Jeremiah 23:9-40
Expanded Bible
False Prophets Will Be Punished
9 A message to the prophets:
My heart is ·broken [L shattered within me].
All my bones shake.
I’m like someone who is drunk,
like someone who has been ·overcome [inebriated] with wine.
This is because of the Lord
and his holy words.
10 The land [C of Judah] is full of people who are guilty of adultery.
Because of the curse the land ·is sad [mourns],
and the pastures of the ·desert [wilderness] have dried up.
The people [Their lives/L courses] are evil
and ·they use their power in the wrong way [L their power is not right].
11 “Both the prophets and the priests are ungodly.
I have found even in my own ·Temple [L house],” says the Lord.
12 “So their ·lives [L ways; paths] will be slippery and dark [C they will be in danger].
They will ·be defeated [L fall].
I will bring ·disaster [evil; trouble] on them
in the year I punish them,” says the Lord.
13 “I saw the prophets of Samaria [C capital of the northern kingdom destroyed in 722 bc]
do something ·wrong [disgusting].
Those prophets prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel away [Deut. 13:1–5].
14 And I have seen the prophets of Jerusalem
do ·terrible [shocking] things.
They are guilty of adultery
and ·live [walk] by lies.
They ·encourage [strengthen] ·evil people to keep on doing evil [L the hands of evildoers],
so the people don’t ·stop sinning [L turn back from their evil].
All of those people are like the city of Sodom.
The people of Jerusalem are like the city of Gomorrah to me [C sinful and soon to be punished; Gen. 18–19]!”
15 So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says about the prophets:
“I will make those prophets eat ·bitter food [L wormwood; C the bitter tasting leaves of a shrub; 9:15]
and drink poisoned water,
because the prophets of Jerusalem spread ·wickedness [godlessness]
through the whole country.”
16 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“Don’t ·pay attention [listen] to what those prophets are ·saying [prophesying] to you.
They are trying to ·fool [delude] you.
They talk about visions their own ·minds [L hearts] made up,
not ·about visions from me [L from the mouth of the Lord].
17 They say to those who ·hate [despise] me:
‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’
They say to all those who ·are stubborn and do as they please [L walk in the stubbornness of their heart]:
‘Nothing ·bad [evil; disastrous] will happen to you.’
18 ·But none of these prophets has stood in the meeting of angels [L Who has stood in the assembly/council of the Lord…?; 1 Kin. 22:19–23; Job 1—2; 15:8; Ps. 82; Is. 6:1–3]
to see or hear the message of the Lord.
·None of them [L Who…?] has paid close attention to his message.
19 Look, the ·storm [whirlwind] of the Lord!
His anger will pour forth like a ·hurricane [storm; whirlwind].
It will come swirling down on the heads of those wicked people [30:23].
20 The Lord’s anger will not ·stop [turn back]
until he finishes what he plans to do.
When that day is over,
you will understand this clearly [30:24].
21 I did not send those prophets,
but they ran [C to tell their message].
I did not speak to them,
but they prophesied anyway.
22 But if they had stood in ·the meeting of angels [L my assembly/council],
they would have told my message to my people.
They would have turned the people from their evil ways
and from doing evil.
23 “·I am [L Am I only…?] a God who is near,” says the Lord.
“·I am [L And not…?] also a God who is far away.
24 ·No one [L Who…?] can hide
where I cannot see him,” says the Lord.
“·I [L Do I not…?] fill all of heaven and earth,” says the Lord.
25 “I have heard the prophets who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I have had a dream! I have had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the ·minds [L hearts] of these lying prophets? They prophesy from their own ·wishful thinking [L deceitful hearts]. 27 They are trying to make the people of Judah forget ·me [L my name] by telling each other these dreams. In the same way, their ·ancestors [fathers] forgot ·me [L my name] ·and worshiped [L for] Baal. 28 ·Is straw the same thing as [L What has straw in common with] wheat?” says the Lord. “If a prophet wants to tell about his dreams, let him! But let the person who hears my message speak it truthfully! 29 Isn’t my message like a fire?” says the Lord. “Isn’t it like a hammer that smashes a rock?
30 “So I am against the prophets [C false prophets],” says the Lord. “They keep stealing words from each other [C and say they are from God]. 31 I am against the prophets [C false prophets],” says the Lord. “They use their own ·words [L tongues] and ·pretend it is a message from me [L say, ‘Says the Lord’]. 32 I am against the prophets who prophesy false dreams,” says the Lord. “They mislead my people with their lies and ·false teachings [recklessness]! I did not send them or command them to do anything for me. They can’t help the people of Judah at all,” says the Lord.
