The One Year Bible TLB (222 page)
Read The One Year Bible TLB Online
Authors: Tyndale
Being happy-go-lucky around a person whose heart is heavy is as bad as stealing his jacket in cold weather or rubbing salt in his wounds.
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21-22
If your enemy is hungry, give him food! If he is thirsty, give him something to drink! This will make him feel ashamed of himself, and God will reward you.
October 19While Jeremiah was still in jail, the Lord sent him this second message:
2
The Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth—Jehovah is his name—says this:
3
Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here.
4
For though you have torn down the houses of this city, and the king’s palace too, for materials to strengthen the walls against the siege weapons of the enemy,
5
yet the Babylonians will enter, and the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my furious anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness, and I will not pity them when they cry for help.
6
Nevertheless the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s damage and give her prosperity and peace.
7
I will rebuild the cities of both Judah and Israel and restore their fortunes.
8
And I will cleanse away all their sins against me and pardon them.
9
Then this city will be an honor to me, and it will give me joy and be a source of praise and glory to me before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see the good I do for my people and will tremble with awe!
10-11
The Lord declares that the happy voices of bridegrooms and of brides and the joyous song of those bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord will be heard again in this doomed land. The people will sing: “Praise the Lord! For he is good and his mercy endures forever!” For I will make this land happier and more prosperous than it has ever been before.
12
This land—though every man and animal and city is doomed—will once more see shepherds leading sheep and lambs.
13
Once again their flocks will prosper in the mountain villages and in the cities east of the Philistine Plain, in all the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and in all the cities of Judah.
14
Yes, the day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good I promised them.
15
At that time I will bring to the throne the true Son of David,
*
and he shall rule justly.
16
In that day the people of Judah and Jerusalem shall live in safety and their motto will be, “The Lord is our righteousness!”
17
For the Lord declares that from then on, David shall forever have an heir sitting on the throne of Israel.
18
And there shall always be Levites to offer burnt offerings and meal offerings and sacrifices to the Lord.
19
Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
20-21
If you can break my covenant with the day and with the night so that day and night don’t come on their usual schedule, only then will my covenant with David, my servant, be broken so that he shall not have a son to reign upon his throne; and my covenant with the Levite priests, my ministers, is noncancelable.
22
And as the stars cannot be counted nor the sand upon the seashores measured, so the descendants of David my servant and the line of the Levites who minister to me will be multiplied.
23
The Lord spoke to Jeremiah again and said:
24
Have you heard what people are saying?—that the Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them! They are sneering and saying that Israel isn’t worthy to be counted as a nation.
25-26
But this is the Lord’s reply: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws of night and day, of earth and sky. I will never abandon the Jews, or David my servant, or change the plan that his child will someday rule these descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead I will restore their prosperity and have mercy on them.
34:
1
This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his armies from all the kingdoms he ruled, came and fought against Jerusalem and the cities of Judah:
2
Go tell Zedekiah, king of Judah, that the Lord says this: I will give this city to the king of Babylon and he shall burn it.
3
You shall not escape; you shall be captured and taken before the king of Babylon; he shall pronounce sentence against you and you shall be exiled to Babylon.
4
But listen to this, O Zedekiah, king of Judah: God says you won’t be killed in war and carnage
5
but that you will die quietly among your people, and they will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your fathers. They will weep for you and say, “Alas, our king is dead!” This I have decreed, says the Lord.
6
So Jeremiah delivered the message to King Zedekiah.
7
At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah—the only walled cities of Judah still standing.
8
This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah of Judah had freed all the slaves in Jerusalem—
9
(for King Zedekiah had ordered everyone to free his Hebrew slaves, both men and women. He had said that no Jew should be the master of another Jew for all were brothers.
10
The princes and all the people had obeyed the king’s command and freed their slaves, but the action was only temporary.
11
They changed their minds and made their servants slaves again.
*
12
That is why the Lord gave the following message to Jerusalem.)
13
The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your fathers long ago when I brought them from their slavery in Egypt.
14
I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But this was not done.
15
Recently you began doing what was right, as I commanded you, and freed your slaves. You had solemnly promised me in my Temple that you would do it.
16
But now you refuse and have defiled my name by shrugging off your oath and have made them slaves again.
