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We can come near to the throne of God with a heart of confidence because Jesus, God's Son, is our High Priest.

We can come near to the throne of God with a heart of confidence because Jesus, God's Son, is our High Priest.

Morning: Jeremiah 20–22 Jeremiah 20–22 (Listen) Jeremiah Persecuted by Pashhur 20 Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2 Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the LORD. 3 The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD does not call your name Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side. 4 For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall strike them down with the sword. 5 Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them and seize them and carry them to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. To Babylon you shall go, and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.” 7   O LORD, you have deceived me,    and I was deceived;  you are stronger than I,    and you have prevailed.  I have become a laughingstock all the day;    everyone mocks me.8   For whenever I speak, I cry out,    I shout, “Violence and destruction!”  For the word of the LORD has become for me    a reproach and derision all day long.9   If I say, “I will not mention him,    or speak any more in his name,”  there is in my heart as it were a burning fire    shut up in my bones,  and I am weary with holding it in,    and I cannot.10   For I hear many whispering.    Terror is on every side!  “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”    say all my close friends,    watching for my fall.  “Perhaps he will be deceived;    then we can overcome him    and take our revenge on him.”11   But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior;    therefore my persecutors will stumble;    they will not overcome me.  They will be greatly shamed,    for they will not succeed.  Their eternal dishonor    will never be forgotten.12   O LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous,    who sees the heart and the mind,1  let me see your vengeance upon them,    for to you have I committed my cause. 13   Sing to the LORD;    praise the LORD!  For he has delivered the life of the needy    from the hand of evildoers. 14   Cursed be the day    on which I was born!  The day when my mother bore me,    let it not be blessed!15   Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father,  “A son is born to you,”    making him very glad.16   Let that man be like the cities    that the LORD overthrew without pity;  let him hear a cry in the morning    and an alarm at noon,17   because he did not kill me in the womb;    so my mother would have been my grave,    and her womb forever great.18   Why did I come out from the womb    to see toil and sorrow,    and spend my days in shame? Jerusalem Will Fall to Nebuchadnezzar 21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar2 king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” 3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.' 8 “And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. 10 For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.' Message to the House of David 11 “And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, 12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD:   “‘Execute justice in the morning,    and deliver from the hand of the oppressor    him who has been robbed,  lest my wrath go forth like fire,    and burn with none to quench it,    because of your evil deeds.'” 13   “Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,    O rock of the plain,      declares the LORD;  you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us,    or who shall enter our habitations?'14   I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds,      declares the LORD;    I will kindle a fire in her forest,    and it shall devour all that is around her.” 22 Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. 3 Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah:   “‘You are like Gilead to me,    like the summit of Lebanon,  yet surely I will make you a desert,    an uninhabited city.37   I will prepare destroyers against you,    each with his weapons,  and they shall cut down your choicest cedars    and cast them into the fire. 8 “‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?” 9 And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”'” 10   Weep not for him who is dead,    nor grieve for him,  but weep bitterly for him who goes away,    for he shall return no more    to see his native land. Message to the Sons of Josiah 11 For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.” 13   “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,    and his upper rooms by injustice,  who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing    and does not give him his wages,14   who says, ‘I will build myself a great house    with spacious upper rooms,'  who cuts out windows for it,    paneling it with cedar    and painting it with vermilion.15   Do you think you are a king    because you compete in cedar?  Did not your father eat and drink    and do justice and righteousness?    Then it was well with him.16   He judged the cause of the poor and needy;    then it was well.  Is not this to know me?    declares the LORD.17   But you have eyes and heart    only for your dishonest gain,  for shedding innocent blood,    and for practicing oppression and violence.” 18 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:   “They shall not lament for him, saying,    ‘Ah, my brother!' or ‘Ah, sister!'  They shall not lament for him, saying,    ‘Ah, lord!' or ‘Ah, his majesty!'19   With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried,    dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” 20   “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out,    and lift up your voice in Bashan;  cry out from Abarim,    for all your lovers are destroyed.21   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 obeyed my voice.22   The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,    and your lovers shall go into captivity;  then you will be ashamed and confounded    because of all your evil.23   O inhabitant of Lebanon,    nested among the cedars,  how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you,    pain as of a woman in labor!” 24 “As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.” 28   Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot,    a vessel no one cares for?  Why are he and his children hurled and cast    into a land that they do not know?29   O land, land, land,    hear the word of the LORD!30   Thus says the LORD:  “Write this man down as childless,    a man who shall not succeed in his days,  for none of his offspring shall succeed    in sitting on the throne of David    and ruling again in Judah.” Footnotes [1] 20:12 Hebrew kidneys [2] 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, an alternate spelling of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) occurring frequently from Jeremiah 21–52; this latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency [3] 22:6 Hebrew cities (ESV) Evening: 2 Timothy 1 2 Timothy 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You 3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to1 a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,2 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.3 13 Follow the pattern of the sound4 words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. 15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me—18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. Footnotes [1] 1:9 Or with [2] 1:9 Greek before times eternal [3] 1:12 Or what I have entrusted to him; Greek my deposit [4] 1:13 Or healthy (ESV)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 15–17 Jeremiah 15–17 (Listen) The Lord Will Not Relent 15 Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! 2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?' you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD:   “‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,    and those who are for the sword, to the sword;  those who are for famine, to famine,    and those who are for captivity, to captivity.' 3 I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. 4 And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem. 5   “Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,    or who will grieve for you?  Who will turn aside    to ask about your welfare?6   You have rejected me, declares the LORD;    you keep going backward,  so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you—    I am weary of relenting.7   I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork    in the gates of the land;  I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people;    they did not turn from their ways.8   I have made their widows more in number    than the sand of the seas;  I have brought against the mothers of young men    a destroyer at noonday;  I have made anguish and terror    fall upon them suddenly.9   She who bore seven has grown feeble;    she has fainted away;  her sun went down while it was yet day;    she has been shamed and disgraced.  And the rest of them I will give to the sword    before their enemies,      declares the LORD.” Jeremiah's Complaint 10 Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. 11 The LORD said, “Have I not1 set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress? 12 Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze? 13 “Your wealth and your treasures I will give as spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. 14 I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” 15   O LORD, you know;    remember me and visit me,    and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.  In your forbearance take me not away;    know that for your sake I bear reproach.16   Your words were found, and I ate them,    and your words became to me a joy    and the delight of my heart,  for I am called by your name,    O LORD, God of hosts.17   I did not sit in the company of revelers,    nor did I rejoice;  I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,    for you had filled me with indignation.18   Why is my pain unceasing,    my wound incurable,    refusing to be healed?  Will you be to me like a deceitful brook,    like waters that fail? 19   Therefore thus says the LORD:  “If you return, I will restore you,    and you shall stand before me.  If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,    you shall be as my mouth.  They shall turn to you,    but you shall not turn to them.20   And I will make you to this people    a fortified wall of bronze;  they will fight against you,    but they shall not prevail over you,  for I am with you    to save you and deliver you,      declares the LORD.21   I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,    and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” Famine, Sword, and Death 16 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place. 3 For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning the mothers who bore them and the fathers who fathered them in this land: 4 They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth. 5 “For thus says the LORD: Do not enter the house of mourning, or go to lament or grieve for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people, my steadfast love and mercy, declares the LORD. 6 Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them. 7 No one shall break bread for the mourner, to comfort him for the dead, nor shall anyone give him the cup of consolation to drink for his father or his mother. 8 You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink. 9 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will silence in this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. 10 “And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' 11 then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, 12 and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. 13 Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.' The Lord Will Restore Israel 14 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' 15 but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers. 16 “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the LORD, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. 17 For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes. 18 But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.” 19   O LORD, my strength and my stronghold,    my refuge in the day of trouble,  to you shall the nations come    from the ends of the earth and say:  “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies,    worthless things in which there is no profit.20   Can man make for himself gods?    Such are not gods!” 21 “Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD.” The Sin of Judah 17 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, 2 while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, 3 on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. 4 You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” 5   Thus says the LORD:  “Cursed is the man who trusts in man    and makes flesh his strength,2    whose heart turns away from the LORD.6   He is like a shrub in the desert,    and shall not see any good come.  He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,    in an uninhabited salt land. 7   “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,    whose trust is the LORD.8   He is like a tree planted by water,    that sends out its roots by the stream,  and does not fear when heat comes,    for its leaves remain green,  and is not anxious in the year of drought,    for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 9   The heart is deceitful above all things,    and desperately sick;    who can understand it?10   “I the LORD search the heart    and test the mind,3  to give every man according to his ways,    according to the fruit of his deeds.” 11   Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,    so is he who gets riches but not by justice;  in the midst of his days they will leave him,    and at his end he will be a fool. 12   A glorious throne set on high from the beginning    is the place of our sanctuary.13   O LORD, the hope of Israel,    all who forsake you shall be put to shame;  those who turn away from you4 shall be written in the earth,    for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water. Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance 14   Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed;    save me, and I shall be saved,    for you are my praise.15   Behold, they say to me,    “Where is the word of the LORD?    Let it come!”16   I have not run away from being your shepherd,    nor have I desired the day of sickness.  You know what came out of my lips;    it was before your face.17   Be not a terror to me;    you are my refuge in the day of disaster.18   Let those be put to shame who persecute me,    but let me not be put to shame;  let them be dismayed,    but let me not be dismayed;  bring upon them the day of disaster;    destroy them with double destruction! Keep the Sabbath Holy 19 Thus said the LORD to me: “Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, 20 and say: ‘Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the LORD: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. 22 And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. 23 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction. 24 “‘But if you listen to me, declares the LORD, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, 25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. 26 And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD. 27 But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.'” Footnotes [1] 15:11 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [2] 17:5 Hebrew arm [3] 17:10 Hebrew kidneys [4] 17:13 Hebrew me (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 107:23–43 Psalm 107:23–43 (Listen) 23   Some went down to the sea in ships,    doing business on the great waters;24   they saw the deeds of the LORD,    his wondrous works in the deep.25   For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,    which lifted up the waves of the sea.26   They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;    their courage melted away in their evil plight;27   they reeled and staggered like drunken men    and were at their wits' end.128   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,    and he delivered them from their distress.29   He made the storm be still,    and the waves of the sea were hushed.30   Then they were glad that the waters2 were quiet,    and he brought them to their desired haven.31   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,    for his wondrous works to the children of man!32   Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,    and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 33   He turns rivers into a desert,    springs of water into thirsty ground,34   a fruitful land into a salty waste,    because of the evil of its inhabitants.35   He turns a desert into pools of water,    a parched land into springs of water.36   And there he lets the hungry dwell,    and they establish a city to live in;37   they sow fields and plant vineyards    and get a fruitful yield.38   By his blessing they multiply greatly,    and he does not let their livestock diminish. 39   When they are diminished and brought low    through oppression, evil, and sorrow,40   he pours contempt on princes    and makes them wander in trackless wastes;41   but he raises up the needy out of affliction    and makes their families like flocks.42   The upright see it and are glad,    and all wickedness shuts its mouth. 43   Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;    let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD. Footnotes [1] 107:27 Hebrew and all their wisdom was swallowed up [2] 107:30 Hebrew they (ESV) New Testament: Romans 9–11 Romans 9–11 (Listen) God's Sovereign Choice 9 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,1 my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,2 but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,   “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,'    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.'”

With family: 2 Kings 8; 1 Timothy 5 2 Kings 8 (Listen) The Shunammite's Land Restored 8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.” Hazael Murders Ben-hadad 7 Now Elisha came to Damascus. Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And when it was told him, “The man of God has come here,” 8 the king said to Hazael, “Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?'” 9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camels' loads. When he came and stood before him, he said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?'” 10 And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,' but1 the LORD has shown me that he shall certainly die.” 11 And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was embarrassed. And the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women.” 13 And Hazael said, “What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you are to be king over Syria.” 14 Then he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” 15 But the next day he took the bed cloth2 and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Hazael became king in his place. Jehoram Reigns in Judah 16 In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah,3 Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 19 Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. 20 In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. 21 Then Joram4 passed over to Zair with all his chariots and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders struck the Edomites who had surrounded him, but his army fled home. 22 So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23 Now the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 24 So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. Ahaziah Reigns in Judah 25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign. 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. 27 He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab. 28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram. 29 And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. Footnotes [1] 8:10 Some manuscripts say, ‘You shall certainly not recover,' for [2] 8:15 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [3] 8:16 Septuagint, Syriac lack when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah [4] 8:21 Joram is an alternate spelling of Jehoram (son of Jehoshaphat) as in verse 16; also verses 23, 24 (ESV) 1 Timothy 5 (Listen) Instructions for the Church 5 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. 3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband,1 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan. 16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows. 17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. Footnotes [1] 5:9 Or a woman of one man (ESV) In private: Psalm 119:49–72; Daniel 12 Psalm 119:49–72 (Listen) Zayin 49   Remember your word to your servant,    in which you have made me hope.50   This is my comfort in my affliction,    that your promise gives me life.51   The insolent utterly deride me,    but I do not turn away from your law.52   When I think of your rules from of old,    I take comfort, O LORD.53   Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,    who forsake your law.54   Your statutes have been my songs    in the house of my sojourning.55   I remember your name in the night, O LORD,    and keep your law.56   This blessing has fallen to me,    that I have kept your precepts. Heth 57   The LORD is my portion;    I promise to keep your words.58   I entreat your favor with all my heart;    be gracious to me according to your promise.59   When I think on my ways,    I turn my feet to your testimonies;60   I hasten and do not delay    to keep your commandments.61   Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,    I do not forget your law.62   At midnight I rise to praise you,    because of your righteous rules.63   I am a companion of all who fear you,    of those who keep your precepts.64   The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;    teach me your statutes! Teth 65   You have dealt well with your servant,    O LORD, according to your word.66   Teach me good judgment and knowledge,    for I believe in your commandments.67   Before I was afflicted I went astray,    but now I keep your word.68   You are good and do good;    teach me your statutes.69   The insolent smear me with lies,    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;70   their heart is unfeeling like fat,    but I delight in your law.71   It is good for me that I was afflicted,    that I might learn your statutes.72   The law of your mouth is better to me    than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (ESV) Daniel 12 (Listen) The Time of the End 12 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above;1 and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,2 “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” Footnotes [1] 12:3 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6–8 [2] 12:6 Or who was upstream; also verse 7 (ESV)

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 87 Psalm 87 (Listen) Glorious Things of You Are Spoken A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song. 87   On the holy mount stands the city he founded;2     the LORD loves the gates of Zion    more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.3   Glorious things of you are spoken,    O city of God. Selah 4   Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;    behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush1—    “This one was born there,” they say.5   And of Zion it shall be said,    “This one and that one were born in her”;    for the Most High himself will establish her.6   The LORD records as he registers the peoples,    “This one was born there.” Selah 7   Singers and dancers alike say,    “All my springs are in you.” Footnotes [1] 87:4 Probably Nubia (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 19 1 Kings 19 (Listen) Elijah Flees Jezebel 19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. The Lord Speaks to Elijah 9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.1 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” The Call of Elisha 19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. Footnotes [1] 19:12 Or a sound, a thin silence (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Haggai 2 Haggai 2 (Listen) The Coming Glory of the Temple 2 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.'” Blessings for a Defiled People 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?'” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 15 Now then, consider from this day onward.1 Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the LORD, 16 how did you fare? When2 one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the LORD. 18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.” Zerubbabel Chosen as a Signet 20 The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a3 signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.” Footnotes [1] 2:15 Or backward; also verse 18 [2] 2:16 Probable reading (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Lord, since they were. When [3] 2:23 Hebrew the (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: James 2:1–13 James 2:1–13 (Listen) The Sin of Partiality 2 My brothers,1 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Footnotes [1] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 (ESV)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 15–17 Jeremiah 15–17 (Listen) The Lord Will Not Relent 15 Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! 2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?' you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD:   “‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,    and those who are for the sword, to the sword;  those who are for famine, to famine,    and those who are for captivity, to captivity.' 3 I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. 4 And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem. 5   “Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,    or who will grieve for you?  Who will turn aside    to ask about your welfare?6   You have rejected me, declares the LORD;    you keep going backward,  so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you—    I am weary of relenting.7   I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork    in the gates of the land;  I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people;    they did not turn from their ways.8   I have made their widows more in number    than the sand of the seas;  I have brought against the mothers of young men    a destroyer at noonday;  I have made anguish and terror    fall upon them suddenly.9   She who bore seven has grown feeble;    she has fainted away;  her sun went down while it was yet day;    she has been shamed and disgraced.  And the rest of them I will give to the sword    before their enemies,      declares the LORD.” Jeremiah's Complaint 10 Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. 11 The LORD said, “Have I not1 set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress? 12 Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze? 13 “Your wealth and your treasures I will give as spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. 14 I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” 15   O LORD, you know;    remember me and visit me,    and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.  In your forbearance take me not away;    know that for your sake I bear reproach.16   Your words were found, and I ate them,    and your words became to me a joy    and the delight of my heart,  for I am called by your name,    O LORD, God of hosts.17   I did not sit in the company of revelers,    nor did I rejoice;  I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,    for you had filled me with indignation.18   Why is my pain unceasing,    my wound incurable,    refusing to be healed?  Will you be to me like a deceitful brook,    like waters that fail? 19   Therefore thus says the LORD:  “If you return, I will restore you,    and you shall stand before me.  If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,    you shall be as my mouth.  They shall turn to you,    but you shall not turn to them.20   And I will make you to this people    a fortified wall of bronze;  they will fight against you,    but they shall not prevail over you,  for I am with you    to save you and deliver you,      declares the LORD.21   I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,    and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” Famine, Sword, and Death 16 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place. 3 For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning the mothers who bore them and the fathers who fathered them in this land: 4 They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth. 5 “For thus says the LORD: Do not enter the house of mourning, or go to lament or grieve for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people, my steadfast love and mercy, declares the LORD. 6 Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them. 7 No one shall break bread for the mourner, to comfort him for the dead, nor shall anyone give him the cup of consolation to drink for his father or his mother. 8 You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink. 9 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will silence in this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. 10 “And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' 11 then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, 12 and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. 13 Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.' The Lord Will Restore Israel 14 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' 15 but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers. 16 “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the LORD, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. 17 For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes. 18 But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.” 19   O LORD, my strength and my stronghold,    my refuge in the day of trouble,  to you shall the nations come    from the ends of the earth and say:  “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies,    worthless things in which there is no profit.20   Can man make for himself gods?    Such are not gods!” 21 “Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD.” The Sin of Judah 17 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, 2 while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, 3 on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. 4 You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” 5   Thus says the LORD:  “Cursed is the man who trusts in man    and makes flesh his strength,2    whose heart turns away from the LORD.6   He is like a shrub in the desert,    and shall not see any good come.  He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,    in an uninhabited salt land. 7   “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,    whose trust is the LORD.8   He is like a tree planted by water,    that sends out its roots by the stream,  and does not fear when heat comes,    for its leaves remain green,  and is not anxious in the year of drought,    for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 9   The heart is deceitful above all things,    and desperately sick;    who can understand it?10   “I the LORD search the heart    and test the mind,3  to give every man according to his ways,    according to the fruit of his deeds.” 11   Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,    so is he who gets riches but not by justice;  in the midst of his days they will leave him,    and at his end he will be a fool. 12   A glorious throne set on high from the beginning    is the place of our sanctuary.13   O LORD, the hope of Israel,    all who forsake you shall be put to shame;  those who turn away from you4 shall be written in the earth,    for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water. Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance 14   Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed;    save me, and I shall be saved,    for you are my praise.15   Behold, they say to me,    “Where is the word of the LORD?    Let it come!”16   I have not run away from being your shepherd,    nor have I desired the day of sickness.  You know what came out of my lips;    it was before your face.17   Be not a terror to me;    you are my refuge in the day of disaster.18   Let those be put to shame who persecute me,    but let me not be put to shame;  let them be dismayed,    but let me not be dismayed;  bring upon them the day of disaster;    destroy them with double destruction! Keep the Sabbath Holy 19 Thus said the LORD to me: “Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, 20 and say: ‘Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the LORD: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. 22 And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. 23 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction. 24 “‘But if you listen to me, declares the LORD, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, 25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. 26 And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD. 27 But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.'” Footnotes [1] 15:11 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [2] 17:5 Hebrew arm [3] 17:10 Hebrew kidneys [4] 17:13 Hebrew me (ESV) New Testament: 2 Peter 3 2 Peter 3 (Listen) The Day of the Lord Will Come 3 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,1 not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies2 will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.3 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Final Words 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. Footnotes [1] 3:9 Some manuscripts on your account [2] 3:10 Or elements; also verse 12 [3] 3:10 Greek found; some manuscripts will be burned up (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 107:23–43 Psalm 107:23–43 (Listen) 23   Some went down to the sea in ships,    doing business on the great waters;24   they saw the deeds of the LORD,    his wondrous works in the deep.25   For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,    which lifted up the waves of the sea.26   They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;    their courage melted away in their evil plight;27   they reeled and staggered like drunken men    and were at their wits' end.128   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,    and he delivered them from their distress.29   He made the storm be still,    and the waves of the sea were hushed.30   Then they were glad that the waters2 were quiet,    and he brought them to their desired haven.31   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,    for his wondrous works to the children of man!32   Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,    and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 33   He turns rivers into a desert,    springs of water into thirsty ground,34   a fruitful land into a salty waste,    because of the evil of its inhabitants.35   He turns a desert into pools of water,    a parched land into springs of water.36   And there he lets the hungry dwell,    and they establish a city to live in;37   they sow fields and plant vineyards    and get a fruitful yield.38   By his blessing they multiply greatly,    and he does not let their livestock diminish. 39   When they are diminished and brought low    through oppression, evil, and sorrow,40   he pours contempt on princes    and makes them wander in trackless wastes;41   but he raises up the needy out of affliction    and makes their families like flocks.42   The upright see it and are glad,    and all wickedness shuts its mouth. 43   Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;    let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD. Footnotes [1] 107:27 Hebrew and all their wisdom was swallowed up [2] 107:30 Hebrew they (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 26:23 Proverbs 26:23

