Today our passages are Jeremiah 14:11–16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:10–3:13; Psalm 80:1-19; and Proverbs 25:1-5. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.
Jeremiah 14:11-16:15 (Contemporary English Version)
Lying Prophets
11The LORD said, "Jeremiah, don't ask me to help these people. 12They may even go without eating [a] and offer sacrifices to please me [b] and to give thanks. [c] But when they cry out for my help, I won't listen, and I won't accept their sacrifices. Instead, I'll send war, starvation, and disease to wipe them out." 13I replied, "The other prophets keep telling everyone that you won't send starvation or war, and that you're going to give us peace." 14The LORD answered:They claim to speak for me, but they're lying! I didn't even speak to them, much less choose them to be my prophets. Their messages come from worthless dreams, useless fortunetelling, and their own imaginations.
15Those lying prophets say there will be peace and plenty of food. But I say that those same prophets will die from war and hunger. 16And everyone who listens to them will be killed, just as they deserve. Their dead bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, because their families will also be dead, and no one will be left to bury them. [d] 17Jeremiah, go and tell the people how you feel about all this.
So I told them:
"Tears will flood my eyes
both day and night,
because my nation suffers
from a deadly wound.
18In the fields I see the bodies
of those killed in battle.
And in the towns I see crowds
dying of hunger.
But the prophets and priests
go about their business,
without understanding
what has happened." [e]
Jeremiah Prays to the LORD
19Have you rejected Judah, LORD? Do you hate Jerusalem?Why did you strike down Judah
with a fatal wound?
We had hoped for peace
and a time of healing,
but all we got was terror.
20We and our ancestors are guilty
of rebelling against you.
21If you save us, it will show
how great you are.
Don't let our enemies
disgrace your temple,
your beautiful throne.
Don't forget that you promised
to rescue us.
22Idols can't send rain,
and showers don't fall
by themselves.
Only you control the rain,
so we put our trust in you,
the LORD our God.
Jeremiah 15
The People of Judah Will Die
1The LORD said to me: Even if Moses and Samuel were here, praying with you, I wouldn't change my mind. So send the people of Judah away. 2And when they ask where they are going, tell them that I, the LORD, have said:Some of you are going to die
of horrible diseases.
Others are going to die in war
or from starvation.
The rest will be led away
to a foreign country.
3I will punish you
in four different ways:
You will be killed in war
and your bodies dragged off
by dogs,
your flesh will be eaten by birds,
and your bones will be chewed on
by wild animals.
4This punishment will happen
because of the horrible things [f] your King Manasseh [g] did. And you will be disgusting
to all nations on earth.
5People of Jerusalem,
who will feel sorry for you?
Will anyone bother
to ask if you are well?
6My people, you abandoned me
and walked away.
I am tired of showing mercy;
that's why I'll destroy you
7by scattering you like straw
blown by the wind.
I will punish you with sorrow
and death,
because you refuse
to change your ways.
8There will be more widows
in Judah
than grains of sand on a beach.
A surprise attack at noon!
And the mothers in Jerusalem
mourn for their children.
9A mother is in deep despair
and struggles for breath.
Her daylight has turned
to darkness--
she has suffered the loss
of her seven sons.
I will kill anyone who survives.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
Jeremiah Complains
10I wish I had never been born! I'm always in troublewith everyone in Judah.
I never lend or borrow money,
but everyone curses me
just the same.
11Then the LORD replied,
"I promise to protect you,
and when disaster comes,
even your enemies
will beg you for help." [h]
The Enemy Cannot Be Defeated
The LORD told me to say:
12People of Judah, just as you can't break ironmixed with bronze,
you can't defeat the enemies
that will attack
from the north.
13I will give them
everything you own,
because you have sinned
everywhere in your country.
14My anger is a fire
that cannot be put out, [i] so I will make you slaves
of your enemies
in a foreign land. [j]
Jeremiah Complains Again
15You can see how I suffer insult after insult,all because of you, LORD.
Don't be so patient
with my enemies;
take revenge on them
before they kill me.
16When you spoke to me,
I was glad to obey,
because I belong to you,
the LORD All-Powerful.
