October 23 Reading through the Bible

  

JEREMIAH 42:1-44:23

2 TIMOTHY 2:1-21

PSALM 92:1-93:5

PROVERBS 26:3-5

JEREMIAH 42:1-44:23

Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet. They said, " Please pray to the LORD your God for us. As you know, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. 3 Beg the LORD your God to show us what to do and where to go." 4 " All right," Jeremiah replied. " I will pray to the LORD your God, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you." 5 Then they said to Jeremiah, " May the LORD your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! 6 Whether we like it or not, we will obey the LORD our God to whom we send you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us." 7 Ten days later, the LORD gave his reply to Jeremiah. 8 So he called for Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers, and for all the people, from the least to the greatest. 9 He said to them, " You sent me to the LORD, the God of Israel, with your request, and this is his reply: 10 ` Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. For I am sorry for all the punishment I have had to bring upon you. 11 Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore, says the LORD. For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power. 12 I will be merciful to you by making him kind, so he will let you stay here in your land.' 13 " But if you refuse to obey the LORD your God and say, ` We will not stay here,' 14 and if you insist on going to live in Egypt where you think you will be free from war, famine, and alarms, 15 then this is what the LORD says to the remnant of Judah. The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ` If you insist on going to Egypt, 16 the war and famine you fear will follow close behind you, and you will die there. 17 That is the fate awaiting every one of you who insists on going to live in Egypt. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape from the disaster I will bring upon you there.' 18 " For the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ` Just as my anger and fury were poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so they will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will become an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. And you will never see your homeland again.' 19 " Listen, you remnant of Judah. The LORD has told you: ` Do not go to Egypt!' Don't forget this warning I have given you today. 20 For you were deceitful when you sent me to pray to the LORD your God for you, saying, ` Just tell us what the LORD our God says, and we will do it!' 21 And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the LORD your God any better now than you have in the past. 22 So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going."43:1 WHEN Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the LORD their God to all the people, 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, " You lie! The LORD our God hasn't forbidden us to go to Egypt! 3 Baruch son of Neriah has convinced you to say this, so we will stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile." 4 So Johanan and all the army officers and all the people refused to obey the LORD's command to stay in Judah. 5 Johanan and his officers took with them all the people who had returned from the nearby countries to which they had fled. 6 In the crowd were men, women, and children, the king's daughters, and all those whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah. Also included were the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch. 7 The people refused to obey the LORD and went to Egypt, going as far as the city of Tahpanhes. 8 Then at Tahpanhes, the LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 9 " While the people of Judah are watching, bury large rocks between the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace here in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to the people of Judah, ` The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will surely bring my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, here to Egypt. I will set his throne on these stones that I have hidden. He will spread his royal canopy over them. 11 And when he comes, he will destroy the land of Egypt. He will bring death to those destined for death; he will bring captivity to those destined for captivity; he will bring the sword against those destined for the sword. 12 He will set fire to the temples of Egypt's gods, burning all their idols and carrying away the people as captives. He will pick clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks fleas from his cloak. And he himself will leave unharmed. 13 He will break down the sacred pillars standing in the temple of the sun in Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of Egypt's gods.' " 44:1 THIS is the message Jeremiah received concerning the Judeans living in northern Egypt in the cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and throughout southern Egypt as well: 2 " This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw what I did to Jerusalem and to all the towns of Judah. They now lie in ruins, and no one lives in them. 3 Because of all their wickedness, my anger rose high against them. They burned incense and worshiped other gods--gods that neither they nor you nor any of your ancestors have ever known. 4 " Again and again I sent my servants, the prophets, to plead with them, ` Don't do these horrible things that I hate so much.' 5 But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept right on burning incense to these gods. 6 And so my fury boiled over and fell like fire on the towns of Judah and into the streets of Jerusalem, and now they are a desolate ruin. 7 " And now the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, asks you: Why are you destroying yourselves? For not one of you will survive--not a man, woman, or child among you who has come here from Judah, not even the babies in your arms. 8 Why arouse my anger by burning incense to the idols you have made here in Egypt? You will only destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and mockery for all the nations of the earth. 9 Have you forgotten the sins of your ancestors, the sins of the kings and queens of Judah, and the sins you and your wives committed in Judah and Jerusalem? 10 To this very hour you have shown no remorse or reverence. No one has chosen to follow my law and the decrees I gave to you and your ancestors before you.11 " Therefore, the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I have made up my mind to destroy every one of you! 12 I will take this remnant of Judah that insisted on coming here to Egypt, and I will consume them. They will fall here in Egypt, killed by war and famine. All will die, from the least to the greatest. They will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. 13 I will punish them in Egypt just as I punished them in Jerusalem, by war, famine, and disease. 14 Of those who fled to Egypt with dreams of returning home to Judah, only a handful will escape." 15 Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols--a great crowd of all the Judeans living in Pathros, the southern region of Egypt--answered Jeremiah, 16 " We will not listen to your messages from the LORD! 17 We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and sacrifice to her just as much as we like--just as we and our ancestors did before us, and as our kings and princes have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! 18 But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her, we have been in great trouble and have suffered the effects of war and famine." 19 " And," the women added, " do you suppose that we were worshiping the Queen of Heaven, pouring out drink offerings to her, and making cakes marked with her image, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!"20 Then Jeremiah said to all of them, men and women alike, who had given him that answer, 21 " Do you think the LORD did not know that you and your ancestors, your kings and officials, and all the people were burning incense to idols in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 22 It was because the LORD could no longer bear all the evil things you were doing that he made your land an object of cursing--a desolate ruin without a single inhabitant--as it is today. 23 The very reason all these terrible things have happened to you is because you have burned incense to idols and sinned against the LORD, refusing to obey him and follow his instructions, laws, and stipulations."