Proper 25 First Psalm: Psalm 119:49–72 Psalm 119:49–72 (Listen) Zayin 49   Remember your word to your servant,    in which you have made me hope.50   This is my comfort in my affliction,    that your promise gives me life.51   The insolent utterly deride me,    but I do not turn away from your law.52   When I think of your rules from of old,    I take comfort, O LORD.53   Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,    who forsake your law.54   Your statutes have been my songs    in the house of my sojourning.55   I remember your name in the night, O LORD,    and keep your law.56   This blessing has fallen to me,    that I have kept your precepts. Heth 57   The LORD is my portion;    I promise to keep your words.58   I entreat your favor with all my heart;    be gracious to me according to your promise.59   When I think on my ways,    I turn my feet to your testimonies;60   I hasten and do not delay    to keep your commandments.61   Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,    I do not forget your law.62   At midnight I rise to praise you,    because of your righteous rules.63   I am a companion of all who fear you,    of those who keep your precepts.64   The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;    teach me your statutes! Teth 65   You have dealt well with your servant,    O LORD, according to your word.66   Teach me good judgment and knowledge,    for I believe in your commandments.67   Before I was afflicted I went astray,    but now I keep your word.68   You are good and do good;    teach me your statutes.69   The insolent smear me with lies,    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;70   their heart is unfeeling like fat,    but I delight in your law.71   It is good for me that I was afflicted,    that I might learn your statutes.72   The law of your mouth is better to me    than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 49; Psalm 53 Psalm 49 (Listen) Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble? To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 49   Hear this, all peoples!    Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,2   both low and high,    rich and poor together!3   My mouth shall speak wisdom;    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.4   I will incline my ear to a proverb;    I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. 5   Why should I fear in times of trouble,    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,6   those who trust in their wealth    and boast of the abundance of their riches?7   Truly no man can ransom another,    or give to God the price of his life,8   for the ransom of their life is costly    and can never suffice,9   that he should live on forever    and never see the pit. 10   For he sees that even the wise die;    the fool and the stupid alike must perish    and leave their wealth to others.11   Their graves are their homes forever,1    their dwelling places to all generations,    though they called lands by their own names.12   Man in his pomp will not remain;    he is like the beasts that perish. 13   This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;    yet after them people approve of their boasts.2 Selah14   Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;    death shall be their shepherd,  and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.    Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.15   But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,    for he will receive me. Selah 16   Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,    when the glory of his house increases.17   For when he dies he will carry nothing away;    his glory will not go down after him.18   For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed    —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—19   his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,    who will never again see light.20   Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. Footnotes [1] 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever [2] 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts (ESV) Psalm 53 (Listen) There Is None Who Does Good To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil1 of David. 53   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;    there is none who does good. 2   God looks down from heaven    on the children of man  to see if there are any who understand,2    who seek after God. 3   They have all fallen away;    together they have become corrupt;  there is none who does good,    not even one. 4   Have those who work evil no knowledge,    who eat up my people as they eat bread,    and do not call upon God? 5   There they are, in great terror,    where there is no terror!  For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;    you put them to shame, for God has rejected them. 6   Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!    When God restores the fortunes of his people,    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. Footnotes [1] 53:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms [2] 53:2 Or who act wisely (ESV) Old Testament: Ezra 6 Ezra 6 (Listen) The Decree of Darius 6 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. 2 And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. 3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits1 and its breadth sixty cubits, 4 with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. 5 And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.” 6 “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your2 associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away. 7 Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8 Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. 9 And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, 10 that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. 12 May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.” The Temple Finished and Dedicated 13 Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. 14 And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia; 15 and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. 16 And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. Passover Celebrated 19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. 21 It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the LORD, the God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. Footnotes [1] 6:3 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 6:6 Aramaic their (ESV) New Testament: Revelation 5:1–10 Revelation 5:1–10 (Listen) The Scroll and the Lamb 5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,   “Worthy are you to take the scroll    and to open its seals,  for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God    from every tribe and language and people and nation,10   and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,    and they shall reign on the earth.” (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 13:10–17 Matthew 13:10–17 (Listen) The Purpose of the Parables 10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:   “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”15   For this people's heart has grown dull,    and with their ears they can barely hear,    and their eyes they have closed,  lest they should see with their eyes    and hear with their ears  and understand with their heart    and turn, and I would heal them.' 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (ESV)

This program is Real Israel Talk Radio, Part 29, Episode 94, Defining Biblical Love from 1 Corinthians 13:13. Welcome to today's show. We are learning about the final statement that Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 13, speaking about Faith, Hope, and Love. He then says, "The greatest of these is Love."  How are we to understand this list of biblical attributes? Beginning with this episode - Part 29, and concluding with our final episode - Part 30,  I will unpack 1 Corinthians 13:13. The show is a wrap-up summary of how to interpret and essentially understand the biblical definitions of FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE. FAITH in Hebrew is Emunah. The core meaning is: A Trainer or one who is Trained Tutor Mentor Master Coach, Guide, or Instructor Craftsman Artisan Artist As a result, the objective in faith is to make a faithful and accurate copy of someone or something. Through Yeshua, the Son of God is making us into the image of The Father even as the Son is made in the Image of the Father. HOPE in Hebrew is Koveh. The core meaning is: To wait for something To hope for something An expectation for something. What are we hoping for? Paul explains with simplicity Romans 8:23 "...We also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body." Therefore, hope is about Techiat HaMatim -- the literal Last Day resurrection from the dead. LOVE in Hebrew is Ahavah. The core meaning is: Giving life for a life Demonstrating actions of giving before receiving Consequently, this explains why Love is the greatest of all spiritual gifts. Without biblical Love, faith and hope are meaningless terms. With Love, there is the lesson of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 4:12, "The Rope (or Cord) of the Three is not speedily (suddenly or hastily) torn apart." What is The Rope or Cord of The Three? Consider the following associations: OUR FAITH IN YEHOVAH BELIEVES IN THE REDEEMER YESHUA IN THE SON OUR HOPE IN YEHOVAH BELIEVES BY THE INSTRUCTING SPIRIT OF MESSIAH IN THE WORD OUR LOVE IN YEHOVAH BELIEVES IN THE LIFE OF MESSIAH IN THE FATHER

With family: 2 Kings 7; 1 Timothy 4 2 Kings 7 (Listen) Elisha Promises Food 7 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah1 of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel,2 and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” 2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” The Syrians Flee 3 Now there were four men who were lepers3 at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.” 5 So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there. 6 For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.” 7 So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. 8 And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them. 9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king's household.” 10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, “We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys tied and the tents as they were.” 11 Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told within the king's household. 12 And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, “I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.'” 13 And one of his servants said, “Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished. Let us send and see.” 14 So they took two horsemen, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, “Go and see.” 15 So they went after them as far as the Jordan, and behold, all the way was littered with garments and equipment that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king. 16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17 Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. 18 For when the man of God had said to the king, “Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” 19 the captain had answered the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died. Footnotes [1] 7:1 A seah was about 7 quarts or 7.3 liters [2] 7:1 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 7:3 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 (ESV) 1 Timothy 4 (Listen) Some Will Depart from the Faith 4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. A Good Servant of Christ Jesus 6 If you put these things before the brothers,1 you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive,2 because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,3 so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. Footnotes [1] 4:6 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters [2] 4:10 Some manuscripts and suffer reproach [3] 4:15 Greek be in them (ESV) In private: Psalm 119:25–48; Daniel 11 Psalm 119:25–48 (Listen) Daleth 25   My soul clings to the dust;    give me life according to your word!26   When I told of my ways, you answered me;    teach me your statutes!27   Make me understand the way of your precepts,    and I will meditate on your wondrous works.28   My soul melts away for sorrow;    strengthen me according to your word!29   Put false ways far from me    and graciously teach me your law!30   I have chosen the way of faithfulness;    I set your rules before me.31   I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;    let me not be put to shame!32   I will run in the way of your commandments    when you enlarge my heart!1 He 33   Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;    and I will keep it to the end.234   Give me understanding, that I may keep your law    and observe it with my whole heart.35   Lead me in the path of your commandments,    for I delight in it.36   Incline my heart to your testimonies,    and not to selfish gain!37   Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;    and give me life in your ways.38   Confirm to your servant your promise,    that you may be feared.39   Turn away the reproach that I dread,    for your rules are good.40   Behold, I long for your precepts;    in your righteousness give me life! Waw 41   Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,    your salvation according to your promise;42   then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,    for I trust in your word.43   And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,    for my hope is in your rules.44   I will keep your law continually,    forever and ever,45   and I shall walk in a wide place,    for I have sought your precepts.46   I will also speak of your testimonies before kings    and shall not be put to shame,47   for I find my delight in your commandments,    which I love.48   I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,    and I will meditate on your statutes. Footnotes [1] 119:32 Or for you set my heart free [2] 119:33 Or keep it as my reward (ESV) Daniel 11 (Listen) The Kings of the South and the North 11 “And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. 2 “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. 4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. 5 “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. 6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported1 her in those times. 7 “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. 8 He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. 9 Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. 10 “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. 11 Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. 12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years2 he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. 14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom,3 but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed,4 he shall turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. 20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. 21 In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. 23 And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. 24 Without warning he shall come into the richest parts5 of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. 26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. 28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. 29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. 36 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.6 40 “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack7 him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. Footnotes [1] 11:6 Or obtained [2] 11:13 Hebrew at the end of the times [3] 11:17 Hebrew her, or it [4] 11:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [5] 11:24 Or among the richest men [6] 11:39 Or land as payment [7] 11:40 Hebrew thrust at (ESV)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 13–14 Jeremiah 13–14 (Listen) The Ruined Loincloth 13 Thus says the LORD to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist. 3 And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, 4 “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 And after many days the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen. The Jars Filled with Wine 12 “You shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Every jar shall be filled with wine.”' And they will say to you, ‘Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?' 13 Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 14 And I will dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the LORD. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.'” Exile Threatened 15   Hear and give ear; be not proud,    for the LORD has spoken.16   Give glory to the LORD your God    before he brings darkness,  before your feet stumble    on the twilight mountains,  and while you look for light    he turns it into gloom    and makes it deep darkness.17   But if you will not listen,    my soul will weep in secret for your pride;  my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears,    because the LORD's flock has been taken captive. 18   Say to the king and the queen mother:    “Take a lowly seat,  for your beautiful crown    has come down from your head.”19   The cities of the Negeb are shut up,    with none to open them;  all Judah is taken into exile,    wholly taken into exile. 20   “Lift up your eyes and see    those who come from the north.  Where is the flock that was given you,    your beautiful flock?21   What will you say when they set as head over you    those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you?  Will not pangs take hold of you    like those of a woman in labor?22   And if you say in your heart,    ‘Why have these things come upon me?'  it is for the greatness of your iniquity    that your skirts are lifted up    and you suffer violence.23   Can the Ethiopian change his skin    or the leopard his spots?  Then also you can do good    who are accustomed to do evil.24   I will scatter you1 like chaff    driven by the wind from the desert.25   This is your lot,    the portion I have measured out to you, declares the LORD,  because you have forgotten me    and trusted in lies.26   I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,    and your shame will be seen.27   I have seen your abominations,    your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings,    on the hills in the field.  Woe to you, O Jerusalem!    How long will it be before you are made clean?” Famine, Sword, and Pestilence 14 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: 2   “Judah mourns,    and her gates languish;  her people lament on the ground,    and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.3   Her nobles send their servants for water;    they come to the cisterns;  they find no water;    they return with their vessels empty;  they are ashamed and confounded    and cover their heads.4   Because of the ground that is dismayed,    since there is no rain on the land,  the farmers are ashamed;    they cover their heads.5   Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn    because there is no grass.6   The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;    they pant for air like jackals;  their eyes fail    because there is no vegetation. 7   “Though our iniquities testify against us,    act, O LORD, for your name's sake;  for our backslidings are many;    we have sinned against you.8   O you hope of Israel,    its savior in time of trouble,  why should you be like a stranger in the land,    like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?9   Why should you be like a man confused,    like a mighty warrior who cannot save?  Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us,    and we are called by your name;    do not leave us.” 10   Thus says the LORD concerning this people:  “They have loved to wander thus;    they have not restrained their feet;  therefore the LORD does not accept them;    now he will remember their iniquity    and punish their sins.” 11 The LORD said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” Lying Prophets 13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'” 14 And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land': By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them. 17   “You shall say to them this word:  ‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,    and let them not cease,  for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,    with a very grievous blow.18   If I go out into the field,    behold, those pierced by the sword!  And if I enter the city,    behold, the diseases of famine!  For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land    and have no knowledge.'” 19   Have you utterly rejected Judah?    Does your soul loathe Zion?  Why have you struck us down    so that there is no healing for us?  We looked for peace, but no good came;    for a time of healing, but behold, terror.20   We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,    and the iniquity of our fathers,    for we have sinned against you.21   Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;    do not dishonor your glorious throne;    remember and do not break your covenant with us.22   Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?    Or can the heavens give showers?  Are you not he, O LORD our God?    We set our hope on you,    for you do all these things. Footnotes [1] 13:24 Hebrew them (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 107:1–22 Psalm 107:1–22 (Listen) Book Five Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So 107   Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever!2   Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,    whom he has redeemed from trouble13   and gathered in from the lands,    from the east and from the west,    from the north and from the south. 4   Some wandered in desert wastes,    finding no way to a city to dwell in;5   hungry and thirsty,    their soul fainted within them.6   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,    and he delivered them from their distress.7   He led them by a straight way    till they reached a city to dwell in.8   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,    for his wondrous works to the children of man!9   For he satisfies the longing soul,    and the hungry soul he fills with good things. 10   Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,    prisoners in affliction and in irons,11   for they had rebelled against the words of God,    and spurned the counsel of the Most High.12   So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;    they fell down, with none to help.13   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,    and he delivered them from their distress.14   He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,    and burst their bonds apart.15   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,    for his wondrous works to the children of man!16   For he shatters the doors of bronze    and cuts in two the bars of iron. 17   Some were fools through their sinful ways,    and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;18   they loathed any kind of food,    and they drew near to the gates of death.19   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,    and he delivered them from their distress.20   He sent out his word and healed them,    and delivered them from their destruction.21   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,    for his wondrous works to the children of man!22   And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,    and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! Footnotes [1] 107:2 Or from the hand of the foe (ESV) New Testament: Romans 8 Romans 8 (Listen) Life in the Spirit 8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.1 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you2 free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,3 he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus4 from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Heirs with Christ 12 So then, brothers,5 we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons6 of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Future Glory 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because7 the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,8 for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. God's Everlasting Love 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be9 against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.10 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,   “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Footnotes [1] 8:1 Some manuscripts add who walk not according to the flesh (but according to the Spirit) [2] 8:2 Some manuscripts me [3] 8:3 Or and as a sin offering [4] 8:11 Some manuscripts lack Jesus [5] 8:12 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 29 [6] 8:14 See discussion on “sons” in the Preface [7] 8:27 Or that [8] 8:28 Some manuscripts God works all things together for good, or God works in all things for the good [9] 8:31 Or who is [10] 8:34 Or Is it Christ Jesus who died . . . for us? (ESV)

