Wednesday, October 24, 2007

October 24th - Day 297

Jeremiah 44:24-47:7



24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah in Egypt. 25 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have shown by your actions what you promised when you said, 'We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.'

"Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! 26 But hear the word of the LORD, all Jews living in Egypt: 'I swear by my great name,' says the LORD, 'that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, "As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives." 27 For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. 28 Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand—mine or theirs.

29 " 'This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,' declares the LORD, 'so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.' 30 This is what the LORD says: 'I am going to hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies who seek his life, just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who was seeking his life.' "

Jeremiah 45


A Message to Baruch

1 This is what Jeremiah the prophet told Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, after Baruch had written on a scroll the words Jeremiah was then dictating: 2 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3 You said, 'Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.' "

4 The LORD said, "Say this to him: 'This is what the LORD says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the land. 5 Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.' "

Jeremiah 46


A Message About Egypt

1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:

2 Concerning Egypt:

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

3 "Prepare your shields, both large and small,

and march out for battle!

4 Harness the horses,

mount the steeds!

Take your positions

with helmets on!

Polish your spears,

put on your armor!

5 What do I see?

They are terrified,

they are retreating,

their warriors are defeated.

They flee in haste

without looking back,

and there is terror on every side,"

declares the LORD.

6 "The swift cannot flee

nor the strong escape.

In the north by the River Euphrates

they stumble and fall.

7 "Who is this that rises like the Nile,

like rivers of surging waters?

8 Egypt rises like the Nile,

like rivers of surging waters.

She says, 'I will rise and cover the earth;

I will destroy cities and their people.'

9 Charge, O horses!

Drive furiously, O charioteers!

March on, O warriors—

men of Cush [
a] and Put who carry shields,

men of Lydia who draw the bow.

10 But that day belongs to the LORD, the Lord Almighty—

a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.

The sword will devour till it is satisfied,

till it has quenched its thirst with blood.

For the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will offer sacrifice

in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.

11 "Go up to Gilead and get balm,

O Virgin Daughter of Egypt.

But you multiply remedies in vain;

there is no healing for you.

12 The nations will hear of your shame;

your cries will fill the earth.

One warrior will stumble over another;

both will fall down together."

13 This is the message the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt:

14 "Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;

proclaim it also in Memphis [
b] and Tahpanhes:

'Take your positions and get ready,

for the sword devours those around you.'

15 Why will your warriors be laid low?

They cannot stand, for the LORD will push them down.

16 They will stumble repeatedly;

they will fall over each other.

They will say, 'Get up, let us go back

to our own people and our native lands,

away from the sword of the oppressor.'

17 There they will exclaim,

'Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;

he has missed his opportunity.'

18 "As surely as I live," declares the King,

whose name is the LORD Almighty,

"one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,

like Carmel by the sea.

19 Pack your belongings for exile,

you who live in Egypt,

for Memphis will be laid waste

and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

20 "Egypt is a beautiful heifer,

but a gadfly is coming

against her from the north.

21 The mercenaries in her ranks

are like fattened calves.

They too will turn and flee together,

they will not stand their ground,

for the day of disaster is coming upon them,

the time for them to be punished.

22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent

as the enemy advances in force;

they will come against her with axes,

like men who cut down trees.

23 They will chop down her forest,"

declares the LORD,

"dense though it be.

They are more numerous than locusts,

they cannot be counted.

24 The Daughter of Egypt will be put to shame,

handed over to the people of the north."

25 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, [c] on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. 26 I will hand them over to those who seek their lives, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past," declares the LORD.

27 "Do not fear, O Jacob my servant;

do not be dismayed, O Israel.

I will surely save you out of a distant place,

your descendants from the land of their exile.

Jacob will again have peace and security,

and no one will make him afraid.

28 Do not fear, O Jacob my servant,

for I am with you," declares the LORD.

"Though I completely destroy all the nations

among which I scatter you,

I will not completely destroy you.

I will discipline you but only with justice;

I will not let you go entirely unpunished."

Jeremiah 47


A Message About the Philistines

1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:

2 This is what the LORD says:

"See how the waters are rising in the north;

they will become an overflowing torrent.

They will overflow the land and everything in it,

the towns and those who live in them.

The people will cry out;

all who dwell in the land will wail

3 at the sound of the hoofs of galloping steeds,

at the noise of enemy chariots

and the rumble of their wheels.

Fathers will not turn to help their children;

their hands will hang limp.

4 For the day has come

to destroy all the Philistines

and to cut off all survivors

who could help Tyre and Sidon.

The LORD is about to destroy the Philistines,

the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor. [
d]

5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning;

Ashkelon will be silenced.

O remnant on the plain,

how long will you cut yourselves?

6 " 'Ah, sword of the LORD,' you cry,

'how long till you rest?

Return to your scabbard;

cease and be still.'

7 But how can it rest

when the LORD has commanded it,

when he has ordered it

to attack Ashkelon and the coast?"


Footnotes:


  1. Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Jeremiah 46:14 Hebrew Noph ; also in verse 19
  3. Jeremiah 46:25 Hebrew No
  4. Jeremiah 47:4 That is, Crete


2 Timothy 2:22-3:17



22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.


2 Timothy 3


Godlessness in the Last Days

1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Paul's Charge to Timothy

10You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.





Psalm 94:1-23



Psalm 94


1 O LORD, the God who avenges,

O God who avenges, shine forth.

2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth;

pay back to the proud what they deserve.

3 How long will the wicked, O LORD,

how long will the wicked be jubilant?

4 They pour out arrogant words;

all the evildoers are full of boasting.

5 They crush your people, O LORD;

they oppress your inheritance.

6 They slay the widow and the alien;

they murder the fatherless.

7 They say, "The LORD does not see;

the God of Jacob pays no heed."

8 Take heed, you senseless ones among the people;

you fools, when will you become wise?

9 Does he who implanted the ear not hear?

Does he who formed the eye not see?

10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish?

Does he who teaches man lack knowledge?

11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man;

he knows that they are futile.

12 Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD,

the man you teach from your law;

13 you grant him relief from days of trouble,

till a pit is dug for the wicked.

14 For the LORD will not reject his people;

he will never forsake his inheritance.

15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?

Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

17 Unless the LORD had given me help,

I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

18 When I said, "My foot is slipping,"

your love, O LORD, supported me.

19 When anxiety was great within me,

your consolation brought joy to my soul.

20 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you—

one that brings on misery by its decrees?

21 They band together against the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

22 But the LORD has become my fortress,

and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

23 He will repay them for their sins

and destroy them for their wickedness;

the LORD our God will destroy them.


Proverbs 26:6-8



6 Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence

is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.


7 Like a lame man's legs that hang limp

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

8 Like tying a stone in a sling

is the giving of honor to a fool.

No comments: