Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 19

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Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 19

Jeremiah 11 – 12

Through My Bible – March 19

Jeremiah 11 – 12 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

The Broken Covenant

Jeremiah 11

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord.

2 Listen to the terms of this covenant, and announce them to every man in Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. A curse on the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant, 4 the terms I commanded your fathers [1] when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace. I said, “Obey me and do everything that I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.” 5 Then I will ratify the oath I swore to your fathers, that I would give them a land flowing with milk and honey—as it is today.

I answered, “Amen, Lord.”

6 The Lord then told me to proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.

Listen to the terms of this covenant and obey them. 7 From the time when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, I have warned them again and again to obey my voice, 8 but they did not obey. They did not pay attention. Each one lived according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart. So I brought all the curses of this covenant on them. I commanded them to obey, but they did not obey.

9 The Lord also said to me:

A conspiracy has been uncovered among the men of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their fathers, who refused to obey my words. They are following other gods and serving them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.

11 Therefore this is what the Lord says. Watch this. I am going to bring a disaster on them that they will not be able to escape. They will cry out to me, but I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem will cry out to the gods to whom they have been burning offerings, but who cannot do anything to save them in the time of trouble. 13 Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. You have set up as many altars to burn offerings to Shame—that is, to Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.

14 As for you, Jeremiah, do not pray for this people or lift up a cry or a request for them. I will not listen to them when they call to me in their time of distress. 15 She is my beloved, but what right does she have to be in my temple when she has done so many wicked things? Can consecrated meat prevent you from being punished if you rejoice when you do evil?

16 The Lord called you a green olive tree with beautifully formed fruit. But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it ablaze, and its branches will be broken.

17 The Lord of Armies, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done. They have provoked me to anger by burning incense to Baal.

A Plot Against Jeremiah

18 The Lord revealed their plot to me so I became aware of it. He showed me what they were doing. 19 I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I had not realized that they had plotted against me. They were saying:

“Let us destroy the tree along with its fruit.
Let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will no longer be remembered.”

20 But, Lord of Armies, you judge righteously.
You test the heart and mind.
Let me see your vengeance on them,
    for I have presented my case to you.

21 Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the men of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hands.” 22 This is what the Lord of Armies says. I will certainly punish them. Their young men will die by the sword. Their sons and daughters will die by famine, 23 and none of them will be left. I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.

Jeremiah’s Complaint

Jeremiah 12

1 Lord, you are righteous whenever I bring a case before you.
Nevertheless, I want to speak with you about justice.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do the treacherous live at ease?
2 You plant them, and they take root.
They grow, and they produce fruit.
You are always on their lips,
but far from their hearts.
3 But you know me, Lord.
You see me and test the attitude of my heart toward you.
Drag them away like sheep for the slaughter,
and set them apart for the day when they will be put to death.
4 How long will the land mourn,
and the grass in the whole countryside wither?
Because of the evil of the people who live there,
the animals and birds are dying,
for the people have said,
“He will not see how things turn out for us.” [2]

The Lord’s Reply

5 If you have raced men on foot
and they have tired you out,
how will you compete against horses?
If you fall in open country,
how will you manage in the thickets along the Jordan?
6 Your relatives and the members of your father’s
    household have betrayed you.
They have raised a loud outcry against you.
Do not trust them when they speak friendly words to you.
7 I have abandoned my house.
I have forsaken my heritage.
I have given the one I love dearly into the hands of her enemies.
8 My heritage has become like a lion in the forest to me.
She roars at me, so I hate her.
9 For me my heritage has become like a howling hyena,
    surrounded by scavenging birds of prey. [3]
Go and gather all the wild animals.
Bring them to devour her.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard
and trampled down my estate.
They will turn my pleasant estate into a desolate wasteland.
11 They have made it a wasteland.
It mourns. It is desolate before me.
The whole land is laid waste,
because there is no one who cares.
12 Looters are swarming over all the barren heights in the wilderness.
The Lord has a sword that devours from one end of the land
        to the other.
No one will be safe.
13 They plant wheat, but they reap thorns.
They wear themselves out, but they gain nothing.
Be ashamed of your harvests,
because of the burning anger of the Lord.

14 This is what the Lord says. As for my wicked neighbors, who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will certainly uproot them from their homeland, and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. 15 After I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion on them. I will return each of them to his own inheritance and each of them to his own land. 16 If they carefully learn the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, “As surely as the Lord lives” (just as they once taught my people to swear by Baal), then they will be established among my people. 17 But if they do not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy that nation, declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 11:4 Or forefathers or ancestors
  2. Jeremiah 12:4 Literally the Hebrew reads he will not see what our end will be. The Greek reads he cannot see our ways.
  3. Jeremiah 12:9 Or like a speckled bird of prey, surrounded by other scavenging birds. The Hebrew of the verse is difficult.




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 18

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Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 18

Jeremiah 9:23 – 10:25

Through My Bible – March 18

Jeremiah 9:23 – 10:25 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Jeremiah 9

23 This is what the Lord says.
The wise man should not boast in his wisdom.
The strong man should not boast in his strength,
nor the rich man in his riches.
24 Instead, let those who boast boast about this:
that they have understanding, and that they know me.
They know that I am the Lord,
who shows mercy, justice, and righteousness on earth,
for I delight in these things, declares the Lord.

25 Watch! The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and all who cut their hair short [1] and who live in the wilderness. [2] Actually, these are all uncircumcised nations. And the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in their hearts.

False Gods and the True God

Jeremiah 10

1 Hear the word that the Lord is speaking to you, house of Israel.

2 This is what the Lord says.

Do not learn the ways of the nations,
or be frightened by signs in the heavens,
although the nations are frightened by them.
3 The rituals of the peoples are worthless.
They cut down a tree in the forest.
Then the hands of a craftsman work it with an ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold,
but they have to nail it down with hammers,
    so that it will not tip over.
5 Their idols are like a scarecrow in a melon [3] patch.
They cannot speak.
They must be carried because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them. They can do no harm,
nor can they do any good.

6 No one is like you, Lord.
You are great and your name is powerful.
7 Is there anyone who should not fear you, King of the Nations?
That is what you deserve.
Among all the wise men of the nations
and in all their kingdoms,
there is no one like you.
8 They are stupid and foolish,
because they are instructed by worthless idols made of wood.
9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish,
and gold is brought from Uphaz.
The handiwork of a goldsmith
and the work of a craftsman,
their idols are dressed in blue and purple.
But they are nothing but the work of skilled craftsmen.

10 But the Lord is the true God.
He is the living God, the eternal King.
The earth quakes at his wrath.
The nations cannot endure his fury.

11 You are to say this to them:
“These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth,
    will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” [4]

12 But the one who made the earth by his power,
    established the world by his wisdom,
    and stretched out the heavens by his understanding—
13 he thunders, and the waters in the heavens roar.
He makes storm clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and he brings out the wind from his warehouses.

14 But as for mankind, they are all stupid.
Their knowledge has dried up.
Every goldsmith is embarrassed by his idols.
The images he makes are false.
There is no breath in them.
15 They are worthless,
an achievement to be mocked.
At the time of their punishment, they will perish.
16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
because he is the Maker of all things,
including Israel, the tribe that belongs to him.
The Lord of Armies is his name.

17 Pick up your pack from the ground,
you who live under siege.
18 For this is what the Lord says.
Watch, I am going to throw out those who live in the land at this time.
I am going to bring them distress that they will feel.

Jeremiah’s Lament

19 Woe to me because of my wound!
My injury is severe!
But I said, “Yes, this is my suffering,
and I must bear it.”
20 My tent is destroyed.
All its ropes are broken.
My children are gone, and they are no more.
No one is left to pitch my tent
or to set up my dwelling.
21 The shepherds have become as senseless as animals.
They do not seek the Lord.
That is why they do not prosper
and all their flock is scattered.
22 Listen! I hear noise—
a great commotion from a land in the north.
It will make the cities of Judah desolate.
It will make them a haunt for jackals.

Jeremiah’s Prayer

23 I know, Lord, that a man’s way is not his own,
nor can a man direct his own steps.
24 Correct me, Lord, but with justice,
not in your anger,
or you will reduce me to nothing.
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations who do not acknowledge you,
on the peoples who do not call on your name,
for they have devoured Jacob.
They have devoured him completely
and made his homeland desolate.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:26 Cutting the hair short was often done in honor of a pagan god and was forbidden in Leviticus 19:27.
  2. Jeremiah 9:26 Or and all who live in the distant corners of the desert
  3. Jeremiah 10:5 Or cucumber
  4. Jeremiah 10:11 This verse is in Aramaic. The word for make (‘avad) sounds like the word for perish (’avad).