Proper 25 First Psalm: Psalm 45 Psalm 45 (Listen) Your Throne, O God, Is Forever To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil1 of the Sons of Korah; a love song. 45   My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;    I address my verses to the king;    my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 2   You are the most handsome of the sons of men;    grace is poured upon your lips;    therefore God has blessed you forever.3   Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,    in your splendor and majesty! 4   In your majesty ride out victoriously    for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;    let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!5   Your arrows are sharp    in the heart of the king's enemies;    the peoples fall under you. 6   Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.    The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;7     you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.  Therefore God, your God, has anointed you    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;8     your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.  From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;9     daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;    at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. 10   Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:    forget your people and your father's house,11     and the king will desire your beauty.  Since he is your lord, bow to him.12     The people2 of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,    the richest of the people.3 13   All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.14     In many-colored robes she is led to the king,    with her virgin companions following behind her.15   With joy and gladness they are led along    as they enter the palace of the king. 16   In place of your fathers shall be your sons;    you will make them princes in all the earth.17   I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;    therefore nations will praise you forever and ever. Footnotes [1] 45:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 45:12 Hebrew daughter [3] 45:12 Or The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek your favor (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalms 47–48 Psalms 47–48 (Listen) God Is King over All the Earth To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 47   Clap your hands, all peoples!    Shout to God with loud songs of joy!2   For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,    a great king over all the earth.3   He subdued peoples under us,    and nations under our feet.4   He chose our heritage for us,    the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 5   God has gone up with a shout,    the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.6   Sing praises to God, sing praises!    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!7   For God is the King of all the earth;    sing praises with a psalm!1 8   God reigns over the nations;    God sits on his holy throne.9   The princes of the peoples gather    as the people of the God of Abraham.  For the shields of the earth belong to God;    he is highly exalted! Zion, the City of Our God A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 48   Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised    in the city of our God!  His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,    is the joy of all the earth,  Mount Zion, in the far north,    the city of the great King.3   Within her citadels God    has made himself known as a fortress. 4   For behold, the kings assembled;    they came on together.5   As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;    they were in panic; they took to flight.6   Trembling took hold of them there,    anguish as of a woman in labor.7   By the east wind you shattered    the ships of Tarshish.8   As we have heard, so have we seen    in the city of the LORD of hosts,  in the city of our God,    which God will establish forever. Selah 9   We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,    in the midst of your temple.10   As your name, O God,    so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.  Your right hand is filled with righteousness.11     Let Mount Zion be glad!  Let the daughters of Judah rejoice    because of your judgments! 12   Walk about Zion, go around her,    number her towers,13   consider well her ramparts,    go through her citadels,  that you may tell the next generation14     that this is God,  our God forever and ever.    He will guide us forever.2 Footnotes [1] 47:7 Hebrew maskil [2] 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death (ESV) Old Testament: Ezra 5 Ezra 5 (Listen) Rebuilding Begins Anew 5 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. 3 At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?” 4 They also asked them this:1 “What are the names of the men who are building this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it. Tattenai's Letter to King Darius 6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7 They sent him a report, in which was written as follows: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8 Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?' 10 We also asked them their names, for your information, that we might write down the names of their leaders.2 11 And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. 13 However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. 14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15 and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” 16 Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.' 17 Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.” Footnotes [1] 5:4 Septuagint, Syriac; Aramaic Then we said to them, [2] 5:10 Aramaic of the men at their heads (ESV) New Testament: Revelation 4 Revelation 4 (Listen) The Throne in Heaven 4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings1 and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,   “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,    who was and is and is to come!” 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11   “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,    to receive glory and honor and power,  for you created all things,    and by your will they existed and were created.” Footnotes [1] 4:5 Or voices, or sounds (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 13:1–9 Matthew 13:1–9 (Listen) The Parable of the Sower 13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears,1 let him hear.” Footnotes [1] 13:9 Some manuscripts add here and in verse 43 to hear (ESV)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 13–14 Jeremiah 13–14 (Listen) The Ruined Loincloth 13 Thus says the LORD to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist. 3 And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, 4 “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 And after many days the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen. The Jars Filled with Wine 12 “You shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Every jar shall be filled with wine.”' And they will say to you, ‘Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?' 13 Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 14 And I will dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the LORD. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.'” Exile Threatened 15   Hear and give ear; be not proud,    for the LORD has spoken.16   Give glory to the LORD your God    before he brings darkness,  before your feet stumble    on the twilight mountains,  and while you look for light    he turns it into gloom    and makes it deep darkness.17   But if you will not listen,    my soul will weep in secret for your pride;  my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears,    because the LORD's flock has been taken captive. 18   Say to the king and the queen mother:    “Take a lowly seat,  for your beautiful crown    has come down from your head.”19   The cities of the Negeb are shut up,    with none to open them;  all Judah is taken into exile,    wholly taken into exile. 20   “Lift up your eyes and see    those who come from the north.  Where is the flock that was given you,    your beautiful flock?21   What will you say when they set as head over you    those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you?  Will not pangs take hold of you    like those of a woman in labor?22   And if you say in your heart,    ‘Why have these things come upon me?'  it is for the greatness of your iniquity    that your skirts are lifted up    and you suffer violence.23   Can the Ethiopian change his skin    or the leopard his spots?  Then also you can do good    who are accustomed to do evil.24   I will scatter you1 like chaff    driven by the wind from the desert.25   This is your lot,    the portion I have measured out to you, declares the LORD,  because you have forgotten me    and trusted in lies.26   I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,    and your shame will be seen.27   I have seen your abominations,    your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings,    on the hills in the field.  Woe to you, O Jerusalem!    How long will it be before you are made clean?” Famine, Sword, and Pestilence 14 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: 2   “Judah mourns,    and her gates languish;  her people lament on the ground,    and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.3   Her nobles send their servants for water;    they come to the cisterns;  they find no water;    they return with their vessels empty;  they are ashamed and confounded    and cover their heads.4   Because of the ground that is dismayed,    since there is no rain on the land,  the farmers are ashamed;    they cover their heads.5   Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn    because there is no grass.6   The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;    they pant for air like jackals;  their eyes fail    because there is no vegetation. 7   “Though our iniquities testify against us,    act, O LORD, for your name's sake;  for our backslidings are many;    we have sinned against you.8   O you hope of Israel,    its savior in time of trouble,  why should you be like a stranger in the land,    like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?9   Why should you be like a man confused,    like a mighty warrior who cannot save?  Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us,    and we are called by your name;    do not leave us.” 10   Thus says the LORD concerning this people:  “They have loved to wander thus;    they have not restrained their feet;  therefore the LORD does not accept them;    now he will remember their iniquity    and punish their sins.” 11 The LORD said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” Lying Prophets 13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'” 14 And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land': By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them. 17   “You shall say to them this word:  ‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,    and let them not cease,  for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,    with a very grievous blow.18   If I go out into the field,    behold, those pierced by the sword!  And if I enter the city,    behold, the diseases of famine!  For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land    and have no knowledge.'” 19   Have you utterly rejected Judah?    Does your soul loathe Zion?  Why have you struck us down    so that there is no healing for us?  We looked for peace, but no good came;    for a time of healing, but behold, terror.20   We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,    and the iniquity of our fathers,    for we have sinned against you.21   Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;    do not dishonor your glorious throne;    remember and do not break your covenant with us.22   Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?    Or can the heavens give showers?  Are you not he, O LORD our God?    We set our hope on you,    for you do all these things. Footnotes [1] 13:24 Hebrew them (ESV) New Testament: 2 Peter 2 2 Peter 2 (Listen) False Prophets and Teachers 2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell1 and committed them to chains2 of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;3 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,4 and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge5 in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions,6 while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery,7 insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. 17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves8 of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” Footnotes [1] 2:4 Greek Tartarus [2] 2:4 Some manuscripts pits [3] 2:6 Some manuscripts an example to those who were to be ungodly [4] 2:9 Or temptations [5] 2:10 Greek who go after the flesh [6] 2:13 Some manuscripts love feasts [7] 2:14 Or eyes full of an adulteress [8] 2:19 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 107:1–22 Psalm 107:1–22 (Listen) Book Five Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So 107   Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever!2   Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,    whom he has redeemed from trouble13   and gathered in from the lands,    from the east and from the west,    from the north and from the south. 4   Some wandered in desert wastes,    finding no way to a city to dwell in;5   hungry and thirsty,    their soul fainted within them.6   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,    and he delivered them from their distress.7   He led them by a straight way    till they reached a city to dwell in.8   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,    for his wondrous works to the children of man!9   For he satisfies the longing soul,    and the hungry soul he fills with good things. 10   Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,    prisoners in affliction and in irons,11   for they had rebelled against the words of God,    and spurned the counsel of the Most High.12   So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;    they fell down, with none to help.13   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,    and he delivered them from their distress.14   He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,    and burst their bonds apart.15   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,    for his wondrous works to the children of man!16   For he shatters the doors of bronze    and cuts in two the bars of iron. 17   Some were fools through their sinful ways,    and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;18   they loathed any kind of food,    and they drew near to the gates of death.19   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,    and he delivered them from their distress.20   He sent out his word and healed them,    and delivered them from their destruction.21   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,    for his wondrous works to the children of man!22   And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,    and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! Footnotes [1] 107:2 Or from the hand of the foe (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 26:21–22 Proverbs 26:21–22 (Listen) 21   As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,    so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.22   The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;    they go down into the inner parts of the body. (ESV)

Morning: Jeremiah 17–19 Jeremiah 17–19 (Listen) The Sin of Judah 17 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, 2 while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, 3 on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. 4 You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” 5   Thus says the LORD:  “Cursed is the man who trusts in man    and makes flesh his strength,1    whose heart turns away from the LORD.6   He is like a shrub in the desert,    and shall not see any good come.  He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,    in an uninhabited salt land. 7   “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,    whose trust is the LORD.8   He is like a tree planted by water,    that sends out its roots by the stream,  and does not fear when heat comes,    for its leaves remain green,  and is not anxious in the year of drought,    for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 9   The heart is deceitful above all things,    and desperately sick;    who can understand it?10   “I the LORD search the heart    and test the mind,2  to give every man according to his ways,    according to the fruit of his deeds.” 11   Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,    so is he who gets riches but not by justice;  in the midst of his days they will leave him,    and at his end he will be a fool. 12   A glorious throne set on high from the beginning    is the place of our sanctuary.13   O LORD, the hope of Israel,    all who forsake you shall be put to shame;  those who turn away from you3 shall be written in the earth,    for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water. Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance 14   Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed;    save me, and I shall be saved,    for you are my praise.15   Behold, they say to me,    “Where is the word of the LORD?    Let it come!”16   I have not run away from being your shepherd,    nor have I desired the day of sickness.  You know what came out of my lips;    it was before your face.17   Be not a terror to me;    you are my refuge in the day of disaster.18   Let those be put to shame who persecute me,    but let me not be put to shame;  let them be dismayed,    but let me not be dismayed;  bring upon them the day of disaster;    destroy them with double destruction! Keep the Sabbath Holy 19 Thus said the LORD to me: “Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, 20 and say: ‘Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the LORD: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. 22 And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. 23 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction. 24 “‘But if you listen to me, declares the LORD, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, 25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. 26 And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD. 27 But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.'” The Potter and the Clay 18 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear4 my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. 9 And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10 and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. 11 Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the LORD, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.' 12 “But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.' 13   “Therefore thus says the LORD:  Ask among the nations,    Who has heard the like of this?  The virgin Israel    has done a very horrible thing.14   Does the snow of Lebanon leave    the crags of Sirion?5  Do the mountain waters run dry,6    the cold flowing streams?15   But my people have forgotten me;    they make offerings to false gods;  they made them stumble in their ways,    in the ancient roads,  and to walk into side roads,    not the highway,16   making their land a horror,    a thing to be hissed at forever.  Everyone who passes by it is horrified    and shakes his head.17   Like the east wind I will scatter them    before the enemy.  I will show them my back, not my face,    in the day of their calamity.” 18 Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.” 19   Hear me, O LORD,    and listen to the voice of my adversaries.20   Should good be repaid with evil?    Yet they have dug a pit for my life.  Remember how I stood before you    to speak good for them,    to turn away your wrath from them.21   Therefore deliver up their children to famine;    give them over to the power of the sword;  let their wives become childless and widowed.    May their men meet death by pestilence,    their youths be struck down by the sword in battle.22   May a cry be heard from their houses,    when you bring the plunderer suddenly upon them!  For they have dug a pit to take me    and laid snares for my feet.23   Yet you, O LORD, know    all their plotting to kill me.  Forgive not their iniquity,    nor blot out their sin from your sight.  Let them be overthrown before you;    deal with them in the time of your anger. The Broken Flask 19 Thus says the LORD, “Go, buy a potter's earthenware flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests, 2 and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. 3 You shall say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 4 Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, 5 and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind—6 therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place shall no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. 7 And in this place I will make void the plans of Judah and Jerusalem, and will cause their people to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their life. I will give their dead bodies for food to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth. 8 And I will make this city a horror, a thing to be hissed at. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its wounds. 9 And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.' 10 “Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you, 11 and shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended. Men shall bury in Topheth because there will be no place else to bury. 12 Thus will I do to this place, declares the LORD, and to its inhabitants, making this city like Topheth. 13 The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah—all the houses on whose roofs offerings have been offered to all the host of heaven, and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods—shall be defiled like the place of Topheth.'” 14 Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the LORD's house and said to all the people: 15 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my words.” Footnotes [1] 17:5 Hebrew arm [2] 17:10 Hebrew kidneys [3] 17:13 Hebrew me [4] 18:2 Or will cause you to hear [5] 18:14 Hebrew of the field [6] 18:14 Hebrew Are foreign waters plucked up (ESV) Evening: 1 Timothy 6 1 Timothy 6 (Listen) 6 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants1 regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. False Teachers and True Contentment Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound2 words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and3 we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Fight the Good Fight of Faith 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before4 Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.5 Footnotes [1] 6:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 6:3 Or healthy [3] 6:7 Greek for; some manuscripts insert [it is] certain [that] [4] 6:13 Or in the time of [5] 6:21 The Greek for you is plural (ESV)

The Hebrew word אישור can mean to “green light” a new project. So what does a friend request on social media have to do with it? Guy explains. As part of our podcast's 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery's full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 modules, 31 high-definition videos, and a bonus vowel audio course with 400+ common daily practice words. Check out the course material and have the $50 discount applied automatically at to tlv1.fm/happy8 Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon   New Words and Expressions: Ha-boss noten ishur le-proyekt – The boss gives the green light to start a new project – הבוס נותן אישור לפרוייקט Ishur – Certificate of approval, confirmation – אישור Ishur nihul heshbon – Account management certificate – אישור ניהול חשבון Ishur avoda – Work permit – אישור עבודה Ishur bniya – Construction permit – אישור בנייה Ishurei hagaah – RSVPs for events – אישורי הגעה Pi'el formula: Ledaber-dibbur, Le'asher-ishur, lesaper-sipur Le'asher- To confirm, to approve, to okay – לאשר Na le'asher haga'ah ad taarich…' – Please confirm your arrival no later than… – נא לאשר הגעה עד תאריך Le'asher et ha-hagaah shelahem – To confirm their arrival – לאשר את ההגעה שלהם Ishur horim – Parental consent – אישור הורים Bli ishur – Without approval – בלי אישור “Bli ishur horim lo tese la-tiyul” – Without parental approval, you won't go on the school trip – בלי אישור הורים לא תצא לטיול Mishehu she'ani lo makira shalach li bakashat haverut be-instagram – Someone I do not know sent to me a friend request on Instagram – מישהו שאני לא מכירה שלח לי בקשת חברות באינסטגרם Isharti – I approved – אישרתי Aval ein li musag mi ze – But I don't have a clue who it is – אבל אין לי מושג מי זה Lishloach lo ba-prati ‘mi ze' – Should I send him a private message asking “who is it”? – לשלוח לי בפרטי מי זה Ishur bakashat haverut – Approval of a friend request – אישור בקשת חברות “Az bo'u te'ashru oti” – So come on approve me – אז בואו תאשרו אותי Ani me'asher la-ben sheli latset la-tiyul – I authorise my son to go on the trip – אני מאשר לבן שלי לצאת לטיול Mi isher lecha – Who authorised you to…? – מי אישר לך  Ani isharti lecha? Ani isharti lach? – Did I allow that? – אני אישרתי לך Ze be-ishur ha-horim? Ha-horim yod'im mi-ze? – Is this authorised by your parents? Do they know about it? – זה באישור ההורים? הם יודעים מזה? Ishrur – Reconfirmation – אישרור Le'ashrer – To reconfirm – לאשרר Ani rak rotse/rotsa le'ashrer – I'd just like to reconfirm – אני רק רוצה לאשרר Osher – Happiness – אושר Me'ushar – Happy – מאושר   Playlist and Clips: Ishurei hagaah Ishur horim – Parents' approval Yuval Mantsura – Te'ashru Oti (lyrics) Ep. No. 29 about bureaucracy Ep. No. 39 about connections

24 October 2021 - 22nd Sunday after Pentecost - Bartimaeus is unique in the the Gospel of Mark. Ironically, although blind, he is one of the few who sees who Jesus claims to be. What can we, as modern disciples, learn from him? His faith is a bold faith, desperate to receive from Jesus. Unlike the rich young ruler, nothing, not even his cloak hinders him from following Jesus. Readings: Hebrews 11:1-6; Psalm 34; Mark 10:46-52 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ This sermon is also available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/christchurchjerusalem Listen to this sermon and more on our podcast. Search for Christ Church Jerusalem in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

News and commentary for Monday, 25 October, 2021.

The deception is even bigger than we can imagine! Everything is tied together. Blavatsky, Crowley, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, Archangel Michael, General Flynn, Pastor Hank Kunneman, Great White Power, Ascended Masters, Maitreya, Theosophy & More!

