Bible Readings for October 24, 2011

Today our passages are Jeremiah 44:24–47:7; 2 Timothy 2:22–3:17; Psalm 94:1-23; and Proverbs 26:6-8. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

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Jeremiah 44:24-47:7 (Contemporary English Version)

24-25Then I told the men and their wives, that the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, had said:
Here in Egypt you still keep your promises to burn incense and offer sacrifices of wine to the so-called Queen of Heaven. 26Keep these promises! But let me tell you what will happen. As surely as I am the LORD God, I swear that I will never again accept any promises you make in my name. 27Instead of watching over you, I will watch for chances to harm you. Some of you will die in war, and others will starve to death. 28Only a few will escape and return to Judah. Then everyone who went to live in Egypt will know that when I say something will happen, it will--no matter what you say.

29And here is how you will know that I will keep my threats to punish you in Egypt. 30I will hand over King Hophra of Egypt to those who want to kill him, [a] just as I handed Zedekiah [b] over to Nebuchadnezzar, [c] who wanted to kill him.

Jeremiah 45

The LORD Will Not Let Baruch Be Killed

1In the fourth year that Jehoiakim [d] was king of Judah, Baruch wrote down everything I had told him. [e] 2Then later, the LORD God of Israel told me to say to Baruch: 3You are moaning and blaming me, the LORD, for your troubles and sorrow, and for being so tired that you can't even rest. 4But all over the earth I am tearing down what I built and pulling up what I planted. 5I am bringing disaster everywhere, so don't even think about making any big plans for yourself. However, I promise that wherever you go, I will at least protect you from death. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Jeremiah 46

The LORD Speaks about the Nations

1The LORD often told me what to say about the different nations of the world.

What the LORD Says about Egypt

2In the fourth year that Jehoiakim [f] was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar [g] of Babylonia defeated King Neco of Egypt [h] in a battle at the city of Carchemish near the Euphrates River. And here is what the LORD told me to say about the Egyptian army: 3It's time to go into battle!

So grab your shields,
4saddle your horses,
and polish your spears.
Put on your helmets and armor,
then take your positions.
5I can see the battle now--
you are defeated
and running away,
never once looking back.
Terror is all around.
6You are strong and run fast,
but you can't escape.
You fall in battle
near the Euphrates River.
7What nation is this,
that rises
like the Nile River
overflowing its banks?
8It is Egypt, rising with a roar
like a raging river
and saying,
"I'll flood the earth,
destroying cities,
and killing
everyone in them."
9Go ahead, Egypt.
Tell your chariots and cavalry
to attack and fight hard.
Order your troops to march out,
with Ethiopians [i]
and Libyans carrying shields,
and the Lydians [j]
armed with bows and arrows.
10But the LORD All-Powerful
will win this battle
and take revenge
on his enemies.
His sword will eat them
and drink their blood
until it is full.
They will be killed in the north
near the Euphrates River,
as a sacrifice to the LORD.
11Egypt, no medicine can heal you,
not even the soothing lotion
from Gilead.
12All nations have heard you weep;
you are disgraced,
and they know it.
Your troops fall to the ground,
stumbling over each other.

A Warning for Egypt

13-14When King Nebuchadnezzar [k] of Babylonia was on his way to attack Egypt, the LORD sent me with a warning for every Egyptian town, but especially for Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. He said to tell them: Prepare to defend yourselves!
Everywhere in your nation,
people are dying in war.
15I have struck down
your mighty god Apis [l]
and chased him away. [m]
16Your soldiers stumble
over each other
and say, "Get up!
The enemy will kill us,
unless we can escape
to our own land."
17Give the king of Egypt
this new name,
"Talks-Big-Does-Nothing."
18Egypt, I am the true king,
the LORD All-Powerful,
and as surely as I live,
those enemies who attack
will tower over you
like Mount Tabor among the hills
or Mount Carmel by the sea.
19You will be led away captive,
so pack a few things
to bring with you.
Your capital, Memphis,
will lie empty and in ruins.
20An enemy from the north
will attack you, beautiful Egypt,
like a fly biting a cow.
21The foreign soldiers you hired
will turn and run.
But they are doomed,
like well-fed calves
being led to the butcher.
22The enemy army will go forward
like a swarm of locusts. [n]
Your troops will feel helpless,
like a snake in a forest
23when men with axes
start chopping down trees.
It can only hiss
and try to escape.
24Your people will be disgraced
and captured by the enemy
from the north.

25I am the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel. Soon I will punish the god Amon of Thebes [o] and the other Egyptian gods, the Egyptian kings, the people of Egypt, and everyone who trusts in the Egyptian power. 26I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar and his army. But I also promise that Egypt will someday have people living here again, just as it had before. I, the LORD, have spoken.

The LORD Will Bring Israel Home

The LORD said:
27Israel, [p] don't be afraid. Someday I will bring you home
from foreign lands.
You and your descendants
will live in peace and safety,
with nothing to fear.
28So don't be afraid,
even though now
you deserve to be punished
and have been scattered
among other nations.
But when I destroy them,
I will protect you.
I, the LORD, have spoken.

Jeremiah 47

What the LORD Says about the Philistines

1Before the king of Egypt attacked the town of Gaza, [q] the LORD told me to say to the Philistines: 2I, the LORD, tell you
that your land will be flooded
with an army from the north.
It will destroy your towns
and sweep you away,
moaning and screaming.
3When you hear the thunder
of horses and chariots,
your courage will vanish,
and parents will abandon
their own children.
4You refugees from Crete, [r]
your time has now come,
and I will destroy you.
None of you will be left
to help the cities
of Tyre and Sidon.
5The Anakim who survive [s]
in Gaza and Ashkelon
will mourn for you
by shaving their heads
and sitting in silence.
6You ask how long will I continue
to attack you with my sword,
then you tell me to put it away
and leave you alone.
7But how can my sword rest,
when I have commanded it
to attack Ashkelon
and the seacoast?

Footnotes:
Jeremiah 44:30 King Hophra. . . kill him: Hophra, also known as Apries, ruled Egypt from 589 to 570 B.C., when he was killed by Ahmosis II, who then became king of Egypt and ruled until 526 B.C.
Jeremiah 44:30 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 44:30 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 45:1 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 45:1 Baruch wrote down everything I had told him: See 36.1-32.
Jeremiah 46:2 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 46:2 King Nebuchadnezzar: Ruled 605-562 B.C. At the time of the battle in 605 B.C., he was crown prince, but his father died a few months later, and he became king.
Jeremiah 46:2 King Neco of Egypt: Neco II, ruled 609-594 B.C.
Jeremiah 46:9 Ethiopians: See the note at 38.7,8.
Jeremiah 46:9 Lydians: Probably hired soldiers from Lydia, an area in west-central Asia minor.
Jeremiah 46:13 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 46:15 Apis: A sacred bull, kept in a temple at Memphis, Egypt, and worshiped as a god.
Jeremiah 46:15 I have. . . him away: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Jeremiah 46:22 locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to plant life.
Jeremiah 46:25 the god Amon of Thebes: Amon was the king of the Egyptian gods and was the special god of the Egyptian kings.
Jeremiah 46:27 Israel: See the note at 30.10,11.
Jeremiah 47:1 attacked the town of Gaza: One of the major Philistine towns; nothing is known about this attack.
Jeremiah 47:4 Crete: Hebrew "Caphtor," another name for Crete, the original homeland of the ancestor of the Philistines.
Jeremiah 47:5 Anakim who survive: One ancient translation; Hebrew "people in the valley who survive." The Anakim may have been a group of very large people that lived in Palestine before the Israelites (see Numbers 13.33; Deuteronomy 2.10,11,20,21; and Joshua 11.21,22).


2 Timothy 2:22-3:17 (Contemporary English Version)

22Run from temptations that capture young people. Always do the right thing. Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with. Worship with people whose hearts are pure. 23Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments. These only lead to trouble, 24and God's servants must not be troublemakers. They must be kind to everyone, and they must be good teachers and very patient.

25Be humble when you correct people who oppose you. Maybe God will lead them to turn to him and learn the truth. 26They have been trapped by the devil, and he makes them obey him, but God may help them escape.

2 Timothy 3

What People Will Be Like in the Last Days

1You can be certain that in the last days there will be some very hard times. 2People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents. They will also be ungrateful, godless, 3heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. These people will hate everything that is good. 4They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. 5Even though they will make a show of being religious, their religion won't be real. Don't have anything to do with such people.