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 17

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Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 17

Jeremiah 8:4 – 9:22

Through My Bible – March 17

Jeremiah 8:4 – 9:22 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Jeremiah 8

4 You are to tell them that this is what the Lord says:
Do people fall and not get up again?
If a person turns away, doesn’t he turn back again?
5 Then why has this people turned away?
Why is Jerusalem always turning away?
They hang on to deception
and refuse to let it go.
6 I have paid attention and listened,
but they do not say what is right.
No one repents of his wickedness.
No one asks, “What have I done?”
Everyone pursues his own course,
    like a horse charging into battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons.
The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush [1]
    observe the right time for their migration.
But my people do not recognize
    the just judgments of the Lord.
8 How can you say, “We are wise,
and the law of the Lord is with us,”
when in reality the lying pen of the scribes
    has changed it into a lie?
9 Your wise men will be put to shame.
They will be shattered and captured.
Since they have rejected the word of the Lord,
what kind of wisdom do they have?
10 That is why I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners,
because, from the least to the greatest,
all of them are greedy for gain.
From prophet to priest, everyone practices deceit.
11 They dress the wound of the daughter of my people [2]
    as if it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.
12 Are they ashamed when they do such a detestable thing?
No, they have no shame at all.
They do not even know how to blush.
That is why they will fall among the fallen.
They will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord.

13 I will take away their harvest, [3] declares the Lord.
There will be no grapes on the vine.
There will be no figs on the fig tree,
and the leaves will wither.
What I have given them will be taken away from them.

The People React

14 Why are we just sitting here?
Let’s get together!
Let us go into the fortified cities and die there.
The Lord our God has condemned us to die
    by giving us poisoned water to drink,
    because we have sinned against him.
15 We hoped for peace,
but no good came.
We hoped for a time of healing,
but there is only terror.
16 The snorting of horses is heard from Dan.
At the sound of the neighing of mighty stallions,
    the whole land trembles.
They have come to devour the land and everything in it,
    the city and all who live there.

The Lord Responds

17 Look, I am sending snakes among you,
venomous snakes that cannot be charmed,
and they will bite you, declares the Lord.

Jeremiah Reacts

18 My joy is gone, grief is upon me, [4]
and my heart is sick.
19 I hear the cry of my dear people from a distant land:
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King not there?”

The Lord Responds

Why have they provoked my anger with their carved images,
with their worthless foreign idols?

The People

20 The harvest is past,
summer has ended,
and we have not been saved.

Jeremiah’s Grief

21 Because my people are crushed, I have been crushed.
I am in mourning, and horror seizes me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead? [5]
Is there no physician there?
Why has the health of my people not been restored?

Jeremiah 9

1 I wish my head were a spring of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears.
Then I would weep day and night
    for the fallen of my people. [6]
2 I wish there was a lodging place for travelers
in the wilderness.
Then I would leave my people
and get away from them.
They are all adulterers,
a society of traitors.

The Lord Gives a Warning

3 They bend their tongues like bows, to deceive.
It is not by faithfulness that they prevail in the land.
They go from evil to evil,
and they do not acknowledge me,
declares the Lord.

4 Everyone should be on guard against his friend.
Do not trust any brother,
for every brother is really a deceiver,
and every friend spreads slander.
5 Everyone betrays his friend,
and no one speaks the truth.
They have taught their tongues to lie.
They wear themselves out with sinning.
6 You, Jeremiah, live in the midst of deception!
In their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,
declares the Lord.

7 Therefore this is what the Lord of Armies says.
Watch me. I will refine them and test them.
What else can I do for my dear people?
8 Their tongues are like deadly arrows.
They speak deceitfully.
With their mouths they speak peacefully to their neighbors,
but in their hearts they set traps.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord.
Shall I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

Jeremiah’s Grief

10 I will cry and sob for the mountains.
I will sing a lament for the pastures in the wilderness.
They are desolate and untraveled,
and not even the lowing of cattle is heard.
From the birds in the sky to all the animals below, everything has fled.
They are all gone.

The Lord’s Threat

11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a jackals’ den,
and I am going to lay waste to the cities of Judah,
so that no one can live there.

Jeremiah’s Question

12 Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord so that he can explain it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through it?

The Lord’s Answer

13 The Lord said:

This happened because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them. They did not listen to my voice or live according to it. 14 Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts, and they have followed the Baals as their fathers taught them. 15 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says. Watch me. I am going to make this people eat wormwood and drink bitter water. 16 I will scatter them among nations that they and their fathers have not known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have destroyed them. 17 This is what the Lord of Armies says.

Consider this, and call for the wailing women.

Send for those who are the most skilled.

The People Mourn [7]

18 They should hurry and sob over us.
Our eyes will run with tears.
Our eyelids will stream with water.
19 The sound of sobbing is heard from Zion.
“We are ruined!
We are so ashamed!
We must leave our land
because they have torn down our dwellings.”

20 Listen to the word of the Lord, you women.
Pay attention to the word from his mouth.
Teach your daughters how to sob.
Each of you should teach her neighbor a lament.
21 Death has climbed in through a window
and entered our citadels.
It has taken away the children from the streets
and the young men from the city squares.

22 This is what the Lord says.
Dead bodies will fall
like manure on the ground,
like freshly cut grain after the reaper,
with no one to gather it.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 8:7 The precise identification of these species of birds is uncertain.
  2. Jeremiah 8:11 An affectionate way of addressing Judah as his dear people
  3. Jeremiah 8:13 The translation follows the Greek text. The Hebrew reads I will completely snatch them away.
  4. Jeremiah 8:18 Or My comforter, grief is upon me. The meaning of one Hebrew word in this line is uncertain.
  5. Jeremiah 8:22 A region east of the Jordan, known for plants such as the storax tree, which is useful for medicinal purposes
  6. Jeremiah 9:1 English 9:1 is Hebrew 8:23. The other English verse numbers in chapter 9 are one number higher than the Hebrew verse numbers.
  7. Jeremiah 9:18 In these chapters the warnings of the Lord and the responses of the people are interwoven in such a way that it is sometimes difficult to separate them.




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 16

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Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 16

Jeremiah 7:1 – 8:3

Through My Bible – March 16

Jeremiah 7:1 – 8:3 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Your False Religion Is Useless

Jeremiah 7

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord.

2 Stand in the gate of the House of the Lord and proclaim this message there.

Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who are coming through this gate to worship the Lord. 3 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says.

Reform your ways and your actions, and I will establish you in this place. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.”

5 Sincerely reform your ways and your actions. Carry out justice between a man and his neighbor. 6 Do not oppress the alien who lives in your land, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place. Do not follow after other gods to your own harm. If you avoid these things, 7 I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your fathers forever and ever.

8 Take warning. You are trusting in deceptive words that cannot help you.

9 Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and swear falsely? Will you offer sacrifices to Baal and follow other gods you do not know? 10 Will you come and stand before me in this temple that bears my Name, and say, “We are safe,” the whole time you do all these detestable things? 11 This house bears my Name! Have you made it a den of robbers? Watch out! I myself have been watching, declares the Lord.

Heed the Warning of Shiloh

12 Go to my place in Shiloh, where I first made a dwelling place for my Name. See what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.

13 You have done all these things, declares the Lord. Even though I spoke to you again and again, you did not listen. I called you, but you did not answer. 14 Because of this, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name—the place in which you trust, the place I gave to you and to your fathers. 15 I will drive you out of my sight just as I drove away all of your brothers, the people of Ephraim.

Do Not Pray for This People

16 As for you, Jeremiah, do not pray for this people or lift up a cry or a request for them, and do not plead with me. I will not listen to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light a fire, and their wives knead dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to make me angry. 19 Am I the one they are frustrating? declares the Lord. No, they are frustrating themselves, to their own shame.

20 Therefore this is what the Lord God says. You may be sure that my burning anger will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field, and on the fruit of the land. It will burn and not be put out.

Their Sacrifices Are Useless

21 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says. Go ahead. Grab your burnt offerings, along with your other sacrifices, and eat the meat yourselves! 22 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, I said nothing to them about burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 I gave them only this command: “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Walk entirely in the way I commanded you to walk, so that it may go well with you.” 24 But they did not obey me or listen to me. They followed their own advice and the stubbornness of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. 25 From the time your fathers left Egypt until today, I have sent all my servants, the prophets, to them again and again. 26 But they did not obey me or listen to me. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their fathers.

27 So say all these things to them, but they will not listen to you. Call to them, but they will not answer you. 28 Say to them, “This is the nation that did not obey the Lord its God or accept discipline. Faithfulness has perished, and it has disappeared from their lips. 29 Cut off your hair and throw it away. Sing a lament on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken this generation under his wrath.”

30 The people of Judah have committed evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They set up their disgusting idols in the house that bears my Name, and they have defiled it. 31 They built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—a thing I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.

32 That is why the days are coming, declares the Lord, when that place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth because there will be no other place left. 33 The corpses of those people will become food for the birds in the sky and the wild animals in the land, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 34 In the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, I will bring the sounds of joy and happiness to an end, as well as the voices of groom and bride, for the land will become desolate.