The CabalaNeville Goddard1/15/1965 "This past Wednesday I had occasion to go to an old Bible of mine and there I found two letters of my friend old Abdullah. I had long forgotten them, for they were given to me back in 1930 or '31. They are now molding and falling apart. They were simply instructions on the Cabala. And the first portion of them would not interest you because it's all very technical in Hebrew, but there are other portions of it that I know will interest you. And this is what he said in one: “Creatures are never guilty of the seeming wrongs they do. The Lord ordained all deeds, and he alone performs all that is performed.” That's what it starts with. He accuses no one of evil, for all have fulfilled his command and performed his service. If there is evil, I the Lord alone am evil (Is. 45:7)." Neville goddardMusic By Mettaverse language of light  ➤ Follow them on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2JW8BU2➤ Join them on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2G1j7G6➤ Subscribe to their channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyvjffON2NoUvX5q_TgvVkw  Alternate Universe Reality Activation  get full access to new meditations, new lectures, recordings from the reality con and the 90 day AURA meditation schedulehttps://realityrevolutionlive.com/aura45338118 BUY A COPY OF MY BOOKhttps://www.amazon.com/Reality-Revolution-Mind-Blowing-Movement-Hack/dp/154450618X/ Listen my book on audible https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Reality-Revolution-Audiobook/B087LV1R5V Prosperity Consciousness - https://youtu.be/kkMvngNKeDQ How to use breathing to change your life https://youtu.be/m4y71lnyV7A The Health Revolution – Becoming  Healthier through the power of your mind https://youtu.be/3UjSt3V8xso The Love Revolution: Using the Law of Attraction to find love… and your soulmate https://youtu.be/3-mhAfe2aO8 Finding Your Purpose - https://youtu.be/XJtZtmlWq9w Transform your health - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo9Ef3Qy_G9aduDHbkPbpKOb All my guided meditations in one place https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo_BfNnb5vLcwouInskcEhqL All my short meditations (you have 10 minutes) - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo-Mc0SiXK8Ef0opJeahwgfM All my episodes about parallel realities - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo-1-dStwX7huyhcxpJPMrWi All My Neville Goddard Videos In One Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo8kBZsJpp3xvkRwhbXuhg0M For all episodes of the Reality Revolution – https://www.therealityrevolution.com Subscribe to my Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgXHr5S3oF0qetPfqxJfSw #nevillegoddard #audiobooks #imagination #newthought #lawofattraction #totalhumanoptimization

Enables students of biblical Hebrew to grasp the basic concepts of English grammar so that they can transfer those concepts to Hebrew. One of the biggest hurdles students encounter while learning biblical languages is that they've forgotten the English grammar and terminology they were taught a long time ago (if they were taught it at all). Concepts like verb tense and voice, relative pronouns, antecedents, and adjectival substantives, may sound like familiar terms but seem foreign when it's time to put them into practice. English Grammar to Ace Biblical Hebrew reacquaints students and ministry leaders alike with the necessary English grammar in this concise and easy-to-read format, which includes: Chapter-end exercises. Tips for studying Hebrew. A glossary of terms. A list of additional Hebrew resources for further learning. Exhaustive in scope, this is also a great resource to grab for specific reference points so you can spend time focusing on learning Hebrew and applying your learning to exegesis and biblical study. This book is a companion to English Grammar to Ace New Testament Greek by Samuel Lamerson. (For Educational purposes only. The Creators own their music/songs and content.)

Continuing in the Apostle Paul's letter to those of The Way in Rome (Romans), chapter 10, Rabbi Steve Berkson poses the question that comes out of verse 4 – are you doing what you're doing just to look righteous to others, or are you doing it to look like Messiah Yeshua? In this chapter we see Paul quoting Moses from Deuteronomy chapter 30, who is talking to the people about the Torah, but symbolically speaking of Messiah. • When someone says, “I'm saved!”, what does that mean? Is it a status? a state of being? Moving into chapter 5 of Romans, Rabbi Steve takes us on a journey of understanding how we should feel honored and blessed when we go through “pressures”, which produce endurance, which produces the approval of YHVH. Then, going into the second letter from Peter (2 Peter) chapter 1, Rabbi Steve teaches us the steps that we should take to ensure that we will never fall from our faith. Don't miss out on new teachings every week. For more information about MTOI (Messianic Torah Observant Israel), visit our website, https://mtoi.org. Join us on Social media! Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtoiworldwide Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtoiworldwide We are located in Cleveland TN. If you would like to know more about us, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to visit us on our website, https://mtoi.org, email us at admin@mtoi.org or call us at 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services & Torah Study LIVE Streamed on our Main YouTube Channel every Saturday at 1:15 pm (EST) and every Tuesday for Torah Study Live Stream at 6:30 pm (EST).

Morning: Jeremiah 14–16 Jeremiah 14–16 (Listen) Famine, Sword, and Pestilence 14 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: 2   “Judah mourns,    and her gates languish;  her people lament on the ground,    and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.3   Her nobles send their servants for water;    they come to the cisterns;  they find no water;    they return with their vessels empty;  they are ashamed and confounded    and cover their heads.4   Because of the ground that is dismayed,    since there is no rain on the land,  the farmers are ashamed;    they cover their heads.5   Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn    because there is no grass.6   The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;    they pant for air like jackals;  their eyes fail    because there is no vegetation. 7   “Though our iniquities testify against us,    act, O LORD, for your name's sake;  for our backslidings are many;    we have sinned against you.8   O you hope of Israel,    its savior in time of trouble,  why should you be like a stranger in the land,    like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?9   Why should you be like a man confused,    like a mighty warrior who cannot save?  Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us,    and we are called by your name;    do not leave us.” 10   Thus says the LORD concerning this people:  “They have loved to wander thus;    they have not restrained their feet;  therefore the LORD does not accept them;    now he will remember their iniquity    and punish their sins.” 11 The LORD said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” Lying Prophets 13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'” 14 And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land': By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them. 17   “You shall say to them this word:  ‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,    and let them not cease,  for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,    with a very grievous blow.18   If I go out into the field,    behold, those pierced by the sword!  And if I enter the city,    behold, the diseases of famine!  For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land    and have no knowledge.'” 19   Have you utterly rejected Judah?    Does your soul loathe Zion?  Why have you struck us down    so that there is no healing for us?  We looked for peace, but no good came;    for a time of healing, but behold, terror.20   We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,    and the iniquity of our fathers,    for we have sinned against you.21   Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;    do not dishonor your glorious throne;    remember and do not break your covenant with us.22   Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?    Or can the heavens give showers?  Are you not he, O LORD our God?    We set our hope on you,    for you do all these things. The Lord Will Not Relent 15 Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! 2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?' you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD:   “‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,    and those who are for the sword, to the sword;  those who are for famine, to famine,    and those who are for captivity, to captivity.' 3 I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. 4 And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem. 5   “Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,    or who will grieve for you?  Who will turn aside    to ask about your welfare?6   You have rejected me, declares the LORD;    you keep going backward,  so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you—    I am weary of relenting.7   I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork    in the gates of the land;  I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people;    they did not turn from their ways.8   I have made their widows more in number    than the sand of the seas;  I have brought against the mothers of young men    a destroyer at noonday;  I have made anguish and terror    fall upon them suddenly.9   She who bore seven has grown feeble;    she has fainted away;  her sun went down while it was yet day;    she has been shamed and disgraced.  And the rest of them I will give to the sword    before their enemies,      declares the LORD.” Jeremiah's Complaint 10 Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. 11 The LORD said, “Have I not1 set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress? 12 Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze? 13 “Your wealth and your treasures I will give as spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. 14 I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” 15   O LORD, you know;    remember me and visit me,    and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.  In your forbearance take me not away;    know that for your sake I bear reproach.16   Your words were found, and I ate them,    and your words became to me a joy    and the delight of my heart,  for I am called by your name,    O LORD, God of hosts.17   I did not sit in the company of revelers,    nor did I rejoice;  I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,    for you had filled me with indignation.18   Why is my pain unceasing,    my wound incurable,    refusing to be healed?  Will you be to me like a deceitful brook,    like waters that fail? 19   Therefore thus says the LORD:  “If you return, I will restore you,    and you shall stand before me.  If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,    you shall be as my mouth.  They shall turn to you,    but you shall not turn to them.20   And I will make you to this people    a fortified wall of bronze;  they will fight against you,    but they shall not prevail over you,  for I am with you    to save you and deliver you,      declares the LORD.21   I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,    and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” Famine, Sword, and Death 16 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place. 3 For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning the mothers who bore them and the fathers who fathered them in this land: 4 They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth. 5 “For thus says the LORD: Do not enter the house of mourning, or go to lament or grieve for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people, my steadfast love and mercy, declares the LORD. 6 Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them. 7 No one shall break bread for the mourner, to comfort him for the dead, nor shall anyone give him the cup of consolation to drink for his father or his mother. 8 You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink. 9 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will silence in this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. 10 “And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' 11 then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, 12 and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. 13 Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.' The Lord Will Restore Israel 14 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' 15 but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers. 16 “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the LORD, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. 17 For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes. 18 But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.” 19   O LORD, my strength and my stronghold,    my refuge in the day of trouble,  to you shall the nations come    from the ends of the earth and say:  “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies,    worthless things in which there is no profit.20   Can man make for himself gods?    Such are not gods!” 21 “Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD.” Footnotes [1] 15:11 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain (ESV) Evening: 1 Timothy 5 1 Timothy 5 (Listen) Instructions for the Church 5 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. 3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband,1 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan. 16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows. 17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. Footnotes [1] 5:9 Or a woman of one man (ESV)

John 5–6 John 5–6 (Listen) The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath 5 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic1 called Bethesda,2 which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.3 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews4 said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.'” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk'?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” Jesus Is Equal with God 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. The Authority of the Son 19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father5 does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Witnesses to Jesus 30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 6 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii6 worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. Jesus Walks on Water 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,7 they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. I Am the Bread of Life 22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” 41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven'?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread8 the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus9 said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. The Words of Eternal Life 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. Footnotes [1] 5:2 Or Hebrew [2] 5:2 Some manuscripts Bethsaida [3] 5:3 Some manuscripts insert, wholly or in part, waiting for the moving of the water; 4for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had [4] 5:10 The Greek word Ioudaioi refers specifically here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, who opposed Jesus in that time; also verses 15, 16, 18 [5] 5:19 Greek he [6] 6:7 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer [7] 6:19 Greek twenty-five or thirty stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters [8] 6:58 Greek lacks the bread [9] 6:59 Greek He (ESV)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 10–12 Jeremiah 10–12 (Listen) Idols and the Living God 10 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the LORD:   “Learn not the way of the nations,    nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens    because the nations are dismayed at them,3   for the customs of the peoples are vanity.1  A tree from the forest is cut down    and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.4   They decorate it with silver and gold;    they fasten it with hammer and nails    so that it cannot move.5   Their idols2 are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,    and they cannot speak;  they have to be carried,    for they cannot walk.  Do not be afraid of them,    for they cannot do evil,    neither is it in them to do good.” 6   There is none like you, O LORD;    you are great, and your name is great in might.7   Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?    For this is your due;  for among all the wise ones of the nations    and in all their kingdoms    there is none like you.8   They are both stupid and foolish;    the instruction of idols is but wood!9   Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,    and gold from Uphaz.  They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;    their clothing is violet and purple;    they are all the work of skilled men.10   But the LORD is the true God;    he is the living God and the everlasting King.  At his wrath the earth quakes,    and the nations cannot endure his indignation. 11 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”3 12   It is he who made the earth by his power,    who established the world by his wisdom,    and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.13   When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,    and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.  He makes lightning for the rain,    and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.14   Every man is stupid and without knowledge;    every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,  for his images are false,    and there is no breath in them.15   They are worthless, a work of delusion;    at the time of their punishment they shall perish.16   Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,    for he is the one who formed all things,  and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;    the LORD of hosts is his name. 17   Gather up your bundle from the ground,    O you who dwell under siege!18   For thus says the LORD:  “Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land    at this time,  and I will bring distress on them,    that they may feel it.” 19   Woe is me because of my hurt!    My wound is grievous.  But I said, “Truly this is an affliction,    and I must bear it.”20   My tent is destroyed,    and all my cords are broken;  my children have gone from me,    and they are not;  there is no one to spread my tent again    and to set up my curtains.21   For the shepherds are stupid    and do not inquire of the LORD;  therefore they have not prospered,    and all their flock is scattered. 22   A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes!—    a great commotion out of the north country  to make the cities of Judah a desolation,    a lair of jackals. 23   I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself,    that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.24   Correct me, O LORD, but in justice;    not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. 25   Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not,    and on the peoples that call not on your name,  for they have devoured Jacob;    they have devoured him and consumed him,    and have laid waste his habitation. The Broken Covenant 11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 3 You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant 4 that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, 5 that I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.” Then I answered, “So be it, LORD.” 6 And the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice. 8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.” 9 Again the LORD said to me, “A conspiracy exists among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers. 11 Therefore, thus says the LORD, Behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they make offerings, but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble. 13 For your gods have become as many as your cities, O Judah, and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame, altars to make offerings to Baal. 14 “Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble. 15 What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done many vile deeds? Can even sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then exult? 16 The LORD once called you ‘a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.' But with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed. 17 The LORD of hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.” 18   The LORD made it known to me and I knew;    then you showed me their deeds.19   But I was like a gentle lamb    led to the slaughter.  I did not know it was against me    they devised schemes, saying,  “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,    let us cut him off from the land of the living,    that his name be remembered no more.”20   But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously,    who tests the heart and the mind,  let me see your vengeance upon them,    for to you have I committed my cause. 21 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, “Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand”—22 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine, 23 and none of them shall be left. For I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.” Jeremiah's Complaint 12   Righteous are you, O LORD,    when I complain to you;    yet I would plead my case before you.  Why does the way of the wicked prosper?    Why do all who are treacherous thrive?2   You plant them, and they take root;    they grow and produce fruit;  you are near in their mouth    and far from their heart.3   But you, O LORD, know me;    you see me, and test my heart toward you.  Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,    and set them apart for the day of slaughter.4   How long will the land mourn    and the grass of every field wither?  For the evil of those who dwell in it    the beasts and the birds are swept away,    because they said, “He will not see our latter end.” The Lord Answers Jeremiah 5   “If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,    how will you compete with horses?  And if in a safe land you are so trusting,    what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?6   For even your brothers and the house of your father,    even they have dealt treacherously with you;    they are in full cry after you;  do not believe them,    though they speak friendly words to you.” 7   “I have forsaken my house;    I have abandoned my heritage;  I have given the beloved of my soul    into the hands of her enemies.8   My heritage has become to me    like a lion in the forest;  she has lifted up her voice against me;    therefore I hate her.9   Is my heritage to me like a hyena's lair?    Are the birds of prey against her all around?  Go, assemble all the wild beasts;    bring them to devour.10   Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;    they have trampled down my portion;  they have made my pleasant portion    a desolate wilderness.11   They have made it a desolation;    desolate, it mourns to me.  The whole land is made desolate,    but no man lays it to heart.12   Upon all the bare heights in the desert    destroyers have come,  for the sword of the LORD devours    from one end of the land to the other;    no flesh has peace.13   They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;    they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.  They shall be ashamed of their4 harvests    because of the fierce anger of the LORD.” 14 Thus says the LORD concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15 And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the LORD lives,' even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17 But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the LORD.” Footnotes [1] 10:3 Or vapor, or mist [2] 10:5 Hebrew They [3] 10:11 This verse is in Aramaic [4] 12:13 Hebrew your (ESV) New Testament: 2 Peter 1:12–21 2 Peter 1:12–21 (Listen) 12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body,1 to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. Christ's Glory and the Prophetic Word 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son,2 with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Footnotes [1] 1:13 Greek tent; also verse 14 [2] 1:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 106:24–48 Psalm 106:24–48 (Listen) 24   Then they despised the pleasant land,    having no faith in his promise.25   They murmured in their tents,    and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26   Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27   and would make their offspring fall among the nations,    scattering them among the lands. 28   Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,    and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29   they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,    and a plague broke out among them.30   Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,    and the plague was stayed.31   And that was counted to him as righteousness    from generation to generation forever. 32   They angered him at the waters of Meribah,    and it went ill with Moses on their account,33   for they made his spirit bitter,1    and he spoke rashly with his lips. 34   They did not destroy the peoples,    as the LORD commanded them,35   but they mixed with the nations    and learned to do as they did.36   They served their idols,    which became a snare to them.37   They sacrificed their sons    and their daughters to the demons;38   they poured out innocent blood,    the blood of their sons and daughters,  whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,    and the land was polluted with blood.39   Thus they became unclean by their acts,    and played the whore in their deeds. 40   Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he abhorred his heritage;41   he gave them into the hand of the nations,    so that those who hated them ruled over them.42   Their enemies oppressed them,    and they were brought into subjection under their power.43   Many times he delivered them,    but they were rebellious in their purposes    and were brought low through their iniquity. 44   Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,    when he heard their cry.45   For their sake he remembered his covenant,    and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46   He caused them to be pitied    by all those who held them captive. 47   Save us, O LORD our God,    and gather us from among the nations,  that we may give thanks to your holy name    a

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 85 Psalm 85 (Listen) Revive Us Again To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 85   LORD, you were favorable to your land;    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.2   You forgave the iniquity of your people;    you covered all their sin. Selah3   You withdrew all your wrath;    you turned from your hot anger. 4   Restore us again, O God of our salvation,    and put away your indignation toward us!5   Will you be angry with us forever?    Will you prolong your anger to all generations?6   Will you not revive us again,    that your people may rejoice in you?7   Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,    and grant us your salvation. 8   Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;    but let them not turn back to folly.9   Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,    that glory may dwell in our land. 10   Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;    righteousness and peace kiss each other.11   Faithfulness springs up from the ground,    and righteousness looks down from the sky.12   Yes, the LORD will give what is good,    and our land will yield its increase.13   Righteousness will go before him    and make his footsteps a way. (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 18:1–19 1 Kings 18:1–19 (Listen) Elijah Confronts Ahab 18 After many days the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly, 4 and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) 5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” 6 So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself. 7 And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” 8 And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.'” 9 And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? 10 As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, ‘He is not here,' he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. 11 And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”' 12 And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. 13 Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? 14 And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”'; and he will kill me.” 15 And Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.” (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 47:13–48:35 Ezekiel 47:13–48:35 (Listen) Division of the Land 13 Thus says the Lord GOD: “This is the boundary1 by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. 14 And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance. 15 “This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to Zedad,2 16 Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north.3 This shall be the north side.4 18 “On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar.5 This shall be the east side. 19 “On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt6 to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side. 20 “On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side. 21 “So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD. 48 “These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending7 from the east side to the west,8 Dan, one portion. 2 Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. 3 Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion. 4 Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion. 5 Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion. 6 Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion. 7 Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion. 8 “Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits9 in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it. 9 The portion that you shall set apart for the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits in length, and 20,00010 in breadth. 10 These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the LORD in the midst of it. 11 This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did. 12 And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites. 13 And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000.11 14 They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the LORD. 15 “The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city, 16 and these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500. 17 And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250. 18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east, and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. 20 The whole portion that you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city. 21 “What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst. 22 It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin. 23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion. 24 Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion. 25 Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion. 26 Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion. 27 Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion. 28 And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt12 to the Great Sea.13 29 This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord GOD. The Gates of the City 30 “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, 31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. 32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates,14 the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.” Footnotes [1] 47:13 Probable reading; Hebrew The valley of the boundary [2] 47:15 Septuagint; Hebrew the entrance of Zedad, Hamath [3] 47:17 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [4] 47:17 Probable reading; Hebrew and as for the north side [5] 47:18 Compare Syriac; Hebrew to the eastern sea you shall measure [6] 47:19 Hebrew lacks of Egypt [7] 48:1 Probable reading; Hebrew and they shall be his [8] 48:1 Septuagint (compare verses 2–8); Hebrew the east side the west [9] 48:8 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [10] 48:9 Compare 45:1; Hebrew 10,000 [11] 48:13 Septuagint; Hebrew 10,000 [12] 48:28 Hebrew lacks of Egypt [13] 48:28 That is, the Mediterranean Sea [14] 48:34 One Hebrew manuscript, Syriac (compare Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts their gates three (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 16 Romans 16 (Listen) Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant1 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert2 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,3 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,4 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers5 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,6 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.7 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 16:1 Or deaconess [2] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [3] 16:7 Or Junias [4] 16:7 Or messengers [5] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [6] 16:18 Greek their own belly [7] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)

