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Jeremiah 35-36:32 (Contemporary English Version)
Jeremiah 35
Learn a Lesson from the Rechabites
1When Jehoiakim a] was king of Judah, the LORD told me, 2"Go to the Rechabite clan and invite them to meet you in one of the side rooms b] of the temple. When they arrive, offer them a drink of wine." 3So I went to Jaazaniah, c] the leader of the clan, and I invited him and all the men of his clan. 4I brought them into the temple courtyard and took them upstairs to a room belonging to the prophets who were followers of Hanan son of Igdaliah. It was next to a room belonging to some of the officials, and that room was over the one belonging to Maaseiah, a priest who was one of the high officials in the temple. d] 5I set out some large bowls full of wine together with some cups, and then I said to the Rechabites, "Have some wine!"
6But they answered:
No! The ancestor of our clan, Jonadab son of Rechab, e] made a rule that we must obey. He said, "Don't ever drink wine 7or build houses or plant crops and vineyards. Instead, you must always live in tents and move from place to place. If you obey this command, you will live a long time." 8-10Our clan has always obeyed Jonadab's command. To this very day, we and our wives and sons and daughters don't drink wine or build houses or plant vineyards or crops. And we have lived in tents, 11except now we have to live inside Jerusalem because Nebuchadnezzar f] has taken over the countryside with his army from Babylonia and Syria. 12-13Then the LORD told me to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
I, the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, want you to learn a lesson 14from the Rechabite clan. Their ancestor Jonadab told his descendants never to drink wine, and to this very day they have obeyed him. But I have spoken to you over and over, and you haven't obeyed me! 15You refused to listen to my prophets, who kept telling you, "Stop doing evil and worshiping other gods! Start obeying the LORD, and he will let you live in this land he gave your ancestors."
16The Rechabites have obeyed the command of their ancestor Jonadab, but you have not obeyed me, 17your God. I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I warned you about the terrible things that would happen to you if you did not listen to me. You have ignored me, so now disaster will strike you. I, the LORD, have spoken.
The LORD Makes a Promise to the Rechabites
18Then the LORD told me to say to the Rechabite clan:
I am the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel. You have obeyed your ancestor Jonadab, 19so I promise that your clan will be my servants and will never die out.
Jeremiah 36
King Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah's First Scroll
1During the fourth year that Jehoiakim g] son of Josiah h] was king of Judah, the LORD said to me, "Jeremiah, 2since the time Josiah was king, I have been speaking to you about Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Now, get a scroll i] and write down everything I have told you, 3then read it to the people of Judah. Maybe they will stop sinning when they hear what terrible things I plan for them. And if they turn to me, I will forgive them." 4I sent for Baruch son of Neriah and asked him to help me. I repeated everything the LORD had told me, and Baruch wrote it all down on a scroll. 5Then I said,
Baruch, the officials refuse to let me go into the LORD's temple, 6so you must go instead. Wait for the next holy day when the people of Judah come to the temple to pray and to go without eating.j] Then take this scroll to the temple and read it aloud. 7The LORD is furious, and if the people hear how he is going to punish them, maybe they will ask to be forgiven. 8-10In the ninth month k] of the fifth year that Jehoiakim was king, the leaders set a day when everyone who lived in Jerusalem or who was visiting here had to pray and go without eating. So Baruch took the scroll to the upper courtyard of the temple. He went over to the side of the courtyard and stood in a covered area near New Gate, where he read the scroll aloud. This covered area belonged to Gemariah, l] one of the king's highest officials. 11Gemariah's son Micaiah was there and heard Baruch read what the LORD had said. 12When Baruch finished reading, Micaiah went down to the palace. His father Gemariah was in the officials' room, meeting with the rest of the king's officials, including Elishama, Delaiah, Elnathan, and Zedekiah. m] 13Micaiah told them what he had heard Baruch reading to the people. 14Then the officials sent Jehudi and Shelemiah n] to tell Baruch, "Bring us that scroll." When Baruch arrived with the scroll, 15the officials said, "Please sit down and read it to us," which he did. 16After they heard what was written on the scroll, they were worried and said to each other, "The king needs to hear this!" Turning to Baruch, they asked, 17"Did someone tell you what to write on this scroll?"
18"Yes, Jeremiah did," Baruch replied. "I wrote down just what he told me."
19The officials said, "You and Jeremiah must go into hiding, and don't tell anyone where you are."
