I will hear what God, Yahweh, will speak, for He will speak peace to his people, His saints; but let them not turn again to folly. Psalm 85:8
Jeremiah 26-27
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from God: 2 “God says: ‘Stand in the court of God’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in God’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word. 3 It may be they will listen, and every man turn from his evil way; that I may relent from the evil which I intend to do to them because of the evil of their doings.’ 4 You shall tell them, “God says: ‘If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, 5 to listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them, but you have not listened; 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.” ’ ”
7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in God’s house. 8 When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that God had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die! 9 Why have you prophesied in God’s name, saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant?’ ” All the people were crowded around Jeremiah in God’s house.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to God’s house; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of God’s house. 11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying, “This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, “God sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. 13 Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the Lord your God’s voice; then God will relent from the evil that he has pronounced against you. 14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hand. Do with me what is good and right in your eyes. 15 Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for in truth God has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
16 Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: “This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of God our God.”
17 Then certain of the elders of the land rose up, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, 18 “Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘God of Armies says:
“ ‘Zion will be plowed as a field,
and Jerusalem will become heaps,
and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn’t he fear God, and entreat the favor of God, and God relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? We would commit great evil against our own souls that way!”
20 There was also a man who prophesied in God’s name, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. 21 When Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt. 22 Then Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt; 23 and they fetched Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they didn’t give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Jeremiah 27
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from God, saying, 2 God says to me: “Make bonds and bars, and put them on your neck. 3 Then send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the children of Ammon, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them a command to their masters, saying, ‘God of Armies, the God of Israel says, “You shall tell your masters: 5 ‘I have made the earth, the men, and the animals that are on the surface of the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm. I give it to whom it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant. I have also given the animals of the field to him to serve him. 7 All the nations will serve him, his son, and his son’s son, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings will make him their bondservant.
8 “ ‘It will happen that I will punish the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon,’ says God, ‘with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. 9 But as for you, don’t listen to your prophets, to your diviners, to your dreams, to your soothsayers, or to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon;” 10 for they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, so that I would drive you out, and you would perish. 11 But the nation that brings their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, that nation I will let remain in their own land,’ says God; ‘and they will till it and dwell in it.’ ”
12 I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. 13 Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as God has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you. 15 For I have not sent them,” says God, “but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you, and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, God says, “Don’t listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of God’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you. 17 Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city become a desolation? 18 But if they are prophets, and if God’s word is with them, let them now make intercession to God of Armies, that the vessels which are left in God’s house, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don’t go to Babylon. 19 For God of Armies says concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the bases, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon didn’t take when he took captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem; 21 yes, God of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in God’s house, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be carried to Babylon, and there they will be, until the day that I visit them,’ says God; ‘then I will bring them up, and restore them to this place.’ ”
2 Thessalonians 3
1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love, and into the perseverance of Christ.
6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us. 7 For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you, 8 neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, 9 not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us. 10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone is not willing to work, don’t let him eat.” 11 For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread.
13 But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing what is right. 14 If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed. 15 Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.
17 The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Psalm 85
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.
1 God, you have been favorable to your land.
You have restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people.
You have covered all their sin.
Selah.
3 You have taken away all your wrath.
You have turned from the fierceness of your anger.
4 Turn us, God of our salvation,
and cause your indignation toward us to cease.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you draw out your anger to all generations?
6 Won’t you revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your loving kindness, God.
Grant us your salvation.
8 I will hear what God, God, will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, his saints;
but let them not turn again to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth meet together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth springs out of the earth.
Righteousness has looked down from heaven.
12 Yes, God will give that which is good.
Our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness goes before him,
And prepares the way for his steps.
Proverbs 25:16
16 Have you found honey?
Eat as much as is sufficient for you,
lest you eat too much, and vomit it.