6Some men fool whole families, just to get power over those women who are slaves of sin and are controlled by all sorts of desires. 7These women always want to learn something new, but they never can discover the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres [a] opposed Moses, these people are enemies of the truth. Their minds are sick, and their faith isn't real. 9But they won't get very far with their foolishness. Soon everyone will know the truth about them, just as Jannes and Jambres were found out.

Paul's Last Instructions to Timothy

10Timothy, you know what I teach and how I live. You know what I want to do and what I believe. You have seen how patient and loving I am, and how in the past I put up with 11trouble and suffering in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. Yet the Lord rescued me from all those terrible troubles. 12Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. 13But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves.
14Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. 15Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. 16Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. 17The Scriptures train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds.

Footnotes:
2 Timothy 3:8 Jannes and Jambres: These names are not found in the Old Testament. But many believe these were the names of the two Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses when he wanted to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt (see Exodus 7.11,22).


Psalm 94:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 94

The LORD Punishes the Guilty

1LORD God, you punish
the guilty.
Show what you are like
and punish them now.
2You judge the earth.
Come and help us!
Pay back those proud people
for what they have done.
3How long will the wicked
celebrate and be glad?
4All of those cruel people
strut and boast,
5and they crush and wound
your chosen nation, LORD.
6They murder widows,
foreigners, and orphans.
7Then they say,
"The LORD God of Jacob
doesn't see or know."
8Can't you fools see?
Won't you ever learn?
9God gave us ears and eyes!
Can't he hear and see?
10God instructs the nations
and gives knowledge to us all.
Won't he also correct us?
11The LORD knows how useless
our plans really are.
12Our LORD, you bless everyone
that you instruct and teach
by using your Law.
13You give them rest
from their troubles,
until a pit can be dug
for the wicked.
14You won't turn your back
on your chosen nation.
15Justice and fairness
will go hand in hand,
and all who do right
will follow along.
16Who will stand up for me
against those cruel people?
17If you had not helped me, LORD,
I would soon have gone
to the land of silence. [a]
18When I felt my feet slipping,
you came with your love
and kept me steady.
19And when I was burdened
with worries,
you comforted me
and made me feel secure.
20But you are opposed
to dishonest lawmakers
21who gang up to murder
innocent victims.
22You, LORD God, are my fortress,
that mighty rock [b]
where I am safe.
23You will pay back my enemies,
and you will wipe them out
for the evil they did.

Footnotes:
Psalm 94:17 land of silence: The grave or the world of the dead.
Psalm 94:22 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.


Proverbs 26:6-8 (Contemporary English Version)

6Sending a message by a fool
is like chopping off your foot
and drinking poison.
7A fool with words of wisdom
is like an athlete
with legs that can't move. [a]
8Are you going to honor a fool?
Why not shoot a slingshot
with the rock tied tight?

Footnotes:
Proverbs 26:7 with. . . move: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Bible Readings for October 23, 2011

Today our passages are Jeremiah 42:1–44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalm 92:1–93:5; and Proverbs 26:3-5. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

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Jeremiah 42-44:23 (Contemporary English Version)

Jeremiah 42

The People Ask Jeremiah To Pray for Them

1Johanan, Jezaniah, [a] the other army officers, and everyone else in the group, came to me 2and said, "Please pray to the LORD your God for us. Judah used to have many people, but as you can see, only a few of us are left. 3Ask the LORD to tell us where he wants us to go and what he wants us to do." 4"All right," I answered, "I will pray to the LORD your God, and I will tell you everything he says."

5They answered, "The LORD himself will be our witness that we promise to do whatever he says, 6even if it isn't what we want to do. We will obey the LORD so that all will go well for us."

7Ten days later, the LORD gave me an answer for 8Johanan, the officers, and the other people. So I called them together 9and told them that the LORD God of Israel had said:

You asked Jeremiah to pray and find out what you should do. 10I am sorry that I had to punish you, and so I now tell you to stay here in Judah, where I will plant you and build you up, instead of tearing you down and uprooting you. 11Don't be afraid of the King of Babylonia. I will protect you from him, 12and I will even force him to have mercy on you and give back your farms.

13But you might keep on saying, "We won't stay here in Judah, and we won't obey the LORD our God. 14We are going to Egypt, where there is plenty of food and no danger of war."

15People of Judah, you survived when the Babylonian army attacked. Now you are planning to move to Egypt, and if you do go, this is what will happen. 16-17You are afraid of war, starvation, and disease here in Judah, but they will follow you to Egypt and kill you there. None of you will survive the disasters I will send.
18I, the LORD, was angry with the people of Jerusalem and punished them. And if you go to Egypt, I will be angry and punish you the same way. You will never again see your homeland. People will be horrified at what I do to you, and they will use the name of your city as a curse word.

Jeremiah Gives a Warning

19I told the people:

You escaped the disaster that struck Judah, but now the LORD warns you to stay away from Egypt. 20You asked me to pray and find out what the LORD our God wants you to do, and you promised to obey him. But that was a terrible mistake, 21because now that I have given you the LORD's answer, you refuse to obey him. 22And so, you will die in Egypt from war, hunger, and disease.

Jeremiah 43

The People Go to Egypt

1I told the people everything the LORD had told me. 2But Azariah, Johanan [b] and some other arrogant men said to me, "You're lying! The LORD didn't tell you to say that we shouldn't go to Egypt. 3Baruch son of Neriah must have told you to say that. He wants the Babylonians to capture us, so they can take us away to Babylonia or even kill us." 4Johanan, the other army officers, and everyone else refused to stay in Judah in spite of the LORD's command. 5So Johanan and the officers led us away toward Egypt. The group that left Judah included those who had been scattered in other countries and who had then come back to live in Judah. 6Baruch and I and others in the group had been staying with Gedaliah, because Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian officer in charge of the guard, had ordered him to take care of the king's daughters and quite a few men, women, and children.

7The people disobeyed the LORD and went to Egypt. The group had settled in Tahpanhes, 8when the LORD told me:

9Jeremiah, carry some large stones to the entrance of the government building in Tahpanhes. Bury the stones underneath the brick pavement [c] and be sure the Jews are watching. 10Then tell them that I, the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, have sent for my servant, Nebuchadnezzar [d] of Babylonia. I will bring him here and have him set up his throne and his royal tent over these stones that I told you to bury. 11He will attack Egypt and kill many of its people; others will die of disease or be dragged away as prisoners. 12-13I will have him set Egypt's temples on fire, and he will either burn or carry off their idols. He will destroy the sacred monuments at the temple of the sun-god. [e] Then Nebuchadnezzar will pick the land clean, just like a shepherd picking the lice off his clothes. And he will return safely home.

Jeremiah 44

The LORD Will Destroy the People of Judah

1The LORD told me to speak with the Jews who were living in the towns of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis in northern Egypt, and also to those living in southern Egypt. He told me to tell them:

2I am the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel. You saw how I destroyed Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. They lie empty and in ruins today, 3because the people of Judah made me angry by worshiping gods that had never helped them or their ancestors.

4Time after time I sent my servants the prophets to tell the people of Judah how much I hated their disgusting sins. The prophets warned them to stop sinning, 5but they refused to listen and would not stop worshiping other gods. 6Finally, my anger struck like a raging flood, and today Jerusalem and the towns of Judah are nothing but empty ruins.

7Why do you now insist on heading for another disaster? A disaster that will destroy not only you, but also your children and babies. 8You have made me angry by worshiping idols and burning incense to other gods after you came here to Egypt. You will die such a disgusting death, that other nations will use the name of Judah as a curse word. 9When you were living in Jerusalem and Judah, you followed the example of your ancestors in doing evil things, just like your kings and queens. 10Even now, your pride keeps you from respecting me and obeying the laws and teachings I gave you and your ancestors.

11I, the LORD All-Powerful, have decided to wipe you out with disasters. 12There were only a few of you left in Judah, and you decided to go to Egypt. But you will die such horrible deaths in war or from starvation, that people of other countries will use the name of Judah as a curse word. 13I punished Jerusalem with war, hunger, and disease, and that's how I will punish you. 14None of you will survive. You may hope to return to Judah someday, but only a very few of you will escape death and be able to go back.

The People Refuse To Worship the LORD

15A large number of Jews from both northern and southern Egypt listened to me as I told them what the LORD had said. Most of the men in the crowd knew that their wives often burned incense to other gods. So they and their wives shouted:

16Jeremiah, what do we care if you speak in the LORD's name? We refuse to listen! 17We have promised to worship the goddess Astarte, the Queen of Heaven, [f] and that is exactly what we are going to do. We will burn incense and offer sacrifices of wine to her, just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders did when we lived in Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah. We had plenty of food back then. We were well off, and nothing bad ever happened to us. 18But since the time we stopped burning incense and offering wine sacrifices to her, we have been dying from war and hunger. 19Then the women said, "When we lived in Judah, we worshiped the Queen of Heaven and offered sacrifices of wine and special loaves of bread shaped like her. Our husbands knew what we were doing, and they approved of it."

