hunted down his people, harming them in every way I could. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 14 Oh, how kind and gracious the Lord was! He filled me completely with faith and the love of Christ Jesus. 15 This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I was the worst of them all. 16 But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. 18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they give you the confidence to fight well in the Lord's battles. 19 Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples of this. I turned them over to Satan so they would learn not to blaspheme God.

PSALM 86:1-17

A prayer of David.

1 Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer;

answer me, for I need your help.

2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you.

Save me, for I serve you and trust you.

You are my God.

3 Be merciful, O Lord,

for I am calling on you constantly.

4 Give me happiness, O Lord,

for my life depends on you.

5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,

so full of unfailing love for all who ask your aid.

6 Listen closely to my prayer, O LORD;

hear my urgent cry.

7 I will call to you whenever trouble strikes,

and you will answer me.

8 Nowhere among the pagan gods is there a god like you, O Lord.

There are no other miracles like yours.

9 All the nations--and you made each one--

will come and bow before you, Lord;

they will praise your great and holy name.

10 For you are great and perform great miracles.

You alone are God.

11 Teach me your ways, O LORD,

that I may live according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart,

that I may honor you.

12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.

I will give glory to your name forever,

13 for your love for me is very great.

You have rescued me from the depths of death!

14 O God, insolent people rise up against me;

violent people are trying to kill me.

And you mean nothing to them.

15 But you, O Lord, are a merciful and gracious God,

slow to get angry,

full of unfailing love and truth.

16 Look down and have mercy on me.

Give strength to your servant;

yes, save me, for I am your servant.

17 Send me a sign of your favor.

Then those who hate me will be put to shame,

for you, O LORD, help and comfort me.

PROVERBS 25:17

Don't visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome. 

October 15 Reading through the Bible

JEREMIAH 26:1-27:22

2 THESSALONIANS 3:1-18

PSALM 85:1-13

PROVERBS 25:16

JEREMIAH 26:1-27:22

This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. 2 The LORD said, " Stand out in front of the Temple of the LORD, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will be able to withhold the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins. 4 " Say to them, ` This is what the LORD says: If you will not listen to me and obey the law I have given you, 5 and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets--for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them--6 then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.' " 7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the LORD's Temple. 8 But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the LORD had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. " Kill him!" they shouted. 9 " What right do you have to prophesy in the LORD's name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed?" And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple. 10 When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over from the palace and sat down at the New Gate of the Temple to hold court. 11 The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people. " This man should die!" they said. " You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city." 12 Then Jeremiah spoke in his own defense. " The LORD sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city," he said. " The LORD gave me every word that I have spoken. 13 But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the LORD your God, he will cancel this disaster that he has announced against you. 14 As for me, I am helpless and in your power--do with me as you think best. 15 But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the LORD sent me to speak every word you have heard." 16 Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, " This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God." 17 Then some of the wise old men stood and spoke to the people there. 18 They said, " Think back to the days when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah, ` This is what the LORD Almighty says: Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to rubble! A great forest will grow on the hilltop, where the Temple now stands.' 19 But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the LORD. They begged him to have mercy on them. Then the LORD held back the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. If we kill Jeremiah, who knows what will happen to us?" 20 (At this time, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim was also prophesying for the LORD. And he predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and nation as Jeremiah did. 21 When King Jehoiakim and the army officers and officials heard what he was saying, the king sent someone to kill him. But Uriah heard about the plot and escaped to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt along with several other men to capture Uriah. 23 They took him prisoner and brought him back to King Jehoiakim. The king then killed Uriah with a sword and had him buried in an unmarked grave.) 24 Ahikam son of Shaphan also stood with Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed.27:1 THIS message came to Jeremiah from the LORD early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah. 2 The LORD said to me, " Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather thongs. 3 Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. 4 Give them this message for their masters: ` This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 5 By my great power I have made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. 6 Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control. 7 All the nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until his time is up. But then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon. 8 So you must submit to Babylon's king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon's yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the LORD. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it. 9 " ` Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, " The king of Babylon will not conquer you." 10 They are all liars, and I will drive you from your land and send you far away to die. 11 But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the LORD, have spoken!' " 12 Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. " If you want to live, submit to the king of Babylon and his people," I said. 13 " Why do you insist on dying--you and your people? Why should you choose war, famine, and disease, which the LORD will bring against every nation that refuses to submit to Babylon's king? 14 Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, ` The king of Babylon will not conquer you.' They are liars. 15 This is what the LORD says: I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die--you and all these prophets, too."16 Then I spoke to the priests and the people and said, " This is what the LORD says: Do not listen to your prophets who claim that soon the gold utensils taken from my Temple will be returned from Babylon. It is all a lie! 17 Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed? 18 If they really are the LORD's prophets, let them pray to the LORD Almighty about the gold utensils that are still left in the LORD's Temple and in the king's palace and in the palaces of Jerusalem. Let them pray that these remaining articles will not be carried away with you to Babylon! 19 " For this is what the LORD Almighty says about the bronze pillars in front of the Temple, the bronze Sea in the Temple courtyard, the bronze water carts, and all the other ceremonial articles. 20 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other important people of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the precious things kept in the Temple and in the palace of Judah's king: 22 They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them, says the LORD. But someday I will bring them back to Jerusalem again."

