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Jeremiah 4:19-6:14 (Contemporary English Version)
Jeremiah's Vision of the Coming Punishment
19I can't stand the pain!
My heart pounds,
as I twist and turn in agony.
I hear the signal trumpet
and the battle cry of the enemy,
and I cannot be silent.
20I see the enemy defeating us
time after time,
leaving everything in ruins.
Even my own home
is destroyed in a moment.
21How long will I see enemy flags
and hear their trumpets?
22I heard the LORD say,
"My people ignore me.
They are foolish children
who do not understand
that they will be punished.
All they know is how to sin."
23After this, I looked around.
The earth was barren,
with no form of life.
The sun, moon, and stars
had disappeared.
24The mountains were shaking;
25no people could be seen,
and all the birds
had flown away.
26Farmland had become a desert,
and towns were in ruins.
The LORD's fierce anger
had done all of this.
The Death of Jerusalem
27-28The LORD said:
I have made my decision,
and I won't change my mind.
This land will be destroyed,
although not completely.
The sky will turn dark,
and the earth will mourn.
29Enemy cavalry and archers
shout their battle cry.
People run for their lives
and try to find safety
among trees and rocks.
Every town is empty.
30Jerusalem, your land
has been wiped out.
But you act like a prostitute
and try to win back your lovers,
who now hate you.
You can put on a red dress,
gold jewelry, and eye shadow,
but it's no use--
your lovers are out to kill you!
31I heard groaning and crying.
Was it a woman giving birth
to her first child?
No, it was Jerusalem.
She was gasping for breath
and begging for help.
"I'm dying!" she said.
"They have murdered me."
Jeremiah 5
Is Anyone Honest and Faithful?
The LORD said to me:
1"Search Jerusalem
for honest people
who try to be faithful.
If you can find even one,
I'll forgive the whole city.
2Everyone breaks promises
made in my name."
3I answered, "I know
that you look for truth.
You punished your people
for their lies,
but in spite of the pain,
they became more stubborn
and refused to turn back
to you."
4Then I thought to myself,
"These common people
act like fools,
and they have never learned
what the LORD their God
demands of them.
5I'll go and talk to the leaders.
They know what God demands."
But even they had decided
not to obey the LORD.
6The people have rebelled
and rejected the LORD
too many times.
So enemies will attack
like lions from the forest
or wolves from the desert.
Those enemies will watch
the towns of Judah,
and like leopards
they will tear to pieces
whoever goes outside.
Enemies Will Punish Judah
The LORD said:
7People of Judah,
how can I forgive you?
I gave you everything,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped idols.
You men go to prostitutes
and are unfaithful
to your wives.
8You are no better than animals,
and you always want sex
with someone else's wife.
9Why shouldn't I punish
the people of Judah?
10I will tell their enemies,
"Go through my vineyard.
Don't destroy the vines,
but cut off the branches,
because they are the people
who don't belong to me."
11In every way, Judah and Israel
have been unfaithful to me.
12Their prophets lie and say,
"The LORD won't punish us.
We will have peace
and plenty of food."
13They tell these lies in my name,
so now they will be killed in war
or starve to death.
14I am the LORD God All-Powerful.
Jeremiah, I will tell you
exactly what to say.
Your words will be a fire;
Israel and Judah
will be the fuel.
15People of Israel,
I have made my decision.
An army from a distant country
will attack you.
I've chosen an ancient nation,
and you won't understand
their language.
16All of them are warriors,
and their arrows bring death.
17This nation will eat your crops
and livestock;
they will leave no fruit
on your vines or trees.
And although you feel safe
behind thick walls,
your towns will be destroyed
and your children killed.
Israel Refused To Worship the LORD
18The LORD said:
Jeremiah, the enemy army won't kill everyone in Judah. 19And the people who survive will ask, "Why did the LORD our God do such terrible things to us?" Then tell them:
I am the LORD,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped other gods
in your own land.
Now you will be slaves
in a foreign country.
20Tell these things to each other,
you people of Judah,
you descendants of Jacob.
21You fools! Why don't you listen
when I speak?
Why can't you understand
22that you should worship me
with fear and trembling?
I'm the one who made the shore
to hold back the ocean.
Waves may crash on the beach,
but they can come no farther.
23You stubborn people have rebelled
and turned your backs on me.
24You refuse to say,
"Let's worship the LORD!
He's the one who sends rain
in spring and autumn
and gives us a good harvest."
25That's why I cannot bless you!
26A hunter traps birds
and puts them in a cage,
but some of you trap humans
and make them your slaves.
27You are evil, and you lie and cheat
to make yourselves rich.
You are powerful
28and prosperous,
but you refuse
to help [a] the poor get the justice they deserve.
29You need to be punished,
and so I will take revenge.
30Look at the terrible things
going on in this country.
I am shocked!
31Prophets give their messages
in the name of a false god, [b] my priests don't want
to serve me, [c] and you--my own people--
like it this way!