20Then I told the crowd:

21Don't you think the LORD knew that you and your ancestors, your leaders and kings, and the rest of the people were burning incense to other gods in Jerusalem and everywhere else in Judah? 22And when he could no longer put up with your disgusting sins, he placed a curse on your land and turned it into a desert, as it is today. 23This disaster happened because you worshiped other gods and rebelled against the LORD by refusing to obey him or follow his laws and teachings.

Footnotes:
Jeremiah 42:1 Jezaniah: Hebrew "Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah"; one ancient translation "Azariah son of Hoshaiah" (see also 43.2 and the note there).
Jeremiah 43:2 Azariah, Johanan: Hebrew "Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah."
Jeremiah 43:9 underneath the brick pavement: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Jeremiah 43:10 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 43:12 at the temple of the sun-god: Or "in the city of Heliopolis."
Jeremiah 44:17 the goddess Astarte, the Queen of Heaven: The Hebrew text has "the queen of heaven," which probably refers to the goddess Astarte.


2 Timothy 2:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Timothy 2

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

1Timothy, my child, Christ Jesus is kind, and you must let him make you strong. 2You have often heard me teach. Now I want you to tell these same things to followers who can be trusted to tell others.

3As a good soldier of Christ Jesus you must endure your share of suffering. 4Soldiers on duty don't work at outside jobs. They try only to please their commanding officer. 5No one wins an athletic contest without obeying the rules. 6And farmers who work hard are the first to eat what grows in their field. 7If you keep in mind what I have told you, the Lord will help you understand completely.

8Keep your mind on Jesus Christ! He was from the family of David and was raised from death, just as my good news says. 9And because of this message, I am locked up in jail and treated like a criminal. But God's good news isn't locked in jail, 10and so I am willing to put up with anything. Then God's special people will be saved. They will be given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus. 11Here is a true message:

"If we died with Christ,
we will live with him.
12If we don't give up,
we will rule with him.
If we deny
that we know him,
he will deny
that he knows us.
13If we are not faithful,
he will still be faithful.
Christ cannot deny
who he is."

An Approved Worker

14Don't let anyone forget these things. And with God [a] as your witness, you must warn them not to argue about words. These arguments don't help anyone. In fact, they ruin everyone who listens to them. 15Do your best to win God's approval as a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message. 16Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God. 17That sort of talk is like a sore that won't heal. And Hymenaeus and Philetus have been talking this way 18by teaching that the dead have already been raised to life. This is far from the truth, and it is destroying the faith of some people.

19But the foundation that God has laid is solid. On it is written, "The Lord knows who his people are. So everyone who worships the Lord must turn away from evil."

20In a large house some dishes are made of gold or silver, while others are made of wood or clay. Some of these are special, and others are not. 21That's also how it is with people. The ones who stop doing evil and make themselves pure will become special. Their lives will be holy and pleasing to their Master, and they will be able to do all kinds of good deeds.

Footnotes:
2 Timothy 2:14 God: Some manuscripts have "the Lord," and others have "Christ."


Psalm 92-93:5 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 92
(A psalm and a song for the Sabbath.)

Sing Praises to the LORD

1It is wonderful to be grateful
and to sing your praises,
LORD Most High!
2It is wonderful each morning
to tell about your love
and at night to announce
how faithful you are.
3I enjoy praising your name
to the music of harps,
4because everything you do
makes me happy,
and I sing joyful songs.
5You do great things, LORD.
Your thoughts are too deep
6for an ignorant fool
to know or understand.
7Though the wicked sprout
and spread like grass,
they will be pulled up
by their roots.
8But you will rule
over all of us forever,
9and your hateful enemies
will be scattered
and then destroyed.
10You have given me
the strength of a wild ox,
and you have chosen me
to be your very own.
11My eyes have seen,
and my ears have heard
the doom and destruction
of my terrible enemies.
12Good people will prosper
like palm trees,
and they will grow strong
like the cedars of Lebanon.
13They will take root
in your house, LORD God,
and they will do well.
14They will be like trees
that stay healthy and fruitful,
even when they are old.
15And they will say about you,
"The LORD always does right!
God is our mighty rock." [a]
Psalm 93
The LORD Is King
1Our LORD, you are King!
Majesty and power
are your royal robes.
You put the world in place,
and it will never be moved.
2You have always ruled,
and you are eternal.
3The ocean is roaring, LORD!
The sea is pounding hard.
4Its mighty waves are majestic,
but you are more majestic,
and you rule over all.
5Your decisions are firm,
and your temple will always
be beautiful and holy.

Footnotes:
Psalm 92:15 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.


Proverbs 26:3-5 (Contemporary English Version)

3Horses and donkeys
must be beaten and bridled--
and so must fools.
4Don't make a fool of yourself
by answering a fool.
5But if you answer any fools,
show how foolish they are,
so they won't feel smart.

Bible Readings for October 22, 2011

Today our passages are Jeremiah 39:1–41:18; 2 Timothy 1:1-18; Psalm 90:1–91:16; and Proverbs 26:1-2. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

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Jeremiah 39-41:18 (Contemporary English Version)

Jeremiah 39

Jerusalem Is Captured by the Babylonians
(Jeremiah 52.4-16; 2 Kings 25.1-12)

1-3In the tenth month [a] of the ninth year that Zedekiah [b] was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar [c] and the Babylonian army began their attack on Jerusalem. They kept the city surrounded for a year and a half. Then, on the ninth day of the fourth month [d] of the eleventh year that Zedekiah was king, they broke through the city walls. After Jerusalem was captured, [e] Nebuchadnezzar's highest officials, [f] including Nebo Sarsechim [g] and Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir, [h] took their places at Middle Gate to show they were in control of the city. [i] 4When King Zedekiah and his troops saw that Jerusalem had been captured, they tried to escape from the city that same night. They went to the king's garden, where they slipped through the gate between the two city walls [j] and headed toward the Jordan River valley. 5But the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah and took him to the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial, then found him guilty 6and gave orders for him to be punished. Zedekiah's sons were killed there in front of him, and so were the leaders of Judah's ruling families. 7His eyes were poked out, and he was put in chains, so he could be dragged off to Babylonia. 8Meanwhile, the Babylonian army had burned the houses in Jerusalem, including [k] the royal palace, and they had broken down the city walls. 9Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian officer in charge of the guards, led away everyone from the city as prisoners, even those who had deserted to Nebuchadnezzar. 10Only the poorest people who owned no land were left behind in Judah, and Nebuzaradan gave them fields and vineyards. 11Nebuchadnezzar had given the following orders to Nebuzaradan: 12"Find Jeremiah and keep him safe. Take good care of him and do whatever he asks."

13Nebuzaradan, Nebushazban, Nergal Sharezer, and the other officers of King Nebuchadnezzar 14sent some of their troops to bring me from the courtyard of the royal palace guards. They put me in the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam [l] and told him to take me to my home. And so I was allowed to stay with the people who remained in Judah.

The LORD Promises To Protect Ebedmelech

15While I was a prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guard, the LORD told me to say 16to Ebedmelech from Ethiopia: [m] I am the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I warned everyone that I would bring disaster, not prosperity, to this city. Now very soon I will do what I said, and you will see it happen. 17-18But because you trusted me, [n] I will protect you from the officials of Judah, and when Judah is struck by disaster, I will rescue you and keep you alive. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Jeremiah 40

Jeremiah Is Set Free

1I was led away in chains along with the people of Judah and Jerusalem who were being taken to Babylonia. Nebuzaradan was the officer in charge of the guard, and while we were stopped at Ramah, the LORD had him set me free. 2Nebuzaradan said:

Jeremiah, the LORD your God warned your people that he would bring disaster on this land. 3But they continued to rebel against him, and now he has punished them just as he threatened.

4Today I am taking the chains off your wrists and setting you free! If you want to, you can come with me to Babylonia, and I will see that you are taken care of. Or if you decide to stay here, you can go wherever you wish. 5King Nebuchadnezzar [o] has chosen Gedaliah to rule Judah. You can live near Gedaliah, and he will provide for you, or you can live anywhere else you want. Nebuzaradan gave me a supply of food, then let me leave. 6I decided to stay with the people of Judah, and I went to live near Gedaliah in Mizpah.