17
Therefore, says the Lord, because you will not listen to me and release them, I will release you to the power of death by war and famine and disease. And I will scatter you over all the world as exiles.
18-19
Because you have refused the terms of our contract, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows. Yes, I will butcher you, whether you are princes, court officials, priests, or people—for you have broken your oath.
20
I will give you to your enemies, and they shall kill you. I will feed your dead bodies to the vultures and wild animals.
21
And I will surrender Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon, though he has departed from the city for a little while.
22
I will summon the Babylonian armies back again, and they will fight against it and capture this city and burn it. And I will see to it that the cities of Judah are completely destroyed and left desolate without a living soul.
But the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some in the church will turn away from Christ and become eager followers of teachers with devil-inspired ideas.
2
These teachers will tell lies with straight faces and do it so often that their consciences won’t even bother them.
3
They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat meat, even though God gave these things to well-taught Christians to enjoy and be thankful for.
4
For everything God made is good, and we may eat it gladly if we are thankful for it,
5
and if we ask God to bless it, for it is made good by the Word of God and prayer.
6
If you explain this to the others you will be doing your duty as a worthy pastor who is fed by faith and by the true teaching you have followed.
7
Don’t waste time arguing over foolish ideas and silly myths and legends. Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit.
8
Bodily exercise is all right, but spiritual exercise is much more important and is a tonic for all you do. So exercise yourself spiritually, and practice being a better Christian because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too.
9-10
This is the truth and everyone should accept it. We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe it, for our hope is in the living God who died for all, and particularly for those who have accepted his salvation.
11
Teach these things and make sure everyone learns them well.
12
Don’t let anyone think little of you because you are young. Be their ideal; let them follow the way you teach and live; be a pattern for them in your love, your faith, and your clean thoughts.
13
Until I get there, read and explain the Scriptures to the church; preach God’s Word.
14
Be sure to use the abilities God has given you through his prophets when the elders of the church laid their hands upon your head.
15
Put these abilities to work; throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone may notice your improvement and progress.
16
Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others.
Forever and ever I will sing about the tender kindness of the Lord! Young and old shall hear about your blessings.
2
Your love and kindness are forever; your truth is as enduring as the heavens.
3-4
The Lord God says,
*
“I have made a solemn agreement with my chosen servant David. I have taken an oath to establish his descendants as kings forever on his throne, from now until eternity!”
5
All heaven shall praise your miracles, O Lord; myriads of angels
*
will praise you for your faithfulness.
6
For who in all of heaven can be compared with God? What mightiest angel
*
is anything like him?
7
The highest of angelic powers
*
stand in dread and awe of him. Who is as revered as he by those surrounding him?
8
O Jehovah, Commander of the heavenly armies, where is there any other Mighty One like you? Faithfulness is your very character.
9
You rule the oceans when their waves arise in fearful storms; you speak, and they lie still.
10
You have cut haughty Egypt
*
to pieces. Your enemies are scattered by your awesome power.
11
The heavens are yours, the world, everything—for you created them all.
12
You created north and south! Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon rejoice to be signed by your name as their maker!
13
Strong is your arm! Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.
As surely as a wind from the north brings cold,
*
just as surely a retort causes anger!
24
It is better to live in a corner of an attic than in a beautiful home with a cranky, quarrelsome woman.
October 20This is the message the Lord gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim (son of Josiah) was the king of Judah:
*
2
Go to the settlement where the families of the Rechabites live and invite them to the Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms and offer them a drink of wine.
3
So I went over to see Jaazaniah (son of Jeremiah, who was the son of Habazziniah) and brought him and all his brothers and sons—representing all the Rechab families—
4
to the Temple, into the room assigned for the use of the sons of Hanan the prophet (the son of Igdaliah). This room was located next to the one used by the palace official, directly above the room of Maaseiah (son of Shallum), who was the Temple doorman.
5
I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink,
6
but they refused.
“No,” they said. “We don’t drink, for Jonadab our father (son of Rechab) commanded that none of us should ever drink, neither we nor our children forever.
7
He also told us not to build houses or plant crops or vineyards and not to own farms, but always to live in tents; and that if we obeyed, we would live long, good lives in our own land.
8
And we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine since then, nor have our wives or our sons or daughters either.