Jeremiah 8

1 At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people who live in Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. 2 They will be exposed to the sun, to the moon, and to all the army of the heavens, which they loved and served and followed and consulted and worshipped. They will not be gathered up again. They will not be reburied. They will lie on the ground like manure. 3 Death will be chosen rather than life for [1] the entire remnant left from this evil family, wherever I banish them, declares the Lord of Armies.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 8:3 Or by




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 15

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Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 15

Jeremiah 5 – 6

Through My Bible – March 15

Jeremiah 5 – 6 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

A Dialogue About Jerusalem’s Sin
The Lord [1]

Jeremiah 5

1 Hurry here and there through the streets of Jerusalem.
Look and take note.
Search her public squares.
See if you can find just one person who deals justly
and who seeks to be faithful.
If you can, I will forgive her.
2 Though they say, “As surely as the Lord lives,”
they are still swearing falsely.

The Prophet

3 Lord, don’t your eyes look for faithfulness?
You struck them,
but they felt no pain.
You crushed them,
but they refused discipline.
They made their faces harder than rock
and refused to repent.
4 Then I said:
    These are only the poor.
    They are foolish,
    because they do not know the way of the Lord
    and the just verdict of their God.
5     I will go to the great men and speak to them.
    Certainly they know the way of the Lord,
    the just verdict of their God.
    But all of them together have broken the yoke
    and have torn off their chains.
6     That is why a lion from the forest will strike them.
    A wolf from the desert will attack them,
    and a leopard is watching their cities.
    Everyone who comes out of them will be torn to pieces
    because their rebellions are so many,
    and their unfaithfulness is so great.

The Lord

7 Why should I forgive you?
Your children have abandoned me
and sworn by gods that are not gods.
I satisfied their needs,
yet they committed adultery
and crowded into prostitutes’ houses.
8 They are well-fed, lusty [2] stallions,
each one neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
9 Should I not punish them for this? declares the Lord.
Should I not avenge myself on a nation like this one?
10 Go through her vineyards and destroy them,
but do not destroy them completely.
Cut away the branches,
because they do not belong to the Lord.
11 The house of Israel and the house of Judah
    have been completely unfaithful to me, declares the Lord.

12 They have lied about the Lord.
They say, “He is nothing.
No disaster will come upon us.
We will not see sword or famine.
13 The prophets are only wind.
The word is not in them,
so let what they say come upon them.” [3]
14 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Armies, says.
Because they have said this,
I will make my words in your mouth a fire.
These people are the wood, and it will burn them up.
15 Now, O house of Israel, I am bringing against you
    a nation from far away, declares the Lord.
I am bringing an enduring nation, an ancient nation.
They are a nation whose language you do not know,
nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their quiver is like an open grave.
They are all strong warriors.
17 They will consume your harvest and your bread.
They will consume your sons and daughters.
They will consume your flocks and herds,
and they will consume your vines and fig trees.
With their swords they will beat down your fortified cities,
the places in which you trust.

18 Yet even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not destroy you completely. 19 When the people ask, “Why has the Lord our God done this to us?” answer them, “Just as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.”

20 Declare this to the house of Jacob!
Proclaim it in Judah!
21 Hear this, you foolish, senseless people!
You have eyes but you cannot see.
You have ears but you cannot hear.
22 Do you not fear me? declares the Lord.
Do you not tremble before me?
I made sand as the boundary for the sea,
a permanent barrier that it cannot cross.
The waves toss back and forth,
but they cannot get past it.
The towering waves crash,
but they cannot pass over it.
23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart.
They have turned aside and wandered away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
“We should fear the Lord our God,
who sends autumn rains and spring rains at the right time,
who reserves for us enough weeks for the harvest.”
25 But your guilty actions have kept these things at a distance.
Your sins have kept these good things away from you.
26 Wicked men are found among my people.
Like men who trap birds, they lie in wait for my people
    to set traps and catch people. [4]
27 Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit.
That is how they became powerful and rich.
28 They have become fat and sleek.
They have gone beyond evil words. [5]
They do not argue a case for the fatherless to help them win,
and they do not seek justice for the poor.
29 Should I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord.
Should I not avenge myself on a nation like this one?
30 A terrible thing has taken place.
A horrible thing has happened in the land.
31 Prophets prophesy lies,
priests rule by their own authority,
and my people love this.
But what will you do in the end?

The Siege Is Coming
The Lord [6]

Jeremiah 6

1 Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
Get out of Jerusalem!
Blow the ram’s horn in Tekoa. [7]
Raise a signal over Beth Hakkerem!
Disaster and great destruction threaten from the north.
2 I will silence the beautiful, pampered daughter of Zion. [8]
3 Shepherds and their flocks will come against her.
They will pitch their tents all around.
Each one will pasture his flock in his own spot.

The Enemy

4 Consecrate yourselves for war against her.
Rise up, we will attack at noon!

The People of Judah

We are doomed! The day is ending.
The evening shadows are getting longer.

The Enemy

5 We should get up and attack at night
and destroy its citadels.

The Lord

6 This is what the Lord of Armies says.
Cut down her trees.
Raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished.
There is nothing but oppression inside her.
7 Just as a well pours out fresh [9] water,
she pours out fresh evil.
Violence and destruction are heard in her.
Sickness and wounds are always before me.
8 Be warned, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away from you.
I will make your land desolate,
so that no one can live there.

9 This is what the Lord of Armies says.
They will glean what remains of Israel
    as thoroughly as a vine.
Like someone gathering grapes,
pass your hand over the branches again.
10 Who can I speak to?
Who will listen to my warning? [10]
Look! Their ears are uncircumcised.
They will not be able to hear.
Indeed, to them the word of the Lord is an embarrassment.
They take no pleasure in it.

11 I am full of the Lord’s wrath, [11]
and I cannot hold it in.
Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the young men gathered together.
Both husband and wife will be taken,
the old along with the very old.
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,
together with their fields and their wives,
because I will stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,
declares the Lord.

13 From the least of them to the greatest,
all of them are greedy for gain.
From prophets to priests, they all practice deceit.
14 They have treated the wound of my people as if it were nothing serious.
They say, “Peace, peace,” but there is no peace!
15 Are they ashamed of the detestable things they have done?
No, they are not ashamed at all!
They do not know how to be ashamed.
So they will fall with the fallen.
They will be thrown down when I punish them, says the Lord.

16 This is what the Lord says.
Stand at the crossroads and look.
Ask about the ancient paths.
Ask where the good road is.
Walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, “We will not walk in it.”
17 I set watchmen over you and said,
“Listen to the sound of the ram’s horn!”
But you said, “We will not listen.”

18 Therefore, listen, you nations!
You witnesses, observe what will happen to them.
19 Listen, O earth.
I am bringing disaster on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,
because they have not listened to my words,
and they have rejected my law.
20 What use to me is incense from Sheba
or sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not appealing to me.
Your sacrifices do not please me.

21 Therefore this is what the Lord says.
Look, I am going to place obstacles in front of this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble over them.
Friends and neighbors will perish.

22 This is what the Lord says.
Look, a nation is coming from a land in the north.
A great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 Its warriors grip bows and spears.
They are cruel and merciless.
They sound like the roaring sea.
They ride horses, arranged like soldiers ready for battle
    against you, O daughter of Zion.

The People of Judah

24 We have heard the news about them,
and our hands hang limp.
Anguish grips us like a woman in labor.
25 Do not go out to the field.
Do not walk on the road,
because the enemy has a sword.
There is terror on every side.
26 Put on sackcloth, daughter of my people.
Roll in ashes.
Mourn as you would for an only son,
because suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

The Lord

27 I have made you like someone who tests metals.
My people are the ore that is being tested.
Observe them,
and examine their ways.
28 They are all stubborn rebels,
walking in slander.
They are as hard as bronze and iron,
and all of them are contaminated.
29 The bellows blows hot to melt away the refining agent [12] with fire.
The refining agent is completely used up, but the evil is not removed.
30 They are classified as rejected silver,
because the Lord has rejected them.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 5:1 The Hebrew text does not provide introductory words to mark the frequent changes of speaker. The translation provides headings to help the reader track these changes.
  2. Jeremiah 5:8 The meaning of each of these two adjectives is uncertain.
  3. Jeremiah 5:13 This closing quotation mark may be placed at the end of verse 12.
  4. Jeremiah 5:26 The meanings of two Hebrew words in this verse are uncertain.
  5. Jeremiah 5:28 Or their evil deeds overflow
  6. Jeremiah 6:1 On the basis of the context and the gender of the Hebrew pronouns, the captions identify various speakers: the Lord, the enemy, and the people. In some instances these captions and divisions of the text are debatable.
  7. Jeremiah 6:1 The Hebrew word taka, blow, sounds like the name of the village Tekoa.
  8. Jeremiah 6:2 The meanings of two Hebrew words in this verse are uncertain.
  9. Jeremiah 6:7 Literally cool
  10. Jeremiah 6:10 The translation observes the traditional distinction between who and whom in formal prose but also recognizes the lessening use of this distinction in conversation.
  11. Jeremiah 6:11 The Lord refers to himself in the third person. This is not unusual in Hebrew poetry.
  12. Jeremiah 6:29 Literally lead




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 14

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Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 14

Jeremiah 3:6 – 4:31

Through My Bible – March 14

Jeremiah 3:6 – 4:31 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Jeremiah 3

Unfaithful Israel, Treacherous Judah

6 In the days of King Josiah, the Lord asked me:

Have you seen what unfaithful Israel did? She has gone up onto every high hill and under every green tree and acted like a prostitute there. 7 I told myself that after she did all this, she would return to me, but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 Unfaithful Israel committed adultery, so I sent her away. I gave her a certificate of divorce, yet I saw that in spite of this, her treacherous sister Judah had no fear. She also went and acted like a prostitute. 9 Since Israel regarded her sexual sins so lightly, she defiled the land by committing adultery with stones and trees. 10 In spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah did not turn back to me with all her heart, but only pretended, declares the Lord.