The Harvest Is Brought In

7-8Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, together with Johanan and Jonathan, the two sons of Kareah, had been officers in Judah's army. And so had Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah from Maacah. They and their troops had been stationed outside Jerusalem and had not been captured. They heard that Gedaliah had been chosen to rule Judah, and that the poorest men, women, and children had not been taken away to Babylonia. So they went to Mizpah and met with their new ruler.
9Gedaliah told them, "There's no need to be afraid of the Babylonians. Everything will be fine, if we live peacefully and obey King Nebuchadnezzar. [p] 10I will stay here at Mizpah and meet with the Babylonian officials on each of their visits. But you must go back to your towns and bring in the harvest, then store the wine, olive oil, and dried fruit." 11-12Earlier, when the Babylonians had invaded Judah, many of the Jews escaped to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and several other countries. But these Jews heard that the king of Babylonia had appointed Gedaliah as ruler of Judah, and that only a few people were left there. So the Jews in these other countries came back to Judah and helped with the grape and fruit harvest, which was especially large that year.

Gedaliah Is Murdered

13One day, Johanan got together with some of the other men who had been army officers, and they came to Mizpah and met with Gedaliah. 14They said, "Gedaliah, we came to warn you that King Baalis of Ammon hired Ishmael to murder you!"

Gedaliah refused to believe them, 15so Johanan went to Gedaliah privately and said, "Let me kill Ishmael. No one will find out who did it. There are only a few people left in Judah, but they are depending on you. And if you are murdered, they will be scattered or killed."

16Gedaliah answered, "Don't kill Ishmael! What you've said about him can't be true."

Jeremiah 41

1But in the seventh month, [q] Ishmael [r] came to Mizpah with ten of his soldiers. He had been one of the king's officials and was a member of the royal family. Ishmael and his men were invited to eat with Gedaliah. 2During the meal, Ishmael and his soldiers killed Gedaliah, the man chosen as ruler of Judah by the king of Babylonia. 3Then they killed the Jews who were with Gedaliah, and they also killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there. 4The next day, the murders had still not been discovered, 5when eighty men came down the road toward Mizpah from the towns of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They were on their way to the temple to offer gifts of grain and incense to the LORD. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, because they were mourning.

6Ishmael went out the town gate to meet them. He pretended to be weeping, and he asked them to come into Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah, the ruler of Judah. 7But after they were inside the town, Ishmael had his soldiers kill them and throw their bodies into a well. 8He let ten of the men live, because they offered to give him supplies of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey they had hidden in a field. 9The well that he filled with bodies had been dug by King Asa [s] of Judah to store rainwater, because he was afraid that King Baasha [t] of Israel might surround Mizpah and keep the people from getting to their water supply. 10Nebuzaradan, King Nebuchadnezzar's [u] officer in charge of the guard, had left King Zedekiah's [v] daughters and many other people at Mizpah, and he had put Gedaliah in charge of them. But now Ishmael took them all prisoner and led them toward Ammon, on the other side of the Jordan River. 11Johanan and the other army officers heard what Ishmael had done. 12So they and their troops chased Ishmael and caught up with him at the large pit at Gibeon. 13When Ishmael's prisoners saw Johanan and the officers, they were happy 14and turned around and ran toward Johanan. 15But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped and went to Ammon.

Johanan Decides To Take the People to Egypt

16Johanan and the officers had rescued the women, children, and royal officials that Ishmael had taken prisoner after killing Gedaliah. Johanan led the people from Gibeon 17-18toward Egypt. They wanted to go there, because they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they found out that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the ruler appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar. [w] On the way to Egypt, we [x] stopped at the town of Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem.

Footnotes:
Jeremiah 39:1 the tenth month: Tebeth, the tenth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-December to mid-January.
Jeremiah 39:1 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 39:1 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 39:1 fourth month: Tammuz, the fourth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-June to mid-July.
Jeremiah 39:1 After Jerusalem was captured: This phrase is from 38.28.
Jeremiah 39:1 highest officials: The Hebrew text gives Nergal Sharezer's title as "the Rabmag," and Nebo Sarsechim's title as "the Rabsaris," but the exact meaning of the titles and the duties of these offices are not known.
Jeremiah 39:1 Nebo Sarsechim: Probably another form of the name Nebushazban (see verse 13).
Jeremiah 39:1 Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. Probably Nebuchadnezzar's son-in-law, who was king of Babylonia 560-556 B.C. It is also possible that the Hebrew text mentions a second official named Nergal Sharezer.
Jeremiah 39:1 took their places. . . control of the city: The rulers and leaders often sat in the broad open area at the gate of a city to take care of official business and hold trials.
Jeremiah 39:4 the gate between the two city walls: The construction of the city walls at this point is not known.
Jeremiah 39:8 the houses in Jerusalem, including: Or "the temple and."
Jeremiah 39:14 son of Ahikam: Hebrew "son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan."
Jeremiah 39:16 Ethiopia: See the note at 38.7,8.
Jeremiah 39:17 you trusted me: See 38.7-13, where Ebedmelech helped Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 40:5 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 40:9 seventh month: Tishri, also called Ethanim, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-
Jeremiah 41:1 pSeptember to mid-October.
Jeremiah 41:1 Ishmael: Hebrew "Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama."
Jeremiah 41:9 Asa: Ruled 911-870 B.C.
Jeremiah 41:9 Baasha: Ruled 909-886 B.C.
Jeremiah 41:10 Nebuchadnezzar's: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 41:10 Zedekiah's: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 41:17 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 41:17 we: The group of people included Jeremiah, since he had been staying with Gedaliah near Mizpah (see 40.6).


2 Timothy 1:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Timothy 1

1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus.

God himself chose me to be an apostle, and he gave me the promised life that Jesus Christ makes possible.
2Timothy, you are like a dear child to me. I pray that God our Father and our Lord Christ Jesus will be kind and merciful to you and will bless you with peace!

Do Not Be Ashamed of the Lord

3Night and day I mention you in my prayers. I am always grateful for you, as I pray to the God my ancestors and I have served with a clear conscience. 4I remember how you cried, and I want to see you, because that will make me truly happy. 5I also remember the genuine faith of your mother Eunice. Your grandmother Lois had the same sort of faith, and I am sure that you have it as well. 6So I ask you to make full use of the gift that God gave you when I placed my hands on you. a] Use it well. 7God's Spirit b] doesn't make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control. 8Don't be ashamed to speak for our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, just because I am in jail for serving him. Use the power that comes from God and join with me in suffering for telling the good news.

9God saved us and chose us
to be his holy people.
We did nothing
to deserve this,
but God planned it
because he is so kind.
Even before time began
God planned for Christ Jesus
to show kindness to us.
10Now Christ Jesus has come
to show us the kindness
of God.
Christ our Savior defeated death
and brought us
the good news.
It shines like a light
and offers life
that never ends.

11My work is to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. c] 12That's why I am suffering now. But I am not ashamed! I know the one I have faith in, and I am sure that he can guard until the last day what he has trusted me with. d] 13Now follow the example of the correct teaching I gave you, and let the faith and love of Christ Jesus be your model. 14You have been trusted with a wonderful treasure. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you. 15You know that everyone in Asia has turned against me, especially Phygelus and Hermogenes.

16I pray that the Lord will be kind to the family of Onesiphorus. He often cheered me up and wasn't ashamed of me when I was put in jail. 17Then after he arrived in Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. 18I pray that the Lord Jesus will ask God to show mercy to Onesiphorus on the day of judgment. You know how much he helped me in Ephesus.

Footnotes:
2 Timothy 1:6 when I placed my hands on you: Church leaders placed their hands on people who were being appointed to preach or teach (see 1 Timothy 4.14).
2 Timothy 1:7 God's Spirit: Or "God."
2 Timothy 1:11 teacher: Some manuscripts add "of the Gentiles."
2 Timothy 1:12 what he has trusted me with: Or "what I have trusted him with."


Psalm 90-91:16 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 90

BOOK IV
(Psalms 90-106)
(A prayer by Moses, the man of God.)

God Is Eternal

1Our Lord, in all generations
you have been our home.
2You have always been God--
long before the birth
of the mountains,
even before you created
the earth and the world.
3At your command we die
and turn back to dust,
4but a thousand years
mean nothing to you!
They are merely a day gone by
or a few hours in the night.
5You bring our lives to an end
just like a dream.
We are merely tender grass
6that sprouts and grows
in the morning,
but dries up by evening.
7Your furious anger frightens
and destroys us,
8and you know all of our sins,
even those we do in secret.
9Your anger is a burden
each day we live,
then life ends like a sigh.
10We can expect seventy years,
or maybe eighty,
if we are healthy,
but even our best years
bring trouble and sorrow.
Suddenly our time is up,
and we disappear.
11No one knows the full power
of your furious anger,
but it is as great as the fear
that we owe to you.
12Teach us to use wisely
all the time we have.
13Help us, LORD! Don't wait!
Pity your servants.
14When morning comes,
let your love satisfy
all our needs.
Then we can celebrate
and be glad for what time
we have left.
15Make us happy for as long
as you caused us trouble
and sorrow.
16Do wonderful things for us,
your servants,
and show your mighty power
to our children.
17Our Lord and our God,
treat us with kindness
and let all go well for us.
Please let all go well!

