God Heals by Humbling

“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him.” (Isaiah 57:18–19)

In spite of the severity of man’s disease of rebellion and willfulness, God will heal. How will he heal? Isaiah 57:15 says that God dwells with the crushed and humble. Yet the people of Isaiah 57:17 are not humble. They are brazenly pursuing their own proud way. So, what will a healing be?

It can only be one thing. God will heal them by humbling them. He will cure the patient by crushing his pride. If only the crushed and humble enjoy God’s fellowship (Isaiah 57:15), and if Israel’s sickness is a proud and willful rebellion (Isaiah 57:17), and if God promises to heal them (Isaiah 57:18), then his healing must be humbling and his cure must be a crushed spirit.

Isn’t this Isaiah’s way of prophesying what Jeremiah called the new covenant and the gift of a new heart? He said, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. . . . I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31, 33).

Isaiah and Jeremiah both see a time coming when a sick, disobedient, hard-hearted people will be supernaturally changed. Isaiah speaks of healing. Jeremiah speaks of writing the law on their hearts. And Ezekiel puts it like this: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

So the healing of Isaiah 57:18 is a major heart transplant — the old hardened, proud, willful heart of stone is taken out, and a new soft, tender heart is put in, which is easily humbled and crushed by the memory of sin and the sin that remains.

This is a heart that the lofty One whose name is Holy will dwell with forever.

John Piper 

You Were Given a Gift Someone Else Needs

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.”

1 CORINTHIANS 12:7

 

PONDER THIS

If you have a spiritual gift, it is not a means to an end. It is not for your personal use. It is not to make you feel good. It is not to prove something. These gifts are meant to put you to work for the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given you a gift to profit others.

One of my favorite stories is about a woman who’d taken a first-aid course, and later gave a testimonial to her class. She shared that in front of her house there was a horrible wreck—an old man driving a car had lost control, hit an oak tree, and was thrown out on the pavement. It was terrible. But she said, “I remembered my first aid. I remembered if I were to put my head between my knees I wouldn’t faint.” And she said, “I did; it was wonderful.” That’s the way some people think about gifts. They think a spiritual gift is supposed to be a particular blessing to them, but the Bible says here that the gift is a service to others. It is to profit the whole body. It is not for your enjoyment; it is for your employment.

What changes when we remember that our spiritual gifts are to benefit the body and are not just for our own use?

How have you used your spiritual gifts? Have they been used to benefit others in the body of Christ?

PRACTICE THIS

Take action and serve someone around you today using the gifts God has given you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

October 14

John 4:43-54

[43] After the two days he departed for Galilee. [44] (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) [45] So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.

[46] So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. [47] When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. [48] So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” [49] The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” [50] Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. [51] As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. [52] So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” [53] The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. [54] This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

1 Peter 1:10-16

[10] Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, [11] inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. [12] It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

[13] Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [14] As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, [15] but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, [16] since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Ecclesiastes 11

    [1] Cast your bread upon the waters,

        for you will find it after many days. 

    [2] Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,

        for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. 

    [3] If the clouds are full of rain,

        they empty themselves on the earth,

    and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,

        in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. 

    [4] He who observes the wind will not sow,

        and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

    [5] As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

[6] In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

[7] Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

[8] So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.

[9] Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

[10] Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Jeremiah 35

[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: [2] “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink.” [3] So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites. [4] I brought them to the house of the LORD into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold. [5] Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.” [6] But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. [7] You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ [8] We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, [9] and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, [10] but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us. [11] But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Syrians.’ So we are living in Jerusalem.”

[12] Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [13] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the LORD. [14] The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. [15] I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. [16] The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me. [17] Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.”

[18] But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, [19] therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me.”

Jeremiah 36

[1] In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: [2] “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. [3] It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

[4] Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD that he had spoken to him. [5] And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am banned from going to the house of the LORD, [6] so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the LORD’s house you shall read the words of the LORD from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities. [7] It may be that their plea for mercy will come before the LORD, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people.” [8] And Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the LORD in the LORD’s house.

[9] In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the LORD. [10] Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD’s house.

[11] When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll, [12] he went down to the king’s house, into the secretary’s chamber, and all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials. [13] And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. [14] Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. [15] And they said to him, “Sit down and read it.” So Baruch read it to them. [16] When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” [17] Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” [18] Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll.” [19] Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.”