Proper 25 First Psalm: Psalm 41; Psalm 52 Psalm 41 (Listen) O Lord, Be Gracious to Me To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 41   Blessed is the one who considers the poor!1    In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;2   the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;    he is called blessed in the land;    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.3   The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;    in his illness you restore him to full health.2 4   As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;    heal me,3 for I have sinned against you!”5   My enemies say of me in malice,    “When will he die, and his name perish?”6   And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,    while his heart gathers iniquity;    when he goes out, he tells it abroad.7   All who hate me whisper together about me;    they imagine the worst for me.4 8   They say, “A deadly thing is poured out5 on him;    he will not rise again from where he lies.”9   Even my close friend in whom I trusted,    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.10   But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,    and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11   By this I know that you delight in me:    my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.12   But you have upheld me because of my integrity,    and set me in your presence forever. 13   Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,    from everlasting to everlasting!      Amen and Amen. Footnotes [1] 41:1 Or weak [2] 41:3 Hebrew you turn all his bed [3] 41:4 Hebrew my soul [4] 41:7 Or they devise evil against me [5] 41:8 Or has fastened (ESV) Psalm 52 (Listen) The Steadfast Love of God Endures To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” 52   Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.2   Your tongue plots destruction,    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.3   You love evil more than good,    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah4   You love all words that devour,    O deceitful tongue. 5   But God will break you down forever;    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah6   The righteous shall see and fear,    and shall laugh at him, saying,7   “See the man who would not make    God his refuge,  but trusted in the abundance of his riches    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”2 8   But I am like a green olive tree    in the house of God.  I trust in the steadfast love of God    forever and ever.9   I will thank you forever,    because you have done it.  I will wait for your name, for it is good,    in the presence of the godly. Footnotes [1] 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 52:7 Or in his work of destruction (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 44 Psalm 44 (Listen) Come to Our Help To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of the Sons of Korah. 44   O God, we have heard with our ears,    our fathers have told us,  what deeds you performed in their days,    in the days of old:2   you with your own hand drove out the nations,    but them you planted;  you afflicted the peoples,    but them you set free;3   for not by their own sword did they win the land,    nor did their own arm save them,  but your right hand and your arm,    and the light of your face,    for you delighted in them. 4   You are my King, O God;    ordain salvation for Jacob!5   Through you we push down our foes;    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.6   For not in my bow do I trust,    nor can my sword save me.7   But you have saved us from our foes    and have put to shame those who hate us.8   In God we have boasted continually,    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 9   But you have rejected us and disgraced us    and have not gone out with our armies.10   You have made us turn back from the foe,    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.11   You have made us like sheep for slaughter    and have scattered us among the nations.12   You have sold your people for a trifle,    demanding no high price for them.13   You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,    the derision and scorn of those around us.14   You have made us a byword among the nations,    a laughingstock2 among the peoples.15   All day long my disgrace is before me,    and shame has covered my face16   at the sound of the taunter and reviler,    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 17   All this has come upon us,    though we have not forgotten you,    and we have not been false to your covenant.18   Our heart has not turned back,    nor have our steps departed from your way;19   yet you have broken us in the place of jackals    and covered us with the shadow of death.20   If we had forgotten the name of our God    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,21   would not God discover this?    For he knows the secrets of the heart.22   Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 23   Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!24   Why do you hide your face?    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?25   For our soul is bowed down to the dust;    our belly clings to the ground.26   Rise up; come to our help!    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! Footnotes [1] 44:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 44:14 Hebrew a shaking of the head (ESV) Old Testament: Zechariah 1:7–17 Zechariah 1:7–17 (Listen) A Vision of a Horseman 7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 8 “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.' 10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.' 11 And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.' 12 Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?' 13 And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15 And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. 16 Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'” (ESV) New Testament: Revelation 1:4–20 Revelation 1:4–20 (Listen) Greeting to the Seven Churches 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail1 on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Vision of the Son of Man 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Footnotes [1] 1:7 Or mourn (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 12:43–50 Matthew 12:43–50 (Listen) Return of an Unclean Spirit 43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” Jesus' Mother and Brothers 46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers1 stood outside, asking to speak to him.2 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Footnotes [1] 12:46 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 48, 49 [2] 12:46 Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you” (ESV)

With family: 2 Kings 6; 1 Timothy 3 2 Kings 6 (Listen) The Axe Head Recovered 6 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” 3 Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” 4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it. Horses and Chariots of Fire 8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. 11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria. 20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. Ben-hadad's Siege of Samaria 24 Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab1 of dove's dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.' But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body—31 and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.” 32 Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” Footnotes [1] 6:25 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a kab was about 1 quart or 1 liter (ESV) 1 Timothy 3 (Listen) Qualifications for Overseers 3 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer1 must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,2 sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Qualifications for Deacons 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,3 not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise4 must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. The Mystery of Godliness 14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:   He5 was manifested in the flesh,    vindicated6 by the Spirit,7      seen by angels,  proclaimed among the nations,    believed on in the world,      taken up in glory. Footnotes [1] 3:2 Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1 [2] 3:2 Or a man of one woman; also verse 12 [3] 3:8 Or devious in speech [4] 3:11 Or Wives likewise, or Women likewise [5] 3:16 Greek Who; some manuscripts God; others Which [6] 3:16 Or justified [7] 3:16 Or vindicated in spirit (ESV) In private: Psalm 119:1–24; Daniel 10 Psalm 119:1–24 (Listen) Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet Aleph 119   1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,    who walk in the law of the LORD!2   Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,    who seek him with their whole heart,3   who also do no wrong,    but walk in his ways!4   You have commanded your precepts    to be kept diligently.5   Oh that my ways may be steadfast    in keeping your statutes!6   Then I shall not be put to shame,    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.7   I will praise you with an upright heart,    when I learn your righteous rules.28   I will keep your statutes;    do not utterly forsake me! Beth 9   How can a young man keep his way pure?    By guarding it according to your word.10   With my whole heart I seek you;    let me not wander from your commandments!11   I have stored up your word in my heart,    that I might not sin against you.12   Blessed are you, O LORD;    teach me your statutes!13   With my lips I declare    all the rules3 of your mouth.14   In the way of your testimonies I delight    as much as in all riches.15   I will meditate on your precepts    and fix my eyes on your ways.16   I will delight in your statutes;    I will not forget your word. Gimel 17   Deal bountifully with your servant,    that I may live and keep your word.18   Open my eyes, that I may behold    wondrous things out of your law.19   I am a sojourner on the earth;    hide not your commandments from me!20   My soul is consumed with longing    for your rules4 at all times.21   You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,    who wander from your commandments.22   Take away from me scorn and contempt,    for I have kept your testimonies.23   Even though princes sit plotting against me,    your servant will meditate on your statutes.24   Your testimonies are my delight;    they are my counselors. Footnotes [1] 119:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas, following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; within a stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter [2] 119:7 Or your just and righteous decrees; also verses 62, 106, 160, 164 [3] 119:13 Or all the just decrees [4] 119:20 Or your just decrees; also verses 30, 39, 43, 52, 75, 102, 108, 137, 156, 175 (ESV) Daniel 10 (Listen) Daniel's Terrifying Vision of a Man 10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict.1 And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed,2 and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” 15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” 18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. Footnotes [1] 10:1 Or and it was about a great conflict [2] 10:8 Hebrew My splendor was changed to ruin (ESV)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 10–12 Jeremiah 10–12 (Listen) Idols and the Living God 10 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the LORD:   “Learn not the way of the nations,    nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens    because the nations are dismayed at them,3   for the customs of the peoples are vanity.1  A tree from the forest is cut down    and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.4   They decorate it with silver and gold;    they fasten it with hammer and nails    so that it cannot move.5   Their idols2 are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,    and they cannot speak;  they have to be carried,    for they cannot walk.  Do not be afraid of them,    for they cannot do evil,    neither is it in them to do good.” 6   There is none like you, O LORD;    you are great, and your name is great in might.7   Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?    For this is your due;  for among all the wise ones of the nations    and in all their kingdoms    there is none like you.8   They are both stupid and foolish;    the instruction of idols is but wood!9   Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,    and gold from Uphaz.  They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;    their clothing is violet and purple;    they are all the work of skilled men.10   But the LORD is the true God;    he is the living God and the everlasting King.  At his wrath the earth quakes,    and the nations cannot endure his indignation. 11 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”3 12   It is he who made the earth by his power,    who established the world by his wisdom,    and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.13   When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,    and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.  He makes lightning for the rain,    and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.14   Every man is stupid and without knowledge;    every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,  for his images are false,    and there is no breath in them.15   They are worthless, a work of delusion;    at the time of their punishment they shall perish.16   Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,    for he is the one who formed all things,  and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;    the LORD of hosts is his name. 17   Gather up your bundle from the ground,    O you who dwell under siege!18   For thus says the LORD:  “Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land    at this time,  and I will bring distress on them,    that they may feel it.” 19   Woe is me because of my hurt!    My wound is grievous.  But I said, “Truly this is an affliction,    and I must bear it.”20   My tent is destroyed,    and all my cords are broken;  my children have gone from me,    and they are not;  there is no one to spread my tent again    and to set up my curtains.21   For the shepherds are stupid    and do not inquire of the LORD;  therefore they have not prospered,    and all their flock is scattered. 22   A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes!—    a great commotion out of the north country  to make the cities of Judah a desolation,    a lair of jackals. 23   I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself,    that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.24   Correct me, O LORD, but in justice;    not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. 25   Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not,    and on the peoples that call not on your name,  for they have devoured Jacob;    they have devoured him and consumed him,    and have laid waste his habitation. The Broken Covenant 11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 3 You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant 4 that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, 5 that I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.” Then I answered, “So be it, LORD.” 6 And the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice. 8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.” 9 Again the LORD said to me, “A conspiracy exists among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers. 11 Therefore, thus says the LORD, Behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they make offerings, but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble. 13 For your gods have become as many as your cities, O Judah, and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame, altars to make offerings to Baal. 14 “Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble. 15 What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done many vile deeds? Can even sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then exult? 16 The LORD once called you ‘a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.' But with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed. 17 The LORD of hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.” 18   The LORD made it known to me and I knew;    then you showed me their deeds.19   But I was like a gentle lamb    led to the slaughter.  I did not know it was against me    they devised schemes, saying,  “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,    let us cut him off from the land of the living,    that his name be remembered no more.”20   But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously,    who tests the heart and the mind,  let me see your vengeance upon them,    for to you have I committed my cause. 21 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, “Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand”—22 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine, 23 and none of them shall be left. For I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.” Jeremiah's Complaint 12   Righteous are you, O LORD,    when I complain to you;    yet I would plead my case before you.  Why does the way of the wicked prosper?    Why do all who are treacherous thrive?2   You plant them, and they take root;    they grow and produce fruit;  you are near in their mouth    and far from their heart.3   But you, O LORD, know me;    you see me, and test my heart toward you.  Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,    and set them apart for the day of slaughter.4   How long will the land mourn    and the grass of every field wither?  For the evil of those who dwell in it    the beasts and the birds are swept away,    because they said, “He will not see our latter end.” The Lord Answers Jeremiah 5   “If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,    how will you compete with horses?  And if in a safe land you are so trusting,    what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?6   For even your brothers and the house of your father,    even they have dealt treacherously with you;    they are in full cry after you;  do not believe them,    though they speak friendly words to you.” 7   “I have forsaken my house;    I have abandoned my heritage;  I have given the beloved of my soul    into the hands of her enemies.8   My heritage has become to me    like a lion in the forest;  she has lifted up her voice against me;    therefore I hate her.9   Is my heritage to me like a hyena's lair?    Are the birds of prey against her all around?  Go, assemble all the wild beasts;    bring them to devour.10   Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;    they have trampled down my portion;  they have made my pleasant portion    a desolate wilderness.11   They have made it a desolation;    desolate, it mourns to me.  The whole land is made desolate,    but no man lays it to heart.12   Upon all the bare heights in the desert    destroyers have come,  for the sword of the LORD devours    from one end of the land to the other;    no flesh has peace.13   They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;    they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.  They shall be ashamed of their4 harvests    because of the fierce anger of the LORD.” 14 Thus says the LORD concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15 And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the LORD lives,' even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17 But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the LORD.” Footnotes [1] 10:3 Or vapor, or mist [2] 10:5 Hebrew They [3] 10:11 This verse is in Aramaic [4] 12:13 Hebrew your (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 106:24–48 Psalm 106:24–48 (Listen) 24   Then they despised the pleasant land,    having no faith in his promise.25   They murmured in their tents,    and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26   Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27   and would make their offspring fall among the nations,    scattering them among the lands. 28   Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,    and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29   they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,    and a plague broke out among them.30   Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,    and the plague was stayed.31   And that was counted to him as righteousness    from generation to generation forever. 32   They angered him at the waters of Meribah,    and it went ill with Moses on their account,33   for they made his spirit bitter,1    and he spoke rashly with his lips. 34   They did not destroy the peoples,    as the LORD commanded them,35   but they mixed with the nations    and learned to do as they did.36   They served their idols,    which became a snare to them.37   They sacrificed their sons    and their daughters to the demons;38   they poured out innocent blood,    the blood of their sons and daughters,  whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,    and the land was polluted with blood.39   Thus they became unclean by their acts,    and played the whore in their deeds. 40   Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he abhorred his heritage;41   he gave them into the hand of the nations,    so that those who hated them ruled over them.42   Their enemies oppressed them,    and they were brought into subjection under their power.43   Many times he delivered them,    but they were rebellious in their purposes    and were brought low through their iniquity. 44   Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,    when he heard their cry.45   For their sake he remembered his covenant,    and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46   He caused them to be pitied    by all those who held them captive. 47   Save us, O LORD our God,    and gather us from among the nations,  that we may give thanks to your holy name    and glory in your praise. 48   Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,    from everlasting to everlasting!  And let all the people say, “Amen!”    Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 106:33 Or they rebelled against God's Spirit (ESV) New Testament: Romans 7 Romans 7 (Listen) Released from the Law 7 Or do you not know, brothers1—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.2 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. 4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.<

Author Dara Horn urges us to examine the reasons behind our fascination with Jewish deaths as representative of the worst of humanity's ills, and our lack of regard for Jewish lives as they unfold in the present. In her book, “People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present,” Dara draws on her own family's experiences — trying to explain Shakespeare's Shylock to a curious 10-year-old, her outrage when swastikas are drawn on desks at her children's New Jersey school, the profound and essential perspective offered by traditional religious practice, prayer, and study — to assert the vitality, complexity, and depth of this life in the face of anti-Semitism, which, far from being deterred by the mantra "Never forget," is on the rise. Dara studied Yiddish and Hebrew for her doctorate in comparative literature at Harvard University. She has taught these subjects at Sarah Lawrence College and Yeshiva University, as well as at Harvard, where she held the Gerald Weinstock Visiting Professorship in Jewish Studies. She has given hundreds of talks to audiences across North America, Israel, and Australia.   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 3:30 Dara's origins and early upbringing 5:38 Talking about Judaism from early childhood to college 11:39 Discussing some modern Hebrew writers and literature 24:55 Dara's story of becoming a writer and her first published works 39:53 How Dara turned to fiction after college and wrote her first novel 42:54 Brief synopsis of Dara's novels 49:03 Talking about “People Love Dead Jews,” and how it came to be 56:16 Problems with representations of Judaism and museum exhibitions about the Holocaust 1:10:00 How the book has been received and how it changed Dara 1:19:50 Introducing Dara's podcast, "Adventures with Dead Jews"   Connect with Dara Horn: Website: https://www.darahorn.com/ Podcast: Adventures with Dead Jews – search on any podcast platform Connect with Ari: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewsyoushouldknow Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewsUShouldKnow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rabbi.K Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ari-koretzky-18b12217/

The Constantinian church at Mamre appears on the Madaba Map (right margin, adjacent to the modern pillar) Mamre is the site where Abraham pitched the tents for his camp, built an altar (Genesis 13:18), and was brought divine tidings, in the guise of three angels, of Sarah's pregnancy (Genesis 18:1-15).The Oak of Mamre is possibly a Terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus) and its location near to Hebron (off limits to Israelis since the Oslo Accords).Genesis 13:18 has Abraham settling by 'the great trees of Mamre'. The original Hebrew tradition appears, to judge from a textual variation conserved in the Septuagint, to have referred to a single great oak tree, which Josephus called Ogyges.We investigate the man Mamre in Midrash as well as the dazzling interpretation of his interaction with Avrohom in the Tshuos Chen, Reb Gedaliah of Linitz a disciple of the BESHT.

The recurring number in the text, whether through symbol or literal number, is 3. The tree represents the number three and resurrection as well as the third spirit of Adonai, etzah, or counsel in English. The seeds and trees bearing fruit were created on the Third Day of Creation. A tree in Hebrew is etz. It's no coincidence that the Spirit of Counsel and trees share the same root. Both symbolize resurrection. The Spirit of Counsel is not so much about GIVING advice, but to "meekly RECEIVE the implanted Word of God." (Ja 1:21) If never, received, then Counsel will not sprout, a real roadblock to resurrection.