Psalm 91

The LORD Is My Fortress

1Live under the protection
of God Most High
and stay in the shadow
of God All-Powerful.
2Then you will say to the LORD,
"You are my fortress,
my place of safety;
you are my God,
and I trust you."
3The Lord will keep you safe
from secret traps
and deadly diseases.
4He will spread his wings
over you
and keep you secure.
His faithfulness is like
a shield or a city wall. a]
5You won't need to worry
about dangers at night
or arrows during the day.
6And you won't fear diseases
that strike in the dark
or sudden disaster at noon.
7You will not be harmed,
though thousands fall
all around you.
8And with your own eyes
you will see
the punishment
of the wicked.
9The LORD Most High
is your fortress.
Run to him for safety,
10and no terrible disasters
will strike you
or your home.
11God will command his angels
to protect you
wherever you go.
12They will carry you
in their arms,
and you won't hurt your feet
on the stones.
13You will overpower
the strongest lions
and the most deadly snakes.
14The Lord says,
"If you love me
and truly know who I am,
I will rescue you
and keep you safe.
15When you are in trouble,
call out to me.
I will answer and be there
to protect and honor you.
16You will live a long life
and see my saving power."

Footnotes:
Psalm 91:4 city wall: One possible meaning for a difficult Hebrew word; it may possibly mean some kind of shield or weapon.


Proverbs 26:1-2 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 26

Don't Be a Fool

1Expecting snow in summer
and rain in the dry season
makes more sense
than honoring a fool.
2A curse you don't deserve
will take wings
and fly away
like a sparrow or a swallow.

Bible Readings for October 21, 2011

Today our passages are Jeremiah 37:1–38:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-21; Psalm 89:38-52; and Proverbs 25:28. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Jeremiah 37-38:28 (Contemporary English Version)

Jeremiah 37

King Zedekiah Asks Jeremiah To Pray

1King Nebuchadnezzar a] of Babylonia had removed Jehoiachin b] son of Jehoiakim c] from being the king of Judah and had made Josiah's d] son Zedekiah e] king instead. f] 2But Zedekiah, his officials, and everyone else in Judah ignored everything the LORD had told me. 3-5Later, the Babylonian army attacked Jerusalem, but they left after learning that the Egyptian army g] was headed in this direction. One day, Zedekiah sent Jehucal and the priest Zephaniah h] to talk with me. At that time, I was free to go wherever I wanted, because I had not yet been put in prison. Jehucal and Zephaniah said, "Jeremiah, please pray to the LORD our God for us." 6-7Then the LORD told me to send them back to Zedekiah with this message:

Zedekiah, you wanted Jeremiah to ask me, the L(ORD )God of Israel, what is going to happen. So I will tell you. The king of Egypt and his army came to your rescue, but soon they will go back to Egypt. 8Then the Babylonians will return and attack Jerusalem, and this time they will capture the city and set it on fire. 9Don't fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians will leave as they did before. 10Even if you could defeat their entire army, their wounded survivors would still be able to leave their tents and set Jerusalem on fire.

Jeremiah Is Put in Prison

11The Babylonian army had left because the Egyptian army was on its way to help us. 12So I decided to leave Jerusalem and go to the territory of the Benjamin tribe to claim my share of my family's land. 13I was leaving Jerusalem through Benjamin Gate, when I was stopped by Irijah, i] the officer in charge of the soldiers at the gate. He said, "Jeremiah, you're under arrest for trying to join the Babylonians." 14"I'm not trying to join them!" I answered. But Irijah wouldn't listen, and he took me to the king's officials. 15-16They were angry and ordered the soldiers to beat me. Then I was taken to the house that belonged to Jonathan, one of the king's officials. It had been turned into a prison, and I was kept in a basement room.

After I had spent a long time there, 17King Zedekiah secretly had me brought to his palace, where he asked, "Is there any message for us from the LORD?"

"Yes, there is, Your Majesty," I replied. "The LORD is going to let the king of Babylonia capture you."
18Then I continued, "Your Majesty, why have you put me in prison? Have I committed a crime against you or your officials or the nation? 19Have you locked up the prophets who lied to you and said that the king of Babylonia would never attack Jerusalem? 20Please, don't send me back to that prison at Jonathan's house. If you do, I will die."

21King Zedekiah had me taken to the prison cells in the courtyard of the palace guards. He told the soldiers to give me a loaf of bread j] from one of the bakeries every day until the city ran out of grain.

Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah Is Held Prisoner in a Dry Well

1One day, Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, k] and Pashhur l] heard me tell the people of Judah 2-3that the LORD had said, "If you stay here in Jerusalem, you will die in battle or from disease or hunger, and the Babylonian army will capture the city anyway. But if you surrender to the Babylonians, they will let you live." 4So the four of them went to the king and said, "You should put Jeremiah to death, because he is making the soldiers and everyone else lose hope. He isn't trying to help our people; he's trying to harm them."

5Zedekiah replied, "Do what you want with him. I can't stop you."

6Then they took me back to the courtyard of the palace guards and let me down with ropes into the well that belonged to Malchiah, the king's son. There was no water in the well, and I sank down in the mud.

7-8Ebedmelech from Ethiopia m] was an official at the palace, and he heard what they had done to me. So he went to speak with King Zedekiah, who was holding court at Benjamin Gate. 9Ebedmelech said, "Your Majesty, Jeremiah is a prophet, and those men were wrong to throw him into a well. And when Jerusalem runs out of food, Jeremiah will starve to death down there." 10Zedekiah answered, "Take thirty n] of my soldiers and pull Jeremiah out before he dies." 11Ebedmelech and the soldiers went to the palace and got some rags from the room under the treasury. He used ropes to lower them into the well. 12Then he said, "Put these rags under your arms so the ropes won't hurt you." After I did, 13the men pulled me out. And from then on, I was kept in the courtyard of the palace guards.

King Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah

14King Zedekiah o] had me brought to his private entrance p] to the temple, and he said, "I'm going to ask you something, and I want to know the truth." 15"Why?" I replied. "You won't listen, and you might even have me killed!"

16He said, "I swear in the name of the living LORD our Creator that I won't have you killed. No one else can hear what we say, and I won't let anyone kill you."

17Then I told him that the LORD had said: "Zedekiah, I am the LORD God All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I promise that if you surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar's q] officers, you and your family won't be killed, and Jerusalem won't be burned down. 18But if you don't surrender, I will let the Babylonian army capture Jerusalem and burn it down, and you will be taken prisoner." 19Zedekiah answered, "I can't surrender to the Babylonians. I'm too afraid of the Jews that have already joined them. The Babylonians might hand me over to those Jews, and they would torture me."

20I said, "If you will just obey the LORD, the Babylonians won't hand you over to those Jews. You will be allowed to live, and all will go well for you. 21But the LORD has shown me that if you refuse to obey, 22then the women of your palace will be taken prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar's officials. And those women will say to you:

Friends you trusted led you astray.
Now you're trapped in mud,
and those friends you trusted
have all turned away.

23The Babylonian army will take your wives and children captive, you will be taken as a prisoner to the King of Babylonia, and Jerusalem will be burned down." r] 24Zedekiah said, "Jeremiah, if you tell anyone what we have talked about, you might lose your life. 25And I'm sure that if my officials hear about our meeting, they will ask you what we said to each other. They might even threaten to kill you if you don't tell them. 26So if they question you, tell them you were begging me not to send you back to the prison at Jonathan's house, because going back there would kill you."

27The officials did come and question me about my meeting with the king, and I told them exactly what he had ordered me to say. They never spoke to me about the meeting again, since no one had heard us talking.
28I was held in the courtyard of the palace guards until the day Jerusalem was captured.