11 Then the Lord said to me:
Unfaithful Israel is more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12 Go, proclaim these words to the north.
Return, unfaithful Israel, declares the Lord.
I will no longer frown on you,
because I am merciful, declares the Lord.
I will not be angry forever.
13 At least acknowledge your guilt.
Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God.
You have distributed your favors to strangers under every green tree,
and you have not listened to me, declares the Lord.

14 Return, unfaithful people, declares the Lord, because I am your husband. I will take you—one from a city, two from a family—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when you have been fruitful and increased in number in the land, declares the Lord, men will no longer say, “The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.” It will not enter their minds. It will not be remembered. It will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 Then they will call Jerusalem “The Throne of the Lord.” All nations will gather there in Jerusalem for the sake of the name of the Lord. No longer will they stubbornly follow their own evil hearts.

18 In those days the house of Judah will join with the house of Israel, and together they will come from a land in the north to the land I gave your fathers as an inheritance.

A Dialogue Between the Lord and Israel About True Repentance
The Lord

19 I myself said that I would like to treat you like sons
and give you a desirable land,
the most splendid inheritance among the entire army of nations.
I thought you would call me Father
and would no longer turn away from me.
20 But you, O house of Israel, have been unfaithful to me,
like a wife who is unfaithful to her husband, declares the Lord.

21 A cry is heard on the bare hills,
the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their way.
They have forgotten the Lord their God.

22 Return, unfaithful people.
I will cure you of your unfaithfulness.

The People

Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the Lord our God!
23 Yes, there has been deception from the hills,
and commotion in the mountains,
but there is salvation for Israel in the Lord our God.
24 Since our younger days,
    shameful gods have consumed the results of our fathers’ hard work,
    their sheep and cattle,
    and their sons and daughters.
25 We will lie down in that shame.
Our disgrace covers us.
We have sinned against the Lord our God,
both we and our fathers.
From our younger days until today,
we have not obeyed the Lord our God.

The Lord

Jeremiah 4

1 Israel, if you will return, declares the Lord,
return to me.
If you remove your disgusting idols from my sight,
and do not go astray,
2 and if you swear, “As surely as the Lord lives,”
    in truth, justice, and righteousness,
then the nations will be blessed by him,
and they will take pride in him.

3 For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:
Break up your unplowed ground
and do not sow among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord.
Circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah,
you who live in Jerusalem.
Otherwise my rage will burn like fire,
fire that cannot be put out,
because of the evil that you have done.

The Lord Brings Judgment From the North

5 Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem.
Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land.
Shout loudly and say, “Gather together!
We must flee into the fortified cities!”
6 Raise a signal flag to flee to Zion!
Flee for safety!
Do not stay behind!
I am bringing disaster from the north.
I am bringing terrible destruction.
7 A lion has come out of his den.
A destroyer of nations has set out.
He has come out of his lair to lay waste to the land.
Your cities will lie in ruins with no one living in them.
8 So put on sackcloth, mourn and wail,
because the burning anger of the Lord has not turned away from us.

9 When that day comes, declares the Lord,
the heart of the king will fail,
and the hearts of the officials as well.
The priests will be stunned.
The prophets will be dumbfounded.

Jeremiah’s Grief

10 Then I said:
Oh no, Lord God!
You have completely deceived these people
and Jerusalem as well.
You said, “You will have peace,”
but the sword is at our throats!

Further Warning From the Lord

11 At that time it will be said to these people and to Jerusalem: “A hot wind from the bare hills in the wilderness blows toward my dear people, but not to winnow or purify. 12 A wind too strong for that is being sent by me. Now I am passing judgment on them.”

13 Look! He rises up like clouds.
His chariots are like a whirlwind.
His horses are faster than eagles!
“We are doomed! We are ruined!”

14 Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart
    so that you will be saved.
How long will your wicked thoughts live inside you?

15 A voice declares from Dan, [1]
and a report of disaster comes from the hills of Ephraim.
16 Announce this to the nations.
Make Jerusalem hear it.
A besieging army is coming from a distant land,
raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
17 They have surrounded her like men watching a field,
because she has rebelled against me, declares the Lord.
18 The way you live and the things you did have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
It is bitter!
It strikes your heart!

Jeremiah’s Grief

19 My agony! My agony! [2]
I am writhing in pain.
Oh my heart!
The walls of my heart are quivering!
I cannot keep silent,
because I hear the sound of the ram’s horn.
It is the signal for war!
20 One disaster after another is announced.
All the land is ruined.
Suddenly my tents are destroyed.
My tent curtains are torn apart in an instant.
21 How long must I see the battle flag
and hear the sound of the ram’s horn?

The Lord’s Grief

22 My people are fools.
They do not know me.
They are ignorant children.
They do not understand.
They are experts at doing evil,
and they do not know how to do good.
23 I looked at the earth.
It was undeveloped and empty. [3]
I looked at the heavens,
but there were no lights.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking.
All the hills were shaking.
25 I looked and there was no one there.
Every bird in the sky had flown away.
26 I looked and saw that the fertile land was a wilderness.
All the cities were torn down,
because of the Lord and his burning anger.

27 This is what the Lord says.
The land will be laid waste,
but I will not destroy it completely.
28 Because of this, the earth will mourn,
and the sky above will grow dark.
I have spoken. I have made plans.
I will show no pity,
and I will not turn back from this.
29 At the sound of riders and archers,
the people of every city will flee.
They will go off into the brush.
They will climb up into the rocks.
Every city will be abandoned.
There will not be anyone to live in them.

30 You are destroyed!
What are you doing?
Why do you dress in scarlet
and put on gold jewelry?
Why do you put makeup on your eyes?
You are making yourself look beautiful for nothing.
Your lovers reject you.
They seek your life.

31 Listen, I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor,
a cry of pain like that of a woman giving birth to her first child,
the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath,
stretching out her hands and saying,
“Oh no, it is hopeless!
My life is slipping away in the presence of murderers.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 4:15 Dan was in the far north of Israel, the first place to be reached by an invasion from the north.
  2. Jeremiah 4:19 Literally my guts, my guts
  3. Jeremiah 4:23 As it was on the first day of creation




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 13

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Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 13

Jeremiah 2:1 – 3:5

Through My Bible – March 13

Jeremiah 2:1 – 3:5 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Israel Has Forsaken the Lord

Jeremiah 2

1 The word of the Lord came to me.

2 Go and proclaim this in the hearing of Jerusalem.
This is what the Lord says.
This is what I remember concerning you:
    your faithfulness when you were young,
    and your love when you were pledged in marriage.
I remember how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land that has never been planted.
3 Israel was set apart as holy to the Lord,
    the firstfruits of his harvest.
All those who devoured Israel became guilty,
and disaster came upon them, declares the Lord.
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you house of Jacob.
All you families of the house of Israel,
5 this is what the Lord says.
What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they departed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols,
and so they became worthless themselves.
6 They did not say,
“Where is the Lord, who brought us up from the land of Egypt?
Where is the one who led us through the wilderness,
    through a desert wasteland filled with ravines,
    through a land of drought and the shadow of death,
    a land which no one passes through,
    a land where no human being lives?”
7 I brought you into a fertile land,
to eat its fruit and its good things.
But you defiled my land
and made my inheritance repulsive.
8 The priests did not ask, “Where is the Lord?”
The experts in the law did not acknowledge me.
Their shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal
and went after useless idols.

9 So I am bringing charges against you again, declares the Lord,
and I am bringing charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus [1] and look.
Send someone to Kedar [2] and observe carefully.
See if there has ever been anything like this.
11 Has a nation ever exchanged its gods
(even though they are not gods at all)?
Yet my people have exchanged their Glory [3]
    for useless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens.
Be horrified and wither away completely, declares the Lord.
13 For my people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned me, the spring of living water,
and they have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that hold no water!