2 THESSALONIANS 3:1-18

Finally, dear brothers and sisters,* I [Paul] ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2 Pray, too, that we will be saved from wicked and evil people, for not everyone believes in the Lord. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are practicing the things we commanded you, and that you always will. 5 May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ. 6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the tradition of hard work we gave you. 7 For you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 It wasn't that we didn't have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: " Whoever does not work should not eat." 11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. 12 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people--no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living. 13 And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don't think of them as enemies, but speak to them as you would to a Christian who needs to be warned.16 May the Lord of peace himself always give you his peace no matter what happens. The Lord be with you all. 17 Now here is my greeting, which I write with my own hand--PAUL. I do this at the end of all my letters to prove that they really are from me. 18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

PSALM 85:1-13

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 LORD, you have poured out amazing blessings on your land!

You have restored the fortunes of Israel.

2 You have forgiven the guilt of your people--

yes, you have covered all their sins.

Interlude3 You have withdrawn your fury.

You have ended your blazing anger.

4 Now turn to us again, O God of our salvation.

Put aside your anger against us.

5 Will you be angry with us always?

Will you prolong your wrath to distant generations?

6 Won't you revive us again,

so your people can rejoice in you?

7 Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,

and grant us your salvation.

8 I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying,

for he speaks peace to his people, his faithful ones.

But let them not return to their foolish ways.

9 Surely his salvation is near to those who honor him;

our land will be filled with his glory.

10 Unfailing love and truth have met together.

Righteousness and peace have kissed!

11 Truth springs up from the earth,

and righteousness smiles down from heaven.

12 Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings.

Our land will yield its bountiful crops.

13 Righteousness goes as a herald before him,

preparing the way for his steps.

PROVERBS 25:16

Do you like honey? Don't eat too much of it, or it will make you sick! 

October 14 Reading through the Bible

 