2 TIMOTHY 2:1-21

Timothy, my dear son, be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others. 3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5 Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6 Hardworking farmers are the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things. 8 Never forget that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David's family and that he was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. 11 This is a true saying: If we die with him,

we will also live with him.

12 If we endure hardship,

we will reign with him.

If we deny him,

he will deny us.

13 If we are unfaithful,

he remains faithful,

for he cannot deny himself.

14 Remind everyone of these things, and command them in God's name to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 15 Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless, foolish discussions that lead to more and more ungodliness. 17 This kind of talk spreads like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples of this. 18 They have left the path of truth, preaching the lie that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; and they have undermined the faith of some. 19 But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: " The Lord knows those who are his," and " Those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness." 20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

PSALM 92:1-93:5

A psalm to be sung on the LORD's Day. A song.

1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

to sing praises to the Most High.

2 It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,

your faithfulness in the evening,

3 accompanied by the harp and lute

and the harmony of the lyre.

4 You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!

I sing for joy because of what you have done.

5 O LORD, what great miracles you do!

And how deep are your thoughts.

6 Only an ignorant person would not know this!

Only a fool would not understand it.

7 Although the wicked flourish like weeds,

and evildoers blossom with success,

there is only eternal destruction ahead of them.

8 But you are exalted in the heavens.

You, O LORD, continue forever.

9 Your enemies, LORD, will surely perish;

all evildoers will be scattered.

10 But you have made me as strong as a wild bull.

How refreshed I am by your power!

11 With my own eyes I have seen the downfall of my enemies;

with my own ears I have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.

12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees

and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.

13 For they are transplanted into the LORD's own house.

They flourish in the courts of our God.

14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit;

they will remain vital and green.

15 They will declare, " The LORD is just!

He is my rock!

There is nothing but goodness in him!"

93:1 THE LORD is king! He is robed in majesty.

Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength.

The world is firmly established;

it cannot be shaken.

2 Your throne, O LORD, has been established from time immemorial.

You yourself are from the everlasting past.

3 The mighty oceans have roared, O LORD.

The mighty oceans roar like thunder;

the mighty oceans roar as they pound the shore.

4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,

mightier than the breakers on the shore--

the LORD above is mightier than these!

5 Your royal decrees cannot be changed.

The nature of your reign, O LORD, is holiness forever.

PROVERBS 26:3-5

Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with a rod to his back! When arguing with fools, don't answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.

