Through the Bible – Day 270

_18-23When that day comes, I will take away from those women all the fine jewellery they wear on their ankles, heads, necks, ears, arms, noses, fingers, and on their clothes. I will remove their veils, their belts, their perfume, their magic charms, their royal robes, and all their fine dresses, hats, and purses.

₁When this happens, seven women will grab the same man, and each of them will say, “I'll buy my own food and clothes! Just marry me and take away my disgrace.”

₂The time is coming when the LORD will make his land fruitful and glorious again, and the people of Israel who survive will take great pride in what the land produces. ₃Everyone who is left alive in Jerusalem will be called special, ₄after the LORD sends a fiery judgment to clean the city and its people of their violent deeds.

₅Then the LORD will cover the whole city and its meeting places with a thick cloud each day and with a flaming fire each night. God's own glory will be like a huge tent that covers everything. ₆It will provide shade from the heat of the sun and a place of shelter and protection from storms and rain.

₈You are in for trouble! You take over house after house and field after field, until there is no room left for anyone else in all the land. ₉But the LORD All-Powerful has made this promise to me:

₁₁You are in for trouble! You get up early to start drinking, and you keep it up late into the night. ₁₂At your drinking parties you have the music of stringed instruments, tambourines, and flutes. But you never even think about all the LORD has done, ₁₃and so his people know nothing about him. That's why many of you will be dragged off to foreign lands. Your leaders will starve to death, and everyone else will suffer from thirst.

₁₄The world of the dead has opened its mouth wide and is eagerly waiting for the leaders of Jerusalem and for its noisy crowds, especially for those who take pride in that city. ₁₅Its citizens have been put down, and its proud people have been brought to shame. ₁₆But the holy LORD God All-Powerful is praised, because he has shown who he is by bringing justice. ₁₇His people will be like sheep grazing in their own pasture, and they will take off what was left by others.

₁₈You are in for trouble! The lies you tell are like ropes by which you drag along sin and evil. ₁₉And you say, “Let the holy God of Israel hurry up and do what he has promised, so we can see it for ourselves.” ₂₀You are headed for trouble! You say wrong is right, darkness is light, and bitter is sweet.

₂₁You think you are clever and wise. ₂₂And you are great at drinking and mixing drinks. But you are in for trouble. ₂₃You accept bribes to let the guilty go free, and you cheat the innocent out of a fair trial.

₂₄You will go up in flames like straw and hay! You have rejected the teaching of the holy LORD God All-Powerful of Israel. Now your roots will rot, and your blossoms will turn to dust.

₂₅You are the LORD's people, but you made him terribly angry, and he struck you with his mighty arm. Mountains shook, and dead bodies covered the streets like rubbish. The LORD is still angry, and he is ready to strike you again.

₂₆The LORD has signalled for the foreign nations to come and attack you. He has already whistled, and they are coming as fast as they can. ₂₇None of them are tired. They don't sleep or get drowsy, and they run without stumbling. Their belts don't come loose; their sandal straps don't break. ₂₈Their arrows are sharp, and their bows are ready. The hoofs of their horses are hard as flint; the wheels of their war chariots turn as fast as a whirlwind.

₂₉They roar and growl like fierce young lions as they grab their victims and drag them off where no one can rescue them. ₃₀On the day they attack, they will roar like the sea. And across the land you will see nothing but darkness and trouble, because the light of day will be covered by thick clouds.

₁As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. ₂Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. ₃Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. ₄All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. ₅We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. ₆There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.

₇Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us. ₈As the Scriptures say,

₉When it says, “he went up”, it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. ₁₀This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so that he would fill the whole universe.

₁₁Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, ₁₂so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. ₁₃This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.

₁₄We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. ₁₅Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head ₁₆of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.

₁₇As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. ₁₈Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, ₁₉and they are so greedy that they do all kinds of indecent things.

_20-21But that isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learnt about him. ₂₂You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. ₂₃Let the Spirit change your way of thinking ₂₄and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.

₂₅We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. ₂₆Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry ₂₇and don't give the devil a chance.

₂₈If you are a thief, stop stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.

₂₉Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.

₃₀Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that some day you will be free from your sins.

₃₁Stop being bitter and angry with others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. ₃₂Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.