Footnotes:
Jeremiah 37:1 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 37:1 Jehoiachin: Hebrew "Coniah" (see the note at 22.24).
Jeremiah 37:1 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 37:1 Josiah's: Josiah was the father of both Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. Josiah ruled 640-609 B.C.
Jeremiah 37:1 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 37:1 King Nebuchadnezzar. . . instead: See 2 Kings 24.10-17.
Jeremiah 37:3 Egyptian army: Led by King Apries, also known as Hophra.
Jeremiah 37:3 Jehucal and the priest Zephaniah: Hebrew "Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah."
Jeremiah 37:13 Irijah: Hebrew "Irijah son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah."
Jeremiah 37:21 a loaf of bread: Bread was the main food of the Israelites. During this time of emergency in Jerusalem, everyone probably received the same amount each day.
Jeremiah 38:1 Jehucal: The Hebrew text has "Jucal," another form of the name.
Jeremiah 38:1 Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur: Hebrew "Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah."
Jeremiah 38:7 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has "Cush," a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
Jeremiah 38:10 thirty: Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript "three."
Jeremiah 38:14 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 38:14 his private entrance: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Jeremiah 38:17 Nebuchadnezzar's: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 38:23 Jerusalem will be burned down: A few Hebrew manuscripts and three ancient translations; most Hebrew manuscripts "you will burn Jerusalem down"; one ancient translation "he will burn Jerusalem down."


1 Timothy 6:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Timothy 6

1If you are a slave, you should respect and honor your owner. This will keep people from saying bad things about God and about our teaching. 2If any of you slaves have owners who are followers, you should show them respect. After all, they are also followers of Christ, and he loves them. So you should serve and help them the best you can.

These are the things you must teach and tell the people to do.

False Teaching and True Wealth

3Anyone who teaches something different disagrees with the correct and godly teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4Those people who disagree are proud of themselves, but they don't really know a thing. Their minds are sick, and they like to argue over words. They cause jealousy, disagreements, unkind words, evil suspicions, 5and nasty quarrels. They have wicked minds and have missed out on the truth.

These people think religion is supposed to make you rich. 6And religion does make your life rich, by making you content with what you have. 7We didn't bring anything into this world, and we won't a] take anything with us when we leave. 8So we should be satisfied just to have food and clothes. 9People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. 10The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much that they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.

Fighting a Good Fight for the Faith

11Timothy, you belong to God, so keep away from all these evil things. Try your best to please God and to be like him. Be faithful, loving, dependable, and gentle. 12Fight a good fight for the faith and claim eternal life. God offered it to you when you clearly told about your faith, while so many people listened. 13Now I ask you to make a promise. Make it in the presence of God, who gives life to all, and in the presence of Jesus Christ, who openly told Pontius Pilate about his faith. 14Promise to obey completely and fully all that you have been told until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

15The glorious God
is the only Ruler,
the King of kings
and Lord of lords.
At the time that God
has already decided,
he will send Jesus Christ
back again.
16Only God lives forever!
And he lives in light
that no one can come near.
No human has ever seen God
or ever can see him.
God will be honored,
and his power
will last forever. Amen.

17Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. 18Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have. 19This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like.

20Timothy, guard what God has placed in your care! Don't pay any attention to that godless and stupid talk that sounds smart but really isn't. 21Some people have even lost their faith by believing this talk.
I pray that the Lord will be kind to all of you!

Footnotes:
1 Timothy 6:7 we won't: Some manuscripts have "we surely won't."


Psalm 89:38-52 (Contemporary English Version)

38You are now angry, God,
and you have turned your back
on your chosen king.
39You broke off your agreement
with your servant, the king,
and you completely destroyed
his kingdom.
40The walls of his city
have been broken through,
and every fortress
now lies in ruin.
41All who pass by
take what they want,
and nations everywhere
joke about the king.
42You made his enemies powerful
and let them celebrate.
43But you forced him to retreat
because you did not fight
on his side.
44You took his crown a]
and threw his throne
in the dirt.
45You made an old man of him
and put him to shame.
46How much longer, LORD?
Will you hide forever?
How long will your anger
keep burning like fire?
47Remember, life is short! b]
Why did you empty our lives
of all meaning?
48No one can escape the power
of death and the grave.
49Our Lord, where is the love
you have always shown
and that you promised
so faithfully to David?
50Remember your servant, Lord!
People make jokes about me,
and I suffer many insults.
51I am your chosen one,
but your enemies chase
and make fun of me.
52Our LORD, we praise you
forever. Amen and amen.

Footnotes:
Psalm 89:44 You took. . . crown: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Psalm 89:47 Remember. . . short: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.


Proverbs 25:28 (Contemporary English Version)

28Losing self-control
leaves you as helpless
as a city without a wall.

Bible Readings for October 20, 2011

Today our passages are Jeremiah 35:1–36:32; 1 Timothy 5:1-25; Psalm 89:14-37; and Proverbs 25:25-27. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

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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.

Bible Readings for October 19, 2011

Today our passages are Jeremiah 33:1–34:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Psalm 89:1-13; and Proverbs 25:23-24. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

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Jeremiah 33-34:22 (Contemporary English Version)

Jeremiah 33

The LORD Promises To Give the Land Back to His People

1-2I was still being held prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guards when the LORD told me:

I am the LORD, and I created the whole world. a] 3Ask me, and I will tell you things that you don't know and can't find out. 4-5Many of the houses in Jerusalem and some of the buildings at the royal palace have been torn down to be used in repairing the walls to keep out the Babylonian attackers. b] Now there are empty spaces where the buildings once stood. But I am furious, and these spaces will be filled with the bodies of the people I kill. The people of Jerusalem will cry out to me for help, but they are evil, and I will ignore their prayers. 6Then someday, I will heal this place and my people as well, and let them enjoy unending peace. c] 7I will give this land to Israel and Judah once again, and I will make them as strong as they were before. 8They sinned and rebelled against me, but I will forgive them and take away their guilt. 9When that happens, all nations on earth will see the good things I have done for Jerusalem, and how I have given it complete peace. The nations will celebrate and praise and honor me, but they will also tremble with fear. 10Jeremiah, you say that this land is a desert without people or animals, and for now, you are right. The towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are deserted, and people and animals are nowhere to be seen. But someday you will hear 11happy voices and the sounds of parties and wedding celebrations. And when people come to my temple to offer sacrifices to thank me, you will hear them say:

"We praise you,
LORD All-Powerful!
You are good to us,
and your love never fails."

The land will once again be productive. 12-13Now it is empty, without people or animals. But when that time comes, shepherds will take care of their flocks in pastures near every town in the hill country, in the foothills to the west, in the Southern Desert, in the land of the Benjamin tribe, and around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah.

I, the LORD, have spoken.

The LORD's Wonderful Promise

14The LORD said:

I made a wonderful promise to Israel and Judah, d]
and the days are coming when I will keep it.
15I promise that the time will come
when I will appoint a king
from the family of David,
a king who will be honest
and rule with justice.
16In those days,
Judah will be safe;
Jerusalem will have peace
and will be named,
"The LORD Gives Justice."

17The king of Israel will be one of David's descendants, 18and there will always be priests from the Levi tribe serving at my altar and offering sacrifices to please me and to give thanks. e] 19Then the LORD told me:

20I, the LORD, have an agreement with day and night, so they always come at the right time. You can't break the agreement I made with them, 21and you can't break the agreements I have made with David's family and with the priests from the Levi tribe who serve at my altar. A descendant of David will always rule as king of Israel, 22and there will be more descendants of David and of the priests from the Levi tribe than stars in the sky or grains of sand on the beach.

23The LORD also said:

24You've heard foreigners insult my people by saying, "The LORD chose Israel and Judah, but now he has rejected them, and they are no longer a nation."

25Jeremiah, I will never break my agreement with the day and the night or let the sky and the earth stop obeying my commands. 26In the same way, I will never reject the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or break my promise that they will always have a descendant of David as their king. I will be kind to my people Israel, and they will be successful again.

Jeremiah 34

Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah

1King Nebuchadnezzar f] had a large army made up of people from every kingdom in his empire. He and his army were attacking Jerusalem and all the nearby towns, when the LORD told me 2to say to King Zedekiah: g] I am the LORD, and I am going to let Nebuchadnezzar capture this city and burn it down. 3You will be taken prisoner and brought to Nebuchadnezzar, and he will speak with you face to face. Then you will be led away to Babylonia.

4Zedekiah, I promise that you won't die in battle. 5You will die a peaceful death. People will mourn when you die, and they will light bonfires in your honor, just as they did for your ancestors, the kings who ruled before you.

6I went to Zedekiah and told him what the LORD had said. 7Meanwhile, the king of Babylonia was trying to break through the walls of Lachish, Azekah, and Jerusalem, the only three towns of Judah that had not been captured.

The People Break a Promise

8-10King Zedekiah, h] his officials, and everyone else in Jerusalem made an agreement to free all Hebrew i] men and women who were slaves. No Jew would keep another as a slave. And so, all the Jewish slaves were given their freedom. 11But those slave owners changed their minds and forced their former slaves back into slavery.