October 22 Reading through the Bible

 

JEREMIAH 39:1-41:18

2 TIMOTHY 1:1-18

PSALM 90:1-91:16

PROVERBS 26:1-2

JEREMIAH 39:1-41:18

It was in January during the ninth year of King Zedekiah's reign that King Nebuchadnezzar and his army returned to besiege Jerusalem. 2 Two and a half years later, on July 18, the Babylonians broke through the wall, and the city fell. 3 All the officers of the Babylonian army came in and sat in triumph at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, and Nebo-sarsekim, a chief officer, and Nergal-sharezer, the king's adviser, and many others. 4 King Zedekiah and his royal guard saw the Babylonians in the city gate, so they fled when the darkness of night arrived. They went out through a gate between the two walls behind the king's garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley. 5 But the Babylonians chased the king and caught him on the plains of Jericho. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. 6 He made Zedekiah watch as they killed his sons and all the nobles of Judah. 7 Then he gouged out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him in chains, and sent him away to exile in Babylon. 8 Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned Jerusalem, including the palace, and tore down the walls of the city. 9 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, sent to Babylon the remnant of the population as well as those who had defected to him. 10 But Nebuzaradan left a few of the poorest people in Judah, and he assigned them fields and vineyards to care for. 11 King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan to find Jeremiah. 12 " See that he isn't hurt," he had said. " Look after him well, and give him anything he wants." 13 So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, and Nebushazban, a chief officer, and Nergal-sharezer, the king's adviser, and the other officers of Babylon's king 14 sent messengers to bring Jeremiah out of the prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who was to take him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his own people. 15 The LORD had given the following message to Jeremiah while he was still in prison: 16 " Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ` The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, 17 but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. 18 Because you trusted me, I will preserve your life and keep you safe. I, the LORD, have spoken!' "40:1 THE LORD gave a message to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being sent to exile in Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard called for Jeremiah and said, " The LORD your God has brought this disaster on this land, 3 just as he said he would. For these people have sinned against the LORD and disobeyed him. That is why it happened. 4 Now I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don't want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you--go wherever you like. 5 If you decide to stay, then return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. He has been appointed governor of Judah by the king of Babylon. Stay there with the people he rules. But it's up to you; go wherever you like." Then Nebuzaradan gave Jeremiah some food and money and let him go. 6 So Jeremiah returned to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and lived in Judah with the few who were still left in the land.7 The leaders of the Judean guerrilla bands in the countryside heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the poor people who were left behind in Judah, and that he hadn't exiled everyone to Babylon. 8 So they came to see Gedaliah at Mizpah. These are the names of the leaders who came: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan, sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, and all their men. 9 Gedaliah assured them that it would be safe for them to surrender to the Babylonians. " Stay here, and serve the king of Babylon," he said, " and all will go well for you. 10 As for me, I will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to meet with us. Settle in any town you wish, and live off the land. Harvest the grapes and summer fruits and olives, and store them away."11 When the Judeans in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the other nearby countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few people in Judah and that Gedaliah was the governor, 12 they began to return to Judah from the places to which they had fled. They stopped at Mizpah to discuss their plans with Gedaliah and then went out into the Judean countryside to gather a great harvest of grapes and other crops. 13 Soon after this, Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 14 They said to him, " Did you know that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?" But Gedaliah refused to believe them. 15 Later Johanan had a private conference with Gedaliah and volunteered to kill Ishmael secretly. " Why should we let him come and murder you?" Johanan asked. " What will happen then to the Judeans who have returned? Why should the few of us who are still left be scattered and lost?" 16 But Gedaliah said to Johanan, " I forbid you to do any such thing, for you are lying about Ishmael."41:1 BUT in midautumn, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, arrived in Mizpah accompanied by ten men. Gedaliah invited them to dinner. While they were eating, 2 Ishmael and his ten men suddenly drew their swords and killed Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor. 3 Then they went out and slaughtered all the Judean officials and Babylonian soldiers who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. 4 The next day, before anyone had heard about Gedaliah's murder, 5 eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had come to worship at the Temple of the LORD. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, and had brought along grain offerings and incense. 6 Ishmael left Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he reached them, he said, " Oh, come and see what has happened to Gedaliah!" 7 But as soon as they were all inside the town, Ishmael and his men killed all but ten of them and threw their bodies into a cistern. 8 The other ten had talked Ishmael into letting them go by promising to bring him their stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey that they had hidden away. 9 The cistern where Ishmael dumped the bodies of the men he murdered was the large one made by King Asa when he fortified Mizpah to protect himself against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with corpses. 10 Ishmael made captives of the king's daughters and the other people who had been left under Gedaliah's care in Mizpah by Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard. Taking them with him, he started back toward the land of Ammon.11 But when Johanan son of Kareah and the rest of the guerrilla leaders heard what Ishmael had done, 12 they took all their men and set out to stop him. They caught up with him at the pool near Gibeon. 13 The people Ishmael had captured shouted for joy when they saw Johanan and his men. 14 And all the captives from Mizpah escaped and began to help Johanan. 15 Meanwhile, Ishmael and eight of his men escaped from Johanan into the land of Ammon. 16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and his officers led away all the people they had rescued--warriors, women, children, and palace officials. 17 They took them all to the village of Geruth-kimham near Bethlehem, where they prepared to leave for Egypt. 18 They were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they heard that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Babylonian king.