14 Is Israel a servant, born into slavery?
Why then has Israel been plundered?
15 Young lions have roared at him.
They have growled loudly.
They have made his land desolate.
His towns are burned and deserted.
16 The men of Memphis [4] and Tahpanhes
    have shaved the top of your head. [5]
17 Have you not brought this on yourself
    by deserting the Lord your God
    while he led you on the way?
18 So why are you on the road to Egypt
    to drink the water of the Shihor? [6]
And why are you on the road to Assyria
    to drink the water of the River? [7]
19 It is your own evil that will bring discipline on you.
Your backsliding will judge you.
Know and see how evil and bitter it is for you
    to forsake the Lord your God,
    to have no fear of me,
declares the Lord God of Armies.

20 Long ago I broke your yoke.
I [8] tore off your chains,
but you said, “I will not serve you!”
Instead, on every high hill
and under every green tree
you sprawl out like a prostitute.
21 But I planted you as a very good vine,
healthy and from reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me?
How then did you turn into a wild vine?
22 Even if you scrub yourself with cleanser
and use a lot of strong soap,
the stain of your guilt is before me, declares the Lord.
23 How can you say, “I have not defiled myself.
I have not gone after the Baals”?
Look what you did in the valley!
Think about what you did!
You were a fast female camel
    running wildly all over the place,
24 or a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
    sniffing the wind in her passion.
Who can control her when she is in heat?
None of the males who pursue her will become tired.
They will find her in her mating time.
25 Stop before your shoes wear out
and your throat becomes dry!
But you say, “It’s hopeless!
I love strange gods, and I must pursue them.”

26 As a thief is shamed when he is caught,
so the house of Israel will be shamed—
the people, their kings, their officials,
their priests, and their prophets.
27 They say to wood, “You are my father.”
They say to stone, “You gave birth to me.”
They have turned their backs to me
and not their faces.
But when a time of trouble comes, they say,
“Get up and save us!”
28 Where are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them rise up,
if they are able to save you in a time of trouble.
After all, Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns.

29 Why do you bring charges against me?
You have all rebelled against me, declares the Lord.
30 I punished your people in vain.
They did not respond to correction.
Your own sword has devoured your prophets,
    like a raging lion.

31 You people of this generation,
consider the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
or a land of deep darkness?
Why do my people say, “We are free to wander.
We will not come to you anymore”?
32 Does a virgin about to be married forget her jewelry?
Does a bride forget her veil? [9]
But my people have forgotten me for countless days.
33 How practiced you are in the ways that you pursue love!
Even the most evil women could learn from your ways.
34 The lifeblood of poor, innocent people is found on your skirt,
even though you did not catch them breaking in.
In spite of all this, 35 you say, “I am innocent.
He will not be angry with me.”
But I have indeed judged you
because you say, “I have not sinned.”

36 How fickle you are in changing your direction!
You will be disappointed by Egypt,
just as you were by Assyria.
37 So you will leave there with your hands on your head,
because the Lord has rejected the ones you trust.
You will receive no help from them.

Jeremiah 3

1 If a man divorces his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
can he return to her again? [10]
Wouldn’t acting like that completely defile the land?
But you have lived like a prostitute with many lovers.
And now you want to return to me?
declares the Lord.
2 Look up to the bare hills and see.
Is there any place where you have not engaged in sex? [11]
You sat by the roadsides waiting for lovers,
    like a nomad [12] in the desert.
You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
3 That is why the showers have been withheld,
and the spring rains have not come.
Yet you have the shameless look of a prostitute.
You refuse to be ashamed.

4 Did you not just call to me, “My father!
You are my close friend from my youth!”?
5 You say, “Will he be angry for so long?
Will he keep up his wrath forever?”
Yes, that is what you say,
but you do whatever evil you can.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:10 Hebrew Kittim. The term may include other areas in the Mediterranean basin besides Cyprus.
  2. Jeremiah 2:10 An area in Arabia
  3. Jeremiah 2:11 Or their glory. This reading follows the main Hebrew text. An alternate Hebrew reading is my glory.
  4. Jeremiah 2:16 Hebrew Noph. The English names of Egyptian cities are usually based on the Greek forms of their names rather than the Hebrew forms.
  5. Jeremiah 2:16 Or have cracked your skull
  6. Jeremiah 2:18 A branch of the Nile
  7. Jeremiah 2:18 That is, the Euphrates
  8. Jeremiah 2:20 The translation follows the Hebrew reading. The Greek Old Testament reads you.
  9. Jeremiah 2:32 Literally sash
  10. Jeremiah 3:1 Deuteronomy 24:1-4 says that he cannot.
  11. Jeremiah 3:2 The main Hebrew reading uses a blunt sexual term. The reading written in the margin of the Hebrew text substitutes a milder term. The translation above splits the difference.
  12. Jeremiah 3:2 Or an Arab




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 12

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Through My Bible Yr 02 – March 12

Through My Bible – March 12

Jeremiah 1: (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Jeremiah 1

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, who was one of the priests from Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.

2 The word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, 3 and continued through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, up to the time of the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

The Call of Jeremiah

4 The word of the Lord came to me.

5 Before I formed you in the womb, I knew [1] you,
and before you were born, I set you apart.
I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.

6 But I said, “Ah, Lord God! I really do not know how to speak! I am only a child!”

7 The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, because I am with you, and I will rescue you, declares the Lord.”

9 Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. The Lord said to me:

There! I have now placed my words in your mouth.

10 Look, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
to uproot and to tear down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.

Jeremiah’s First Visions

11 Again the word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

I answered, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”

12 The Lord said to me, “That is correct. You have observed accurately. And this vision means that I am watching [2] over my word to fulfill it.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time: “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a boiling pot tipped away from the north.”

14 Then the Lord said to me:

Disaster will boil over from the north on everyone who lives in the land.

15 Listen, I am summoning all the clans from the northern kingdoms, declares the Lord. They will come, and each one will set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. They will come against all the surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah. 16 I will pronounce my judgments against Judah because of their wickedness. They have abandoned me. They have made burnt offerings to other gods, and they have bowed down to the work of their own hands.

17 Now you, get ready. [3] Rise up and tell them everything I am commanding you. Do not be frightened by them, or I will frighten you in their presence.

18 Look, today I have made you like a fortified city, like an iron pillar, and like bronze walls, to take a stand against the whole land. Stand against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.

19 They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, because I am with you to rescue you, declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
  2. Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew word shokēd, watching, sounds like the Hebrew word shakēd, almond tree.
  3. Jeremiah 1:17 Literally gird your loins, that is, hike up your robes




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 11

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 11

Matthew 18:1-35 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 11

Matthew 18:1-35 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 18

Who Is the Greatest?

1 At that time the disciples approached Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Jesus called a little child, had him stand in the middle of them, 3 and said, “Amen I tell you: Unless you are turned and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives a little child like this one in my name receives me.

6 “But, if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, [1] it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of temptations to sin. Temptations must come, but woe to that person through whom the temptation comes!

8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, [2] cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to be thrown into the eternal fire with two hands or two feet. 9 If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to be thrown into hell fire with two eyes. 10 See to it that you do not look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man came to save what was lost. [3]

The Lost Sheep

12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go looking for the one that wandered away? 13 If he finds it—Amen I tell you—he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not wander away. 14 In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want even one of these little ones to perish.

Show Your Brother His Sin

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his sin just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every matter [4] may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ [5] 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And, if he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as an unbeliever or a tax collector. 18 Amen I tell you: Whatever you bind on earth will be [6] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Amen I tell you again: If two of you on earth agree to ask for anything, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20 In fact where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am among them.”

The Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came up and asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? As many as seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but I tell you as many as seventy-seven times. [7] 23 For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle them, a man who owed him ten thousand talents [8] was brought to him. 25 Because the man was not able to pay the debt, his master ordered that he be sold, along with his wife, children, and all that he owned to repay the debt.

26 “Then the servant fell down on his knees in front of him, saying, ‘Master, be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!’ 27 The master of that servant had pity on him, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii. [9] He grabbed him and began choking him, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

29 “So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back!’ 30 But he refused. Instead he went off and threw the man into prison until he could pay back what he owed.

31 “When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very distressed. They went and reported to their master everything that had taken place.

32 “Then his master called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt when you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 His master was angry and handed him over to the jailers until he could pay back everything he owed.

35 “This is what my heavenly Father will also do to you unless each one of you forgives his brother from his heart.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:6 Or stumble. The Greek skandalizo could mean to stumble into sin or fall from faith.
  2. Matthew 18:8 Or stumble. The Greek skandalizo could mean to stumble into sin or fall from faith.
  3. Matthew 18:11 Some witnesses to the text omit verse 11. See Luke 19:10.
  4. Matthew 18:16 Or word, fact, charge, or statement
  5. Matthew 18:16 Deuteronomy 19:15
  6. Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
  7. Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
  8. Matthew 18:24 Ten thousand talents was an enormous amount equal to sixty million days’ wages. Each talent was worth six thousand denarii. A denarius was one day’s wage.
  9. Matthew 18:28 This was one hundred days’ wages, since one denarius was equal to one day’s wage.