17I don't go to parties
and have a good time.
Instead, I keep to myself,
because you have filled me
with your anger.
18I am badly injured
and in constant pain.
Are you going to disappoint me,
like a stream that goes dry
in the heat of summer?
The LORD Replies
19Then the LORD told me: Stop talking like a fool!If you turn back to me
and speak my message,
I will let you be my prophet
once again.
I hope the people of Judah
will accept what you say.
But you can ignore their threats,
20because I am making you strong,
like a bronze wall.
They are evil and violent,
but when they attack,
21I will be there to rescue you.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
Jeremiah 16
Jeremiah Must Live His Message
1The LORD said to me: 2Jeremiah, don't get married and have children--Judah is no place to raise a family. 3I'll tell you what's going to happen to children and their parents here. 4They will die of horrible diseases and of war and starvation. No one will give them a funeral or bury them, and their bodies will be food for the birds and wild animals. And what's left will lie on the ground like manure.5When someone dies, don't visit the family or show any sorrow. I will no longer love or bless or have any pity on the people of Judah. 6Rich and poor alike will die and be left unburied. No one will mourn and show their sorrow by cutting themselves or shaving their heads. [k] 7No one will bring food and wine to help comfort those who are mourning the death of their father or mother. 8Don't even set foot in a house where there is eating and drinking and celebrating. 9Warn the people of Judah that I, the LORD All-Powerful, will put an end to all their parties and wedding celebrations. 10They will ask, "Why has the LORD our God threatened us with so many disasters? Have we done something wrong or sinned against him?"
11Then tell them I have said:
People of Judah, your ancestors turned away from me; they rejected my laws and teachings and started worshiping other gods. 12And you have done even worse! You are stubborn, and instead of obeying me, you do whatever evil comes to your mind. 13So I will throw you into a land that you and your ancestors know nothing about, a place where you will have to worship other gods both day and night. And I won't feel the least bit sorry for you.
14A time will come when you will again worship me. But you will no longer call me the Living God who rescued Israel from Egypt. 15Instead, you will call me the Living God who rescued you from that country in the north and from the other countries where I had forced you to go.
Someday I will bring you back to this land that I gave your ancestors.
Footnotes:
- Jeremiah 14:12 go without eating: The people of Israel sometimes went without eating to show sorrow for their sins.
- Jeremiah 14:12 sacrifices to please me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called "whole burnt offerings" because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called "sacrifices to please the LORD."
- Jeremiah 14:12 sacrifices. . . to give thanks: These sacrifices have traditionally been called "grain offerings." A main purpose of such sacrifices was to thank the LORD with a gift of grain, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called "sacrifices to give thanks to the LORD."
- Jeremiah 14:16 dead bodies. . . bury them: A proper burial was considered very important.
- Jeremiah 14:18 go about. . . has happened: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Jeremiah 15:4 the horrible things: See 2 Kings 21.1-16.
- Jeremiah 15:4 Manasseh: Hebrew "Manasseh son of Hezekiah"; he ruled 687-642 B.C.
- Jeremiah 15:11 help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 11.
- Jeremiah 15:14 that cannot be put out: Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts "against you."
- Jeremiah 15:14 I will make. . . land: Many Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts "I will make your enemies go through to a land you don't know about."
- Jeremiah 16:6 mourn and show their sorrow by cutting themselves or shaving their heads: A custom in some Canaanite religions.
1 Thessalonians 2:10-3:13 (Contemporary English Version)
10Both you and God are witnesses
that we were pure and honest and innocent in our dealings with you followers of
the Lord. 11You also know we did
everything for you that parents would do for their own children. 12We begged, encouraged, and urged each of
you to live in a way that would honor God. He is the one who chose you to share
in his own kingdom and glory.
13We always thank God that you believed the message we preached. It came from him, and it isn't something made up by humans. You accepted it as God's message, and now he is working in you. 14My friends, you did just like God's churches in Judea and like the other followers of Christ Jesus there. And so, you were mistreated by your own people, in the same way they were mistreated by their people.