JEREMIAH 23:21-25:38

2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-17

PSALM 84:1-12

PROVERBS 25:15

JEREMIAH 23:21-25:38

" I [the LORD] have not sent these prophets, yet they claim to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they prophesy. 22 If they had listened to me, they would have spoken my words and turned my people from their evil ways. 23 Am I a God who is only in one place?" asks the LORD. " Do they think I cannot see what they are doing? 24 Can anyone hide from me? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?" asks the LORD. 25 " I have heard these prophets say, ` Listen to the dream I had from God last night.' And then they proceed to tell lies in my name. 26 How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say. 27 By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal. 28 Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between chaff and wheat! 29 Does not my word burn like fire?" asks the LORD. " Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes rock to pieces? 30 " Therefore," says the LORD, " I stand against these prophets who get their messages from each other--31 these smooth-tongued prophets who say, ` This prophecy is from the LORD!' 32 Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people," says the LORD. 33 " Suppose one of the people or one of the prophets or priests asks you, ` What prophecy has the LORD burdened you with now?' You must reply, ` You are the burden! The LORD says he will abandon you!' 34 If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, ` I have a prophecy from the LORD,' I will punish that person along with his entire family. 35 You should keep asking each other, ` What is the LORD's answer?' or ` What is the LORD saying?' 36 But stop using this phrase, ` prophecy from the LORD.' For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the LORD Almighty. 37 " This is what you should say to the prophets: ` What is the LORD's answer?' or ` What is the LORD saying?' 38 But suppose they respond, ` This is a prophecy from the LORD!' Then you should say, ` This is what the LORD says: Because you have used this phrase, " prophecy from the LORD," even though I warned you not to use it, 39 I will forget you completely. I will expel you from my presence, along with this city that I gave to you and your ancestors. 40 And I will make you an object of ridicule, and your name will be infamous throughout the ages.' "24:1 AFTER King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the princes of Judah and all the skilled craftsmen, the LORD gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem. 2 One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with figs that were spoiled and could not be eaten. 3 Then the LORD said to me, " What do you see, Jeremiah?" I replied, " Figs, some very good and some very bad." 4 Then the LORD gave me this message: 5 " This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians. 6 I have sent them into captivity for their own good. I will see that they are well treated, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them hearts that will recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly. 8 " But the rotten figs," the LORD said, " represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt. I will treat them like spoiled figs, too rotten to eat. 9 I will make them an object of horror and evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I send them. 10 I will send war, famine, and disease until they have vanished from the land of Israel, which I gave to them and their ancestors."25:1 THIS message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign over Judah. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign. 2 Jeremiah the prophet said to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, 3 " For the past twenty-three years--from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until now--the LORD has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened. 4 " Again and again, the LORD has sent you his prophets, but you have not listened or even tried to hear. 5 Each time the message was this: ` Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the LORD gave to you and your ancestors forever. 6 Do not make me angry by worshiping the idols you have made. Then I will not harm you.' 7 " But you would not listen to me," says the LORD. " You made me furious by worshiping your idols, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. 8 And now the LORD Almighty says: Because you have not listened to me, 9 I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the other nations near you. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. 10 I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your businesses will fail, and all your homes will stand silent and dark. 11 This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. 12 " Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins, says the LORD. I will make the country of the Babylonians an everlasting wasteland. 13 I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book--all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations. 14 Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people."15 Then the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me, " Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. 16 When they drink from it, they will stagger, crazed by the warfare I will send against them." 17 So I took the cup of anger from the LORD and made all the nations drink from it--every nation the LORD sent me to. 18 I went to Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah, and their kings and officials drank from the cup. From that day until this, they have been a desolate ruin, an object of horror, contempt, and cursing. 19 I went to Egypt and spoke to Pharaoh, his officials, his princes, and his people. They, too, drank from that terrible cup, 20 along with all the foreigners living in that land. So did all the kings of the land of Uz and the kings of the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod. 21 Then I went to the nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon, 22 and the kings of Tyre and Sidon, and the kings of the regions across the sea. 23 I went to Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and to the people who live in distant places. 24 I went to the kings of Arabia, the kings of the nomadic tribes of the desert, 25 and to the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media. 26 And I went to the kings of the northern countries, far and near, one after the other--all the kingdoms of the world. And finally, the king of Babylon himself drank from the cup of the LORD's anger. 27 Then the LORD said to me, " Now tell them, ` The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink from this cup of my anger. Get drunk and vomit, and you will fall to rise no more, for I am sending terrible wars against you.' 28 And if they refuse to accept the cup, tell them, ` The LORD Almighty says: You must drink from it. You cannot escape! 29 I have begun to punish Jerusalem, the city where my own name is honored. Now should I let you go unpunished? No, you will not escape disaster. I will call for war against all the nations of the earth. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!'30 " Now prophesy all these things, and say to them, ` The LORD will roar loudly against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout against everyone on the earth, like the harvesters do as they crush juice from the grapes. 31 His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with his sword. The LORD has spoken!' " 32 This is what the LORD Almighty says: " Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation! A great whirlwind of fury is rising from the most distant corners of the earth!" 33 In that day those the LORD has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered like dung on the ground.34 Weep and moan, you evil shepherds! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! The time of your slaughter has arrived; you will fall and shatter like fragile pottery. 35 You will find no place to hide; there will be no way to escape. 36 Listen to the frantic cries of the shepherds, to the leaders of the flock shouting in despair, for the LORD is spoiling their pastures. 37 Peaceful meadows will be turned into a wasteland by the LORD's fierce anger. 38 He has left his den like a lion seeking its prey, and their land will be made desolate by the sword of the enemy and the LORD's fierce anger.

2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-17

And now, brothers and sisters,* let us [Paul and his coworkers] tell you about the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered together to meet him. 2 Please don't be so easily shaken and troubled by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Even if they claim to have had a vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us, don't believe them. 3 Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed--the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 5 Don't you remember that I told you this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. 11 So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do. 13 As for us, we always thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation, a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and by your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you both in person and by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loved us and in his special favor gave us everlasting comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and give you strength in every good thing you do and say.