The Sad Message from the Lord
33 “Suppose this people [C of Judah], a prophet, or a priest asks you [C Jeremiah]: ‘What is the ·message [oracle; burden] from the Lord?’ You will answer them and say, ‘You are a heavy ·load [burden] to the Lord, and I will throw you down, says the Lord.’ 34 A prophet or a priest or one of the people might say, ‘This is a ·message [oracle; burden] from the Lord.’ I will punish him [C for lying that he has a message from God] and his whole family. 35 This is what you will say to each other: ‘What did the Lord answer?’ or ‘What did the Lord say?’ 36 But you will never again ·say [mention; remember], ‘The ·message [oracle; burden] of the Lord,’ because the only ·message [oracle; burden] you speak is your own words. You have ·changed [overturned; perverted] the words of our God, the living God, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 37 This is how you should speak to the prophets: ‘What answer did the Lord give you?’ or ‘What did the Lord say?’ 38 But don’t say, ‘The ·message [oracle; burden] from the Lord.’ If you use these words, this is what the Lord says: Because you called it a ‘·message [oracle; burden] from the Lord,’ though I told you not to use those words, 39 I will pick you up and ·throw [cast] you away from me, along with the city [C Jerusalem], which I gave to your ·ancestors [fathers] and to you. 40 And I will ·make a disgrace of [give shame to] you forever; your shame will never be forgotten.”
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1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Expanded Bible
Christ Is God’s Power and Wisdom
18 [L For] The ·teaching [message; word] about the cross is ·foolishness [folly] to those who are ·being lost [headed for destruction; perishing], but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 [L For] It is written in the Scriptures:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
And I will ·reject [thwart; bring to nothing] the ·intelligence [discernment; cleverness] of the ·intelligent [discerning; clever; Is. 29:14].”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the ·educated person [scholar; or scribe; teacher of the law]? Where is the ·skilled talker [orator; debater; philosopher] of this ·world [age]? ·God has [L Has not God…?] made the wisdom of the world foolish. 21 ·In the wisdom of God the world did [or God wisely determined that the world would] not know God through its own wisdom. So God ·chose [was pleased] to use the ·message that sounds foolish [L folly/foolishness of what was preached] to save those who believe. 22 [L For; Since] The Jews ·ask for [demand] ·miracles [L signs], and the Greeks ·want [seek; look for] wisdom. 23 But we preach ·that Christ was crucified [Christ crucified; or a crucified Messiah]. This ·causes the Jews to stumble [is a stumbling block/offense/obstacle to Jews] and is ·foolishness [folly] to Gentiles. 24 But to those people God has called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 [L For] Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
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2 Timothy 4:1-8
Expanded Bible
4 I ·give you a command [solemnly charge you] in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, the One who will judge the living and the dead, and by his ·coming [appearing] and his kingdom: 2 Preach the ·Good News [Gospel]. Be ready ·at all times [whether it is convenient or inconvenient; in season or out of season], and ·tell people what they need to do [correct; reprove]. ·Tell them when they are wrong [Rebuke]. ·Encourage [Comfort; Exhort] them with ·great patience and careful teaching [L all patience and teaching], 3 because the time will come when people will not ·listen to [put up with; endure] the ·true [sound; healthy] teaching but will ·find many more [gather around themselves; accumulate] teachers who ·please them [meet their needs/desires] by saying the things ·they want to hear [their ears itch for]. 4 They will ·stop listening to [L turn their ears/hearing away from] the truth and will ·begin to follow [wander/turn aside to] ·false stories [myths]. 5 But you should ·control yourself [be sober-minded] at all times, ·accept troubles [endure hardships], do the work of ·telling the Good News [L an evangelist], and ·complete all the duties of a servant of God [L fulfill your service/ministry].
6 [L For] My life is being ·given as an offering to God [L poured out as a drink offering; Num. 28:24; Phil. 2:17], and the time has come for ·me to leave this life [L my departure]. 7 I have ·fought the good fight [or competed well], I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now, a ·crown [victor’s wreath] is ·being held [reserved] for me—a ·crown [victor’s wreath] ·for being right with God [L of righteousness]. The Lord, the ·judge who judges rightly [L righteous/just judge], will give the ·crown [victor’s wreath] to me on that day [C the final day of judgment and reward]—not only to me but to all those who have ·waited with love for him to come again [L loved his appearing].
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