[20] So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king. [21] Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. [22] It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. [23] As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. [24] Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments. [25] Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. [26] And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.

[27] Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [28] “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. [29] And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the LORD, You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?” [30] Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. [31] And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.’”

[32] Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Jeremiah 37

[1] Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. [2] But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.

[3] King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the LORD our God.” [4] Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. [5] The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

[6] Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet: [7] “Thus says the LORD, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. [8] And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. They shall capture it and burn it with fire. [9] Thus says the LORD, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go away. [10] For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’”

[11] Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh’s army, [12] Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. [13] When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” [14] And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. [15] And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison.

[16] When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, [17] King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” [18] Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? [19] Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? [20] Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.” [21] So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

Jeremiah 38

[1] Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people: [2] “Thus says the LORD: He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. [3] Thus says the LORD: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” [4] Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” [5] King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.” [6] So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

[7] When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate—[8] Ebed-melech went from the king’s house and said to the king, [9] “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” [10] Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” [11] So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. [12] Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. [13] Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

[14] King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of the temple of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you a question; hide nothing from me.” [15] Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.” [16] Then King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”

[17] Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. [18] But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.” [19] King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they deal cruelly with me.” [20] Jeremiah said, “You shall not be given to them. Obey now the voice of the LORD in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared. [21] But if you refuse to surrender, this is the vision which the LORD has shown to me: [22] Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying, 

    “‘Your trusted friends have deceived you

        and prevailed against you;

    now that your feet are sunk in the mud,

        they turn away from you.’

    [23] All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.”

[24] Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die. [25] If the officials hear that I have spoken with you and come to you and say to you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,’ [26] then you shall say to them, ‘I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.’” [27] Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been overheard. [28] And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.

 

The Master Servant

. . . so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7)

To me, the Bible’s most astonishing image of Christ’s second coming is in Luke 12:35–37, which pictures the return of a master from a marriage feast like this:

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.”

To be sure, we are called servants — and that no doubt means we are to do exactly as we are told. But the wonder of this picture is that the “master” insists on serving. We may have expected this during Jesus’s ministry on earth, since he said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). But Luke 12:35–37 is a picture of the second coming, when the Son of Man comes in the blinding glory of his Father “with his mighty angels in flaming fire” as 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 says. Why would Jesus be portrayed as a table waiter at the second coming?

Because the very heart of his glory is the fullness of grace that overflows in kindness to needy people. This is why Ephesians 2:7 says he aims “in the coming ages [to] show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

What is the greatness of our God? What is his uniqueness in the world? Isaiah answers: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides thee, who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4 RSV). There is no other god like this. He never relinquishes the role of inexhaustible benefactor of his ever-dependent, happy people.

John Piper 

Let Christ Be What People Notice Most About You

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” COLOSSIANS 3:1-2

 

PONDER THIS

There was a man who took his shirts into a dry cleaner and gave instructions on how he wanted the shirts cleaned. But after several visits, the dry cleaner never truly matched his formula. Frustrated, he said, “Look, I brought them in the first time, I told you how. I brought them in the second time and told you how, and now you’re wasting my time.”

Later, this same man went for visitation with his church, and he got a card with the name matching the name of the dry cleaner. He asked the card distributor, “Do they (the dry cleaners) know me?” He said, “Yes, they do know you.” He asked, “What do they think about me?” The card distributor responded, “They think the most important thing to you is the way your shirts are done.”

Do you know what I want people to think of when they think of me? The most important thing in my life is Jesus Christ. But that doesn’t just happen on its own. That’s a principle to guide my life.

What are some things that are important to you? How is that evident in the way you live?

What are some things you want to be remembered for? How do you need to live today in pursuit of that goal?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask a friend to share honestly about things that come to mind when he or she thinks of you. Ask where you can grow in reflecting Christ as the most important thing in your life.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

October 13

John 4:27-42

[27] Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” [28] So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, [29] “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” [30] They went out of the town and were coming to him.

[31] Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” [32] But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” [33] So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” [34] Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. [35] Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. [36] Already  the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. [37] For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ [38] I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

[39] Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” [40] So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. [41] And many more believed because of his word. [42] They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

1 Peter 1:1-9

[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, 

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: 

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 

[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, [7] so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, [9] obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Ecclesiastes 10

    [1] Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench;

        so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 

    [2] A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right,

        but a fool’s heart to the left. 