PSALM 84:1-12

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,

O LORD Almighty.

2 I long, yes, I faint with longing

to enter the courts of the LORD.

With my whole being, body and soul,

I will shout joyfully to the living God.

3 Even the sparrow finds a home there,

and the swallow builds her nest

and raises her young--

at a place near your altar,

O LORD Almighty, my King and my God!

4 How happy are those who can live in your house,

always singing your praises.

Interlude5 Happy are those who are strong in the LORD,

who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,

it will become a place of refreshing springs,

where pools of blessing collect after the rains!

7 They will continue to grow stronger,

and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

8 O LORD God Almighty, hear my prayer.

Listen, O God of Israel.

Interlude9 O God, look with favor upon the king, our protector!

Have mercy on the one you have anointed.

10 A single day in your courts

is better than a thousand anywhere else!

I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God

than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

11 For the LORD God is our light and protector.

He gives us grace and glory.

No good thing will the LORD withhold

from those who do what is right.

12 O LORD Almighty,

happy are those who trust in you.

PROVERBS 25:15

Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can crush strong opposition.

October 13 Reading through the Bible

 JEREMIAH 22:1-23:20

2 THESSALONIANS 1:1-12

PSALM 83:1-18

PROVERBS 25:11-14

JEREMIAH 22:1-23:20

Then the LORD said to me [Jeremiah], " Go over and speak directly to the king of Judah. Say to him, 2 ` Listen to this message from the LORD, you king of Judah, sitting on David's throne. Let your officials and your people listen, too. 3 This is what the LORD says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent! 4 If you obey me, there will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. The king will ride through the palace gates in chariots and on horses, with his parade of officials and subjects. 5 But if you refuse to pay attention to this warning, I swear by my own name, says the LORD, that this palace will become a pile of rubble.' " 6 Now this is what the LORD says concerning the royal palace: " You are as beloved to me as fruitful Gilead and the green forests of Lebanon. But I will destroy you and leave you deserted, with no one living within your walls. 7 I will call for wreckers, who will bring out their tools to dismantle you. They will tear out all your fine cedar beams and throw them on the fire. 8 People from many nations will pass by the ruins of this city and say to one another, ` Why did the LORD destroy such a great city?' 9 And the answer will be, ` Because they violated their covenant with the LORD their God by worshiping other gods.' " 10 Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss. Instead, weep for the captive king being led away! For he will never return to see his native land again. 11 For this is what the LORD says about Jehoahaz, who succeeded his father, King Josiah, and was taken away as a captive: " He will never return. 12 He will die in a distant land and never again see his own country." 13 And the LORD says, " Destruction is certain for Jehoiakim, who builds his palace with forced labor. By not paying wages, he builds injustice into its walls and oppression into its doorframes and ceilings. 14 He says, ` I will build a magnificent palace with huge rooms and many windows, paneled throughout with fragrant cedar and painted a lovely red.' 15 " But a beautiful palace does not make a great king! Why did your father, Josiah, reign so long? Because he was just and right in all his dealings. That is why God blessed him. 16 He made sure that justice and help were given to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn't that what it means to know me?" asks the LORD. 17 " But you! You are full of selfish greed and dishonesty! You murder the innocent, oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly."18 Therefore, this is the LORD's decree of punishment against King Jehoiakim, who succeeded his father, Josiah, on the throne: " His family will not weep for him when he dies. His subjects will not even care that he is dead. 19 He will be buried like a dead donkey--dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gate! 20 Weep, for your allies are all gone. Search for them in Lebanon. Shout for them at Bashan. Search for them in the regions east of the river. See, they are all destroyed. Not one is left to help you. 21 " When you were prosperous, I warned you, but you replied, ` Don't bother me.' Since childhood you have been that way--you simply will not listen! 22 And now your allies have all disappeared with a puff of wind. All your friends have been taken away as captives. Surely at last you will see your wickedness and be ashamed. 23 It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace lined with lumber from the cedars of Lebanon, but soon you will cry and groan in anguish--anguish like that of a woman about to give birth. 24 " And as surely as I live," says the LORD, " I will abandon you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Even if you were the signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off. 25 I will hand you over to those who seek to kill you, of whom you are so desperately afraid--to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the mighty Babylonian army. 26 I will expel you and your mother from this land, and you will die in a foreign country. 27 You will never again return to the land of your desire.28 " Why is this man Jehoiachin like a discarded, broken dish? Why are he and his children to be exiled to distant lands? 29 O earth, earth, earth! Listen to this message from the LORD! 30 This is what the LORD says: Let the record show that this man Jehoiachin was childless, for none of his children will ever sit on the throne of David to rule in Judah. His life will amount to nothing." 23:1 " I WILL send disaster upon the leaders of my people--the shepherds of my sheep--for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for," says the LORD. 2 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: " Instead of leading my flock to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. 3 But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from wherever I have driven them. I will bring them back into their own fold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 Then I will appoint responsible shepherds to care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one of them will be lost or missing," says the LORD. 5 " For the time is coming," says the LORD, " when I will place a righteous Branch on King David's throne. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. 6 And this is his name: ` The LORD Is Our Righteousness.' In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. 7 " In that day," says the LORD, " when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, ` As surely as the LORD lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.' 8 Instead, they will say, ` As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.' Then they will live in their own land." 9 My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and I tremble uncontrollably. I stagger like a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the LORD has spoken against them. 10 For the land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning--its pastures are dried up. For the prophets do evil and abuse their power. 11 " The priests are like the prophets, all ungodly, wicked men. I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple," says the LORD. 12 " Therefore, their paths will be dark and slippery. They will be chased down dark and treacherous trails, where they will fall. For I will bring disaster upon them when their time of punishment comes. I, the LORD, have spoken!13 " I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil, for they prophesied by Baal and led my people of Israel into sin. 14 But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery, and they love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil instead of turning them away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were." 15 Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty says concerning the prophets: " I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. For it is because of Jerusalem's prophets that wickedness fills this land. 16 This is my warning to my people," says the LORD Almighty. " Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the LORD! 17 They keep saying to these rebels who despise my word, ` Don't worry! The LORD says you will have peace!' And to those who stubbornly follow their own evil desires, they say, ` No harm will come your way!' 18 " But can you name even one of these prophets who knows the LORD well enough to hear what he is saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen? 19 Look! The LORD's anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked. 20 The anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all his plans. In the days to come, you will understand all this very clearly.