2 TIMOTHY 1:1-18

This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 It is written to Timothy, my dear son. May God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.3 Timothy, I thank God for you. He is the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again. 5 I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois. 6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 8 So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for Christ. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the proclamation of the Good News. 9 It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began--to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News. 11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. 12 And that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 13 Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you learned from me. And remember to live in the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14 With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard what has been entrusted to you. 15 As you know, all the Christians who came here from the province of Asia have deserted me; even Phygelus and Hermogenes are gone. 16 May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in prison. 17 When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. 18 May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ's return. And you know how much he helped me at Ephesus.

PSALM 90:1-91:16

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 Lord, through all the generations

you have been our home!

2 Before the mountains were created,

before you made the earth and the world,

you are God, without beginning or end.

3 You turn people back to dust, saying,

" Return to dust!"

4 For you, a thousand years are as yesterday!

They are like a few hours!

5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear

or like grass that springs up in the morning.

6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,

but by evening it is dry and withered.

7 We wither beneath your anger;

we are overwhelmed by your fury.

8 You spread out our sins before you--

our secret sins--and you see them all.

9 We live our lives beneath your wrath.

We end our lives with a groan.

10 Seventy years are given to us!

Some may even reach eighty.

But even the best of these years are filled with pain and trouble;

soon they disappear, and we are gone.

11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?

Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.

12 Teach us to make the most of our time,

so that we may grow in wisdom.

13 O LORD, come back to us!

How long will you delay?

Take pity on your servants!

14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.

15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!

Replace the evil years with good.

16 Let us see your miracles again;

let our children see your glory at work.

17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval

and make our efforts successful.

Yes, make our efforts successful!

91:1 THOSE who live in the shelter of the Most High

will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 This I declare of the LORD:

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;

he is my God, and I am trusting him.

3 For he will rescue you from every trap

and protect you from the fatal plague.

4 He will shield you with his wings.

He will shelter you with his feathers.

His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,

nor fear the dangers of the day,

6 nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness,

nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

7 Though a thousand fall at your side,

though ten thousand are dying around you,

these evils will not touch you.

8 But you will see it with your eyes;

you will see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the LORD your refuge,

if you make the Most High your shelter,

10 no evil will conquer you;

no plague will come near your dwelling.

11 For he orders his angels

to protect you wherever you go.

12 They will hold you with their hands

to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.

13 You will trample down lions and poisonous snakes;

you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The LORD says, " I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

15 When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue them and honor them.

16 I will satisfy them with a long life

and give them my salvation."

PROVERBS 26:1-2

Honor doesn't go with fools any more than snow with summer or rain with harvest. Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an unfair curse will not land on its intended victim. 

October 21 Reading through the Bible

 