    [3] Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,

        and he says to everyone that he is a fool. 

    [4] If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place,

        for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.

    [5] There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: [6] folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. [7] I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

    [8] He who digs a pit will fall into it,

        and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. 

    [9] He who quarries stones is hurt by them,

        and he who splits logs is endangered by them. 

    [10] If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,

        he must use more strength,

        but wisdom helps one to succeed. 

    [11] If the serpent bites before it is charmed,

        there is no advantage to the charmer.

    [12] The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor,

        but the lips of a fool consume him. 

    [13] The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,

        and the end of his talk is evil madness. 

    [14] A fool multiplies words,

        though no man knows what is to be,

        and who can tell him what will be after him? 

    [15] The toil of a fool wearies him,

        for he does not know the way to the city.

    [16] Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,

        and your princes feast in the morning! 

    [17] Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,

        and your princes feast at the proper time,

        for strength, and not for drunkenness! 

    [18] Through sloth the roof sinks in,

        and through indolence the house leaks. 

    [19] Bread is made for laughter,

        and wine gladdens life,

        and money answers everything. 

    [20] Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king,

        nor in your bedroom curse the rich,

    for a bird of the air will carry your voice,

        or some winged creature tell the matter.

Jeremiah 32

[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. [2] At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. [3] For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; [4] Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. [5] And he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, declares the LORD. Though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed’?”

[6] Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: [7] Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ [8] Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

[9] “And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. [10] I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. [11] Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. [12] And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. [13] I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, [14] ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. [15] For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’

[16] “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: [17] ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. [18] You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, [19] great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. [20] You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. [21] You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. [22] And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. [23] And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. [24] Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. [25] Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”

[26] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [27] “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? [28] Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. [29] The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger. [30] For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD. [31] This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight [32] because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. [33] They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. [34] They set up their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. [35] They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

[36] “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: [37] Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. [38] And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. [39] I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. [40] I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. [41] I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

[42] “For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. [43] Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ [44] Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”

Jeremiah 33

[1] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: [2] “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: [3] Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. [4] For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: [5] They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. [6] Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. [7] I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. [8] I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. [9] And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

[10] “Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again [11] the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD: 

    “‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,

        for the LORD is good,

        for his steadfast love endures forever!’

    For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD. 

[12] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. [13] In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.

[14] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. [15] In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. [16] In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

[17] “For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, [18] and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”

[19] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [20] “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, [21] then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. [22] As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”

[23] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [24] “Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. [25] Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, [26] then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.”

Jeremiah 34

[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities: [2] “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. [3] You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.’ [4] Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword. [5] You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, declares the LORD.”

[6] Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, [7] when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, Lachish and Azekah, for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained.

[8] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, [9] that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. [10] And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. [11] But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves. [12] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD: [13] “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying, [14] ‘At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.’ But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. [15] You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name, [16] but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves.

[17] “Therefore, thus says the LORD: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. [18] And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts—[19] the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. [20] And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. [21] And Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you. [22] Behold, I will command, declares the LORD, and will bring them back to this city. And they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.”

 

October 12

 John 4:15-26

[15] The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

[16] Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” [17] The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; [18] for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” [19] The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. [20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” [21] Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. [22] You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. [23] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” [25] The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” [26] Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

James 5:13-20

[13] Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. [17] Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. [18] Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

[19] My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, [20] let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Ecclesiastes 9

[1] But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. [2] It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. [3] This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. [4] But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. [5] For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. [6] Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

[7] Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

[8] Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

[9] Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. [10] Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

[11] Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. [12] For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

[13] I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. [14] There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. [15] But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. [16] But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

[17] The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. [18] Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Jeremiah 30

[1] The 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. [3] For 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.”

[4] These 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. 

    [6] Ask now, and see,

        can a man bear a child?

    Why then do I see every man

        with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?

        Why has every face turned pale? 

    [7] Alas! That day is so great

        there 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. [9] But 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. 

    [11] For I am with you to save you,

    declares the LORD;

    I will make a full end of all the nations

        among 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. 

    [13] There is none to uphold your cause,

        no medicine for your wound,

        no healing for you. 