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God We reflect on this passage every day in our time together. The importance of stilling our minds, getting present, and knowing God. The essence of this verse is to let go of the awareness of time, demands, expectations and distractions. To get fully present in a moment. We live in a world that is so fast paced, day-to-day our interactions with our kids, people that we encounter, family members can happen so quickly that if we're not careful we don't allow ourselves to be fully present in them. In the original Hebrew of this psalm, Be still, the word is harpu, A more literal translation of harpu would be "cause yourselves to let go". Rather than merely being passive, we are instructed to actively let go. To let go of expectation, let go of preconceived thought, let go of distraction. Be fully present, attentive and available. Be still and know that I am God is obviously taking about how we are to be present in the presence of God. Can we apply this same principle to our everyday interactions? Can you think of a time were you look back and said, wait what just happened? Or what did I just say? Or what did you just say? We let our minds get so far ahead of ourselves that often we don't take time to be fully present, attentive and available. One thing that we know for sure is the time we have here on earth is finite, it's limited. Like grains of sand in an hourglass when it's gone it's gone. Let's make the most of the moments that we have, Be fully present, attentive and available Find the beauty in them, find God in them, find connection with those around us in them… Not rush through as if we have unlimited time to spend. Father, help me to be more present in everyday life. With you, with family, friends and with strangers. Thank you for the time you give us, the opportunities to experience you and others, help me to actively let go of distractions that keep me from all that you have for me, in the moments that I have. As above, so below.

Uncle Andrew is back with us.  From Come Follow Me Manual:As difficult as the last six years had been for the Saints, things started to look up in the spring of 1839: The refugee Saints had found compassion among the citizens of Quincy, Illinois. Guards had allowed the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders to escape captivity in Missouri. And the Church had just purchased land in Illinois where the Saints could gather again. Yes, it was swampy, mosquito-infested land, but compared to the challenges the Saints had already faced, this probably seemed manageable. So they drained the swamp and drafted a charter for a new city, which they named Nauvoo. It means “beautiful” in Hebrew, though it was more an expression of faith than an accurate description, at least at first. Meanwhile, the Lord was impressing His Prophet with a sense of urgency. He had more truths and ordinances to restore, and He needed a holy temple where the Saints could receive them. In many ways, these same feelings of faith and urgency are important in the Lord's work today.While Nauvoo did become a beautiful city with a beautiful temple, both were eventually abandoned. But the Lord's truly beautiful work, all along, has been to “crown you with honor, immortality, and eternal life” (Doctrine and Covenants 124:55), and that work never ends.

The Elite's idea of a Utopia is humanity's version of a dystopia. Dystopian societies are typically characterized by oppression, fear, and hopelessness. Since the fall of humanity, the world has been quite dystopic. However, there are a few more agendas that have to be met before the New World Order is in full effect.

Old Testament: Jeremiah 8–9 Jeremiah 8–9 (Listen) 8 “At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs. 2 And they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped. And they shall not be gathered or buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. 3 Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, declares the LORD of hosts. Sin and Treachery 4   “You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD:  When men fall, do they not rise again?    If one turns away, does he not return?5   Why then has this people turned away    in perpetual backsliding?  They hold fast to deceit;    they refuse to return.6   I have paid attention and listened,    but they have not spoken rightly;  no man relents of his evil,    saying, ‘What have I done?'  Everyone turns to his own course,    like a horse plunging headlong into battle.7   Even the stork in the heavens    knows her times,  and the turtledove, swallow, and crane1    keep the time of their coming,  but my people know not    the rules2 of the LORD. 8   “How can you say, ‘We are wise,    and the law of the LORD is with us'?  But behold, the lying pen of the scribes    has made it into a lie.9   The wise men shall be put to shame;    they shall be dismayed and taken;  behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD,    so what wisdom is in them?10   Therefore I will give their wives to others    and their fields to conquerors,  because from the least to the greatest    everyone is greedy for unjust gain;  from prophet to priest,    everyone deals falsely.11   They have healed the wound of my people lightly,    saying, ‘Peace, peace,'    when there is no peace.12   Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?    No, they were not at all ashamed;    they did not know how to blush.  Therefore they shall fall among the fallen;    when I punish them, they shall be overthrown,      says the LORD.13   When I would gather them, declares the LORD,    there are no grapes on the vine,    nor figs on the fig tree;  even the leaves are withered,    and what I gave them has passed away from them.”3 14   Why do we sit still?  Gather together; let us go into the fortified cities    and perish there,  for the LORD our God has doomed us to perish    and has given us poisoned water to drink,    because we have sinned against the LORD.15   We looked for peace, but no good came;    for a time of healing, but behold, terror. 16   “The snorting of their horses is heard from Dan;    at the sound of the neighing of their stallions    the whole land quakes.  They come and devour the land and all that fills it,    the city and those who dwell in it.17   For behold, I am sending among you serpents,    adders that cannot be charmed,    and they shall bite you,”      declares the LORD. Jeremiah Grieves for His People 18   My joy is gone; grief is upon me;4    my heart is sick within me.19   Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people    from the length and breadth of the land:  “Is the LORD not in Zion?    Is her King not in her?”  “Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images    and with their foreign idols?”20   “The harvest is past, the summer is ended,    and we are not saved.”21   For the wound of the daughter of my people is my heart wounded;    I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me. 22   Is there no balm in Gilead?    Is there no physician there?  Why then has the health of the daughter of my people    not been restored?9   5 Oh that my head were waters,    and my eyes a fountain of tears,  that I might weep day and night    for the slain of the daughter of my people!2   6 Oh that I had in the desert    a travelers' lodging place,  that I might leave my people    and go away from them!  For they are all adulterers,    a company of treacherous men.3   They bend their tongue like a bow;    falsehood and not truth has grown strong7 in the land;  for they proceed from evil to evil,    and they do not know me, declares the LORD. 4   Let everyone beware of his neighbor,    and put no trust in any brother,  for every brother is a deceiver,    and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.5   Everyone deceives his neighbor,    and no one speaks the truth;  they have taught their tongue to speak lies;    they weary themselves committing iniquity.6   Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,    they refuse to know me, declares the LORD. 7   Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts:  “Behold, I will refine them and test them,    for what else can I do, because of my people?8   Their tongue is a deadly arrow;    it speaks deceitfully;  with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor,    but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.9   Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD,    and shall I not avenge myself    on a nation such as this? 10   “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,    and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness,  because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,    and the lowing of cattle is not heard;  both the birds of the air and the beasts    have fled and are gone.11   I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,    a lair of jackals,  and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,    without inhabitant.” 12 Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? 13 And the LORD says: “Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, 14 but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. 16 I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.” 17   Thus says the LORD of hosts:  “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come;    send for the skillful women to come;18   let them make haste and raise a wailing over us,    that our eyes may run down with tears    and our eyelids flow with water.19   For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:    ‘How we are ruined!    We are utterly shamed,  because we have left the land,    because they have cast down our dwellings.'” 20   Hear, O women, the word of the LORD,    and let your ear receive the word of his mouth;  teach to your daughters a lament,    and each to her neighbor a dirge.21   For death has come up into our windows;    it has entered our palaces,  cutting off the children from the streets    and the young men from the squares.22   Speak: “Thus declares the LORD,  ‘The dead bodies of men shall fall    like dung upon the open field,  like sheaves after the reaper,    and none shall gather them.'” 23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” 25 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh—26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.” Footnotes [1] 8:7 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [2] 8:7 Or just decrees [3] 8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [4] 8:18 Compare Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [5] 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew [6] 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew [7] 9:3 Septuagint; Hebrew and not for truth they have grown strong (ESV) New Testament: 2 Peter 1:1–11 2 Peter 1:1–11 (Listen) Greeting 1 Simeon1 Peter, a servant2 and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Confirm Your Calling and Election 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to3 his own glory and excellence,4 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,5 and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities6 are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,7 be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Footnotes [1] 1:1 Some manuscripts Simon [2] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [3] 1:3 Or by [4] 1:3 Or virtue [5] 1:5 Or excellence; twice in this verse [6] 1:8 Greek these things; also verses 9, 10, 12 [7] 1:10 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 106:1–23 Psalm 106:1–23 (Listen) Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good 106   Praise the LORD!  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever!2   Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,    or declare all his praise?3   Blessed are they who observe justice,    who do righteousness at all times! 4   Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;    help me when you save them,15   that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,    that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,    that I may glory with your inheritance. 6   Both we and our fathers have sinned;    we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7   Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,    did not consider your wondrous works;  they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,    but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.8   Yet he saved them for his name's sake,    that he might make known his mighty power.9   He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,    and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10   So he saved them from the hand of the foe    and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11   And the waters covered their adversaries;    not one of them was left.12   Then they believed his words;    they sang his praise. 13   But they soon forgot his works;    they did not wait for his counsel.14   But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,    and put God to the test in the desert;15   he gave them what they asked,    but sent a wasting disease among them. 16   When men in the camp were jealous of Moses    and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17   the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,    and covered the company of Abiram.18   Fire also broke out in their company;    the flame burned up the wicked. 19   They made a calf in Horeb    and worshiped a metal image.20   They exchanged the glory of God2    for the image of an ox that eats grass.21   They forgot God, their Savior,    who had done great things in Egypt,22   wondrous works in the land of Ham,    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23   Therefore he said he would destroy them—    had not Moses, his chosen one,  stood in the breach before him,    to turn away his wrath from destroying them. Footnotes [1] 106:4 Or Remember me, O Lord

Morning: Jeremiah 11–13 Jeremiah 11–13 (Listen) The Broken Covenant 11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 3 You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant 4 that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, 5 that I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.” Then I answered, “So be it, LORD.” 6 And the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice. 8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.” 9 Again the LORD said to me, “A conspiracy exists among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers. 11 Therefore, thus says the LORD, Behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they make offerings, but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble. 13 For your gods have become as many as your cities, O Judah, and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame, altars to make offerings to Baal. 14 “Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble. 15 What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done many vile deeds? Can even sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then exult? 16 The LORD once called you ‘a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.' But with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed. 17 The LORD of hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.” 18   The LORD made it known to me and I knew;    then you showed me their deeds.19   But I was like a gentle lamb    led to the slaughter.  I did not know it was against me    they devised schemes, saying,  “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,    let us cut him off from the land of the living,    that his name be remembered no more.”20   But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously,    who tests the heart and the mind,  let me see your vengeance upon them,    for to you have I committed my cause. 21 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, “Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand”—22 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine, 23 and none of them shall be left. For I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.” Jeremiah's Complaint 12   Righteous are you, O LORD,    when I complain to you;    yet I would plead my case before you.  Why does the way of the wicked prosper?    Why do all who are treacherous thrive?2   You plant them, and they take root;    they grow and produce fruit;  you are near in their mouth    and far from their heart.3   But you, O LORD, know me;    you see me, and test my heart toward you.  Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,    and set them apart for the day of slaughter.4   How long will the land mourn    and the grass of every field wither?  For the evil of those who dwell in it    the beasts and the birds are swept away,    because they said, “He will not see our latter end.” The Lord Answers Jeremiah 5   “If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,    how will you compete with horses?  And if in a safe land you are so trusting,    what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?6   For even your brothers and the house of your father,    even they have dealt treacherously with you;    they are in full cry after you;  do not believe them,    though they speak friendly words to you.” 7   “I have forsaken my house;    I have abandoned my heritage;  I have given the beloved of my soul    into the hands of her enemies.8   My heritage has become to me    like a lion in the forest;  she has lifted up her voice against me;    therefore I hate her.9   Is my heritage to me like a hyena's lair?    Are the birds of prey against her all around?  Go, assemble all the wild beasts;    bring them to devour.10   Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;    they have trampled down my portion;  they have made my pleasant portion    a desolate wilderness.11   They have made it a desolation;    desolate, it mourns to me.  The whole land is made desolate,    but no man lays it to heart.12   Upon all the bare heights in the desert    destroyers have come,  for the sword of the LORD devours    from one end of the land to the other;    no flesh has peace.13   They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;    they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.  They shall be ashamed of their1 harvests    because of the fierce anger of the LORD.” 14 Thus says the LORD concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15 And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the LORD lives,' even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17 But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the LORD.” The Ruined Loincloth 13 Thus says the LORD to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist. 3 And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, 4 “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 And after many days the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen. The Jars Filled with Wine 12 “You shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Every jar shall be filled with wine.”' And they will say to you, ‘Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?' 13 Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 14 And I will dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the LORD. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.'” Exile Threatened 15   Hear and give ear; be not proud,    for the LORD has spoken.16   Give glory to the LORD your God    before he brings darkness,  before your feet stumble    on the twilight mountains,  and while you look for light    he turns it into gloom    and makes it deep darkness.17   But if you will not listen,    my soul will weep in secret for your pride;  my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears,    because the LORD's flock has been taken captive. 18   Say to the king and the queen mother:    “Take a lowly seat,  for your beautiful crown    has come down from your head.”19   The cities of the Negeb are shut up,    with none to open them;  all Judah is taken into exile,    wholly taken into exile. 20   “Lift up your eyes and see    those who come from the north.  Where is the flock that was given you,    your beautiful flock?21   What will you say when they set as head over you    those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you?  Will not pangs take hold of you    like those of a woman in labor?22   And if you say in your heart,    ‘Why have these things come upon me?'  it is for the greatness of your iniquity    that your skirts are lifted up    and you suffer violence.23   Can the Ethiopian change his skin    or the leopard his spots?  Then also you can do good    who are accustomed to do evil.24   I will scatter you2 like chaff    driven by the wind from the desert.25   This is your lot,    the portion I have measured out to you, declares the LORD,  because you have forgotten me    and trusted in lies.26   I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,    and your shame will be seen.27   I have seen your abominations,    your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings,    on the hills in the field.  Woe to you, O Jerusalem!    How long will it be before you are made clean?” Footnotes [1] 12:13 Hebrew your [2] 13:24 Hebrew them (ESV) Evening: 1 Timothy 4 1 Timothy 4 (Listen) Some Will Depart from the Faith 4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. A Good Servant of Christ Jesus 6 If you put these things before the brothers,1 you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive,2 because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,3 so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. Footnotes [1] 4:6 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters [2] 4:10 Some manuscripts and suffer reproach [3] 4:15 Greek be in them (ESV)

With family: 2 Kings 5; 1 Timothy 2 2 Kings 5 (Listen) Naaman Healed of Leprosy 5 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.1 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels2 of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.” 8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana3 and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean'?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Gehazi's Greed and Punishment 15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. 18 In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.” But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.'” 23 And Naaman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. 24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26 But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow. Footnotes [1] 5:1 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [2] 5:5 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms; a shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 5:12 Or Amana (ESV) 1 Timothy 2 (Listen) Pray for All People 2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man1 Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. Footnotes [1] 2:5 men and man render the same Greek word that is translated people in verses 1 and 4 (ESV) In private: Psalms 117–118; Daniel 9 Psalms 117–118 (Listen) The Lord's Faithfulness Endures Forever 117   Praise the LORD, all nations!    Extol him, all peoples!2   For great is his steadfast love toward us,    and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.  Praise the LORD! His Steadfast Love Endures Forever 118   Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;    for his steadfast love endures forever! 2   Let Israel say,    “His steadfast love endures forever.”3   Let the house of Aaron say,    “His steadfast love endures forever.”4   Let those who fear the LORD say,    “His steadfast love endures forever.” 5   Out of my distress I called on the LORD;    the LORD answered me and set me free.6   The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.    What can man do to me?7   The LORD is on my side as my helper;    I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8   It is better to take refuge in the LORD    than to trust in man.9   It is better to take refuge in the LORD    than to trust in princes. 10   All nations surrounded me;    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!11   They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!12   They surrounded me like bees;    they went out like a fire among thorns;    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!13   I was pushed hard,1 so that I was falling,    but the LORD helped me. 14   The LORD is my strength and my song;    he has become my salvation.15   Glad songs of salvation    are in the tents of the righteous:  “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,16     the right hand of the LORD exalts,    the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” 17   I shall not die, but I shall live,    and recount the deeds of the LORD.18   The LORD has disciplined me severely,    but he has not given me over to death. 19   Open to me the gates of righteousness,    that I may enter through them    and give thanks to the LORD.20   This is the gate of the LORD;    the righteous shall enter through it.21   I thank you that you have answered me    and have become my salvation.22   The stone that the builders rejected    has become the cornerstone.223   This is the LORD's doing;    it is marvelous in our eyes.24   This is the day that the LORD has made;    let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25   Save us, we pray, O LORD!    O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26   Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!    We bless you from the house of the LORD.27   The LORD is God,    and he has made his light to shine upon us.  Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,    up to the horns of the altar! 28   You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;    you are my God; I will extol you.29   Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;    for his steadfast love endures forever! Footnotes [1] 118:13 Hebrew You (that is, the enemy) pushed me hard [2] 118:22 Hebrew the head of the corner (ESV) Daniel 9 (Listen) Daniel's Prayer for His People 9 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us,1 by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord,2 make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” Gabriel Brings an Answer 20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision. The Seventy Weeks 24 “Seventy weeks3 are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.4 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again5 with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its6 end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,7 and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” Footnotes [1] 9:12 Or our judges who judged us [2] 9:17 Hebrew for the Lord's sake [3] 9:24 Or sevens; also twice in verse 25 and once in verse 26 [4] 9:24 Or thing, or one [5] 9:25 Or there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again [6] 9:26 Or His [7] 9:27 Or seven; twice in this verse (ESV)

