Through the Bible – Day 301

Bible text(s)

Jeremiah 18

Jeremiah goes to the pottery shop

₁The LORD told me, ₂“Go to the pottery shop, and when you get there, I will tell you what to say to the people.”

₃I went there and saw the potter making clay pots on his pottery wheel. ₄And whenever the clay would not take the shape he wanted, he would change his mind and form it into some other shape.

₅Then the LORD told me to say:

₆People of Israel, I, the LORD, have power over you, just as a potter has power over clay. ₇If I threaten to uproot and shatter an evil nation ₈and that nation turns from its evil, I will change my mind.

₉If I promise to make a nation strong, ₁₀but its people start disobeying me and doing evil, then I will change my mind and not help them at all.

₁₁So listen to me, people of Judah and Jerusalem! I have decided to strike you with disaster, and I won't change my mind unless you stop sinning and start living right.

₁₂But I know you won't listen. You might as well answer, “We don't care what you say. We have made plans to sin, and we are going to be stubborn and do what we want!”

₁₃So I, the LORD, command you to ask the nations, and find out if they have ever heard of such a horrible sin as what you have done.

₁₄The snow

on Lebanon's mountains

never melts away,

and the streams there

never run dry.

₁₅But you, my people,

have turned from me

to burn incense

to worthless idols.

You have left the ancient road

to follow an unknown path

where you stumble over idols.

₁₆Your land will be ruined,

and every passer-by

will look at it with horror

and make insulting remarks.

₁₇When your enemies attack,

I will scatter you like dust

blown by an eastern wind.

Then, on that day of disaster,

I will turn my back on you.

The plot against Jeremiah

₁₈Some of the people said, “Let's get rid of Jeremiah! We will always have priests to teach us God's laws, as well as wise people to give us advice, and prophets to speak the LORD's messages. So, instead of listening to Jeremiah any longer, let's accuse him of a crime.”

Jeremiah prays about his enemies

₁₉Please, LORD, answer my prayer.

Make my enemies stop

accusing me of evil.

₂₀I tried to help them,

but they are paying me back

by digging a pit to trap me.

I even begged you

not to punish them.

₂₁But now I am asking you

to let their children starve

or be killed in war.

Let women lose

their husbands and sons

to disease and violence.

₂₂These people have dug pits

and set traps for me, LORD.

Make them scream in fear

when you send enemy troops

to attack their homes.

₂₃You know they plan to kill me.

So get angry and punish them!

Don't ever forgive

their terrible crimes.

Jeremiah 19

Jeremiah and the clay jar

₁The LORD said:

Jeremiah, go to the pottery shop and buy a clay jar. Then take along some of the city officials and leading priests ₂and go to Hinnom Valley, just outside Potsherd Gate. Tell the people that I have said:

₃I am the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, and you kings of Judah and you people of Jerusalem had better pay attention. I am going to bring so much trouble on this valley that everyone who hears about it will be shocked. _4-5The people of Judah stopped worshipping me and made this valley into a place of worship for Baal and other gods that have never helped them or their ancestors or their kings. And they have committed murder here, burning their young, innocent children as sacrifices to Baal. I have never even thought of telling you to do that. ₆So watch out! Some day this place will no longer be called Topheth or Hinnom Valley. It will be called Slaughter Valley!

₇You people of Judah and Jerusalem may have big plans, but here in this valley I'll ruin those plans. I'll let your enemies kill you, and I'll tell the birds and wild animals to eat your dead bodies. ₈I will turn Jerusalem into a pile of rubble, and every passer-by will be shocked and horrified and will make insulting remarks. ₉And while your enemies are trying to break through your city walls to kill you, the food supply will run out. You will become so hungry that you will eat the flesh of your friends and even of your own children.

₁₀Jeremiah, as soon as you have said this, smash the jar while the people are watching. ₁₁Then tell them that I have also said:

I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I warn you that I will shatter Judah and Jerusalem just like this jar that is broken beyond repair. You will bury your dead here in Topheth, but so many of you will die that there won't be enough room.

_12-13I will make Jerusalem as unclean as Topheth, by filling the city with your dead bodies. I will do this because you and your kings have gone up to the roofs of your houses and burnt incense to the stars in the sky, as though they were gods. And you have given sacrifices of wine to foreign gods.

