Jeremiah 32 - 33

Jeremiah Imprisoned

The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 Now at that time the military force of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah, 3 because Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do you prophesy, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it; 4 and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; 5 and he will lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” declares Yahweh. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed”’?” 6 And Jeremiah said, “The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 7 ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, “Buy for yourself my field which is at Anathoth, for you have the legal judgment for redemption to buy it.”’ 8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of Yahweh and said to me, ‘Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the legal judgment for possession, and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of Yahweh. 9 “I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 And I signed and sealed the deed and called in witnesses and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the commandment and statutes and the open copy, 12 and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, in the sight of all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13 And I commanded Baruch in their sight, saying, 14 ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Take these deeds—this deed of purchase—that is the sealed one as well as this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may last a long time.” 15 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”’

Jeremiah Prays, Yahweh Responds

16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to Yahweh, saying, 17 ‘Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, 18 who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. Yahweh of hosts is His name, 19 great in counsel and abundant in deeds, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds, 20 who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day. 21 You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror 22 and gave them this land, which You swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 They came in and took possession of it, but they did not listen to Your voice and did not walk in Your law. They have not done anything that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this harmful evil come upon them. 24 Behold, the siege ramps have come to the city to capture it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine, and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has happened; and behold, You see it. 25 And You have said to me, O Lord Yahweh, “Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses”—but the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’” 26 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 27 “Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” 28 Therefore thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 29 And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have burned incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. 30 Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands,” declares Yahweh. 31 “Indeed this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed from before My face 32 because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 And they have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching, they would not listen and receive discipline. 34 But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 35 And they built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them, nor had it come upon My heart that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 36 “So now, therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you are saying, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence.’ 37 Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have banished them in My anger, in My wrath, and in great indignation; and I will cause them to return to this place and make them inhabit it in safety. 38 And they shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. 40 And I will cut an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. 41 And I will rejoice over them to do them good and will truly plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. 42 For thus says Yahweh, ‘Just as I brought all this great evil on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them. 43 Thus fields will be bought in this land of which you all are saying, “It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” 44 Men will buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the surroundings of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negev; for I will return their fortunes,’ declares Yahweh.”

Yahweh Will Pardon the People’s Iniquity

Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh who made the earth, Yahweh who formed it to establish it; Yahweh is His name, 3 ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 4 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which are torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and against the sword, 5 ‘While they are coming to fight with the Chaldeans and to fill them with the corpses of men whom I have struck down in My anger and in My wrath, and I have hidden My face from this city because of all their evil: 6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. 7 I will return the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first. 8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. 9 And it will be to Me a name of joy, praise, and beauty before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will be in dread and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.’ 10 “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a waste, without man and without beast,” that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, 11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,

“Give thanks to Yahweh of hosts,

For Yahweh is good,

For His lovingkindness endures forever”;

and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of Yahweh. For I will return the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says Yahweh. 12 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘There will again be in this place which is waste, without man or beast, and in all its cities, an abode of shepherds who cause their flocks to lie down. 13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the surroundings of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who numbers them,’ says Yahweh.

The Righteous Branch of David

14 ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares Yahweh, ‘when I will establish the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to branch forth; and He shall do justice and righteousness on the earth. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell in security; and this is the name by which she will be called: Yahweh is our righteousness.’ 17 For thus says Yahweh, ‘David shall not have a man cut off from sitting on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 and the Levitical priests shall not have a man cut off from before Me who is to offer burnt offerings, to offer up grain offerings in smoke, and to perform sacrifices continually.’” 19 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 20 “Thus says Yahweh, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, 21 then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the seed of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’” 23 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 “Have you not seen what this people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families which Yahweh chose, He has rejected them’? Thus they have spurned My people from being a nation any longer in their sight. 25 Thus says Yahweh, ‘If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the statutes for heaven and earth I have not established, 26 then I would reject the seed of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his seed rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will return their fortunes and will have compassion on them.’”

Romans 14

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions. 2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats must not view the one who does not eat with contempt, and the one who does not eat must not judge the one who eats, for God accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person judges one day above another, another judges every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards the day, regards it for the Lord, and he who eats, eats for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat, for the Lord he does not eat and gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you view your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow,

And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather judge this—not to put a stumbling block or offense before a brother. 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is defiled in itself; but to him who considers anything to be defiled, to him it is defiled. 15 For if because of food your brother is grieved, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be slandered; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is pleasing to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed is he who does not judge himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Psalm 108

He Will Tread Down Our Adversaries

A Song. A Psalm of David.

My heart is set, O God;

I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my glory.

Awake, harp and lyre;

I will awaken the dawn!

I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh, among the peoples,

And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,

And Your truth reaches to the skies.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God,

And Your glory above all the earth.

That Your beloved may be rescued,

Save with Your right hand, and answer me!

God has spoken in His holiness:

“I will exult, I will portion out Shechem

And measure out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine;

Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;

Judah is My scepter.

Moab is My washbowl;

Over Edom I shall throw My shoe;

Over Philistia I will make a loud shout.”

Who will bring me into the well‑defended city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

Have You, O God, not rejected us?

And will You, O God, not go forth with our armies?

Oh give us help against the adversary,

For salvation by man is worthless.

Through God we shall do valiantly,

And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.