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 84 Psalm 84 (Listen) My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.1 A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 84   How lovely is your dwelling place,    O LORD of hosts!2   My soul longs, yes, faints    for the courts of the LORD;  my heart and flesh sing for joy    to the living God. 3   Even the sparrow finds a home,    and the swallow a nest for herself,    where she may lay her young,  at your altars, O LORD of hosts,    my King and my God.4   Blessed are those who dwell in your house,    ever singing your praise! Selah 5   Blessed are those whose strength is in you,    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.26   As they go through the Valley of Baca    they make it a place of springs;    the early rain also covers it with pools.7   They go from strength to strength;    each one appears before God in Zion. 8   O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah9   Behold our shield, O God;    look on the face of your anointed! 10   For a day in your courts is better    than a thousand elsewhere.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.11   For the LORD God is a sun and shield;    the LORD bestows favor and honor.  No good thing does he withhold    from those who walk uprightly.12   O LORD of hosts,    blessed is the one who trusts in you! Footnotes [1] 84:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 84:5 Hebrew lacks to Zion (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 17 1 Kings 17 (Listen) Elijah Predicts a Drought 17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe1 in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the LORD came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. The Widow of Zarephath 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. Elijah Raises the Widow's Son 17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child's life2 come into him again.” 22 And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.” Footnotes [1] 17:1 Septuagint; Hebrew of the settlers [2] 17:21 Or soul; also verse 22 (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 47:1–12 Ezekiel 47:1–12 (Listen) Water Flowing from the Temple 47 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. 3 Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits,1 and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. 5 Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea;2 when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.3 9 And wherever the river goes,4 every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea5 may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.6 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 12 And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” Footnotes [1] 47:3 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 47:8 That is, the Dead Sea [3] 47:8 Hebrew will be healed; also verses 9, 11 [4] 47:9 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; Hebrew the two rivers go [5] 47:9 Hebrew lacks the waters of the sea [6] 47:10 That is, the Mediterranean Sea; also verses 15, 19, 20 (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 15:14–33 Romans 15:14–33 (Listen) Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,   “Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 8–9 Jeremiah 8–9 (Listen) 8 “At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs. 2 And they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped. And they shall not be gathered or buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. 3 Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, declares the LORD of hosts. Sin and Treachery 4   “You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD:  When men fall, do they not rise again?    If one turns away, does he not return?5   Why then has this people turned away    in perpetual backsliding?  They hold fast to deceit;    they refuse to return.6   I have paid attention and listened,    but they have not spoken rightly;  no man relents of his evil,    saying, ‘What have I done?'  Everyone turns to his own course,    like a horse plunging headlong into battle.7   Even the stork in the heavens    knows her times,  and the turtledove, swallow, and crane1    keep the time of their coming,  but my people know not    the rules2 of the LORD. 8   “How can you say, ‘We are wise,    and the law of the LORD is with us'?  But behold, the lying pen of the scribes    has made it into a lie.9   The wise men shall be put to shame;    they shall be dismayed and taken;  behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD,    so what wisdom is in them?10   Therefore I will give their wives to others    and their fields to conquerors,  because from the least to the greatest    everyone is greedy for unjust gain;  from prophet to priest,    everyone deals falsely.11   They have healed the wound of my people lightly,    saying, ‘Peace, peace,'    when there is no peace.12   Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?    No, they were not at all ashamed;    they did not know how to blush.  Therefore they shall fall among the fallen;    when I punish them, they shall be overthrown,      says the LORD.13   When I would gather them, declares the LORD,    there are no grapes on the vine,    nor figs on the fig tree;  even the leaves are withered,    and what I gave them has passed away from them.”3 14   Why do we sit still?  Gather together; let us go into the fortified cities    and perish there,  for the LORD our God has doomed us to perish    and has given us poisoned water to drink,    because we have sinned against the LORD.15   We looked for peace, but no good came;    for a time of healing, but behold, terror. 16   “The snorting of their horses is heard from Dan;    at the sound of the neighing of their stallions    the whole land quakes.  They come and devour the land and all that fills it,    the city and those who dwell in it.17   For behold, I am sending among you serpents,    adders that cannot be charmed,    and they shall bite you,”      declares the LORD. Jeremiah Grieves for His People 18   My joy is gone; grief is upon me;4    my heart is sick within me.19   Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people    from the length and breadth of the land:  “Is the LORD not in Zion?    Is her King not in her?”  “Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images    and with their foreign idols?”20   “The harvest is past, the summer is ended,    and we are not saved.”21   For the wound of the daughter of my people is my heart wounded;    I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me. 22   Is there no balm in Gilead?    Is there no physician there?  Why then has the health of the daughter of my people    not been restored?9   5 Oh that my head were waters,    and my eyes a fountain of tears,  that I might weep day and night    for the slain of the daughter of my people!2   6 Oh that I had in the desert    a travelers' lodging place,  that I might leave my people    and go away from them!  For they are all adulterers,    a company of treacherous men.3   They bend their tongue like a bow;    falsehood and not truth has grown strong7 in the land;  for they proceed from evil to evil,    and they do not know me, declares the LORD. 4   Let everyone beware of his neighbor,    and put no trust in any brother,  for every brother is a deceiver,    and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.5   Everyone deceives his neighbor,    and no one speaks the truth;  they have taught their tongue to speak lies;    they weary themselves committing iniquity.6   Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,    they refuse to know me, declares the LORD. 7   Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts:  “Behold, I will refine them and test them,    for what else can I do, because of my people?8   Their tongue is a deadly arrow;    it speaks deceitfully;  with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor,    but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.9   Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD,    and shall I not avenge myself    on a nation such as this? 10   “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,    and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness,  because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,    and the lowing of cattle is not heard;  both the birds of the air and the beasts    have fled and are gone.11   I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,    a lair of jackals,  and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,    without inhabitant.” 12 Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? 13 And the LORD says: “Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, 14 but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. 16 I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.” 17   Thus says the LORD of hosts:  “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come;    send for the skillful women to come;18   let them make haste and raise a wailing over us,    that our eyes may run down with tears    and our eyelids flow with water.19   For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:    ‘How we are ruined!    We are utterly shamed,  because we have left the land,    because they have cast down our dwellings.'” 20   Hear, O women, the word of the LORD,    and let your ear receive the word of his mouth;  teach to your daughters a lament,    and each to her neighbor a dirge.21   For death has come up into our windows;    it has entered our palaces,  cutting off the children from the streets    and the young men from the squares.22   Speak: “Thus declares the LORD,  ‘The dead bodies of men shall fall    like dung upon the open field,  like sheaves after the reaper,    and none shall gather them.'” 23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” 25 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh—26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.” Footnotes [1] 8:7 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [2] 8:7 Or just decrees [3] 8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [4] 8:18 Compare Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [5] 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew [6] 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew [7] 9:3 Septuagint; Hebrew and not for truth they have grown strong (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 106:1–23 Psalm 106:1–23 (Listen) Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good 106   Praise the LORD!  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever!2   Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,    or declare all his praise?3   Blessed are they who observe justice,    who do righteousness at all times! 4   Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;    help me when you save them,15   that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,    that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,    that I may glory with your inheritance. 6   Both we and our fathers have sinned;    we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7   Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,    did not consider your wondrous works;  they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,    but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.8   Yet he saved them for his name's sake,    that he might make known his mighty power.9   He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,    and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10   So he saved them from the hand of the foe    and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11   And the waters covered their adversaries;    not one of them was left.12   Then they believed his words;    they sang his praise. 13   But they soon forgot his works;    they did not wait for his counsel.14   But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,    and put God to the test in the desert;15   he gave them what they asked,    but sent a wasting disease among them. 16   When men in the camp were jealous of Moses    and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17   the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,    and covered the company of Abiram.18   Fire also broke out in their company;    the flame burned up the wicked. 19   They made a calf in Horeb    and worshiped a metal image.20   They exchanged the glory of God2    for the image of an ox that eats grass.21   They forgot God, their Savior,    who had done great things in Egypt,22   wondrous works in the land of Ham,    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23   Therefore he said he would destroy them—    had not Moses, his chosen one,  stood in the breach before him,    to turn away his wrath from destroying them. Footnotes [1] 106:4 Or Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you show to your people; help me with your salvation [2] 106:20 Hebrew exchanged their glory (ESV) New Testament: Romans 5–6 Romans 5–6 (Listen) Peace with God Through Faith 5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we1 have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith2 into this grace in which we stand, and we3 rejoice4 in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Death in Adam, Life in Christ 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men5 because all sinned—13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass6 led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness7 leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21&nb

Part 1 of 2. Dennis Prager & Eric Metaxas at Calvary Chapel The Eric Metaxas Show Dennis Prager joins Eric at Calvary Chapel in Chattanooga for an utterly no holds barred discussion about where America is headed -- and, yes, there's some good news!  Oct 15 2021   The Eric Metaxas Show- https://metaxastalk.com/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------  Visit Pragertopia  https://pragertopia.com/member/signup.php  The first month is 99 cents. After the first month the cost is $7.50 per month. If you can afford to pay for only one podcast, this is the one we recommend. It is the best conservative radio show out there, period. ACU strongly recommends ALL ACU students and alumni subscribe to Pragertopia. Do it today!  You can listen to Dennis from 9 a.m. to Noon (Pacific) Monday thru Friday, live on the Internet  http://www.dennisprager.com/pages/listen  ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For a great archive of Prager University videos visit- https://www.youtube.com/user/PragerUniversity/featured   Donate today to PragerU! http://l.prageru.com/2eB2p0h Get PragerU bonus content for free! https://www.prageru.com/bonus-content Download Pragerpedia on your iPhone or Android! Thousands of sources and facts at your fingertips. iPhone: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsnbG Android: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsS5e Join Prager United to get new swag every quarter, exclusive early access to our videos, and an annual TownHall phone call with Dennis Prager! http://l.prageru.com/2c9n6ys Join PragerU's text list to have these videos, free merchandise giveaways and breaking announcements sent directly to your phone! https://optin.mobiniti.com/prageru Do you shop on Amazon? Click https://smile.amazon.com and a percentage of every Amazon purchase will be donated to PragerU. Same great products. Same low price. Shopping made meaningful. VISIT PragerU! https://www.prageru.com FOLLOW us! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prageru Twitter: https://twitter.com/prageru Instagram: https://instagram.com/prageru/ PragerU is on Snapchat! JOIN PragerFORCE! For Students: http://l.prageru.com/2aozfkP JOIN our Educators Network! http://l.prageru.com/2aoz2y9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager   NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Dennis Prager has put together one of the most stunning commentaries in modern times on the most profound document in human history. It's a must-read that every person, religious and non-religious, should buy and peruse every night before bed. It'll make you think harder, pray more ardently, and understand your civilization better." — Ben Shapiro, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show" "Dennis Prager's commentary on Exodus will rank among the greatest modern Torah commentaries. That is how important I think it is. And I am clearly not alone... It might well be on its way to becoming the most widely read Torah commentary of our time—and by non-Jews as well as by Jews." — Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, bestselling author of Jewish Literacy Why do so many people think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is outdated? Why do our friends and neighbors – and sometimes we ourselves – dismiss the Bible as irrelevant, irrational, immoral, or all of these things? This explanation of the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, will demonstrate that the Bible is not only powerfully relevant to today's issues, but completely consistent with rational thought. Do you think the Bible permitted the trans-Atlantic slave trade? You won't after reading this book. Do you struggle to love your parents? If you do, you need this book. Do you doubt the existence of God because belief in God is “irrational?” This book will give you reason after reason to rethink your doubts. The title of this commentary is, “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. As Prager says, “If something I write does not make rational sense, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's forty years of teaching the Bible to people of every faith, and no faith. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world and to your life. His goal: to change your mind – and then change your life.   Highly Recommended by ACU. Purchase his book at- https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Bible-Exodus-Dennis-Prager/dp/1621577724     The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager  USA Today bestseller Publishers Weekly bestseller Wall Street Journal bestseller Many people today think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is not only outdated but irrelevant, irrational, and even immoral. This explanation of the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, demonstrates clearly and powerfully that the opposite is true. The Bible remains profoundly relevant—both to the great issues of our day and to each individual life. It is the greatest moral guide and source of wisdom ever written. Do you doubt the existence of God because you think believing in God is irrational? This book will give you many reasons to rethink your doubts. Do you think faith and science are in conflict? You won't after reading this commentary on Genesis. Do you come from a dysfunctional family? It may comfort you to know that every family discussed in Genesis was highly dysfunctional! The title of this commentary is “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. In Dennis Prager's words, “If something I write is not rational, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's forty years of teaching the Bible—whose Hebrew grammar and vocabulary he has mastered—to people of every faith and no faith at all. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world in general and to you personally. His goal: to change your mind—and, as a result, to change your life.   Highly Recommended by ACU. Purchase his book at- https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Bible-Genesis-Dennis-Prager/dp/1621578984

Part 1 of 2. Dennis Prager & Eric Metaxas at Calvary Chapel The Eric Metaxas Show Dennis Prager joins Eric at Calvary Chapel in Chattanooga for an utterly no holds barred discussion about where America is headed -- and, yes, there's some good news!  Oct 15 2021   The Eric Metaxas Show- https://metaxastalk.com/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------  Visit Pragertopia  https://pragertopia.com/member/signup.php  The first month is 99 cents. After the first month the cost is $7.50 per month. If you can afford to pay for only one podcast, this is the one we recommend. It is the best conservative radio show out there, period. ACU strongly recommends ALL ACU students and alumni subscribe to Pragertopia. Do it today!  You can listen to Dennis from 9 a.m. to Noon (Pacific) Monday thru Friday, live on the Internet  http://www.dennisprager.com/pages/listen  ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For a great archive of Prager University videos visit- https://www.youtube.com/user/PragerUniversity/featured   Donate today to PragerU! http://l.prageru.com/2eB2p0h Get PragerU bonus content for free! https://www.prageru.com/bonus-content Download Pragerpedia on your iPhone or Android! Thousands of sources and facts at your fingertips. iPhone: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsnbG Android: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsS5e Join Prager United to get new swag every quarter, exclusive early access to our videos, and an annual TownHall phone call with Dennis Prager! http://l.prageru.com/2c9n6ys Join PragerU's text list to have these videos, free merchandise giveaways and breaking announcements sent directly to your phone! https://optin.mobiniti.com/prageru Do you shop on Amazon? Click https://smile.amazon.com and a percentage of every Amazon purchase will be donated to PragerU. Same great products. Same low price. Shopping made meaningful. VISIT PragerU! https://www.prageru.com FOLLOW us! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prageru Twitter: https://twitter.com/prageru Instagram: https://instagram.com/prageru/ PragerU is on Snapchat! JOIN PragerFORCE! For Students: http://l.prageru.com/2aozfkP JOIN our Educators Network! http://l.prageru.com/2aoz2y9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager   NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Dennis Prager has put together one of the most stunning commentaries in modern times on the most profound document in human history. It's a must-read that every person, religious and non-religious, should buy and peruse every night before bed. It'll make you think harder, pray more ardently, and understand your civilization better." — Ben Shapiro, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show" "Dennis Prager's commentary on Exodus will rank among the greatest modern Torah commentaries. That is how important I think it is. And I am clearly not alone... It might well be on its way to becoming the most widely read Torah commentary of our time—and by non-Jews as well as by Jews." — Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, bestselling author of Jewish Literacy Why do so many people think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is outdated? Why do our friends and neighbors – and sometimes we ourselves – dismiss the Bible as irrelevant, irrational, immoral, or all of these things? This explanation of the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, will demonstrate that the Bible is not only powerfully relevant to today's issues, but completely consistent with rational thought. Do you think the Bible permitted the trans-Atlantic slave trade? You won't after reading this book. Do you struggle to love your parents? If you do, you need this book. Do you doubt the existence of God because belief in God is “irrational?” This book will give you reason after reason to rethink your doubts. The title of this commentary is, “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. As Prager says, “If something I write does not make rational sense, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's forty years of teaching the Bible to people of every faith, and no faith. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world and to your life. His goal: to change your mind – and then change your life.   Highly Recommended by ACU. Purchase his book at- https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Bible-Exodus-Dennis-Prager/dp/1621577724     The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager  USA Today bestseller Publishers Weekly bestseller Wall Street Journal bestseller Many people today think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is not only outdated but irrelevant, irrational, and even immoral. This explanation of the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, demonstrates clearly and powerfully that the opposite is true. The Bible remains profoundly relevant—both to the great issues of our day and to each individual life. It is the greatest moral guide and source of wisdom ever written. Do you doubt the existence of God because you think believing in God is irrational? This book will give you many reasons to rethink your doubts. Do you think faith and science are in conflict? You won't after reading this commentary on Genesis. Do you come from a dysfunctional family? It may comfort you to know that every family discussed in Genesis was highly dysfunctional! The title of this commentary is “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. In Dennis Prager's words, “If something I write is not rational, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's forty years of teaching the Bible—whose Hebrew grammar and vocabulary he has mastered—to people of every faith and no faith at all. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world in general and to you personally. His goal: to change your mind—and, as a result, to change your life.   Highly Recommended by ACU. Purchase his book at- https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Bible-Genesis-Dennis-Prager/dp/1621578984

learn how active recall is an important part of this learning strategy https://www.hebrewpod101.com/?src=rss10242021

Part 2 of 2. Dennis Prager & Eric Metaxas at Calvary Chapel The Eric Metaxas Show Dennis Prager and Eric at Calvary Chapel continue their discussion of cultural life in America today in a fun and spirited interview that will ultimately encourage you  Oct 15 2021   The Eric Metaxas Show- https://metaxastalk.com/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------  Visit Pragertopia  https://pragertopia.com/member/signup.php  The first month is 99 cents. After the first month the cost is $7.50 per month. If you can afford to pay for only one podcast, this is the one we recommend. It is the best conservative radio show out there, period. ACU strongly recommends ALL ACU students and alumni subscribe to Pragertopia. Do it today!  You can listen to Dennis from 9 a.m. to Noon (Pacific) Monday thru Friday, live on the Internet  http://www.dennisprager.com/pages/listen  ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For a great archive of Prager University videos visit- https://www.youtube.com/user/PragerUniversity/featured   Donate today to PragerU! http://l.prageru.com/2eB2p0h Get PragerU bonus content for free! https://www.prageru.com/bonus-content Download Pragerpedia on your iPhone or Android! Thousands of sources and facts at your fingertips. iPhone: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsnbG Android: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsS5e Join Prager United to get new swag every quarter, exclusive early access to our videos, and an annual TownHall phone call with Dennis Prager! http://l.prageru.com/2c9n6ys Join PragerU's text list to have these videos, free merchandise giveaways and breaking announcements sent directly to your phone! https://optin.mobiniti.com/prageru Do you shop on Amazon? Click https://smile.amazon.com and a percentage of every Amazon purchase will be donated to PragerU. Same great products. Same low price. Shopping made meaningful. VISIT PragerU! https://www.prageru.com FOLLOW us! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prageru Twitter: https://twitter.com/prageru Instagram: https://instagram.com/prageru/ PragerU is on Snapchat! JOIN PragerFORCE! For Students: http://l.prageru.com/2aozfkP JOIN our Educators Network! http://l.prageru.com/2aoz2y9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager   NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Dennis Prager has put together one of the most stunning commentaries in modern times on the most profound document in human history. It's a must-read that every person, religious and non-religious, should buy and peruse every night before bed. It'll make you think harder, pray more ardently, and understand your civilization better." — Ben Shapiro, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show" "Dennis Prager's commentary on Exodus will rank among the greatest modern Torah commentaries. That is how important I think it is. And I am clearly not alone... It might well be on its way to becoming the most widely read Torah commentary of our time—and by non-Jews as well as by Jews." — Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, bestselling author of Jewish Literacy Why do so many people think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is outdated? Why do our friends and neighbors – and sometimes we ourselves – dismiss the Bible as irrelevant, irrational, immoral, or all of these things? This explanation of the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, will demonstrate that the Bible is not only powerfully relevant to today's issues, but completely consistent with rational thought. Do you think the Bible permitted the trans-Atlantic slave trade? You won't after reading this book. Do you struggle to love your parents? If you do, you need this book. Do you doubt the existence of God because belief in God is “irrational?” This book will give you reason after reason to rethink your doubts. The title of this commentary is, “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. As Prager says, “If something I write does not make rational sense, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's forty years of teaching the Bible to people of every faith, and no faith. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world and to your life. His goal: to change your mind – and then change your life.   Highly Recommended by ACU. Purchase his book at- https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Bible-Exodus-Dennis-Prager/dp/1621577724     The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager  USA Today bestseller Publishers Weekly bestseller Wall Street Journal bestseller Many people today think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is not only outdated but irrelevant, irrational, and even immoral. This explanation of the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, demonstrates clearly and powerfully that the opposite is true. The Bible remains profoundly relevant—both to the great issues of our day and to each individual life. It is the greatest moral guide and source of wisdom ever written. Do you doubt the existence of God because you think believing in God is irrational? This book will give you many reasons to rethink your doubts. Do you think faith and science are in conflict? You won't after reading this commentary on Genesis. Do you come from a dysfunctional family? It may comfort you to know that every family discussed in Genesis was highly dysfunctional! The title of this commentary is “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. In Dennis Prager's words, “If something I write is not rational, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's forty years of teaching the Bible—whose Hebrew grammar and vocabulary he has mastered—to people of every faith and no faith at all. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world in general and to you personally. His goal: to change your mind—and, as a result, to change your life.   Highly Recommended by ACU. Purchase his book at- https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Bible-Genesis-Dennis-Prager/dp/1621578984