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 10

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 10

Matthew 17:14-27 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 1

Matthew 17:14-27 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 17

Jesus Heals a Boy With a Demon

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt in front of him. 15 “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son because he has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to cure him.”

17 Jesus answered, “O unbelieving and perverse generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it went out of the boy, and he was cured from that hour.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why were we unable to drive it out?”

20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. [1] Amen I tell you: If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” [2]

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection Again

22 While they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, but on the third day he will be raised.” And they were greatly distressed.

A Coin in a Fish’s Mouth

24 When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax [3] came to Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.”

When he came into the house, Jesus spoke first, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect tolls or a tax? From their own sons or from others?”

26 Peter said to him, “From others.”

Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt. 27 But, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish that you pull up. When you open its mouth, you will find a silver coin. [4] Take that coin and give it to them for me and for you.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 17:20 Some witnesses to the text read your unbelief.
  2. Matthew 17:21 A few witnesses to the text omit verse 21.
  3. Matthew 17:24 The two-drachma tax
  4. Matthew 17:27 A stater coin, worth four drachmas


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 9

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 9

Matthew 16:21 – 17:13 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 9

Matthew 16:21 – 17:13 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 16

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “May you receive mercy, Lord! This will never happen to you.”

23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a snare [1] to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 In fact whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 After all, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father together with his angels, and then he will repay everyone according to his actions. 28 Amen I tell you: Some who are standing here will certainly not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

1 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James; and he led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light. 3 Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Just then, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down and were terrified. 7 Jesus approached and as he touched them, he said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they opened their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

10 His disciples asked him, “Then why do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus answered them, “Yes, Elijah is coming and will restore all things, [2] 12 but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him. Instead they did to him whatever they desired. In the same way the Son of Man will also suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:23 Or stumbling block
  2. Matthew 17:11 Malachi 4:5-6


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 8

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 8

Matthew 16:1-20 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 8

Matthew 16:1-20 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 16

A Sign From Heaven

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and, as a test, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 But he answered them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather because the sky is red.’ 3 In the morning you say, ‘It will be stormy weather today because the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times! 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” He left them and went away.

Watch Out for the Teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 When his disciples came to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread along. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch out and be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 They were discussing this among themselves and said, “It is because we did not bring any bread.”

8 Since Jesus knew what they were saying, he said, “You of little faith! Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you brought no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many basketfuls you picked up? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many basketfuls you picked up? 11 How is it that you do not understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

12 Then they understood that he was not warning them about the yeast in bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus Is the Christ

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them, “But you, who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell [1] will not overpower it. [2] 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be [3] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he commanded the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:18 Greek hades
  2. Matthew 16:18 Or stand up against it
  3. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 7

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 7

Matthew 15:21-39 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 7

Matthew 15:21-39 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 15

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 Jesus left that place and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 There a Canaanite woman from that territory came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! A demon is severely tormenting my daughter!”

23 But he did not answer her a word.

His disciples came and pleaded, “Send her away, because she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 But she came and knelt in front of him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

26 He answered her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to their little dogs.”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet their little dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith is great! It will be done for you, just as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at that very hour.

29 Jesus moved on from there and went along the Sea of Galilee. He went up onto the mountain and sat there. 30 Large crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them down at his feet, and he healed them. 31 As a result, the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds More Than Four Thousand

32 Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with me already three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they might faint on the way.”

33 The disciples said to him, “Where can we get so many loaves in the wilderness to satisfy such a large crowd?”

34 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”

They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

35 He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 He took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and broke them. He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 37 They all ate and were filled. They picked up seven basketfuls of the broken pieces that were left over. 38 Those who ate numbered four thousand men, without counting the women and children. 39 After Jesus sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.



Footnotes



The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 6

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 6

Matthew 15:1-20 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 6

Matthew 15:1-20 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 15

Commandments and Traditions

1 Then the Pharisees and experts in the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ [1] and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother should be put to death.’ [2] 5 But you say that if someone tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might have received from me has been dedicated as a gift to God,’ [3] 6 that man does not need to honor his father or his mother. [4] And so you set aside the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

8 These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
9 They worship me in vain, teaching human rules as if they are doctrines.” [5]

10 Then he summoned the crowd and said to them, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into the mouth does not make a person unclean, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this saying?”

13 He answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Let them go. They are blind guides of the blind. [6] And if the blind are guiding the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

15 Peter replied and said to him, “Explain the parable to us.”

16 Jesus said, “Do you still not understand? 17 Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated into the latrine? 18 But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart. That is what defiles a person. 19 To be sure, out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and blasphemies. 20 These are the things that defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16
  2. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17
  3. Matthew 15:5 See Mark 7:11.
  4. Matthew 15:6 A few witnesses to the text omit or his mother.
  5. Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
  6. Matthew 15:14 A few witnesses to the text omit of the blind.


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 5

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 5

Matthew 14:13-36 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 5

Matthew 14:13-36 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 14

Jesus Feeds More Than Five Thousand

13 When Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns.

14 When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 When evening came, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 They told him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

18 “Bring them here to me,” he replied. 19 Then he instructed the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish. After looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples. The disciples gave the food to the people. 20 They all ate and were filled. They picked up twelve basketfuls of what was left over from the broken pieces. 21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, not even counting women and children.

Jesus Walks on Water

22 Immediately Jesus urged the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed the crowd, he went up onto the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 24 By then the boat was quite a distance from shore, being pounded by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 In the fourth watch of the night, [1] Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and cried out in fear, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once, saying, “Take heart! It is I! Do not be afraid.”

28 Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

29 Jesus said, “Come!”

Peter stepped down from the boat, walked on the water, and went toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid. As he began to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!”

34 When they had crossed over, they came to the shore at Gennesaret. 35 When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding region. They brought to him all who were sick 36 and begged that they might just touch the fringe of his garment. All who touched it were completely cured.



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 14:25 Between 3 am and 6 am


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 4

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 4

Matthew 13:53 – 14:12 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 4

Matthew 13:53 – 14:12 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 13

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.

A Prophet Without Honor

54 Jesus entered his hometown and taught in their synagogue. As a result, the people were amazed and said, “Where did this fellow get this wisdom and these miracles? 55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? And aren’t James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? 56 And aren’t all of his sisters here with us? Where then did this fellow get all of these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own hometown and in his own house.” 58 He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Matthew 14

Recalling the Death of John the Baptist

1 At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus. 2 He said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has risen from the dead! That is why these powers are working in him.” 3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4 John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. 6 But when it was Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced among them. This pleased Herod. 7 So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

9 Although this saddened the king, because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that it be done. 10 He sent the order and had John beheaded in prison. 11 His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came, took the body, and buried it. Then they went and reported this to Jesus.



Footnotes



The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 3

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 3

Matthew 13:24-52 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 3

Matthew 13:24-52 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Weeds

24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced heads of grain, the weeds also appeared. 27 The servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy did this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather up the weeds?’ 29 ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because when you gather up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the weeds, bind them in bundles, and burn them. Then, gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Mustard Seed and Yeast

31 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 It is one of the smallest of seeds. But when it grows, it is larger than the other plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

33 He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and mixed into a bushel [1] of flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds. He did not speak to them without telling a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world. [2]

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

36 Then Jesus sent the people away and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered them, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the Evil One. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are angels. 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will pull out of his kingdom everything that causes sin [3] and those who continue to break the law. 42 The angels will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Treasure, the Pearl, and the Net

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again. In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. 46 When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When the net was filled, they pulled it onto the shore. They sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw the bad ones away. 49 That is how it will be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous who are among them. 50 And they will throw the wicked into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 51 Jesus said to them, “Did you understand all these things?”

They answered him, “Yes.”

52 He said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained as a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure both new things and old things.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:33 Three seahs
  2. Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2
  3. Matthew 13:41 Greek skandalon can refer to a temptation to sin.


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 2

/in

Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 2

Matthew 13:1-23 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 2

Matthew 13:1-23 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower

1 That same day Jesus left the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 A large crowd gathered around him. So he stepped into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 He told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen, a sower went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. Immediately the seed sprang up, because the soil was not deep. 6 But when the sun rose, the seed was scorched. Because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it. 8 But some seed fell on good ground and produced grain: some one hundred times, some sixty, and some thirty times more than was sown. 9 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10 The disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

11 He answered them, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has will be given even more, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because even though they see, they do not see; and even though they hear, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says,

You will hear clearly, but you will never understand. You will see clearly, but you will never perceive. 15 Because this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are hard of hearing. They have closed their eyes. Otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, turn, and I would heal them. [1]

16 “But blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. 17 Amen I tell you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you are seeing, but they did not see it. They longed to hear what you are hearing, but they did not hear it.