JEREMIAH 37:1-38:28

1 TIMOTHY 6:1-21

PSALM 89:38-52

PROVERBS 25:28

JEREMIAH 37:1-38:28

Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. 2 But neither King Zedekiah nor his officials nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the LORD said through Jeremiah. 3 Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, " Please pray to the LORD our God for us." 4 Jeremiah had not yet been imprisoned, so he could come and go as he pleased. 5 At this time the army of Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt appeared at the southern border of Judah. When the Babylonian army heard about it, they withdrew from their siege of Jerusalem. 6 Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 7 " This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ask me what is going to happen, that Pharaoh's army is about to return to Egypt, though he came here to help you. 8 Then the Babylonians will come back and capture this city and burn it to the ground. 9 The LORD says: Do not fool yourselves that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren't! 10 Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!" 11 When the Babylonian army left Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's approaching army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave the city on his way to the land of Benjamin, to see the property he had bought. 13 But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him and said, " You are defecting to the Babylonians!" The sentry making the arrest was Irijah son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah. 14 " That's not true!" Jeremiah protested. " I had no intention of doing any such thing." But Irijah wouldn't listen, and he took Jeremiah before the officials. 15 They were furious with Jeremiah and had him flogged and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary. Jonathan's house had been converted into a prison. 16 Jeremiah was put into a dungeon cell, where he remained for many days. 17 Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, " Do you have any messages from the LORD?" " Yes, I do!" said Jeremiah. " You will be defeated by the king of Babylon." 18 Then Jeremiah asked the king, " What crime have I committed? What have I done against you, your officials, or the people that I should be imprisoned like this? 19 Where are your prophets now who told you the king of Babylon would not attack you? 20 Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don't send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there." 21 So King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah not be returned to the dungeon. Instead, he was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. The king also commanded that Jeremiah be given a loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was put in the palace prison.38:1 NOW Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He was saying, 2 " This is what the LORD says: Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. 3 The LORD also says: The city of Jerusalem will surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it." 4 So these officials went to the king and said, " Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people, too. This man is a traitor!" 5 So King Zedekiah agreed. " All right," he said. " Do as you like. I will do nothing to stop you." 6 So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it. 7 But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important palace official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate, 8 so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him. 9 " My lord the king," he said, " these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone." 10 So the king told Ebed-melech, " Take along thirty of my men, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope. 12 Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, " Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes." Then when Jeremiah was ready, 13 they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard--the palace prison--where he remained. 14 One day King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah to meet him at the third entrance of the LORD's Temple. " I want to ask you something," the king said. " And don't try to hide the truth." 15 Jeremiah said, " If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won't listen to me anyway." 16 So King Zedekiah secretly promised him, " As surely as the LORD our Creator lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to the men who want you dead." 17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, " The LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: If you surrender to Babylon, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned. 18 But if you refuse to surrender, you will not escape! This city will be handed over to the Babylonians, and they will burn it to the ground." 19 " But I am afraid to surrender," the king said, " for the Babylonians will hand me over to the Judeans who have defected to them. And who knows what they will do to me?" 20 Jeremiah replied, " You won't be handed over to them if you choose to obey the LORD. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the LORD has revealed to me: 22 All the women left in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the Babylonian army. Then the women will taunt you, saying, ` What fine friends you have! They have betrayed and misled you. When your feet sank in the mud, they left you to your fate!' 23 All your wives and children will be led out to the Babylonians, and you will not escape. You will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned." 24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, " Don't tell anyone you told me this, or you will die! 25 My officials may hear that I spoke to you. Then they may say to you, ` Tell us what you and the king were talking about. If you don't tell us, we will kill you.' 26 If this happens, just tell them you begged me not to send you back to Jonathan's dungeon, for fear you would die there." 27 Sure enough, it wasn't long before the king's officials came to Jeremiah and asked him why the king had called for him. But Jeremiah followed the king's instructions, and they left without finding out the truth. No one had overheard the conversation between Jeremiah and the king. 28 And Jeremiah remained a prisoner in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

1 TIMOTHY 6:1-21

Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. 2 If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. 3 Some false teachers may deny these things, but these are the sound, wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they are the foundation for a godly life. 4 Anyone who teaches anything different is both conceited and ignorant. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, fighting, slander, and evil suspicions. 5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they don't tell the truth. To them religion is just a way to get rich.6 Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth. 7 After all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 11 But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 13 And I command you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey his commands with all purity. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 15 For at the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No one has ever seen him, nor ever will. To him be honor and power forever. Amen. 17 Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life. 20 Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21 Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God's grace be with you all.

PSALM 89:38-52

But now you [the LORD] have rejected him [David].

Why are you so angry with the one you chose as king?

39 You have renounced your covenant with him,

for you have thrown his crown in the dust.

40 You have broken down the walls protecting him

and laid in ruins every fort defending him.

41 Everyone who comes along has robbed him

while his neighbors mock.

42 You have strengthened his enemies against him

and made them all rejoice.

43 You have made his sword useless

and have refused to help him in battle.

44 You have ended his splendor

and overturned his throne.

45 You have made him old before his time

and publicly disgraced him.

Interlude46 O LORD, how long will this go on?

Will you hide yourself forever?

How long will your anger burn like fire?

47 Remember how short my life is,

how empty and futile this human existence!

48 No one can live forever; all will die.

No one can escape the power of the grave.

Interlude49 Lord, where is your unfailing love?

You promised it to David with a faithful pledge.

50 Consider, Lord, how your servants are disgraced!

I carry in my heart the insults of so many people.

51 Your enemies have mocked me, O LORD;

they mock the one you anointed as king.

52 Blessed be the LORD forever!

Amen and amen!

PROVERBS 25:28

A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls. 

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.