The Daily Audio Bible
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Jeremiah’s Trial
26 In the beginning of the rule of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand in the open space of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the Lord’s house. Tell them all the words that I have told you to say to them. Do not leave out one word! 3 It may be they will listen and everyone will turn from his sinful way. Then I may change My mind about the trouble I plan to put on them because of the sinful things they have done.’ 4 And tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “If you will not listen to Me and follow My Law which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of My servants who speak for Me, whom I have been sending to you again and again, but you have not listened, 6 then I will make this House of God like Shiloh. And I will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”
7 The religious leaders and the men of God and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had told him to speak to all the people, the religious leaders and men of God and all the people took hold of him, saying, “You must die! 9 Why have you spoken in the name of the Lord saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be laid waste with no one living in it’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
10 When the leaders of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat beside the New Gate of the Lord’s house. 11 Then the religious leaders and men of God said to the leaders and to all the people, “This man must die! For he has spoken against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” 12 Then Jeremiah said to all the leaders and to all the people, “The Lord sent me to speak against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. 13 So now change your ways and your works, and obey the voice of the Lord your God. Then the Lord will change His mind about the trouble He has said would come to you. 14 But as for me, see, I am in your hands. Do with me what is good and right in your eyes. 15 Only know for sure that if you put me to death, you will bring the sin of killing a man who is not guilty on yourselves, on this city, and on its people. For it is true that the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words for you to hear.”
16 Then the leaders and all the people said to the religious leaders and men of God, “No, this man should not be put to death! For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” 17 Then some of the leaders of the land stood up and said to all the people who had gathered, 18 “Micah of Moresheth spoke in God’s name in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah. He said to all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of All has said: Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will be destroyed. And trees will cover the mountain where the Lord’s house is.’ 19 Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and pray for the Lord’s favor? And the Lord changed His mind about the trouble He had said would come to them. But we are about to bring a very bad thing on ourselves.”
20 There was another man who spoke in the name of the Lord. He was Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He spoke against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. 21 When King Jehoiakim and all his powerful men and all his leaders heard his words, the king wanted to put Uriah to death. But Uriah heard about it, and he was afraid and ran away to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him to Egypt. 23 And they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who killed him with a sword. Then he threw his dead body where most people are buried.
24 But Ahikam the son of Shaphan helped Jeremiah, so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.
Judah Will Serve Nebuchadnezzar
27 In the beginning of the rule of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 The Lord said to me, “Make ropes and a cross-bar for carrying a load, and put them on your neck. 3 Then send word to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the sons of Ammon, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon. Send them with the men who bring news to Jerusalem to King Zedekiah of Judah. 4 Tell them to go to their leaders, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, and this is what you should say to your leaders: 5 “I have made the earth, and the men and the animals that are on it by My great power and by My long arm. And I will give it to the one who is right in My eyes. 6 Now I have given all these lands to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant. And I have given him the wild animals of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations will serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time for his land comes. Then many nations and great kings will make him their servant. 8 But if any nation will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and will not put its neck under the load of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, hunger, and disease,” says the Lord, “until I have destroyed it by his hand. 9 So do not listen to your men who tell of their special dreams, your men who tell what is going to happen in the future, or your wonder workers who use their secret ways. They say to you, ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 But they are lying to you, and will cause you to be taken far from your land. I will drive you out, and you will die. 11 But the nation that brings its neck under the cross-bar of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will let stay on its own land,” says the Lord. “And its people will take care of the fields and live there.”’”
12 I spoke to King Zedekiah of Judah in the same way, saying, “Bring your necks under the cross-bar of the king of Babylon. Serve him and his people, and live! 13 Why will you and your people die by the sword, hunger, and disease, as the Lord has said would happen to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen to the men who tell of their dreams and say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ For they are telling you a lie. 15 I have not sent them,” says the Lord. “They speak false words in My name, so that I may drive you out, and that you may die, both you and the men who tell these things to you.”
16 Then I said to the religious leaders and to all these people, “The Lord says: Do not listen to the men who speak in God’s name saying, ‘See, the objects of the Lord’s house will soon be returned from Babylon,’ for they are telling you a lie. 17 Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city be destroyed? 18 But if they are true men of God, and if the Word of the Lord is with them, let them now pray to the Lord of All. Let them ask that the objects which are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, may not go to Babylon. 19 For this is what the Lord of All says about the pillars, the brass pool, the stands, and the rest of the objects that are left in this city. 20 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take these things from Jerusalem to Babylon when he took Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 So this is what the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says about the objects that are left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem. He says, 22 ‘They will be carried to Babylon, and they will be there until the day I visit them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back to this place.’”
Christian Brothers, Pray for Us
3 My last words to you, Christian brothers, are that you pray for us. Pray that the Word of the Lord will go out over all the land and prove its power just as it did with you. 2 Pray that we will be kept from sinful men, because not all men are Christians. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and keep you safe from the devil. 4 We have faith in the Lord for you. We believe you are doing and will keep on doing the things we told you. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into the love of God. May He help you as you wait for Christ.
6 Now this is what we tell you to do, Christian brothers. In the name of the Lord Jesus, keep away from any Christian who is lazy and who does not do what we taught you. 7 You know you should follow the way of life we lived when we were with you. We worked hard while we were there. 8 We did not eat anyone’s food without paying for it. We worked hard night and day so none of you would have to give us anything. 9 We could have asked you to give us food. But we did not so that you might follow our way of living. 10 When we were with you, we told you that if a man does not work, he should not eat. 11 We hear that some are not working. But they are spending their time trying to see what others are doing. 12 Our words to such people are that they should be quiet and go to work. They should eat their own food. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we say this. 13 But you, Christian brothers, do not get tired of doing good. 14 If anyone does not want to listen to what we say in this letter, remember who he is and stay away from him. In that way, he will be put to shame. 15 Do not think of him as one who hates you. But talk to him as a Christian brother.
16 May the Lord of peace give you His peace at all times. The Lord be with you all. 17 I, Paul, write this last part with my own hand. It is the way I finish all my letters. 18 May all of you have loving-favor from our Lord Jesus Christ.
A Prayer for the Nation’s Good
85 O Lord, You showed favor to Your land. You have returned those of Jacob who were taken away. 2 You have forgiven the sins of Your people. You have covered all their sin. 3 You have taken away all Your anger. You have turned away from Your burning anger.
4 O God Who saves us, give us life again. Make Your anger toward us stop. 5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You spread out Your anger to families of all times? 6 Will You not bring us back to life again so that Your people may be happy in You? 7 Show us Your loving-kindness, O Lord, and save us.
8 I will listen to what God the Lord will say. For He will speak peace to His people, to those who are right with Him. But do not let them turn again to foolish things. 9 For sure His saving power is near those who fear Him, so His shining-greatness may live in the land. 10 Loving-kindness and truth have met together. Peace and what is right and good have kissed each other. 11 Truth comes up from the earth. And what is right and good looks down from heaven. 12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good. And our land will give its fruit. 13 What is right and good will go before Him and make a way for His steps.
16 Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, or you may become filled with it and spit it up.
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