15Those Jews killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and they even chased us away. God doesn't like what they do and neither does anyone else. 16They keep us from speaking his message to the Gentiles and from leading them to be saved. The Jews have always gone too far with their sins. Now God has finally become angry and will punish them.
7My friends, even though we have a lot of trouble and suffering, your faith makes us feel better about you. 8Your strong faith in the Lord is like a breath of new life. 9How can we possibly thank God enough for all the happiness you have brought us? 10Day and night we sincerely pray that we will see you again and help you to have an even stronger faith.
11We pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus will let us visit you. 12May the Lord make your love for each other and for everyone else grow by leaps and bounds. That's how our love for you has grown. 13And when our Lord comes with all of his people, I pray that he will make your hearts pure and innocent in the sight of God the Father.
and you sit on your throne
above the winged creatures. [a] Listen to our prayer
and let your light shine
2for the tribes of Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Save us by your power.
3Our God, make us strong again!
Smile on us and save us.
4LORD God All-Powerful,
how much longer
will the prayers of your people
make you angry?
5You gave us tears for food,
and you made us drink them
by the bowlful.
6Because of you,
our enemies who live nearby
laugh and joke about us.
7But if you smile on us,
we will be saved.
8We were like a grapevine
you brought out of Egypt.
You chased other nations away
and planted us here.
9Then you cleared the ground,
and we put our roots deep,
spreading over the land.
10Shade from this vine covered
the mountains.
Its branches
climbed
the mighty cedars
11and stretched to the sea;
its new growth reached
to the river. [b] 12Our Lord, why have you
torn down the wall
from around the vineyard?
You let everyone who walks by
pick the grapes.
13Now the vine is gobbled down
by pigs from the forest
and other wild animals.
14God All-Powerful,
please do something!
Look down from heaven
and see what's happening
to this vine.
15With your own hands
you planted its roots,
and you raised it
as your very own.
16Enemies chopped the vine down
and set it on fire.
Now show your anger
and destroy them.
17But help the one who sits
at your right side, [c] the one you raised
to be your own.
18Then we will never turn away.
Put new life into us,
and we will worship you.
19LORD God All-Powerful,
make us strong again!
Smile on us and save us.
They were copied by the officials
of King Hezekiah of Judah.
2God is praised
for being mysterious;
rulers are praised
for explaining mysteries.
3Who can fully understand
the thoughts of a ruler?
They reach beyond the sky
and go deep in the earth.
4Silver must be purified
before it can be used
to make something of value.
5Evil people must be removed
before anyone can rule
with justice.
Verse of the Day
“Pay attention to advice and accept correction, so you can live sensibly. We may make a lot of plans, but the LORD will do what he has decided.” - Proverbs 19:20-21
Thought for the Day
American actress, writer, producer and comedian, Wendi McLendon-Covey wrote, “You think your friends have good taste in fashion, until they ask you to wear an ugly bridesmaid dress!”
A Joke for Today
Visiting the modern art museum, a lady turned to an attendant standing nearby.
"This," she said, "I suppose, is one of those hideous representations you call modern art?"
"No, Madam," replied the attendant. "That one's called a mirror."
13We always thank God that you believed the message we preached. It came from him, and it isn't something made up by humans. You accepted it as God's message, and now he is working in you. 14My friends, you did just like God's churches in Judea and like the other followers of Christ Jesus there. And so, you were mistreated by your own people, in the same way they were mistreated by their people.
15Those Jews killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and they even chased us away. God doesn't like what they do and neither does anyone else. 16They keep us from speaking his message to the Gentiles and from leading them to be saved. The Jews have always gone too far with their sins. Now God has finally become angry and will punish them.