2 THESSALONIANS 1:1-12

This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. It is written to the church in Thessalonica, you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3 Dear brothers and sisters,* we always thank God for you, as is right, for we are thankful that your faith is flourishing and you are all growing in love for each other. 4 We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. 5 But God will use this persecution to show his justice. For he will make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering, 6 and in his justice he will punish those who persecute you. 7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power 10 when he comes to receive glory and praise from his holy people. And you will be among those praising him on that day, for you believed what we testified about him. 11 And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you. And we pray that God, by his power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds. 12 Then everyone will give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus because of you, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the undeserved favor of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

PSALM 83:1-18

A psalm of Asaph. A song.

1 O God, don't sit idly by,

silent and inactive!

2 Don't you hear the tumult of your enemies?

Don't you see what your arrogant enemies are doing?

3 They devise crafty schemes against your people,

laying plans against your precious ones.

4 " Come," they say, " let us wipe out Israel as a nation.

We will destroy the very memory of its existence."

5 This was their unanimous decision.

They signed a treaty as allies against you--

6 these Edomites and Ishmaelites,

Moabites and Hagrites,

7 Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites,

and people from Philistia and Tyre.

8 Assyria has joined them, too,

and is allied with the descendants of Lot.

Interlude9 Do to them as you did to the Midianites

or as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

10 They were destroyed at Endor,

and their decaying corpses fertilized the soil.

11 Let their mighty nobles die as Oreb and Zeeb did.

Let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna,

12 for they said, " Let us seize for our own use

these pasturelands of God!"

13 O my God, blow them away like whirling dust,

like chaff before the wind!

14 As a fire roars through a forest

and as a flame sets mountains ablaze,

15 chase them with your fierce storms;

terrify them with your tempests.

16 Utterly disgrace them

until they submit to your name, O LORD.

17 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever.

Make them failures in everything they do,

18 until they learn that you alone are called the LORD,

that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth.

PROVERBS 25:11-14

Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket. Valid criticism is as treasured by the one who heeds it as jewelry made from finest gold. Faithful messengers are as refreshing as snow in the heat of summer. They revive the spirit of their employer. A person who doesn't give a promised gift is like clouds and wind that don't bring rain.