But on the day of disaster,
where will you turn for help?
Jeremiah 6
A Warning for the People of Jerusalem
The LORD said:
1Run for your lives,
people of Benjamin.
Get out of Jerusalem.
Sound a trumpet in Tekoa
and light a signal fire
in Beth-Haccherem.
Soon you will be struck
by disaster from the north.
2Jerusalem is a lovely pasture,
but shepherds will surround it
and divide it up,
3then let their flocks
eat all the grass. [d]
4Kings will tell their troops,
"If we reach Jerusalem
in the morning,
we'll attack at noon.
But if we arrive later,
5we'll attack after dark
and destroy its fortresses."
6I am the LORD All-Powerful,
and I will command these armies
to chop down trees
and build a ramp up to the walls
of Jerusalem.
People of Jerusalem,
I must punish you
for your injustice.
7Evil pours from your city
like water from a spring.
Sounds of violent crimes
echo within your walls;
victims are everywhere,
wounded and dying.
8Listen to me,
you people of Jerusalem
and Judah.
I will abandon you,
and your land will become
an empty desert.
9I will tell your enemies
to leave your nation bare
like a vine stripped of grapes.
I, the LORD All-Powerful,
have spoken.
Jeremiah's Anger
10I have told the people
that you, LORD,
will punish them,
but they just laugh
and refuse to listen.
11Your anger against Judah
flames up inside me,
and I can't hold it in
much longer.
Don't hold back my anger!
Let it sweep away everyone--
the children at play
and all adults,
young and old alike.
The LORD's Anger Will Sweep Everyone Away
The LORD answered:
12I'll punish the people of Judah
and give to others
their houses and fields,
as well as their wives.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
13Everyone is greedy and dishonest,
whether poor or rich.
Even the prophets and priests
cannot be trusted.
14All they ever offer
to my deeply wounded people
are empty hopes for peace.
Footnotes:
Jeremiah 5:28 refuse to help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Jeremiah 5:31 give. . . god: Or "tell lies."
Jeremiah 5:31 don't. . . me: Or "don't care what I want."
Jeremiah 6:3 Jerusalem. . . grass: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Colossians 1:21-2:7 (Contemporary English Version)
21You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things.
22But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.
23But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.
Paul's Service to the Church
24I am glad that I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue [a] the suffering of Christ for his body, the church.
25God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you.
26For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people.
27God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory.
28We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature.
29That's why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.
Colossians 2
1I want you to know what a struggle I am going through for you, for God's people at Laodicea, and for all of those followers who have never met me.
2I do it to encourage them. Then as their hearts are joined together in love, they will be wonderfully blessed with complete understanding. And they will truly know Christ. Not only is he the key to God's mystery,
3but all wisdom and knowledge are hidden away in him.
4I tell you these things to keep you from being fooled by fancy talk.
5Even though I am not with you, I keep thinking about you. I am glad to know that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
Christ Brings Real Life
6You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him.
7Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
Footnotes:
Colossians 1:24 continue: Or " complete."
Psalm 77:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 77
(A psalm by Asaph for Jeduthun, the music leader.)
In Times of Trouble God Is with His People
1I pray to you, Lord God,
and I beg you to listen.
2In days filled with trouble,
I search for you.
And at night I tirelessly
lift my hands in prayer,
refusing comfort.
3When I think of you,
I feel restless and weak.
4Because of you, Lord God,
I can't sleep.
I am restless
and can't even talk.
5I think of times gone by,
of those years long ago.
6Each night my mind
is flooded with questions: [a]
7"Have you rejected me forever?
Won't you be kind again?
8Is this the end of your love
and your promises?
9Have you forgotten
how to have pity?
Do you refuse to show mercy
because of your anger?"
10Then I said, "God Most High,
what hurts me most
is that you no longer help us
with your mighty arm."
11Our LORD, I will remember
the things you have done,
your miracles of long ago.
12I will think about each one
of your mighty deeds.
13Everything you do is right,
and no other god
compares with you.
14You alone work miracles,
and you have let nations
see your mighty power.
15With your own arm you rescued
your people,
the descendants
of Jacob and Joseph.
16The ocean looked at you, God,
and it trembled deep down
with fear.
17Water flowed from the clouds.
Thunder was heard above
as your arrows of lightning
flashed about.
18Your thunder roared
like chariot wheels.
The world was made bright
by lightning,
and all the earth trembled.
19You walked through the water
of the mighty sea,
but your footprints
were never seen.
20You guided your people
like a flock of sheep,
and you chose Moses and Aaron
to be their leaders.
Footnotes:
Psalm 77:6 my mind. . . questions: One ancient translation; Hebrew " I remember my music."
Proverbs 24:23-25 (Contemporary English Version)
More Sayings That Make Good Sense
23Here are some more sayings
that make good sense:
When you judge,
you must be fair.
24If you let the guilty
go free,
people of all nations
will hate and curse you.
25But if you punish the guilty,
things will go well for you,
and you will prosper.
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