Jeremiah 21 - 23

Jeremiah’s Message for Zedekiah

The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Please inquire of Yahweh on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps Yahweh will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will go up from us.” 3 Then Jeremiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the center of this city. 5 I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation. 6 I will also strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great pestilence. 7 Then afterwards,” declares Yahweh, “I will give over Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people, even those who remain in this city from the pestilence, the sword, and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword. He will not show pity on them nor spare nor have compassion.”’ 8 “You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who inhabits this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as spoil. 10 For I have set My face against this city for evil and not for good,” declares Yahweh. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”’ 11 “Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, 12 O house of David, thus says Yahweh:

“Render justice every morning;

And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor,

Lest My wrath go forth like fire

And burn with none to extinguish it,

Because of the evil of their deeds.

“Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,

O rocky plain,” declares Yahweh,

“You men who say, ‘Who will come down against us?

Or who will enter into our dwelling places?’

But I will punish you according to the results of your deeds,” declares Yahweh,

“And I will kindle a fire in its forest

That it may devour all its surroundings.”’”

O Land, Hear Yahweh

Thus says Yahweh, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there you shall speak this word 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, O king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. 3 Thus says Yahweh, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the sojourner, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you men will indeed do this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting for David on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,” declares Yahweh, “that this house will become a waste place.”’” 6 For thus says Yahweh concerning the house of the king of Judah:

“You are like Gilead to Me,

Like the summit of Lebanon;

Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness,

Like cities which are not inhabited.

For I will set apart destroyers against you,

Each with his weapons;

And they will cut down your choicest cedars

And throw them on the fire.

8 “Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this great city?’ 9 Then they will say, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of Yahweh their God and worshiped other gods and served them.’” 10

Do not weep for the dead or console him,

But weep continually for the one who goes away,

For he will never return

Or see the land of his birth.

11 For thus says Yahweh in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, “He will never return there; 12 but in the place where they took him away into exile, there he will die and not see this land again. 13

“Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness

And his upper rooms without justice,

Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay

And does not give him his wages,

Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house

With spacious upper rooms

And cut out its windows,

Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’

Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar?

Did not your father eat and drink

And do justice and righteousness?

Then it was well with him.

He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy;

Then it was well.

Is not that what it means to know Me?”

Declares Yahweh.

“But your eyes and your heart

Are set on nothing except your own greedy gain

And on shedding innocent blood

And on doing oppression and extortion.”

18 Therefore thus says Yahweh in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,

“They will not lament for him:

‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’

They will not lament for him:

‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’

He will be buried with a donkey’s burial,

Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

Go up to Lebanon and cry out,

And lift up your voice in Bashan;

Cry out also from Abarim,

For all your lovers have been broken.

I spoke to you in your prosperity,

But you said, ‘I will not listen!’

This has been your way from your youth,

That you have not listened to My voice.

The wind will sweep away all your shepherds,

And your lovers will go into captivity;

Then you will surely be ashamed and feel dishonor

Because of all your evil.

You who inhabit Lebanon,

Nested in the cedars,

How you will groan when pangs come upon you,

Pain like a woman in childbirth!

24 “As I live,” declares Yahweh, “even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; 25 and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, indeed, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another land—there you were not born, but there you will die. 27 But as for the land to which their soul desires to return, they will not return to it. 28

Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar?

Or is he an undesirable vessel?

Why have he and his seed been hurled out

And cast into a land that they had not known?

O land, land, land,

Hear the word of Yahweh!

30 Thus says Yahweh,

‘Write this man down childless,

A man who will not succeed in his days;

For no man of his seed will succeed

Sitting on the throne of David

Or ruling again in Judah.’”

The Righteous Branch

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares Yahweh. 2 Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who are shepherding My people: “You have scattered My flock and banished them and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares Yahweh. 3 “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the land where I have banished them and cause them to return to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will also raise up shepherds over them, and they will shepherd them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be left unattended,” declares Yahweh. 5

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh,

“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;

And He will reign as king and prosper

And do justice and righteousness in the land.

In His days Judah will be saved,

And Israel will dwell securely;

And this is His name by which He will be called,

‘Yahweh our righteousness.’

7 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when they will no longer say, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up and brought back the seed of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the lands where I had banished them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”

False Prophets Condemned

As for the prophets:

My heart is broken within me;

All my bones tremble;

I have become like a drunken man,

Even like a man overcome with wine,

Because of Yahweh

And because of His holy words.

For the land is full of adulterers;

For the land mourns because of the curse.

The pastures of the wilderness have dried up.

Their course also is evil,

And their might is not right.

“For both prophet and priest are polluted;

Even in My house I have found their evil,” declares Yahweh.

“Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them;

They will be driven away into the thick darkness and fall down in it;

For I will bring their evil upon them,

The year of their punishment,” declares Yahweh.