Paul Wants To Visit the Church Again
17My friends, we were kept from coming to you for a while, but we never stopped thinking about you. We were eager to see you and tried our best to visit you in person. 18We really wanted to come. I myself tried several times, but Satan always stopped us. 19After all, when the Lord Jesus appears, who else but you will give us hope and joy and be like a glorious crown for us? 20You alone are our glory and joy!1 Thessalonians 3
1Finally, we couldn't stand it any longer. We decided to stay in Athens by ourselves 2and send our friend Timothy to you. He works with us as God's servant and preaches the good news about Christ. We wanted him to make you strong in your faith and to encourage you. 3We didn't want any of you to be discouraged by all these troubles. You knew we would have to suffer, 4because when we were with you, we told you this would happen. And we did suffer, as you well know. 5At last, when I could not wait any longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I hoped that Satan had not tempted you and made all our work useless. 6Timothy has come back from his visit with you and has told us about your faith and love. He also said that you always have happy memories of us and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you.7My friends, even though we have a lot of trouble and suffering, your faith makes us feel better about you. 8Your strong faith in the Lord is like a breath of new life. 9How can we possibly thank God enough for all the happiness you have brought us? 10Day and night we sincerely pray that we will see you again and help you to have an even stronger faith.
11We pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus will let us visit you. 12May the Lord make your love for each other and for everyone else grow by leaps and bounds. That's how our love for you has grown. 13And when our Lord comes with all of his people, I pray that he will make your hearts pure and innocent in the sight of God the Father.
Psalm 80:1-19 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 80
(A psalm by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies of the Agreement.")
Help Our Nation
1Shepherd of Israel, you lead the descendants of Joseph,and you sit on your throne
above the winged creatures. [a] Listen to our prayer
and let your light shine
2for the tribes of Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Save us by your power.
3Our God, make us strong again!
Smile on us and save us.
4LORD God All-Powerful,
how much longer
will the prayers of your people
make you angry?
5You gave us tears for food,
and you made us drink them
by the bowlful.
6Because of you,
our enemies who live nearby
laugh and joke about us.
7But if you smile on us,
we will be saved.
8We were like a grapevine
you brought out of Egypt.
You chased other nations away
and planted us here.
9Then you cleared the ground,
and we put our roots deep,
spreading over the land.
10Shade from this vine covered
the mountains.
Its branches
climbed
the mighty cedars
11and stretched to the sea;
its new growth reached
to the river. [b] 12Our Lord, why have you
torn down the wall
from around the vineyard?
You let everyone who walks by
pick the grapes.
13Now the vine is gobbled down
by pigs from the forest
and other wild animals.
14God All-Powerful,
please do something!
Look down from heaven
and see what's happening
to this vine.
15With your own hands
you planted its roots,
and you raised it
as your very own.
16Enemies chopped the vine down
and set it on fire.
Now show your anger
and destroy them.
17But help the one who sits
at your right side, [c] the one you raised
to be your own.
18Then we will never turn away.
Put new life into us,
and we will worship you.
19LORD God All-Powerful,
make us strong again!
Smile on us and save us.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 80:1 winged creatures: Two winged creatures made of gold were on the top of the sacred chest and were symbols of the LORD's throne on earth (see Exodus 25.18).
- Psalm 80:11 the sea. . . the river: The Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River were part of the ideal boundaries for Israel.
- Psalm 80:17 right side: See the note at 16.11.
Proverbs 25:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)
Proverbs 25
More of Solomon's Wise Sayings
1Here are more of Solomon's proverbs.They were copied by the officials
of King Hezekiah of Judah.
2God is praised
for being mysterious;
rulers are praised
for explaining mysteries.
3Who can fully understand
the thoughts of a ruler?
They reach beyond the sky
and go deep in the earth.
4Silver must be purified
before it can be used
to make something of value.
5Evil people must be removed
before anyone can rule
with justice.
Verse of the Day
“Pay attention to advice and accept correction, so you can live sensibly. We may make a lot of plans, but the LORD will do what he has decided.” - Proverbs 19:20-21
Today's passage is from the Contemporary
English Version.
Thought for the DayAmerican actress, writer, producer and comedian, Wendi McLendon-Covey wrote, “You think your friends have good taste in fashion, until they ask you to wear an ugly bridesmaid dress!”
Visiting the modern art museum, a lady turned to an attendant standing nearby.
"This," she said, "I suppose, is one of those hideous representations you call modern art?"
"No, Madam," replied the attendant. "That one's called a mirror."
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