Eve of Ascension
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
November 8 - Bible-in-a-Year
niv
Jeremiah 11-12
Chapter 11
The Covenant Is Broken
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord : 2 "Listen to the terms of this covenant(a) and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed(b) is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt,(c) out of the iron-smelting furnace.(d)' I said, ‘Obey(e) me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people,(f) and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore(g) to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey'(h)—the land you possess today."
I answered, "Amen,(i) Lord ."
6 The Lord said to me, "Proclaim(j) all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow(k) them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again,(l) saying, "Obey me." 8 But they did not listen or pay attention;(m) instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(n) So I brought on them all the curses(o) of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.(p)'"
9 Then the Lord said to me, "There is a conspiracy(q) among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors,(r) who refused to listen to my words.(s) They have followed other gods(t) to serve them.(u) Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant(v) I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster(w) they cannot escape.(x) Although they cry(y) out to me, I will not listen(z) to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense,(aa) but they will not help them at all when disaster(ab) strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods(ac) as you have towns;(ad) and the altars you have set up to burn incense(ae) to that shameful(af) god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.'
14 "Do not pray(ag) for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen(ah) when they call to me in the time of their distress.
15 "What is my beloved doing in my temple
as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?
Can consecrated meat(ai) avert your punishment?(aj)
When you engage in your wickedness,
then you rejoice.[a]"
16 The
Lord
called you a thriving olive tree(ak)
with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
he will set it on fire,(al)
and its branches will be broken.(am)
17 The Lord Almighty, who planted(an) you, has decreed disaster(ao) for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused(ap) my anger by burning incense to Baal.(aq)
Plot Against Jeremiah
18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter;(ar) I did not realize that they had plotted(as) against me, saying,
"Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,(at)
that his name be remembered(au) no more."
20 But you,
Lord
Almighty, who judge righteously(av)
and test the heart(aw) and mind,(ax)
let me see your vengeance(ay) on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth(az) who are threatening to kill you,(ba) saying, "Do not prophesy(bb) in the name of the Lord or you will die(bc) by our hands"— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: "I will punish them. Their young men(bd) will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant(be) will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.(bf)"
Chapter 12
Jeremiah's Complaint
1 You are always righteous,(a)
Lord
,
when I bring a case(b) before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:(c)
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?(d)
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
2 You have planted(e) them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.(f)
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts.(g)
3 Yet you know me,
Lord
;
you see me and test(h) my thoughts about you.
Drag them off like sheep(i) to be butchered!
Set them apart for the day of slaughter!(j)
4 How long will the land lie parched(k)
and the grass in every field be withered?(l)
Because those who live in it are wicked,
the animals and birds have perished.(m)
Moreover, the people are saying,
"He will not see what happens to us."
God's Answer
5 "If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble[a] in safe country,
how will you manage in the thickets(n) by[b] the Jordan?
6 Your relatives, members of your own family—
even they have betrayed you;
they have raised a loud cry against you.(o)
Do not trust them,
though they speak well of you.(p)
7 "I will forsake(q) my house,
abandon(r) my inheritance;
I will give the one I love(s)
into the hands of her enemies.(t)
8 My inheritance has become to me
like a lion(u) in the forest.
She roars at me;
therefore I hate her.(v)
9 Has not my inheritance become to me
like a speckled bird of prey
that other birds of prey surround and attack?
Go and gather all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.(w)
10 Many shepherds(x) will ruin my vineyard
and trample down my field;
they will turn my pleasant field
into a desolate wasteland.(y)
11 It will be made a wasteland,(z)
parched and desolate before me;(aa)
the whole land will be laid waste
because there is no one who cares.
12 Over all the barren heights in the desert
destroyers will swarm,
for the sword(ab) of the
Lord
(ac) will devour(ad)
from one end of the land to the other;(ae)
no one will be safe.(af)
13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns;
they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.(ag)
They will bear the shame of their harvest
because of the
Lord
's fierce anger."(ah)
14 This is what the Lord says: "As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance(ai) I gave my people Israel, I will uproot(aj) them from their lands and I will uproot(ak) the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion(al) and will bring(am) each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn(an) well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives'(ao)—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal(ap)—then they will be established among my people.(aq) 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy(ar) it," declares the Lord .
Psalms 124
Chapter 124
Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the
Lord
had not been on our side—
let Israel say(a)—
2 if the
Lord
had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood(b) would have engulfed us,
the torrent(c) would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the
Lord
,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler's snare;(d)
the snare has been broken,(e)
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name(f) of the
Lord
,
the Maker of heaven(g) and earth.
2 Timothy 4
Chapter 4
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead,(a) and in view of his appearing(b) and his kingdom, I give you this charge:(c) 2 Preach(d) the word;(e) be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke(f) and encourage(g)—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.(h) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.(i) 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.(j) 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,(k) do the work of an evangelist,(l) discharge all the duties of your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering,(m) and the time for my departure is near.(n) 7 I have fought the good fight,(o) I have finished the race,(p) I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me(q) the crown of righteousness,(r) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day(s)—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(t)
Personal Remarks
9 Do your best to come to me quickly,(u) 10 for Demas,(v) because he loved this world,(w) has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.(x) Crescens has gone to Galatia,(y) and Titus(z) to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke(aa) is with me.(ab) Get Mark(ac) and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus(ad) to Ephesus.(ae) 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas,(af) and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
14 Alexander(ag) the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.(ah) 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.
16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.(ai) 17 But the Lord stood at my side(aj) and gave me strength,(ak) so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.(al) And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.(am) 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack(an) and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.(ao) To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(ap)
Final Greetings
19 Greet Priscilla[a] and Aquila(aq) and the household of Onesiphorus.(ar) 20 Erastus(as) stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus(at) sick in Miletus.(au) 21 Do your best to get here before winter.(av) Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.[b]
22 The Lord be with your spirit.(aw) Grace be with you all.(ax)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