“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing:

They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen an appalling thing:

The committing of adultery and walking in lying;

And they strengthen the hands of evildoers,

So that no one has turned back from his evil.

All of them have become to Me like Sodom,

And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

15 Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts concerning the prophets,

‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood

And make them drink poisoned water,

For from the prophets of Jerusalem

Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”

16 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,

“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.

They are leading you into vanity;

They speak a vision of their own heart,

Not from the mouth of Yahweh.

They keep saying to those who spurn Me,

‘Yahweh has said, “You will have peace”’;

And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart,

They say, ‘Evil will not come upon you.’

But who has stood in the council of Yahweh,

That he should see and hear His word?

Who has given heed to His word and heard?

Behold, the storm of Yahweh has gone forth in wrath,

Even a whirling storm;

It will whirl down on the head of the wicked.

The anger of Yahweh will not turn back

Until He has done and established the purposes of His heart;

In the last days you will clearly understand it.

I did not send these prophets,

But they ran.

I did not speak to them,

But they prophesied.

But if they had stood in My council,

Then they would have caused My words to be heard by My people

And would have turned them back from their evil way

And from the evil of their deeds.

“Am I a God who is near,” declares Yahweh,

“And not a God far off?

Can a man hide himself in hiding places

So I do not see him?” declares Yahweh.

“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares Yahweh.

25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy a lie in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ 26 How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy a lie, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart, 27 who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they recount to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? 28 The prophet who has a dream may recount his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares Yahweh. 29 “Is not My word like fire?” declares Yahweh, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? 30 Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares Yahweh, “who steal My words from each other. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares Yahweh, “who take their tongues and declare, ‘Yahweh declares.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who have prophesied lying dreams,” declares Yahweh, “and who recounted them and led My people astray by their lying and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them, and I did not command them, and they do not furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares Yahweh. 33 “Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you, saying, ‘What is the oracle of Yahweh?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What oracle?’ Yahweh declares, ‘I will abandon you.’ 34 Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The oracle of Yahweh,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household. 35 Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘What has Yahweh answered?’ or, ‘What has Yahweh spoken?’ 36 For you will no longer remember the oracle of Yahweh because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted the words of the living God, Yahweh of hosts, our God. 37 Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has Yahweh answered you?’ and, ‘What has Yahweh spoken?’ 38 For if you all say, ‘The oracle of Yahweh!’ surely thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of Yahweh!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of Yahweh!’”’ 39 Therefore behold, I will surely forget you and abandon you, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers, so that you are out of My presence. 40 I will put an everlasting reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”

Romans 10

Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For not knowing about the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Faith Comes by Hearing

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of law: “The man who does these things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him, 13 for “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!” 16 However, they did not all heed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I say, have they never heard? On the contrary, they have;

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,

And their words to the ends of the world.”

19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation,

By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”

20 And Isaiah is very bold and says,

“I was found by those who did not seek Me,

I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”

21 But as for Israel He says, “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Psalm 106:1 - 106:27

Remember Me, O Yahweh

Praise Yah!

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness endures forever.

Who can speak of the mighty deeds of Yahweh,

Or can make all His praise to be heard?

How blessed are those who keep justice,

And he who does righteousness at all times!

Remember me, O Yahweh, in Your favor toward Your people;

Visit me with Your salvation,

That I may see the goodness of Your chosen ones,

That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,

That I may boast with Your inheritance.

We have sinned with our fathers,

We have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly.

Our fathers in Egypt did not consider Your wondrous deeds;

They did not remember Your abundant lovingkindnesses,

But they rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.

Yet He saved them for the sake of His name,

That He might make His might known.

Thus He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up,

And He led them through the deeps, as through the wilderness.

So He saved them from the hand of the one who hated them,

And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

The waters covered their adversaries;

Not one of them was left.

Then they believed His words;

They sang His praise.

They quickly forgot His works;

They did not wait for His counsel,

But craved intensely in the wilderness,

And put God to the test in the wasteland.

So He gave them their request,

But sent a wasting disease against their lives.

Then they became envious of Moses in the camp,

And of Aaron, the holy one of Yahweh,

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,

And covered up the company of Abiram.

And a fire burned up in their company;

The flame consumed the wicked.

They made a calf in Horeb

And worshiped a molten image.

Thus they exchanged their glory

For the image of an ox that eats grass.

They forgot God their Savior,

Who had done great things in Egypt,

Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham

And awesome things by the Red Sea.

Therefore He said that He would destroy them,

Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him,

To turn away His wrath from eradicating them.

Then they despised the pleasant land;

They did not believe in His word,

But grumbled in their tents;

They did not listen to the voice of Yahweh.

So He swore to them

To make them fall in the wilderness,

And to make their seed fall among the nations

And to scatter them in the lands.