20-22The officials put the scroll in Elishama's room and went to see the king, who was in one of the rooms where he lived and worked during the winter. It was the ninth month o] of the year, so there was a fire burning in the fireplace, p] and the king was sitting nearby. After the officials told the king about the scroll, he sent Jehudi to get it. Then Jehudi started reading the scroll to the king and his officials. 23-25But every time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king would tell him to cut them off with his penknife and throw them in the fire. Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, but he ignored them, and soon there was nothing left of it. The king and his servants listened to what was written on the scroll, but they were not afraid, and they did not tear their clothes in sorrow. q] 26The king told his son Jerahmeel to take Seraiah and Shelemiah r] and to go arrest Baruch and me. s] But the LORD kept them from finding us.
Jeremiah's Second Scroll
27I had told Baruch what to write on that first scroll, t] but King Jehoiakim u] had burned it. So the LORD told me 28to get another scroll and write down everything that had been on the first one. 29Then he told me to say to King Jehoiakim: Not only did you burn Jeremiah's scroll, you had the nerve to ask why he had written that the king of Babylonia would attack and ruin the land, killing all the people and even the animals. 30So I, the LORD, promise that you will be killed and your body thrown out on the ground. The sun will beat down on it during the day, and the frost will settle on it at night. And none of your descendants will ever be king of Judah. 31You, your children, and your servants are evil, and I will punish all of you. I warned you and the people of Judah and Jerusalem that I would bring disaster, but none of you have listened. So now you are doomed!
32After the LORD finished speaking to me, I got another scroll and gave it to Baruch. Then I told him what to write, so this second scroll would contain even more than was on the scroll Jehoiakim had burned.
Footnotes:
Jeremiah 35:1 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 35:2 side rooms: Probably a room with walls on three sides, and open to the courtyard on the fourth side.
Jeremiah 35:3 Jaazaniah: The Hebrew text has "Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah son of Habazziniah"; this is a different Jeremiah than the author of the book.
Jeremiah 35:4 Maaseiah. . . temple: Hebrew "Maaseiah son of Shallum, the keeper of the temple door."
Jeremiah 35:6 Jonadab son of Rechab: See 2 Kings 10.15-23. In the Hebrew of this chapter, "Jonadab" is sometimes spelled "Jehonadab."
Jeremiah 35:11 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 36:1 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 36:1 Josiah: See the note at 3.6.
Jeremiah 36:2 scroll: See the note at 30.1,2.
Jeremiah 36:6 to go without eating: As a way of asking for God's help.
Jeremiah 36:8 ninth month: Chislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-November to mid-December.
Jeremiah 36:8 Gemariah: Hebrew "Gemariah son of Shaphan"; Gemariah's brother Ahikam had earlier protected Jeremiah (see 26.20-24).
Jeremiah 36:12 Delaiah, Elnathan, and Zedekiah: Hebrew "Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, and Zedekiah son of Hananiah."
Jeremiah 36:14 Jehudi and Shelemiah: Hebrew "Jehudi son of Nethaniah and Shelemiah son of Cushi."
Jeremiah 36:20 ninth month: See the note at 36.8-10.
Jeremiah 36:20 fireplace: Probably a large metal or clay pot on a movable stand, with the fire burning inside.
Jeremiah 36:23 they did not tear their clothes in sorrow: Such actions would have shown that they were sorry for disobeying the LORD and were turning back to him.
Jeremiah 36:26 Seraiah and Shelemiah: Hebrew "Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel."
Jeremiah 36:26 me: Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 36:27 scroll: See the note at 30.1,2.
Jeremiah 36:27 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3.
1 Timothy 5:1-25 (Contemporary English Version)
1 Timothy 5
How To Act toward Others
1Don't correct an older man. Encourage him, as you would your own father. Treat younger men as you would your own brother, 2and treat older women as you would your own mother. Show the same respect to younger women that you would to your sister.
3Take care of any widow who is really in need. 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn to serve God by taking care of her, as she once took care of them. This is what God wants them to do. 5A widow who is really in need is one who doesn't have any relatives. She has faith in God, and she keeps praying to him night and day, asking for his help.
6A widow who thinks only about having a good time is already dead, even though she is still alive.
7Tell all of this to everyone, so they will do the right thing. 8People who don't take care of their relatives, and especially their own families, have given up their faith. They are worse than someone who doesn't have faith in the Lord.