9
We haven’t built houses or owned farms or planted crops.
10
We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11
But when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, arrived in this country, we were afraid and decided to move to Jerusalem. That’s why we are here.”
12
Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:
13
The Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to Judah and Jerusalem, Won’t you learn a lesson from the families of Rechab?
14
They don’t drink because their father told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you won’t listen or obey.
15
I have sent you prophet after prophet to tell you to turn back from your wicked ways and to stop worshiping other gods, and that if you obeyed, then I would let you live in peace here in the land I gave to you and your fathers. But you wouldn’t listen or obey.
16
The families of Rechab have obeyed their father completely, but you have refused to listen to me.
17
Therefore, the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the evil I have ever threatened.
18-19
Then Jeremiah turned to the Rechabites and said: “The Lord, the God of Israel, says that because you have obeyed your father in every respect, he shall always have descendants who will worship me.”
36:
1
In the fourth year of the reign of King Jehoiakim
*
of Judah (son of Josiah) the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:
2
“Get a scroll and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every one of them.
3
Perhaps when the people of Judah see in writing all the terrible things I will do to them, they will repent. And then I can forgive them.”
4
So Jeremiah sent for Baruch (son of Neriah), and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote down all the prophecies.
5
When all was finished, Jeremiah said to Baruch, “Since I am a prisoner here,
6
you read the scroll in the Temple on the next day of fasting, for on that day people will be there from all over Judah.
7
Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the Lord to forgive them before it is too late, even though these curses of God have been pronounced upon them.”
8
Baruch did as Jeremiah told him to and read all these messages to the people at the Temple.
9
This occurred on the day of fasting held in December of the fifth year of the reign of King Jehoiakim (son of Josiah). People came from all over Judah to attend the services at the Temple that day.
10
Baruch went to the office of Gemariah the scribe (son of Shaphan) to read the scroll. (This room was just off the upper assembly hall of the Temple, near the door of the New Gate.)
11
When Micaiah (son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan) heard the messages from God,
12
he went down to the palace to the conference room where the administrative officials were meeting. Elishama (the scribe) was there, as well as Delaiah (son of Shemaiah), Elnathan (son of Achbor), Gemariah (son of Shaphan), Zedekiah (son of Hananiah), and all the others with similar responsibilities.
13
When Micaiah told them about the messages Baruch was reading to the people,
14-15
the officials sent Jehudi (son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi) to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them too, and Baruch did.
16
By the time he finished they were badly frightened. “We must tell the king,” they said.
17
“But first, tell us how you got these messages. Did Jeremiah himself dictate them to you?”
18
So Baruch explained that Jeremiah had dictated them to him word by word, and he had written them down in ink upon the scroll.
19
“You and Jeremiah both hide,” the officials said to Baruch. “Don’t tell a soul where you are!”
20
Then the officials hid the scroll in the room of Elishama the scribe and went to tell the king.
21
The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama the scribe and read it to the king as all his officials stood by.
22
The king was in a winterized part of the palace at the time, sitting in front of a fireplace,
*
for it was December and cold.
23
And whenever Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king would take his knife, slit off the section, and throw it into the fire, until the whole scroll was destroyed.
24-25
And no one protested except Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah. They pled with the king not to burn the scroll, but he wouldn’t listen to them. Not another of the king’s officials showed any signs of fear or anger at what he had done.
26
Then the king commanded Jerahmeel (a member of the royal family
*
) and Seraiah (son of Azriel) and Shelemiah (son of Abdeel) to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the Lord hid them!
27
After the king had burned the scroll, the Lord said to Jeremiah:
28
Get another scroll and write everything again just as you did before,
29
and say this to the king: “This is what the Lord says! You burned the scroll because it said the king of Babylon would destroy this country and everything in it.
30
And now the Lord adds this concerning you, Jehoiakim, king of Judah: He shall have no one to sit upon the throne
*
of David. His dead body shall be thrown out to the hot sun and frosty nights,
31
and I will punish him and his family and his officials because of their sins. I will pour out upon them all the evil I promised—upon them and upon all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, for they wouldn’t listen to my warnings.”
32
Then Jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to Baruch all he had written before, only this time the Lord added a lot more!