Part 2 of 2. Dennis Prager & Eric Metaxas at Calvary Chapel The Eric Metaxas Show Dennis Prager and Eric at Calvary Chapel continue their discussion of cultural life in America today in a fun and spirited interview that will ultimately encourage you  Oct 15 2021   The Eric Metaxas Show- https://metaxastalk.com/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------  Visit Pragertopia  https://pragertopia.com/member/signup.php  The first month is 99 cents. After the first month the cost is $7.50 per month. If you can afford to pay for only one podcast, this is the one we recommend. It is the best conservative radio show out there, period. ACU strongly recommends ALL ACU students and alumni subscribe to Pragertopia. Do it today!  You can listen to Dennis from 9 a.m. to Noon (Pacific) Monday thru Friday, live on the Internet  http://www.dennisprager.com/pages/listen  ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For a great archive of Prager University videos visit- https://www.youtube.com/user/PragerUniversity/featured   Donate today to PragerU! http://l.prageru.com/2eB2p0h Get PragerU bonus content for free! https://www.prageru.com/bonus-content Download Pragerpedia on your iPhone or Android! Thousands of sources and facts at your fingertips. iPhone: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsnbG Android: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsS5e Join Prager United to get new swag every quarter, exclusive early access to our videos, and an annual TownHall phone call with Dennis Prager! http://l.prageru.com/2c9n6ys Join PragerU's text list to have these videos, free merchandise giveaways and breaking announcements sent directly to your phone! https://optin.mobiniti.com/prageru Do you shop on Amazon? Click https://smile.amazon.com and a percentage of every Amazon purchase will be donated to PragerU. Same great products. Same low price. Shopping made meaningful. VISIT PragerU! https://www.prageru.com FOLLOW us! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prageru Twitter: https://twitter.com/prageru Instagram: https://instagram.com/prageru/ PragerU is on Snapchat! JOIN PragerFORCE! For Students: http://l.prageru.com/2aozfkP JOIN our Educators Network! http://l.prageru.com/2aoz2y9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager   NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Dennis Prager has put together one of the most stunning commentaries in modern times on the most profound document in human history. It's a must-read that every person, religious and non-religious, should buy and peruse every night before bed. It'll make you think harder, pray more ardently, and understand your civilization better." — Ben Shapiro, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show" "Dennis Prager's commentary on Exodus will rank among the greatest modern Torah commentaries. That is how important I think it is. And I am clearly not alone... It might well be on its way to becoming the most widely read Torah commentary of our time—and by non-Jews as well as by Jews." — Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, bestselling author of Jewish Literacy Why do so many people think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is outdated? Why do our friends and neighbors – and sometimes we ourselves – dismiss the Bible as irrelevant, irrational, immoral, or all of these things? This explanation of the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, will demonstrate that the Bible is not only powerfully relevant to today's issues, but completely consistent with rational thought. Do you think the Bible permitted the trans-Atlantic slave trade? You won't after reading this book. Do you struggle to love your parents? If you do, you need this book. Do you doubt the existence of God because belief in God is “irrational?” This book will give you reason after reason to rethink your doubts. The title of this commentary is, “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. As Prager says, “If something I write does not make rational sense, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's forty years of teaching the Bible to people of every faith, and no faith. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world and to your life. His goal: to change your mind – and then change your life.   Highly Recommended by ACU. Purchase his book at- https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Bible-Exodus-Dennis-Prager/dp/1621577724     The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager  USA Today bestseller Publishers Weekly bestseller Wall Street Journal bestseller Many people today think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is not only outdated but irrelevant, irrational, and even immoral. This explanation of the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, demonstrates clearly and powerfully that the opposite is true. The Bible remains profoundly relevant—both to the great issues of our day and to each individual life. It is the greatest moral guide and source of wisdom ever written. Do you doubt the existence of God because you think believing in God is irrational? This book will give you many reasons to rethink your doubts. Do you think faith and science are in conflict? You won't after reading this commentary on Genesis. Do you come from a dysfunctional family? It may comfort you to know that every family discussed in Genesis was highly dysfunctional! The title of this commentary is “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. In Dennis Prager's words, “If something I write is not rational, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's forty years of teaching the Bible—whose Hebrew grammar and vocabulary he has mastered—to people of every faith and no faith at all. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world in general and to you personally. His goal: to change your mind—and, as a result, to change your life.   Highly Recommended by ACU. Purchase his book at- https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Bible-Genesis-Dennis-Prager/dp/1621578984

SwampsFudgeRelief SocietyLesson 44—October 24“A House unto My Name”#DoctrineandCovenants #comefollowme #comefollowme2021 #realtalkcomefollowmeHow do we deal with failure, paradoxes, and unfulfilled expectations?The word Nauvoo in Hebrew means “beautiful” and today's discussion is all about Nauvoo, its initial swampiness, and its final beauty. Our hosts point out in this episode that so many things in our lives can be Nauvoo.Invitation: Take something swampy and find the beauty of it this week.Links to Sweet Salt outfits/Seagull Book Jewelry:Pleated Mesh Gingham Skirthttps://www.sweetsaltclothing.com/skirt-pleated-mesh-gingham-gold_black.htmlLet God Prevail Gold Rectangle Necklacehttps://www.seagullbook.com/let-god-prevail-necklace,html

Audio reading:  Jer 49:23-50:46 Audio reading: Jer 51:1-53 Is the United States the end days "daughter of Babylon" nation spoken of in Jeremiah 50 and 51?  What will befall this end time daughter of Babylon nation? What are YHVH's instructions to his people? What is YHVH's end time game plan? Listen in and find out more! Visit us at our website: https//www.dailyaudiotorah.com

John Farley Pastor Teacher Sunday, October 24, 2021 We have found the Messiah Joh 7:25-42 The Gospel of John refers to the Messiah, the Christ, in many places. In Chapter 7:26-42, groups of Jews mention the Christ, the Messiah, six times. Some understood that the Hebrew scriptures spoke of the Messiah who was to come. Mic 5:2-4 The Messiah in the Old Testament is a BIG BIG subject. The Messiah, the Christ, is central to the mission of the gospel of John. Joh 20:30-31 The subject of the Christ appears in chapters 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, and 12. Joh 4:39-42 John the Baptist emphasized that he was NOT the Messiah. Joh 3:28 Jesus told the Samaritan woman that He was the promised Messiah. Joh 4:25-26 During the Feast of Dedication, He told the Jews in the Temple the same... for full notes: http://www.lbible.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1470

Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a two-part look at parsha (Vayera, Gen/Bereshiet chapters 18 through 22) where some of the arguably most important events in the Torah play out, and then prefigure events that will again play out, even in the same place. First, the Erev Shabbat overview of the entire portion: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hebrewnation/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/23141017/SSM-10-22-21-Vayera-teaching-podcast-xxx.mp3 The Sabbath Day teaching focuses on Abraham the prophet, and not only the man of faith. Mark begins with a 'quandry.' Abraham's "Binding of Isaac," aka 'the Akieda' is often cited as the ultimate 'proof text' of faith. "Now I know," said YHVH, that you fear Yah, and, "have not withheld your son, your only son from Me." (Gen. 22:12) And yet, he can argue, it's completely logical for Abraham to KNOW, with complete certainty, that the 'son of promise' is NOT going to die on that mountain - one way or another! - because the things Abraham by this point KNOWS of a CERTAINTY WILL HAPPEN, will come through him. In other words, what some call "human sacrifice" was never even a remote possibility; Abraham just didn't know how He would accomplish the miracle he was certain would happen. So, no wonder Abraham spoke with such certainty to his servants: "Ya'll stay here a while; the lad and I are gonna go up yonder to worship, we'll be back..." Which leads to the central question for this week: Yes, Abraham was certainly a consummate 'man of faith'. He showed that many times. But after all, he had SPECIFIC PROMISES, right from the very mouth of Yahuah Almighty Himself. But how 'bout us? We certainly have specific promises, albeit conditional, in His Word. And they clearly apply to each of us. But NOT in the same sense that Abraham was able to KNOW that his son Yitzak - he just didn't know exactly HOW! - was going to come back with him. After all, he had multitudes to father through the line of his seed. We don't have THOSE kind of 'specifics'. The answer, Mark suggests, has a lot to do with something ELSE we know about Abraham, but tend to overlook. And it may even help us to move mountains. Or deal with what's coming. After all, how else could we possibly do even "greater works than these"? "Vayera: Abraham's logic, our faith, and 'speaking into reality'" https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hebrewnation/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/23192238/SSM-10-23-21-Vayera-Speaking-in-His-Authority-podcast-xx.mp3 The combined two-part podcast is here:

With family: 2 Kings 4; 1 Timothy 1 2 Kings 4 (Listen) Elisha and the Widow's Oil 4 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” Elisha and the Shunammite Woman 8 One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. 9 And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. 10 Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.” 11 One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” 14 And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 He said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.” 17 But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her. Elisha Raises the Shunammite's Son 18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.” 23 And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.” 24 Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. 26 Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?'” And she answered, “All is well.” 27 And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?'” 29 He said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child.” 30 Then the mother of the child said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. 31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, “The child has not awakened.” 32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. Elisha Purifies the Deadly Stew 38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. 40 And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41 He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot. 42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” 43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.'” 44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD. (ESV) 1 Timothy 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Warning Against False Teachers 3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship1 from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,2 liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound3 doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners 12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.4 Amen. 18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Footnotes [1] 1:4 Or good order [2] 1:10 That is, those who take someone captive in order to sell him into slavery [3] 1:10 Or healthy [4] 1:17 Greek to the ages of ages (ESV) In private: Psalm 116; Daniel 8 Psalm 116 (Listen) I Love the Lord 116   I love the LORD, because he has heard    my voice and my pleas for mercy.2   Because he inclined his ear to me,    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.3   The snares of death encompassed me;    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;    I suffered distress and anguish.4   Then I called on the name of the LORD:    “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!” 5   Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;    our God is merciful.6   The LORD preserves the simple;    when I was brought low, he saved me.7   Return, O my soul, to your rest;    for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 8   For you have delivered my soul from death,    my eyes from tears,    my feet from stumbling;9   I will walk before the LORD    in the land of the living. 10   I believed, even when1 I spoke:    “I am greatly afflicted”;11   I said in my alarm,    “All mankind are liars.” 12   What shall I render to the LORD    for all his benefits to me?13   I will lift up the cup of salvation    and call on the name of the LORD,14   I will pay my vows to the LORD    in the presence of all his people. 15   Precious in the sight of the LORD    is the death of his saints.16   O LORD, I am your servant;    I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.    You have loosed my bonds.17   I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving    and call on the name of the LORD.18   I will pay my vows to the LORD    in the presence of all his people,19   in the courts of the house of the LORD,    in your midst, O Jerusalem.  Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 116:10 Or believed, indeed; Septuagint believed, therefore (ESV) Daniel 8 (Listen) Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat 8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. 2 And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. 3 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. 5 As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. 7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. 9 Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some1 of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression,2 and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me,3 “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.” The Interpretation of the Vision 15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.” 18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. 20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the goat4 is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his5 nation, but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.” 27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it. Footnotes [1] 8:10 Or host, that is, some [2] 8:12 Or in an act of rebellion [3] 8:14 Hebrew; Septuagint, Theodotion, Vulgate to him [4] 8:21 Or the shaggy goat [5] 8:22 Theodotion, Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew a (ESV)

Morning: Jeremiah 9–10 Jeremiah 9–10 (Listen) 9   1 Oh that my head were waters,    and my eyes a fountain of tears,  that I might weep day and night    for the slain of the daughter of my people!2   2 Oh that I had in the desert    a travelers' lodging place,  that I might leave my people    and go away from them!  For they are all adulterers,    a company of treacherous men.3   They bend their tongue like a bow;    falsehood and not truth has grown strong3 in the land;  for they proceed from evil to evil,    and they do not know me, declares the LORD. 4   Let everyone beware of his neighbor,    and put no trust in any brother,  for every brother is a deceiver,    and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.5   Everyone deceives his neighbor,    and no one speaks the truth;  they have taught their tongue to speak lies;    they weary themselves committing iniquity.6   Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,    they refuse to know me, declares the LORD. 7   Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts:  “Behold, I will refine them and test them,    for what else can I do, because of my people?8   Their tongue is a deadly arrow;    it speaks deceitfully;  with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor,    but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.9   Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD,    and shall I not avenge myself    on a nation such as this? 10   “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,    and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness,  because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,    and the lowing of cattle is not heard;  both the birds of the air and the beasts    have fled and are gone.11   I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,    a lair of jackals,  and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,    without inhabitant.” 12 Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? 13 And the LORD says: “Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, 14 but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. 16 I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.” 17   Thus says the LORD of hosts:  “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come;    send for the skillful women to come;18   let them make haste and raise a wailing over us,    that our eyes may run down with tears    and our eyelids flow with water.19   For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:    ‘How we are ruined!    We are utterly shamed,  because we have left the land,    because they have cast down our dwellings.'” 20   Hear, O women, the word of the LORD,    and let your ear receive the word of his mouth;  teach to your daughters a lament,    and each to her neighbor a dirge.21   For death has come up into our windows;    it has entered our palaces,  cutting off the children from the streets    and the young men from the squares.22   Speak: “Thus declares the LORD,  ‘The dead bodies of men shall fall    like dung upon the open field,  like sheaves after the reaper,    and none shall gather them.'” 23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” 25 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh—26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.” Idols and the Living God 10 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the LORD:   “Learn not the way of the nations,    nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens    because the nations are dismayed at them,3   for the customs of the peoples are vanity.4  A tree from the forest is cut down    and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.4   They decorate it with silver and gold;    they fasten it with hammer and nails    so that it cannot move.5   Their idols5 are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,    and they cannot speak;  they have to be carried,    for they cannot walk.  Do not be afraid of them,    for they cannot do evil,    neither is it in them to do good.” 6   There is none like you, O LORD;    you are great, and your name is great in might.7   Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?    For this is your due;  for among all the wise ones of the nations    and in all their kingdoms    there is none like you.8   They are both stupid and foolish;    the instruction of idols is but wood!9   Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,    and gold from Uphaz.  They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;    their clothing is violet and purple;    they are all the work of skilled men.10   But the LORD is the true God;    he is the living God and the everlasting King.  At his wrath the earth quakes,    and the nations cannot endure his indignation. 11 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”6 12   It is he who made the earth by his power,    who established the world by his wisdom,    and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.13   When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,    and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.  He makes lightning for the rain,    and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.14   Every man is stupid and without knowledge;    every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,  for his images are false,    and there is no breath in them.15   They are worthless, a work of delusion;    at the time of their punishment they shall perish.16   Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,    for he is the one who formed all things,  and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;    the LORD of hosts is his name. 17   Gather up your bundle from the ground,    O you who dwell under siege!18   For thus says the LORD:  “Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land    at this time,  and I will bring distress on them,    that they may feel it.” 19   Woe is me because of my hurt!    My wound is grievous.  But I said, “Truly this is an affliction,    and I must bear it.”20   My tent is destroyed,    and all my cords are broken;  my children have gone from me,    and they are not;  there is no one to spread my tent again    and to set up my curtains.21   For the shepherds are stupid    and do not inquire of the LORD;  therefore they have not prospered,    and all their flock is scattered. 22   A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes!—    a great commotion out of the north country  to make the cities of Judah a desolation,    a lair of jackals. 23   I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself,    that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.24   Correct me, O LORD, but in justice;    not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. 25   Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not,    and on the peoples that call not on your name,  for they have devoured Jacob;    they have devoured him and consumed him,    and have laid waste his habitation. Footnotes [1] 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew [2] 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew [3] 9:3 Septuagint; Hebrew and not for truth they have grown strong [4] 10:3 Or vapor, or mist [5] 10:5 Hebrew They [6] 10:11 This verse is in Aramaic (ESV) Evening: 1 Timothy 3 1 Timothy 3 (Listen) Qualifications for Overseers 3 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer1 must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,2 sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Qualifications for Deacons 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,3 not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise4 must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. The Mystery of Godliness 14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:   He5 was manifested in the flesh,    vindicated6 by the Spirit,7      seen by angels,  proclaimed among the nations,    believed on in the world,      taken up in glory. Footnotes [1] 3:2 Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1 [2] 3:2 Or a man of one woman; also verse 12 [3] 3:8 Or devious in speech [4] 3:11 Or Wives likewise, or Women likewise [5] 3:16 Greek Who; some manuscripts God; others Which [6] 3:16 Or justified [7] 3:16 Or vindicated in spirit (ESV)