The Skeptics Annotated Bible (585 page)

11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

15 Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.

16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.

18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed:
bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

(17.18)
“Bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.”

19 Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:

21 Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.

26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD.

27 But
if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day
, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day;
then will I kindle a fire
in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem,
and it shall not be quenched.

(17.27)
“If ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day … then will I kindle a fire … and it shall not be quenched.”

(18.1-6) God is a bad potter. Don’t complain about it.

18
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying
,

(18.1)
“The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,”

2 Arise, and
go down to the potter’s house
, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

(18.2)
“Go down to the potter’s house.”

3
Then I went down to the potter’s house
, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

(18.3)
“Then I went down to the potter’s house.”

4
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

(18.4)
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

5
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

(18.5)
“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,”

6 O house of Israel,
cannot I do with you as this potter?
saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

(18.6)
“Cannot I do with you as this potter?”

7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

8
If that nation
, against whom I have pronounced,
turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

10
If it do evil in my sight
, that it obey not my voice
, then I will repent of the good
, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

(18.8-10)
“If that nation … turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them … If it do evil in my sight … then I will repent of the good.”
32 Does God ever repent?

11 Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you
, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

(18.11)
“Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you.”
God admits that he does evil things to people once in a while. (Nobody’s perfect.)