Jeremiah 28–30
28:1In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD, 6and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles. 7Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet.”
10Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. 11And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.
12Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 13“Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the LORD: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. 14For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’” 15And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.’”
17In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.
29:1These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.
10“For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
15“Because you have said, ‘The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,’ 16thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: 17‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. 18I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19because they did not pay attention to my words, declares the LORD, that I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, declares the LORD.’ 20Hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall strike them down before your eyes. 22Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” 23because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the LORD.’”
24To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: 25“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26‘The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and neck irons. 27Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? 28For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “Your exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”
29Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. 30Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 31“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, 32therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the LORD, for he has spoken rebellion against the LORD.’”
30:1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”
4These are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah:
5“Thus says the LORD:We have heard a cry of panic,of terror, and no peace.6Ask now, and see,can a man bear a child?Why then do I see every manwith his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?Why has every face turned pale?7Alas! That day is so greatthere is none like it;it is a time of distress for Jacob;yet he shall be saved out of it.
8“And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. 9But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
10“Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD,nor be dismayed, O Israel;for behold, I will save you from far away,and your offspring from the land of their captivity.Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,and none shall make him afraid.11For I am with you to save you,declares the LORD;I will make a full end of all the nationsamong whom I scattered you,but of you I will not make a full end.I will discipline you in just measure,and I will by no means leave you unpunished. 12“For thus says the LORD:Your hurt is incurable,and your wound is grievous.13There is none to uphold your cause,no medicine for your wound,no healing for you.14All your lovers have forgotten you;they care nothing for you;for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,the punishment of a merciless foe,because your guilt is great,because your sins are flagrant.15Why do you cry out over your hurt?Your pain is incurable.Because your guilt is great,because your sins are flagrant,I have done these things to you.16Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured,and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity;those who plunder you shall be plundered,and all who prey on you I will make a prey.17For I will restore health to you,and your wounds I will heal,declares the LORD,because they have called you an outcast:‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’ 18“Thus says the LORD:Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacoband have compassion on his dwellings;the city shall be rebuilt on its mound,and the palace shall stand where it used to be.19Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,and the voices of those who celebrate.I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;I will make them honored, and they shall not be small.20Their children shall be as they were of old,and their congregation shall be established before me,and I will punish all who oppress them.21Their prince shall be one of themselves;their ruler shall come out from their midst;I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me,for who would dare of himself to approach me?declares the LORD.22And you shall be my people,and I will be your God.” 23Behold the storm of the LORD!Wrath has gone forth,a whirling tempest;it will burst upon the head of the wicked.24The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn backuntil he has executed and accomplishedthe intentions of his mind.In the latter days you will understand this.
Matthew 3:11–4:11
11“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
4:1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your Godand him only shall you serve.’”
11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Psalm 95
95:1Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!2Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!3For the LORD is a great God,and a great King above all gods.4In his hand are the depths of the earth;the heights of the mountains are his also.5The sea is his, for he made it,and his hands formed the dry land. 6Oh come, let us worship and bow down;let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!7For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture,and the sheep of his hand.Today, if you hear his voice,8do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,9when your fathers put me to the testand put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.10For forty years I loathed that generationand said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,and they have not known my ways.”11Therefore I swore in my wrath,“They shall not enter my rest.”
Proverbs 14:29–33
29Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.30A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh,but envy makes the bones rot.31Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,but he who is generous to the needy honors him.32The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,but the righteous finds refuge in his death.33Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.