12That's when the LORD told me to say to the people:

13I am the LORD God of Israel, and I made an agreement with your ancestors when I brought
them out of Egypt, where they had been slaves. 14As part of this agreement, you must let a
Hebrew slave go free after six years of service.

Your ancestors did not obey me, 15-16but you decided to obey me and do the right thing by
setting your Hebrew slaves completely free. You even went to my temple, and in my name
you made an agreement to set them free. But you have abused my name, because you broke
your agreement and forced your former slaves back into slavery.

17You have disobeyed me by not giving your slaves their freedom. So I will give you
freedom--the freedom to die in battle or from disease or hunger. I will make you disgusting to
all other nations on earth.

18You asked me to be a witness when you made the agreement to set your slaves free. And as part of the ceremony you cut a calf into two parts, then walked between the parts. But you people of Jerusalem have broken that agreement as well as my agreement with Israel. So I will do to you what you did to that calf. 19-20I will let your enemies take all of you prisoner, including the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the royal officials, the priests, and everyone else who walked between the two parts of the calf. These enemies will kill you and leave your bodies lying on the ground as food for birds and wild animals.

21-22These enemies are King Nebuchadnezzar j] of Babylonia and his army. They have stopped attacking Jerusalem, but they want to kill King Zedekiah and his high officials. So I will command them to return and attack again. This time they will conquer the city and burn it down, and they will capture Zedekiah and his officials. I will also let them destroy the towns of Judah, so that no one can live there any longer.

Footnotes:
Jeremiah 33:1 the whole world: One ancient translation; Hebrew "it."
Jeremiah 33:4 have been torn down. . . Babylonian attackers: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Jeremiah 33:6 let them enjoy unending peace: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Jeremiah 33:14 Israel and Judah: See the note at 2.4.
Jeremiah 33:18 sacrifices to please me and to give thanks: See the notes at 14.12.
Jeremiah 34:1 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 34:2 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 34:8 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 34:8 Hebrew: An earlier term for Israelite and Jewish.
Jeremiah 34:21 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.


1 Timothy 4:1-16 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Timothy 4

People Will Turn from Their Faith

1God's Spirit clearly says that in the last days many people will turn from their faith. They will be fooled by evil spirits and by teachings that come from demons. 2They will also be fooled by the false claims of liars whose consciences have lost all feeling. These liars 3will forbid people to marry or to eat certain foods. But God created these foods to be eaten with thankful hearts by his followers who know the truth. 4Everything God created is good. And if you give thanks, you may eat anything. 5What God has said and your prayer will make it fit to eat.

Paul's Advice to Timothy

6If you teach these things to other followers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. You will show that you have grown up on the teachings about our faith and on the good instructions you have obeyed. 7Don't have anything to do with worthless, senseless stories. Work hard to be truly religious. 8-9As the saying goes,

"Exercise is good
for your body,
but religion helps you
in every way.
It promises life
now and forever."

These words are worthwhile and should not be forgotten. 10We have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, but especially of those who have faith. That's why we work and struggle so hard. a] 11Teach these things and tell everyone to do what you say. 12Don't let anyone make fun of you, just because you are young. Set an example for other followers by what you say and do, as well as by your love, faith, and purity.

13Until I arrive, be sure to keep on reading the Scriptures in worship, and don't stop preaching and teaching. 14Use the gift you were given when the prophets spoke and the group of church leaders b] blessed you by placing their hands on you. 15Remember these things and think about them, so everyone can see how well you are doing. 16Be careful about the way you live and about what you teach. Keep on doing this, and you will save not only yourself, but the people who hear you.

Footnotes:
1 Timothy 4:10 struggle so hard: Some manuscripts have "are treated so badly."
1 Timothy 4:14 group of church leaders: Or "group of elders" or "group of presbyters" or "group of priests." This translates one Greek word, and it is related to the one used in 5.17,19.


Psalm 89:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 89
(A special psalm by Ethan the Ezrahite.)

The LORD's Agreement with David

1Our LORD, I will sing
of your love forever.
Everyone yet to be born
will hear me praise
your faithfulness.
2I will tell them,
"God's love
can always be trusted,
and his faithfulness lasts
as long as the heavens."
3You said, "David, my servant,
is my chosen one,
and this is the agreement
I made with him:
4David, one of your descendants
will always be king."
5Our LORD, let the heavens
now praise your miracles,
and let all of your angels
praise your faithfulness.
6None who live in the heavens
can compare with you.
7You are the most fearsome
of all who live in heaven;
all the others fear
and greatly honor you.
8You are LORD God All-Powerful!
No one is as loving
and faithful as you are.
9You rule the roaring sea
and calm its waves.
10You crushed the monster Rahab, a]
and with your powerful arm
you scattered your enemies.
11The heavens and the earth
belong to you.
And so does the world
with all its people
because you created them
12and everything else. b] Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon
gladly praise you.
13You are strong and mighty!

Footnotes:
Psalm 89:10 Rahab: Many people in the ancient world thought that the world was controlled by this sea monster that the Lord destroyed at the time of creation (see Isaiah 51.9).
Psalm 89:12 and everything else: The Hebrew text has " Zaphon and Yamin," which may either be the names of mountains or refer to the directions " north and south," with the meaning " everything from north to south."


Proverbs 25:23-24 (Contemporary English Version)

23As surely as rain blows in
from the north,
anger is caused
by cruel words.
24It's better to stay outside
on the roof of your house
than to live inside
with a nagging wife.

Bible Readings for October 18, 2011

Today our passages are Jeremiah 31:27–32:44; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Psalm 88:1-18; and Proverbs 25:20-22. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

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Jeremiah 31:27-32:44 (Contemporary English Version)

27Someday, Israel and Judah will be my field where my people and their livestock will grow. 28In the past, I took care to uproot them, to tear them down, and to destroy them. But when that day comes, I will take care to plant them and help them grow. 29No longer will anyone go around saying,

"Sour grapes eaten by parents
leave a sour taste in the mouths
of their children."

30When that day comes, only those who eat sour grapes will get the sour taste, and only those who sin will be put to death.

The New Agreement with Israel and Judah

31The LORD said:

The time will surely come when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah. 32It will be different from the agreement I made with their ancestors when I led them out of Egypt. Although I was their God, they broke that agreement.

33Here is the new agreement that I, the LORD, will make with the people of Israel:

"I will write my laws
on their hearts and minds.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

34"No longer will they have to teach one another to obey me. I, the LORD, promise that all of them will obey me, ordinary people and rulers alike. I will forgive their sins and forget the evil things they have done."
35I am the LORD All-Powerful.

I command the sun
to give light each day,
the moon and stars
to shine at night,
and ocean waves to roar.
36I will never forget
to give those commands,
and I will never let Israel
stop being a nation.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
37Can you measure the heavens?
Can you explore
the depths of the earth?
That's how hard it would be
for me to reject Israel forever,
even though they have sinned.
I, the LORD, have spoken.

Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt

38The LORD said:

Someday, Jerusalem will truly belong to me. It will be rebuilt with a boundary line running from Hananel Tower to Corner Gate. 39From there, the boundary will go in a straight line to Gareb Hill, then turn toward Goah. 40Even that disgusting Hinnom Valley a] will be sacred to me, and so will the eastern slopes that go down from Horse Gate into Kidron Valley. Jerusalem will never again be destroyed.

Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah Buys a Field

1The LORD spoke to me in the tenth year that Zedekiah b] was king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year that Nebuchadnezzar c] was king of Babylonia. 2At that time, the Babylonian army had surrounded Jerusalem, and I was in the prison at the courtyard of the palace guards. 3Zedekiah had ordered me to be held there because I told everyone that the LORD had said: I am the LORD, and I am about to let the king of Babylonia conquer Jerusalem. 4King Zedekiah will be captured and taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who will speak with him face to face. 5Then Zedekiah will be led away to Babylonia, where he will stay until I am finished with him. So, if you people of Judah fight against the Babylonians, you will lose. I, the LORD, have spoken.

6Later, when I was in prison, the LORD said:

7Jeremiah, your cousin Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, will visit you. He must sell his field near the town of Anathoth, and because you are his nearest relative, you have the right and the responsibility to buy it and keep it in the family. d] 8Hanamel came, just as the LORD had promised. And he said, "Please buy my field near Anathoth in the territory of the Benjamin tribe. You have the right to buy it, and if you do, it will stay in our family."