    [14] All 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. 

    [15] Why 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. 

    [16] Therefore 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. 

    [17] For 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 Jacob

        and have compassion on his dwellings;

    the city shall be rebuilt on its mound,

        and the palace shall stand where it used to be. 

    [19] Out 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. 

    [20] Their children shall be as they were of old,

        and their congregation shall be established before me,

        and I will punish all who oppress them. 

    [21] Their 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. 

    [22] And you shall be my people,

        and I will be your God.”

    [23] Behold the storm of the LORD!

        Wrath has gone forth,

    a whirling tempest;

        it will burst upon the head of the wicked. 

    [24] The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back

        until he has executed and accomplished

        the intentions of his mind.

    In the latter days you will understand this.

Jeremiah 31

[1] “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”

    [2] Thus says the LORD:

    “The people who survived the sword

        found grace in the wilderness;

    when Israel sought for rest, 

    [3]     the LORD appeared to him from far away.

    I have loved you with an everlasting love;

        therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 

    [4] Again I will build you, and you shall be built,

        O virgin Israel!

    Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines

        and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. 

    [5] Again you shall plant vineyards

        on the mountains of Samaria;

    the planters shall plant

        and shall enjoy the fruit. 

    [6] For there shall be a day when watchmen will call

        in the hill country of Ephraim:

    ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,

        to the LORD our God.’”

    [7] For thus says the LORD:

    “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

        and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

    proclaim, give praise, and say,

        ‘O LORD, save your people,

        the remnant of Israel.’ 

    [8] Behold, I will bring them from the north country

        and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,

    among them the blind and the lame,

        the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;

        a great company, they shall return here. 

    [9] With weeping they shall come,

        and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,

    I will make them walk by brooks of water,

        in a straight path in which they shall not stumble,

    for I am a father to Israel,

        and Ephraim is my firstborn.

    [10] “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,

        and declare it in the coastlands far away;

    say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,

        and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ 

    [11] For the LORD has ransomed Jacob

        and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. 

    [12] They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,

        and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,

    over the grain, the wine, and the oil,

        and over the young of the flock and the herd;

    their life shall be like a watered garden,

        and they shall languish no more. 

    [13] Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,

        and the young men and the old shall be merry.

    I will turn their mourning into joy;

        I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 

    [14] I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,

        and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,

    declares the LORD.”

    [15] Thus says the LORD:

    “A voice is heard in Ramah,

        lamentation and bitter weeping.

    Rachel is weeping for her children;

        she refuses to be comforted for her children,

        because they are no more.”

    [16] Thus says the LORD:

    “Keep your voice from weeping,

        and your eyes from tears,

    for there is a reward for your work,

    declares the LORD,

        and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. 

    [17] There is hope for your future,

    declares the LORD,

        and your children shall come back to their own country. 

    [18] I have heard Ephraim grieving,

    ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,

        like an untrained calf;

    bring me back that I may be restored,

        for you are the LORD my God. 

    [19] For after I had turned away, I relented,

        and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh;

    I was ashamed, and I was confounded,

        because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ 

    [20] Is Ephraim my dear son?

        Is he my darling child?

    For as often as I speak against him,

        I do remember him still.

    Therefore my heart yearns for him;

        I will surely have mercy on him,

    declares the LORD.

    [21] “Set up road markers for yourself;

        make yourself guideposts;

    consider well the highway,

        the road by which you went.

    Return, O virgin Israel,

        return to these your cities. 

    [22] How long will you waver,

        O faithless daughter?

    For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth:

        a woman encircles a man.”

    [23] Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: 

    “‘The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness,

        O holy hill!’

    [24] And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. [25] For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

[26] At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.

[27] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. [28] And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD. [29] In those days they shall no longer say: 

    “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

        and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

    [30] But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

[31] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. [33] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34] And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

    [35] Thus says the LORD,

    who gives the sun for light by day

        and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,

    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

        the LORD of hosts is his name: 

    [36] “If this fixed order departs

        from before me, declares the LORD,

    then shall the offspring of Israel cease

        from being a nation before me forever.”

    [37] Thus says the LORD:

    “If the heavens above can be measured,

        and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,

    then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel

        for all that they have done,

    declares the LORD.”

    [38] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. [39] And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. [40] The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”