9For a widow to be put on the list of widows, she must be at least sixty years old, and she must have been faithful in marriage. a] 10She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God's people into her home, b] helping people in need, and always making herself useful. 11Don't put young widows on the list. They may later have a strong desire to get married. Then they will turn away from Christ 12and become guilty of breaking their promise to him. 13Besides, they will become lazy and get into the habit of going from house to house. Next, they will start gossiping and become busybodies, talking about things that are none of their business.
14I would prefer that young widows get married, have children, and look after their families. Then the enemy won't have any reason to say insulting things about us. 15Look what's already happened to some of the young widows! They have turned away to follow Satan.
16If a woman who is a follower has any widows in her family, she c] should help them. This will keep the church from having that burden, and then the church can help widows who are really in need.
Church Leaders
17Church leaders d] who do their job well deserve to be paid e] twice as much, especially if they work hard at preaching and teaching. 18It is just as the Scriptures say, "Don't muzzle an ox when you are using it to grind grain." You also know the saying, "Workers are worth their pay." 19Don't listen to any charge against a church leader, unless at least two or three people bring the same charges. 20But if any of the leaders should keep on sinning, they must be corrected in front of the whole group, as a warning to everyone else.
21In the presence of God and Christ Jesus and their chosen angels, I order you to follow my instructions! Be fair with everyone, and don't have any favorites.
22Don't be too quick to accept people into the service of the Lord f] by placing your hands on them. Don't sin because others do, but stay close to God.
23Stop drinking only water. Take a little wine to help your stomach trouble and the other illnesses you always have.
24Some people get caught in their sins right away, even before the time of judgment. But other people's sins don't show up until later. 25It is the same with good deeds. Some are easily seen, but none of them can be hidden.
Footnotes:
1 Timothy 5:9 been faithful in marriage: Or "been the wife of only one husband" or "never been divorced."
1 Timothy 5:10 welcoming God's people into her home: The Greek text has "washing the feet of God's people." In New Testament times most people either went barefoot or wore sandals, and a host would often wash the feet of special guests.
1 Timothy 5:16 woman. . . she: Some manuscripts have "man or woman. . . that person."
1 Timothy 5:17 leaders: Or "elders" or "presbyters" or "priests."
1 Timothy 5:17 paid: Or "honored" or "respected."
1 Timothy 5:22 to accept people into the service of the Lord: Or "to forgive people."
Psalm 89:14-37 (Contemporary English Version)
14Your kingdom is ruled
by justice and fairness
with love and faithfulness
leading the way.
15Our LORD, you bless those
who join in the festival
and walk in the brightness
of your presence.
16We are happy all day
because of you,
and your saving power
brings honor to us.
17Your own glorious power
makes us strong,
and because of your kindness,
our strength increases.
18Our LORD and our King,
the Holy One of Israel,
you are truly our shield.
19In a vision, you once said
to your faithful followers:
"I have helped a mighty hero.
I chose him from my people
and made him famous.
20David, my servant, is the one
I chose to be king,
21and I will always be there
to help and strengthen him.
22"No enemy will outsmart David,
and he won't be defeated
by any hateful people.
23I will strike down and crush
his troublesome enemies.
24He will always be able
to depend on my love,
and I will make him strong
with my own power.
25I will let him rule the lands
across the rivers and seas.
26He will say to me,
`You are my Father
and my God,
as well as the mighty rock a]
where I am safe.'
27"I have chosen David
as my first-born son,
and he will be the ruler
of all kings on earth.
28My love for him will last,
and my agreement with him
will never be broken.
29"One of David's descendants
will always be king,
and his family will rule
until the sky disappears.
30Suppose some of his children
should reject my Law
and refuse my instructions.
31Or suppose they should disobey
all of my teachings.
32Then I will correct
and punish them
because of their sins.
33But I will always love David
and faithfully keep all
of my promises to him.
34"I won't break my agreement
or go back on my word.
35I have sworn once and for all
by my own holy name,
and I won't lie to David.
36His family will always rule.
I will let his kingdom last
as long as the sun 37and moon
appear in the sky."
Footnotes:
Psalm 89:26 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
Proverbs 25:25-27 (Contemporary English Version)
25Good news from far away
refreshes like cold water
when you are thirsty.
26When a good person gives in
to the wicked,
it's like dumping garbage
in a stream of clear water.
27Don't eat too much honey
or always want praise. a]
Footnotes:
Proverbs 25:27 or. . . praise: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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