18 “So listen carefully to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the seed that was sown along the path. 20 The seed that was sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he is not deeply rooted and does not endure. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. 22 The seed that was sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worry of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it produces no fruit. 23 But the seed that was sown on the good ground is the one who continues to hear and understand the word. Indeed he continues to produce fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times more than was sown.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9-10


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 1

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – March 1

Matthew 12:22-50 (EHV)


Through My Bible – MARCH 1

Matthew 12:22-50 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 12

Jesus Has Power to Drive Out Demons

22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that he was able to speak and to see. 23 All the people were amazed and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” [1] 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every town or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and take his goods, unless he first ties up the strong man? Only then can he plunder his house.

30 “Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven—either in this age or in the one to come.

33 “Either make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad. Indeed, a tree is known by its fruit. 34 You offspring of vipers! How can you say anything good, since you are evil? For what the mouth speaks flows from the heart. 35 The good man brings good out of his good treasure, and the evil man brings evil out of his evil treasure. 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment people will give account of every careless word they have spoken. 37 In fact by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the experts in the law and Pharisees replied, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation wishes for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But one even greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will be raised up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But one even greater than Solomon is here.

43 “When an unclean spirit has gone out of someone, it passes through dry places looking for rest, but it does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I came from.’ And when it has returned, it finds the place empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it takes along with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter in and live there. So the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is how it will be for this evil generation too.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

46 While he was still speaking to the crowd, his mother and his brothers happened to be standing outside, wanting to talk to him. 47 Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to talk to you.”

48 But he replied to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?” 49 He reached out his hand toward his disciples and said, “See, my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:23 Or Certainly this fellow is not the Son of David, is he?


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 28

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 28

Matthew 11:25 – 12:21 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 28

Matthew 11:25 – 12:21 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 11

“Come to Me” and “I Will Give You Rest”

25 At that time, Jesus continued, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from clever and learned people and have revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, because this was pleasing to you. 27 Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.

28 “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 12

Lord of the Sabbath

1 At that time, Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick heads of grain and eat them. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, what your disciples are doing is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

3 But he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered God’s house and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was lawful only for the priests to eat, not for him or his companions. 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath days, the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 Yet if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ [1] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals a Man With a Withered Hand

9 Going on from there, he went into their synagogue. 10 A man was there who had a withered hand. Looking for a way to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on Sabbath days?”

11 He said to them, “Who among you, if you have one sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as healthy as the other one. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, considering how they might put him to death.

“Here Is My Servant”

15 Since Jesus was aware of this, he withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed him and he healed them all. 16 He ordered them not to tell others about him. 17 This happened to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

18 Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
    the one I love, in whom I am [2] well pleased.
    I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the nations. [3]
19 He will not quarrel or cry out,
    and no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break.
    A smoldering wick he will not put out,
    until he leads justice to victory.
21 And in his name the nations [4] will hope. [5]



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
  2. Matthew 12:18 Literally my soul is
  3. Matthew 12:18 Or Gentiles
  4. Matthew 12:21 Or Gentiles
  5. Matthew 12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 27

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 27

Matthew 11:1-24 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 27

Matthew 11:1-24 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 11

1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

John the Baptist and Christ

2 While John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ was doing. He sent two of his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else?”

4 Jesus answered them, “Go, report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me.”

7 As these two were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the crowds about John. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? No, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you! And he is much more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ [1] 11 Amen I tell you: Among those born of women there has not appeared anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been advancing forcefully [2] and forceful people are seizing it. 13 In fact, all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 If you are willing to receive it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears to hear, [3] let him hear.

16 “To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call to others, 17 ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not mourn.’ 18 John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 But the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘See, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her actions.”

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles were performed, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 You, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will go down to hell. [4] For if the miracles performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 11:10 Malachi 3:1
  2. Matthew 11:12 Or has suffered violence
  3. Matthew 11:15 A few witnesses to the text omit to hear.
  4. Matthew 11:23 Greek hades


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 26

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 26

Matthew 10:24-42 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 26

Matthew 10:24-42 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 10

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If the master of the house was called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them, because there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? [1] Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father. 30 And even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. [2]

37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink because he is my disciple—Amen I tell you—he will never lose his reward.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:29 Greek assarion, less than a half hour’s wage
  2. Matthew 10:36 Micah 7:6


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 25

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 25

Matthew 9:35 – 10:23 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 25

Matthew 9:35 – 10:23 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 9

35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.

Pray for Workers

36 When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.”

Matthew 10

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to himself and gave them authority to drive out unclean spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, “Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’ 8 Heal the sick. Raise the dead. Cleanse lepers. Drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. 9 Do not take gold, silver, or bronze in your money belts. 10 Do not take a bag for the journey, or two coats, sandals, or a staff, because the worker deserves his support. 11 Whenever you enter a town or village, find out who is worthy and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter the household, give it your greeting. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace rest on it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone does not receive you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or that town. 15 Amen I tell you: It will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on guard against people. They will hand you over to councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought into the presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how you will respond or what you will say, because what you say will be given to you in that hour. 20 In fact you will not be the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.

21 “Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. 23 And when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Amen I tell you: You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.



Footnotes



The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 24

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 24

Matthew 9:9-34 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 24

Matthew 9:9-34 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 9

Calling of Matthew

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth. He said to him, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him.

10 As Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were actually there too, eating with Jesus and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “The healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ [1] In fact, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

14 Then John’s disciples came to him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast at all?”

15 Jesus said to them, “Can the attendants of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch would tear away from the garment, and the hole would be made even worse. 17 And people do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they did, the skins would burst, the wine would be spilled, and the skins would be ruined. Instead they pour new wine into fresh wineskins. By doing that, both are preserved.”

The Daughter of Jairus

18 As he was saying these things to them, there was a ruler who came, bowed down to him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, place your hand on her, and she will live.”

19 Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples. 20 Just then, a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the fringe of his garment. 21 For she had been saying to herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be healed.”

22 When Jesus turned around and saw her, he said, “Take heart, daughter! Your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.

23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24 he said to them, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but is sleeping.”

But they laughed at him.

25 When the crowd was sent out of the house, Jesus went in, took the girl by the hand, and she was raised. 26 News of this went out through the entire region.

Two Blind Men

27 As Jesus left that place, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They told him, “Yes, Lord.”

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done for you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them emphatically, “See to it that no one learns about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the word about him throughout that entire region.

Jesus Heals a Mute Man

32 Just as they were leaving, people brought to him a demon-possessed man who could not talk. 33 After the demon was driven out, the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

34 But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 9:13 Hosea 6:6


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 23

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 23

Matthew 8:23 – 9:8 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 23

Matthew 8:23 – 9:8 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 8

Jesus Calms the Storm

23 When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a terrible storm came up on the sea, so that their boat was covered by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 They went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a complete calm.

27 The men were amazed, saying, “What kind of a man is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Two Demon-Possessed Men and a Herd of Pigs

28 When he arrived at the other side, in the region of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him there. They were very dangerous, so that nobody could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they cried out, “What do we have to do with you, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 There was a large herd of pigs feeding some distance away from them. 31 The demons begged him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He told them, “Go!”

So the demons came out of the men and went into the pigs. Immediately the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. 33 Those who were feeding the pigs fled and went into the town. They reported everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Matthew 9

Jesus Forgives Sins

1 Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town. 2 There people brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven.”

3 Then some of the experts in the law said among themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

4 Since Jesus knew their thoughts, he said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he then said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

7 The man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.



Footnotes



The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 22

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 22

Matthew 8:1-22 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 22

Matthew 8:1-22 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Matthew 8

Jesus Heals a Leper

1 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 2 Just then, a leper came to him and bowed down to him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”3 Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean.” Immediately he was healed of his leprosy. 4 Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one. Instead, go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

A Believing Centurion

5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly.”

7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I am also a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled. He said to those who were following him, “Amen I tell you: I have not found such great faith in anyone in Israel. 11 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Jesus Heals Many

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and began to serve him. 16 When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He took up our weaknesses and carried away our diseases.” [1]

Follow Jesus

18 When Jesus saw a large crowd gathering around him, he gave orders to go over to the other shore.

19 Then an expert in the law came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”



Footnotes

  1. Matthew 8:17 Isaiah 53:4


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 21

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 21

Obadiah (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 21

Obadiah (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Obadiah 1

1 The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Lord God says about [1] Edom.

A Message Spreads to the Nations

We have heard news from the Lord, and an envoy has been sent among the nations:

“Get up. Let us rise up against her in battle.”

The Lord’s Message to Edom

2 Listen, I will make you insignificant among the nations. You will be completely despised.

3 You who live in the clefts of the rocky cliff, [2] the pride of your heart has deceived you. Your dwelling is so high that you say in your heart, “Who can bring me down to the ground?” 4 Even if you would soar as high as an eagle, and even if your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there, declares the Lord.