The LORD had told me to buy it 9from Hanamel, and so I did. The price was seventeen pieces of silver, and I weighed out the full amount on a scale. 10-11I had two copies of the bill of sale written out, each containing all the details of our agreement. Some witnesses and I signed the official copy, which was folded and tied, before being sealed shut with hot wax. e] Then I gave Hanamel the silver. 12And while he, the witnesses, and all the other Jews sitting in the courtyard were still watching, I gave both copies to Baruch son of Neriah. f] 13-14I told Baruch that the LORD had said:

Take both copies of this bill of sale, one sealed shut and the other open, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. 15I am the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, and I promise you that people will once again buy and sell houses, farms, and vineyards in this country.

Jeremiah Questions the LORD

16Then I prayed:

17LORD God, you stretched out your mighty arm and made the sky and the earth. You can do anything. 18You show kindness for a thousand generations, g] but you also punish people for the sins of their parents. You are the LORD All-Powerful. 19With great wisdom you make plans, and with your great power you do all the mighty things you planned. Nothing we do is hidden from your eyes, and you reward or punish us as we deserve. 20You are famous because you worked miracles in Egypt, and you are still working them in Israel and in the rest of the world as well. 21You terrified the Egyptians with your miracles, and you reached out your mighty arm and rescued your people Israel from Egypt. 22Then you gave Israel this land rich with milk and honey, just as you had promised our ancestors.

23But when our ancestors took over the land, they did not obey you. And now you have punished Israel with disaster. 24Jerusalem is under attack, and we suffer from hunger and disease. The Babylonians have already built dirt ramps up to the city walls, and you can see that Jerusalem will be captured just as you said.
25So why did you tell me to get some witnesses and buy a field with my silver, when Jerusalem is about to be captured by the Babylonians?

The LORD Explains about the Field

26The LORD explained:

27Jeremiah, I am the LORD God. I rule the world, and I can do anything!

28It is true that I am going to let King Nebuchadnezzar h] of Babylonia capture Jerusalem. 29The Babylonian army is already attacking, and they will capture the city and set it on fire. The people of Jerusalem have made me angry by going up to the flat roofs of their houses and burning incense to Baal and offering wine sacrifices to other gods. Now these houses will be burned to the ground! 30-33The kings and the officials, the priests and the prophets, and everyone else in Israel and Judah have turned from me and made me angry by worshiping idols. Again and again I have tried to teach my people to obey me, but they refuse to be corrected.

I am going to get rid of Jerusalem, because its people have done nothing but evil. 34They have set up disgusting idols in my temple, and now it isn't a fit place to worship me. 35And they led Judah into sin by building places to worship Baal in Hinnom Valley, where they also sacrificed their sons and daughters to the god Molech. I have never even thought of telling them to commit such disgusting sins.
36Jeremiah, what you said is true. The people of Jerusalem are suffering from hunger and disease, and so the king of Babylonia will be able to capture Jerusalem.

37I am angry at the people of Jerusalem, and I will scatter them in foreign countries. But someday I will bring them back here and let them live in safety. 38They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39-41I will make their thoughts and desires pure. Then they will realize that, for their own good and the good of their children, they must worship only me. They will even be afraid to turn away from me. I will make an agreement with them that will never end, and I won't ever stop doing good things for them. With all my heart I promise that they will be planted in this land once again. 42Even though I have brought disaster on the people, I will someday do all these good things for them.

43Jeremiah, when you bought the field, you showed that fields will someday be bought and sold again. You say that this land has been conquered by the Babylonians and has become a desert, emptied of people and animals. 44But someday, people will again spend their silver to buy fields everywhere--in the territory of Benjamin, the region around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and in the hill country, the foothills to the west, and the Southern Desert. Buyers and sellers and witnesses will sign and seal the bills of sale for the fields. It will happen, because I will give this land back to my people. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Footnotes:
Jeremiah 31:40 that disgusting Hinnom Valley: The Hebrew text has "the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the fatty ashes," which probably refers to Hinnom Valley, just southwest of Jerusalem, where human sacrifices had been offered to foreign gods.
Jeremiah 32:1 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
Jeremiah 32:1 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
Jeremiah 32:7 you have the right. . . in the family: See Leviticus 25.25-32.
Jeremiah 32:10 signed the official copy, which was folded and tied, before being sealed shut with hot wax: The signing was actually done by pressing a carved clay stamp (called a "seal") into the hot wax, leaving the design in the wax.
Jeremiah 32:12 Baruch son of Neriah: Hebrew "Baruch son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah."
Jeremiah 32:18 for a thousand generations: Or "to thousands of people."
Jeremiah 32:28 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.


1 Timothy 3:1-16 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Timothy 3

Church Officials

1It is true that a] anyone who desires to be a church official b] wants to be something worthwhile. 2That's why officials must have a good reputation and be faithful in marriage. c] They must be self-controlled, sensible, well-behaved, friendly to strangers, and able to teach. 3They must not be heavy drinkers or troublemakers. Instead, they must be kind and gentle and not love money. 4Church officials must be in control of their own families, and they must see that their children are obedient and always respectful. 5If they don't know how to control their own families, how can they look after God's people?

6They must not be new followers of the Lord. If they are, they might become proud and be doomed along with the devil. 7Finally, they must be well-respected by people who are not followers. Then they won't be trapped and disgraced by the devil.

Church Officers

8Church officers d] should be serious. They must not be liars, heavy drinkers, or greedy for money. 9And they must have a clear conscience and hold firmly to what God has shown us about our faith. 10They must first prove themselves. Then if no one has anything against them, they can serve as officers. 11Women e] must also be serious. They must not gossip or be heavy drinkers, and they must be faithful in everything they do. 12Church officers must be faithful in marriage. f] They must be in full control of their children and everyone else in their home. 13Those who serve well as officers will earn a good reputation and will be highly respected for their faith in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Our Religion

14I hope to visit you soon. But I am writing these instructions, 15so that if I am delayed, you will know how everyone who belongs to God's family ought to behave. After all, the church of the living God is the strong foundation of truth.

16Here is the great mystery of our religion:

Christ g] came as a human. The Spirit proved
that he pleased God,
and he was seen by angels.
Christ was preached
to the nations.
People in this world
put their faith in him,
and he was taken up to glory.

Footnotes:
1 Timothy 3:1 It is true that: These words may be taken with 2.15. If so, that verse would be translated: "It is true that women will be saved. . . holy, and modest." And 3.1 would be translated, "Anyone who desires. . . something worthwhile."
1 Timothy 3:1 church official: Or "bishop."
1 Timothy 3:2 be faithful in marriage: Or "be the husband of only one wife" or "have never been divorced."
1 Timothy 3:8 Church officers: Or "Deacons."
1 Timothy 3:11 Women: Either church officers or the wives of church officers.
1 Timothy 3:12 be faithful in marriage: See the note at 3.2.
1 Timothy 3:16 Christ: The Greek text has "he," probably meaning "Christ." Some manuscripts have "God."


Psalm 88:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 88
(A song and a psalm by the people of Korah for the music leader. To the tune "Mahalath Leannoth." (Psalm 88 To. . . Leannoth: Or " For the flutes," one possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.) A special psalm by Heman the Ezrahite.)

A Prayer When You Can't Find the Way

1You keep me safe, LORD God.
So when I pray at night,
2please listen carefully
to each of my concerns.
3I am deeply troubled
and close to death;
4I am as good as dead
and completely helpless.
5I am no better off
than those in the grave,
those you have forgotten
and no longer help.
6You have put me in the deepest
and darkest grave;
7your anger rolls over me
like ocean waves.
8You have made my friends turn
in horror from me.
I am a prisoner
who cannot escape,
9and I am almost blind
because of my sorrow.
Each day I lift my hands
in prayer to you, LORD.
10Do you work miracles
for the dead?
Do they stand up
and praise you?
11Are your love and loyalty
announced
in the world
of the dead?
12Do they know of your miracles
or your saving power
in the dark world below
where all is forgotten?
13Each morning I pray
to you, LORD.
14Why do you reject me?
Why do you turn from me?
15Ever since I was a child,
I have been sick
and close to death.
You have terrified me
and made me helpless. a]
16Your anger is like a flood!
And I am shattered
by your furious attacks
17that strike each day
and from every side.
18My friends and neighbors
have turned against me
because of you,
and now darkness
is my only companion.

Footnotes:
Psalm 88:15 and made me helpless: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.


Proverbs 25:20-22 (Contemporary English Version)

20Singing to someone
in deep sorrow
is like pouring vinegar
in an open cut. a]
21If your enemies are hungry,
give them something to eat.
And if they are thirsty,
give them something
to drink.
22This will be the same
as piling burning coals
on their heads.
And the LORD
will reward you.

Footnotes:
Proverbs 25:20 cut: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.