Old/New Testament
9 [a](A)Oh that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the (B)daughter of my people!
2 [b](C)Oh that I had in the desert
A travelers’ lodging place,
That I might leave my people
And go from them!
For all of them are (D)adulterers,
A solemn assembly of (E)treacherous men.
3 “They (F)bend their tongue like their bow;
Lies and unfaithfulness prevail in the land,
For they (G)go onward from evil to evil,
And they (H)do not know Me,” declares Yahweh.
4 “Let everyone (I)beware of his neighbor,
And (J)do not trust any brother,
Because every (K)brother [c]surely supplants,
And every neighbor (L)goes about as a slanderer.
5 Everyone (M)deceives his neighbor
And does not speak the truth;
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They (N)weary themselves committing iniquity.
6 Your (O)habitation is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they (P)refuse to know Me,” declares Yahweh.
7 Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“Behold, I will refine them and (Q)test them;
For (R)what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?
8 Their (S)tongue is a slaughtering arrow;
It speaks deceit;
With his mouth one (T)speaks peace to his neighbor,
But inwardly he (U)sets an ambush for him.
9 (V)Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares Yahweh.
“On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?
10 “For the (W)mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing,
And for the pastures of the (X)wilderness a funeral lamentation,
Because they are (Y)turned into ruin so that no one passes through,
And the lowing of the cattle is not heard;
Both the (Z)birds of the sky and the beasts have fled; they are gone.
11 I will make Jerusalem a (AA)heap of ruins,
A haunt of (AB)jackals;
And I will make the cities of Judah a (AC)desolation, without inhabitant.”
12 Who is the (AD)wise man that may understand this? And who is he to whom (AE)the mouth of Yahweh has spoken, that he may declare it? (AF)Why has the land perished, turned into ruin like a desert, so that no one passes through? 13 Yahweh said, “Because they have (AG)forsaken My law, which I set before them, and have not listened to My voice nor walked according to it, 14 but have (AH)walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the (AI)Baals, as their (AJ)fathers taught them,” 15 therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, (AK)I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them [d](AL)poisoned water to drink. 16 I will (AM)scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the (AN)sword after them until I have consumed them.”
17 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“Carefully consider and call for the (AO)mourning women, that they may come;
And send for the [e](AP)skillful women, that they may come!
18 Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us,
That our (AQ)eyes may shed tears
And our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a voice of (AR)wailing is heard from Zion,
‘(AS)How we are destroyed!
We are put to great shame,
For we have (AT)left the land
Because they have cast down our dwellings.’”
20 Indeed, hear the word of Yahweh, O you (AU)women,
And let your ear receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And everyone her neighbor a funeral lamentation.
21 For (AV)death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To cut off the (AW)infants from the streets,
The choice men from the open squares.
22 Speak, “Thus declares Yahweh,
‘The corpses of men will fall (AX)like dung on the open field
And like the sheaf after the reaper,
But no one will gather them.’”
23 Thus says Yahweh, “(AY)Let not a wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the (AZ)mighty man boast in his might; let not a (BA)rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts (BB)boast in this, that he [f]understands and knows Me, that I am Yahweh who (BC)shows lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I (BD)delight in these things,” declares Yahweh.
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet (BE)uncircumcised— 26 Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and (BF)all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are (BG)uncircumcised of heart.”
Yahweh Alone Is the Living God
10 Hear the word which Yahweh speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says Yahweh,
“(BH)Do not learn the way of the nations,
And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens
Although the nations are terrified by them;
3 For the statutes of the peoples are (BI)vanity
Because (BJ)it is wood cut from the forest,
The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
4 They (BK)make it beautiful with silver and with gold;
They (BL)strengthen it with nails and with hammers
So that it will not totter.
5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they,
And they (BM)cannot speak;
They must be (BN)carried
Because they cannot take a step!
Do not fear them,
For they (BO)can do no harm,
Nor can they do any good.”
6 (BP)There is none like You, O Yahweh;
You are (BQ)great, and great is Your name in might.
7 (BR)Who would not fear You, O (BS)King of the nations?
Indeed it is Your due!
For among all the (BT)wise men of the nations
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
8 But they are altogether (BU)senseless and foolish;
They are in a discipline of [g]vanities—it is mere wood!
9 Beaten (BV)silver is brought from (BW)Tarshish,
And (BX)gold from Uphaz,
The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith;
Blue and purple are their clothing;
They are all the (BY)work of wise craftsmen.
10 But Yahweh is the (BZ)true God;
He is the (CA)living God and the (CB)everlasting King.
At His wrath the (CC)earth quakes,
And the nations cannot (CD)endure His indignation.
11 [h]Thus you shall say to them, “The (CE)gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will (CF)perish from the earth and from under [i]the heavens.”
12 It is (CG)He who made the earth by His power,
Who (CH)established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has (CI)stretched out the heavens.
13 When He gives forth His (CJ)voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
And He causes the (CK)clouds to ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain,
And brings out the (CL)wind from His storehouses.
14 Every man is (CM)senseless, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven images;
For his molten images are a lie,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are (CN)vanity, a work of mockery;
In the (CO)time of their punishment they will perish.
16 The (CP)portion of Jacob is not like these;
For the [j](CQ)Maker of all is He,
And (CR)Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
(CS)Yahweh of hosts is His name.
17 (CT)Gather up your bundle from the ground,
You who inhabit a land under siege!
18 For thus says Yahweh,
“Behold, I am (CU)slinging out the inhabitants of the land
At this time,
And will cause them distress,
That they may find it.”
19 (CV)Woe is me, because of my [k]injury!
My (CW)wound is desperately sick.
But I said, “Truly this is a sickness,
And I (CX)must bear it.”
20 My (CY)tent is destroyed,
And all my ropes are torn out;
My (CZ)sons have gone from me and are no more.
There is (DA)no one to stretch out my tent again
Or to set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become senseless
And (DB)have not sought Yahweh;
Therefore they have not prospered,
And (DC)all their flock is scattered.
22 The sound of a (DD)report! Behold, it comes—
A great quaking (DE)out of the land of the north—
To (DF)make the cities of Judah
A desolation, a haunt of jackals.
23 I know, O Yahweh, that (DG)a man’s way is not in himself,
(DH)Nor is it in a man who walks to [l]direct his steps.
24 (DI)Discipline me, O Yahweh, but with justice;
Not with Your anger, lest You [m]bring me to nothing.
25 (DJ)Pour out Your wrath on the nations that (DK)do not know You
And on the families that (DL)do not call Your name,
For they have devoured Jacob;
They have (DM)devoured him and consumed him
And have made desolate his [n]abode.
The Broken Covenant
11 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “(DN)Hear the words of this (DO)covenant, and you shall speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem 3 and say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “(DP)Cursed is the man who does not hear the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your fathers in the (DQ)day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the (DR)iron furnace, saying, ‘(DS)Listen to My voice, and [o]do according to all which I command you; so you shall be (DT)My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 in order to establish the (DU)oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I answered and said, “(DV)Amen, O Yahweh.”
6 And Yahweh said to me, “(DW)Call out all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘(DX)Hear the words of this covenant so that you will (DY)do them. 7 For I solemnly (DZ)warned your fathers in the (EA)day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, (EB)rising up early and warning, saying, “(EC)Listen to My voice.” 8 Yet they (ED)did not listen or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the (EE)words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”
9 Then Yahweh said to me, “A (EF)conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have (EG)turned back to the iniquities of their [p]ancestors who (EH)refused to hear My words, and they (EI)have walked after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have (EJ)broken My covenant which I cut with their fathers.” 11 Therefore thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am (EK)bringing calamity on them which they will (EL)not be able to get out of; and they will (EM)cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will (EN)go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they surely will not save them in the time of their calamity. 13 For your gods are (EO)the number of your cities, O Judah; and the number of the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the (EP)shameful thing, altars to (EQ)burn incense to Baal.
14 “But as for you, (ER)do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry of lamentation or prayer for them; for I will (ES)not listen when they call to Me because of their calamity.
15 What possession has My (ET)beloved in My house
When (EU)she has done many schemes of wickedness?
Can the flesh, which is set apart as holy, take away from you your calamity,
[q]So that you can exult?”
16 Yahweh called your name,
“A (EV)green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”;
With the (EW)noise of a great tumult
He has (EX)kindled fire on it,
And its foliage has an evil demise.
17 Yahweh of hosts, who (EY)planted you, has (EZ)spoken forth evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have [r]done to provoke Me to anger by (FA)burning incense to Baal.
Men Seek Jeremiah’s Life
18 Moreover, Yahweh (FB)made it known to me, and I knew it;
Then You showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle (FC)lamb led to the slaughter;
And I did not know that they had (FD)devised thoughts against me, saying,
“Let us make the tree with its [s]fruit a ruin,
And (FE)let us cut him off from the (FF)land of the living,
That his (FG)name be remembered no more.”
20 But, O Yahweh of hosts, who (FH)judges righteously,
Who (FI)tests the [t]insides and the heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You have I revealed my case.
21 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the men of (FJ)Anathoth, who (FK)seek your life, saying, “(FL)Do not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, so that you will not (FM)die at our hand”; 22 therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Behold, I am about to (FN)punish them! The (FO)choice men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23 and a remnant (FP)will not be left to them, for I will (FQ)bring calamity on the men of Anathoth—(FR)the year of their punishment.”
Instructions to Those Who Serve
6 (A)All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so (B)that the name of God and our doctrine will not be [a]slandered. 2 But those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are (C)brothers, but must serve them all the more, because those who [b]partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. (D)Teach and exhort these things.
3 If anyone (E)teaches a different doctrine and does not [c]agree with (F)sound words—those of our Lord Jesus Christ—and with the doctrine (G)conforming to godliness, 4 he is (H)conceited, understanding nothing but [d]having a morbid interest in (I)controversial questions and (J)disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between (K)men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who (L)suppose that [e]godliness is a means of gain. 6 (M)But godliness actually is a means of (N)great gain, when accompanied by (O)contentment. 7 For (P)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 And if we (Q)have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 (R)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and (S)a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For (T)the love of money is a root of all [f]sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have (U)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, O (V)man of God, (W)flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, (X)faith, (Y)love, [g]perseverance, gentleness. 12 (Z)Fight the good fight of (AA)faith. (AB)Take hold of the eternal life (AC)to which you were called, and you made the good (AD)confession in the presence of (AE)many witnesses. 13 (AF)I charge you in the presence of God, who [h]gives life to all things, and of (AG)Christ Jesus, who testified the (AH)good confession (AI)before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the (AJ)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [i]bring about at (AK)the proper time—He who is (AL)the blessed and (AM)only Sovereign, (AN)the King of [j]kings and (AO)Lord of [k]lords, 16 (AP)who alone has immortality and (AQ)dwells in unapproachable light, (AR)whom no man has seen or can see. (AS)To Him be honor and eternal might! Amen.
17 Command those who are rich in (AT)this present age (AU)not to be haughty or to (AV)set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, (AW)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in (AX)good [l]works, (AY)to be generous and ready to share, 19 (AZ)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may (BA)take hold of that which is life indeed.
20 O (BB)Timothy, guard (BC)what has been entrusted to you, turning aside from (BD)godless and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 which some, while professing, have (BE)gone astray [m]from (BF)the faith.
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