5 If thieves came to you, if robbers came by night—oh, what disaster awaits you!—wouldn’t they steal only until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn’t they leave some grapes for gleaning? 6 Oh, how completely Esau will be ransacked! His hidden treasures will be searched out and looted!

7 All your allies will push you back to your border.

Those who were at peace with you will deceive you and overpower you.

Those who eat bread with you will lay a trap for you.

There is no understanding left in Edom. [3]

8 Will I not destroy the wise men of Edom on that day, declares the Lord? Will I not take away from the mountain of Esau those who have understanding? 9 Your strong warrior, Teman, [4] will be shattered by terror, so that everyone from the mountain of Esau will be cut down by the massacre.

10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be cut off forever. 11 On the day when you stood by and watched, on the day when strangers carried away Jacob’s wealth, [5] and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them.

12 But do not look down on your brother on the day of his misfortune.

Do not rejoice over the people of Judah on the day when they are destroyed.

Do not speak proudly on the day of distress.

13 Do not enter the gate of my people on the day of their disaster.

Do not look down on their affliction on the day of their calamity.

Do not seize their wealth on the day of their disaster.

14 Do not stand in the crossroads to cut off those who have escaped.

Do not imprison his survivors on the day of distress.

A Message to All Nations

15 Yes, the Day of the Lord is near for all the nations! As you have done, it will be done to you. Your deeds will return upon your own head. 16 For just as you Edomites [6] have drunk on my holy mountain, so also all the nations will drink continually. Yes, they will drink and guzzle it down, and it will be as though the Edomites never existed.

17 But on Mount Zion, there will be some who escape, and it will be holy. The house of Jacob will recapture its territory. 18 The house of Jacob will be a fire, the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau will be stubble. The Israelites [7] set them on fire and consume them. There will not be any survivors for the house of Esau.

Yes, the Lord has spoken.

19 People from the Negev [8] will take possession of the mountains of Esau, and those from the Shephelah [9] will take possession of the land of the Philistines. They will take possession of the territory [10] of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria. Benjamin will take possession of Gilead. 20 Those from the army of the people of Israel who have been exiles [11] will take possession of the territory of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, [12] and the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad [13] will take possession of the cities of the Negev. 21 Saviors [14] will go up on Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will belong to the Lord.



Footnotes

  1. Obadiah 1:1 Or to
  2. Obadiah 1:3 Hebrew sela, also the name of an Edomite city
  3. Obadiah 1:7 Or, taking the phrase with the preceding sentence, and you will not even realize it
  4. Obadiah 1:9 Teman is a city in Edom.
  5. Obadiah 1:11 Or captured Jacob’s army
  6. Obadiah 1:16 The antecedents of the Hebrew pronouns you and they in this verse are uncertain. The translation twice supplies Edomites as the subjects.
  7. Obadiah 1:18 The subject the Israelites is supplied for clarity. The Hebrew text reads they.
  8. Obadiah 1:19 The dry southern wilderness of Judah
  9. Obadiah 1:19 The western foothills of Judah
  10. Obadiah 1:19 Literally fields
  11. Obadiah 1:20 The Hebrew of this verse is difficult.
  12. Obadiah 1:20 A city near the northern border of Israel
  13. Obadiah 1:20 An unknown distant location, perhaps as far away as Spain
  14. Obadiah 1:21 Or, following the ancient versions, those who have been saved


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 20

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 20

Habakkuk 3:16-19 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 20

Habakkuk 3:16-19 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Habakkuk 3

16 When I hear about it, my stomach churns.
    The sound makes my lips quiver.
    My bones decay,
    and my knees tremble,
    as I wait for the day of disaster to come upon the people who attack us.

17 The fig tree may have no buds.
    The vines may have no grapes.
    The olive tree may fail to produce.
    The fields may yield no food.
    The sheep may be cut off from their flock,
    and there may be no cattle in the barns,
18 but I will delight in the Lord
    and rejoice in God who saves me.
19 The Lord God is my strength.
    He will give me feet like a deer
    and make me leap along the high hills.

To the choir director. On my stringed instruments.



Footnotes



The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 19

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 19

Habakkuk 3:1-15 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 19

Habakkuk 3:1-15 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Habakkuk 3

1 This is the prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to shigionoth. [1]

2 O Lord, I have heard the report about you,
    and I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
    In the midst of our years revive those deeds.
    In the midst of our years reveal them again.
    In your rage, remember to have mercy.
3 God comes from Teman. Interlude [2]
    The Holy One comes from Mount Paran.
    His splendor covers the heavens,
    and his praises fill the earth.
4 His brightness is like lightning.
    Lightning bolts flash out from his hand, [3]
        where his strength is hidden.
5 Contagious disease goes ahead of him,
    and plague follows after him.
6 He stands up and shakes [4] the earth.
    He looks, and the nations jump in fright.
    The ancient mountains are shattered.
    The age-old hills are flattened.
    But he goes on forever.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble.
    The tent curtains in the land of Midian were trembling.
8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord?
    Was your anger against the rivers?
    Or was your fury against the sea?
    Is that why you hitched up your horses
    and rode your chariots of salvation?
9 You unsheathed your bow Interlude
    and called for arrows.
    You split the earth with rivers.
10 When the mountains see you, they shake.
    A flood of water sweeps through.
    The great deep roars
    and lifts its hands high.
11 The sun and the moon stand still in their palace
        when your flying arrows flash,
        when your spear is bright as lightning.
12 In fury you march through the earth.
    In anger you trample the nations.
13 You march out to save your people,
    to deliver your anointed one.
    You strike the head of the wicked nation to lay him out Interlude
        naked from his buttocks to his neck. [5]
14 With their own shafts you pierce the heads of warriors
        when they storm out to scatter us.
    Their celebration is like that of those who devour the poor in secret,
15 but you trample on the sea with your horses,
    on the surging, powerful waters.



Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:1 Shigionoth may be the name of an instrument, or it may be a musical term.
  2. Habakkuk 3:3 Hebrew selah. This term seems to refer to a musical interlude that creates a pause for meditation.
  3. Habakkuk 3:4 Or His brightness is like daylight. A ray of light shines from his hand. The meaning of this verse is uncertain.
  4. Habakkuk 3:6 Or measures
  5. Habakkuk 3:13 Or splitting him open from the lower body to the neck. This phrase may refer to exposing nakedness, to eviscerating someone, or to both.


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.



Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 18

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Through My Bible Yr 2 – February 18

Habakkuk 2:6-20 (EHV)


Through My Bible – FEbruary 18

Habakkuk 2:6-20 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Habakkuk 2

6 All these people will make up proverbs and mocking poems against him, won’t they? They will say, “Woe to the one who accumulates what is not his. (How long will this last?) Woe to the one who makes himself rich by foreclosing on collateral.” 7 Won’t your creditors rise up suddenly? Won’t those who cause you to tremble wake up? You will become plunder for them. 8 Because you robbed many countries, all those who are left among the nations will rob you. You have shed human blood and committed violence against the land, the cities, and all the people who live in them.

9 Woe to the person who piles up dishonest income for his household, in order to raise his nest up high, to deliver himself from disaster. 10 By wiping out many nations, you have planned shame for your own house. You have sinned against your own life. 11 So the stones in the walls will cry out, and the wooden rafters will answer, 12 “Woe to the one who builds a town with bloodshed and establishes a town with injustice.”

13 Be sure of this: The Lord of Armies has determined that the things for which the peoples of the world labor are only fuel for the fire, and that the nations tire themselves out with nothing to show for it. 14 So the earth will be as filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters that cover the sea.

15 Woe to the person who gives intoxicating drinks to his neighbors, forcing them to drink from his rage, [1] and making them drunk so that he can look at their nakedness. 16 You will be filled with shame instead of honor. Yes, you yourself will drink and expose your own nakedness. The cup in the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and complete disgrace will cover your glory.

17 You will be overwhelmed by the violence you have committed against Lebanon. Your devastation of the animals will terrify you, [2] because you shed human blood and did violence to the land, to the town, and to its inhabitants.

18 What benefit is provided by a carved idol? It was hewn by its maker. What good is a cast statue? It teaches lies. Why would the maker trust his own creation? He makes useless gods that cannot speak. 19 Woe to him who says to a hunk of wood, “Wake up!” or who says, “Get up!” to a stone that cannot speak. Can that thing be your teacher? Although it is covered with gold and silver, there is no life in it at all.

20 But the Lord is in his holy temple. Let the whole earth be silent before him.



Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 2:15 Or from your poison. The Hebrew has a second-person pronoun mixed in with the third-person references.
  2. Habakkuk 2:17 The Hebrew literally reads and the violence against the animals [which] he terrified. The translation above follows the Greek.


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.