Jeremiah speaks in the temple courtyard

₁₄I went to Topheth, where I told the people what the LORD had said. Then I went to the temple courtyard and shouted to the people, ₁₅“Listen, everyone! Some time ago, the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, warned you that he would bring disaster on Jerusalem and all nearby villages. But you were stubborn and refused to listen. Now the LORD is going to bring the disaster he promised.”

Jeremiah 20

Pashhur arrests Jeremiah

₁Pashhur son of Immer was a priest and the chief of temple security. He heard what I had said, ₂and so he hit me. Then he had me arrested and put in chains at the Benjamin Gate in the LORD's temple. ₃The next day, when Pashhur let me go free, I told him that the LORD had said:

No longer will I call you Pashhur. Instead, I will call you Afraid-of-Everything. ₄You will be afraid, and you will bring fear to your friends as well. You will see enemies kill them in battle. Then I will make the king of Babylonia take everyone in Judah prisoner, killing some and dragging the rest away to Babylonia. ₅He will clean out the royal treasury and take everything else of value from Jerusalem.

₆Pashhur, you are guilty of telling lies and claiming they were messages from me. That's why I will make the Babylonians take you, your family, and your friends as prisoners to Babylonia, where you will all die and be buried.

Jeremiah complains to the LORD

₇You tricked me, LORD,

and I was really fooled.

You are stronger than I am,

and you have defeated me.

People never stop sneering

and insulting me.

₈You have let me announce

only destruction and death.

Your message has brought me

nothing but insults

and trouble.

₉Sometimes I tell myself

not to think about you, LORD,

or even mention your name.

But your message burns

in my heart and bones,

and I cannot keep silent.

₁₀I heard the crowds whisper,

“Everyone is afraid.

Now's our chance

to accuse Jeremiah!”

All of my so called friends

are just waiting

for me to make a mistake.

They say, “Perhaps Jeremiah

can be tricked.

Then we can overpower him

and get even at last.”

₁₁But you, LORD,

are a mighty soldier,

standing at my side.

Those troublemakers

will fall down and fail—

terribly embarrassed,

for ever ashamed.

₁₂LORD All-Powerful,

you test those who do right,

and you know every heart

and mind.

I have told you my complaints,

so let me watch you

take revenge on my enemies.

₁₃I sing praises to you, LORD.

You rescue the oppressed

from the wicked.

₁₄Put a curse on the day I was born!

Don't bless my mother.

₁₅Put a curse on the man

who told my father, “Good news!

You have a son.”

₁₆May that man be like the towns

you destroyed without pity.

Let him hear shouts of alarm

in the morning

and battle cries at midday.

₁₇He deserves to die

for not killing me

before I was born.

Then my mother's body

would have been my grave.

₁₈Why did I have to be born?

Was it just to suffer

and die in shame?

Jeremiah 18:1-20:18CEVOpen in Bible reader

Titus 3

Doing helpful things

₁Remind your people to obey the rulers and authorities and not to be rebellious. They must always be ready to do something helpful ₂and not say cruel things or argue. They should be gentle and kind to everyone. ₃We used to be stupid, disobedient, and foolish, as well as slaves of all sorts of desires and pleasures. We were evil and jealous. Everyone hated us, and we hated everyone.

₄God our Saviour showed us

how good and kind he is.

₅He saved us because

of his mercy,

and not because

of any good things

that we have done.

God washed us by the power

of the Holy Spirit.

He gave us new birth

and a fresh beginning.

₆God sent Jesus Christ

our Saviour

to give us his Spirit.

₇Jesus treated us much better

than we deserve.

He made us acceptable to God

and gave us the hope

of eternal life.

₈This message is certainly true.

These teachings are useful and helpful for everyone. I want you to insist that the people follow them, so that all who have faith in God will be sure to do good deeds. ₉But don't have anything to do with stupid arguments about ancestors. And stay away from disagreements and quarrels about the Law of Moses. Such arguments are useless and senseless.

₁₀Warn troublemakers once or twice. Then don't have anything else to do with them. ₁₁You know that their minds are twisted, and their own sins show how guilty they are.

Personal advice and final greetings

₁₂I plan to send Artemas or Tychicus to you. After he arrives, please try your best to meet me at Nicopolis. I have decided to spend the winter there.

₁₃When Zenas the lawyer and Apollos get ready to leave, help them as much as you can, so they won't have need of anything.

₁₄Our people should learn to spend their time doing something useful and worthwhile.

₁₅Greetings to you from everyone here. Greet all our friends who share in our faith.

I pray that the Lord will be kind to all of you!

Titus 3:1-15CEVOpen in Bible reader