Jeremiah 34 - 35

A Prophecy Against Zedekiah

The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his military force, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. 3 And you will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be seized and given into his hand; and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Babylon.’”’ 4 Yet hear the word of Yahweh, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says Yahweh concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword. 5 You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word,” declares Yahweh. 6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem 7 when the military force of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah. 8 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after King Zedekiah had cut a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them: 9 that each man should let his male slave go free and each man his female slave, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, so that no one should enslave them, each being a Jew, his brother. 10 And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should let his male slave go free and each man his female slave, so that no one should enslave them any longer; they obeyed and let them go free. 11 But afterwards they turned around and returned to themselves the male slaves and the female slaves, whom they had let go as free, and subdued them to be male slaves and female slaves. 12 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 13 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘I cut a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery, saying, 14 “At the end of seven years each of you shall let his Hebrew brother go who has been sold to you and has served you six years, and you shall let him go to be free from you; but your fathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me. 15 Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had cut a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. 16 Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man returned to themselves his male slave and each man his female slave whom you had let go as free according to their desire, and you subdued them to be your male slaves and female slaves.”’ 17 “Therefore thus says Yahweh, ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 And I will give the men who have trespassed against My covenant, who have not established the words of the covenant which they cut before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts— 19 the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— 20 And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. 21 And as for Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life and into the hand of the military force of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you. 22 Behold, I am going to command,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will cause them to return to this city; and they will fight against it and capture it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’”

The Rechabites Listen to Jonadab

The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them and bring them into the house of Yahweh, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” 3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites, 4 and I brought them into the house of Yahweh, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was beside the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the doorkeeper. 5 Then I put before the men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine!” 6 But they said, “We will not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall not drink wine, you or your sons, forever. 7 And you shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed, and you shall not plant a vineyard or own one; but tents you shall inhabit all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ 8 So we have listened to the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9 nor to build ourselves houses to inhabit; and we do not have vineyard or field or seed. 10 We have only inhabited tents and have listened and have done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But it happened that when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, let us come to Jerusalem before the military force of the Chaldeans and before the military force of the Arameans.’ So we have inhabited Jerusalem.”

Yahweh Warns of Judah’s Discipline

12 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive discipline by listening to My words?” declares Yahweh. 14 “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are established. So they do not drink wine to this day, for they have listened to their father’s command. But I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; yet you have not listened to Me. 15 Also I have sent to you all My slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending, saying: ‘Turn now every man from his evil way and make good your deeds, and do not walk after other gods to serve them. Then you will inhabit the land which I have given to you and to your fathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me. 16 Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have established the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.’”’ 17 Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the harmful evil that I have spoken against them because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.’” 18 Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have listened to the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands, and done according to all that he commanded you, 19 therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not have a man cut off from standing before Me always.”’”

Romans 15

Bearing the Weaknesses of Others

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his building up. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through the perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God of perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ, the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,

“Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles,

And I will sing to Your name.”

10 And again he says,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,

And let all the peoples praise Him.”

12 And again Isaiah says,

“There shall come the root of Jesse,

And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,

In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Ministry Plans

14 But I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge and being able also to admonish one another. 15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me by God 16 for me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not be bold to speak of anything except what Christ has brought about through me, leading to the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and all around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And in this way I make it my ambition to proclaim the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; 21 but as it is written,

“They who had no declaration of Him shall see,

And they who have not heard shall understand.”

22 For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; 23 but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you 24 whenever I go to Spain—for I hope, passing through, to see you, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while. 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to serve the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to share with the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have completed this and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29 And I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. 30 Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; 32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find rest in your company. 33 Now may the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Psalm 109 - 110

O God, Do Not Be Silent

For the choir director. Of David. A Psalm.

O God of my praise,

Do not be silent!

For they have opened a wicked mouth and a deceitful mouth against me;

They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And fought against me without cause.

In return for my love they accuse me;

But I am in prayer.

Thus they have set upon me evil for good

And hatred for my love.

Appoint a wicked man over him,

And let an accuser stand at his right hand.

When he is judged, let him come forth a wicked man,

And let his prayer become sin.

Let his days be few;

Let another take his office.

Let his sons be orphans

And his wife a widow.

Let his sons wander aimlessly and beg;

And let them search for food from their ruined homes.

Let the creditor seize all that he has,

And let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

Let there be none to extend lovingkindness to him,

And let there be none to be gracious to his orphans.

Let those who follow him be cut off;

In a following generation let their name be blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before Yahweh,

And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Let them be before Yahweh continually,

That He may cut off their memory from the earth;

Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness,

But persecuted the afflicted, the needy man,

And the disheartened to put them to death.

He also loved cursing, so it came to him;

And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

But he clothed himself with cursing as his garment,

And it came into his inward parts like water

And like oil into his bones.

Let it be to him as a garment with which he wraps himself,

And for a belt with which he constantly girds himself.

This is the reward of my accusers from Yahweh,

And of those who speak evil against my soul.

But as for You, O Yahweh, O Lord, deal with me for Your name’s sake;

Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;

For I am afflicted and needy,

And my heart is pierced within me.

I am passing like a shadow when it is stretched out;

I am shaken off like the locust.

My knees are feeble from fasting,

And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.

As for me, I have become a reproach to them;

They see me, they wag their head.

Help me, O Yahweh my God;

Save me according to Your lovingkindness.

And let them know that this is Your hand;

You, O Yahweh, have done it.

Let them curse, but You bless;

They arise and will be put to shame,

But Your slave shall be glad.

Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor,

And let them wrap themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to Yahweh;

And in the midst of many I will praise Him.

For He stands at the right hand of the needy,

To save him from those who judge his soul.

You Are a Priest Forever

Of David. A Psalm.

Yahweh says to my Lord:

“Sit at My right hand

Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”

Yahweh will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,

“Have dominion in the midst of Your enemies.”

Your people will offer themselves freely in the day of Your power;

In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn,

The dew of Your youthfulness will be Yours.

Yahweh has sworn and will not change His mind,

“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord is at Your right hand;

He will crush kings in the day of His anger.

He will render justice among the nations,

He will fill them with corpses,

He will crush the head that is over the wide earth.

He will drink from the brook by the wayside;

Therefore He will lift up His head.