Never speak sharply to an older man, but plead with him respectfully just as though he were your own father. Talk to the younger men as you would to much-loved brothers.
2
Treat the older women as mothers, and the girls as your sisters, thinking only pure thoughts about them.
3
The church should take loving care of women whose husbands have died if they don’t have anyone else to help them.
4
But if they have children or grandchildren, these are the ones who should take the responsibility, for kindness should begin at home, supporting needy parents. This is something that pleases God very much.
5
The church should care for widows who are poor and alone in the world if they are looking to God for his help and spending much time in prayer;
6
but not if they are spending their time running around gossiping, seeking only pleasure and thus ruining their souls.
7
This should be your church rule so that the Christians will know and do what is right.
8
But anyone who won’t care for his own relatives when they need help, especially those living in his own family, has no right to say he is a Christian. Such a person is worse than the heathen.
9
A widow who wants to become one of the special church workers
*
should be at least sixty years old and have been married only once.
10
She must be well thought of by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers as well as to other Christians? Has she helped those who are sick and hurt? Is she always ready to show kindness?
11
The younger widows should not become members of this special group because after a while they are likely to disregard their vow to Christ and marry again.
12
And so they will stand condemned because they broke their first promise.
13
Besides, they are likely to be lazy and spend their time gossiping around from house to house, getting into other people’s business.
14
So I think it is better for these younger widows to marry again and have children and take care of their own homes; then no one will be able to say anything against them.
15
For I am afraid that some of them have already turned away from the church and been led astray by Satan.
16
Let me remind you again that a widow’s relatives must take care of her and not leave this to the church to do. Then the church can spend its money for the care of widows who are all alone and have nowhere else to turn.
17
Pastors who do their work well should be paid well and should be highly appreciated, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.
18
For the Scriptures say, “Never tie up the mouth of an ox when it is treading out the grain—let him eat as he goes along!” And in another place,
“Those who work deserve their pay!”
19
Don’t listen to complaints against the pastor unless there are two or three witnesses to accuse him.
20
If he has really sinned, then he should be rebuked in front of the whole church so that no one else will follow his example.
21
I solemnly command you in the presence of God and the Lord Jesus Christ and of the holy angels to do this whether the pastor is a special friend of yours or not. All must be treated exactly the same.
22
Never be in a hurry about choosing a pastor; you may overlook his sins, and it will look as if you approve of them. Be sure that you yourself stay away from all sin.
23
(By the way, this doesn’t mean you should completely give up drinking wine. You ought to take a little sometimes as medicine for your stomach because you are sick so often.)
24
Remember that some men, even pastors, lead sinful lives, and everyone knows it. In such situations you can do something about it. But in other cases only the judgment day will reveal the terrible truth.
25
In the same way, everyone knows how much good some pastors do, but sometimes their good deeds aren’t known until long afterward.
Your throne is founded on two strong pillars—the one is Justice and the other Righteousness. Mercy and Truth walk before you as your attendants. Blessed are those who hear the joyful blast of the trumpet, for they shall walk in the light of your presence.
16
They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation and in your perfect righteousness.
17
You are their strength. What glory! Our power is based on your favor!
18
Yes, our protection is from the Lord himself and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.
19
In a vision you spoke to your prophet
*
and said, “I have chosen a splendid young man from the common people to be the king—
20
he is my servant David! I have anointed him with my holy oil.
21
I will steady him and make him strong.
22
His enemies shall not outwit him, nor shall the wicked overpower him.
23
I will beat down his adversaries before him and destroy those who hate him.
24
I will protect and bless him constantly and surround him with my love; he will be great because of me.
25
He will hold sway from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea.
26
And he will cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and my Rock of Salvation.’
27
“I will treat him as my firstborn son and make him the mightiest king in all the earth.
28
I will love him forever and be kind to him always; my covenant with him will never end.
29
He will always have an heir; his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.
30-32
If his children forsake my laws and don’t obey them, then I will punish them,
33
but I will never completely take away my loving-kindness from them, nor let my promise fail.
34
No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back one word of what I said.
35-36
For I have sworn to David (and a holy God can never lie) that his dynasty will go on forever, and his throne will continue to the end of time.
*
37
It shall be eternal as the moon, my faithful witness in the sky!”