The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NRSVUE. Switch to the NRSVUE to read along with the audio.
A Message to Damascus
23 This message is to the city of Damascus:
“The towns of Hamath and Arpad are ·put to shame [humiliated],
because they have heard ·bad [disastrous] news.
They ·are discouraged [L melt; C in fear].
They are troubled like the ·tossing sea [sea that cannot be quieted].
24 The city of Damascus has become weak.
The people ·want to run away [turn to flee];
·they are ready to panic [panic seized them].
·The people feel pain and suffering [L Anguish and distress have grabbed them],
like a woman ·giving birth to a baby [in labor; 48:41; 49:22; 50:43].
25 Damascus was a city of my joy.
Why have the people not ·left [abandoned; forsaken] that famous city yet?
26 Surely the young men will die in the city squares,
and all her soldiers will be ·killed [L stilled; quieted] ·at that time [L on that day],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
27 “I will ·set [kindle a] fire to the walls of Damascus,
and it will completely ·burn [consume] the ·strong cities [strongholds; citadels] of King Ben-Hadad [C a name taken by many kings of Damascus].”
A Message to Kedar and Hazor
28 This message is to the tribe of Kedar [Song 1:5; Ezek. 27:21] and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ·defeated [L struck]. This is what the Lord says:
“·Go [L Rise up] and attack the people of Kedar,
and destroy the ·people of the East [L sons of Kedar].
29 Their tents and flocks will be taken away.
Their belongings will be carried off—
their tents, all their goods, and their camels.
Men will shout to them,
‘Terror on every side [6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5]!’
30 “·Run away [Flee] quickly!
People in Hazor, ·find a ·good [L deep] place to hide [hide in deep places]!” says the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made plans against you
and ·wants to defeat [L makes plans against] you.
31 “·Get [L Rise] up! Attack the nation that is ·comfortable [at ease],
that is ·sure [confident; C that no one will defeat it],” says the Lord.
“It does not have gates or ·fences [L bars; C to protect it].
Its people live alone.
32 The enemy will ·steal [L plunder; despoil] their camels
and their large herds of cattle as ·war prizes [plunder; booty].
I will scatter the people who ·cut their hair short [shave their temples; Deut. 14:1] to ·every part of the earth [L the wind],
and I will bring disaster on them from everywhere,” says the Lord.
33 “The city of Hazor will become a ·home [den; haunt] for ·wild dogs [jackals; 9:11; 10:22];
it will be ·an empty desert [desolate] forever.
No one will live there,
and no one will ·stay [sojourn; wander] in it.”
A Message to Elam
34 ·Soon after Zedekiah became [L At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the] king of Judah [C beginning in 597 bc], the Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to the nation of Elam [C located on the Iranian plateau].
35 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“I will soon break Elam’s bow [Is. 22:6],
its greatest strength.
36 I will bring the four winds against Elam
from the four corners of the ·skies [heavens].
I will scatter its people ·everywhere the four winds blow [L to all four winds];
its ·captives [exiles] will go to every nation.
37 I will terrify Elam in front of their enemies,
who ·want to destroy them [L seek their life].
I will bring ·disaster [evil; trouble] to Elam
and show them how angry I am!” says the Lord.
“I will send a sword ·to chase Elam [L after them]
until I have ·killed [ended; annihilated] them all.
38 I will set up my throne in Elam,
and I will destroy its king and its officers!” says the Lord.
39 “But I will ·make good things happen to [restore the fortunes of] Elam again
in the ·future [L latter days],” says the Lord.
A Message to Babylon
50 This is the message the Lord spoke to Babylon and the ·Babylonian people [L Chaldeans] through Jeremiah the prophet.
2 “·Announce [Proclaim] this to the nations [L and let them hear].
Lift up a banner [C a battle standard] and ·tell them [make them hear].
·Speak the whole message [L Do not conceal anything] and say:
‘Babylon will be captured.
The god Bel [C another name for Marduk] will be ·put to shame [humiliated],
and the god Marduk [C the chief god of the Babylonians] will be ·afraid [terrified].
·Babylon’s gods [L Its images] will be ·put to shame [humiliated],
and her idols will be ·afraid [terrified]!’
3 A nation from the north will attack Babylon [C Persia]
and make it like an ·empty desert [desolation].
No one will live there;
both people and animals will ·run away [flee].”
4 The Lord says, “At that time [L and in those days]
the ·people [L sons] of Israel and Judah will come together.
They will cry and ·look for [L seek] the Lord their God.
5 Those people will ask ·how to go [L the way/path] to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]
and will start in that direction.
They will come and join themselves to the Lord.
They will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with him that will last forever,
an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] that will never be forgotten [31:31–34].
6 “My people have been like lost sheep.
Their ·leaders [L shepherds] have led them ·in the wrong way [astray]
and made them wander around in the mountains and hills.
They forgot where their ·resting place [fold] was [Ps. 23].
7 Whoever ·saw [L found] my people ·hurt [L devoured] them.
And those ·enemies [foes] said, ‘We ·did nothing wrong [are not guilty].
Those people sinned against the Lord, their ·true [L righteous] ·resting place [fold],
the God their fathers ·trusted [hoped in].’
8 “·Run away [Flee] from Babylon,
and leave the land of the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans].
Be like the goats that lead the flock.
9 I will soon ·arouse [L stir up] and bring against Babylon
·many great nations [a large assembly of nations] from the north [C led by Persia].
They will take their places for war against it,
and it will be captured ·by people from the north [L from there].
Their arrows are like trained soldiers
who do not return [C from war] with empty hands.
10 The ·enemy will take all the wealth from the Babylonians [L Chaldeans will be plundered].
·Those enemy soldiers will get all they want [L The plunderers will be satisfied/sated],” says the Lord.
11 “Babylon, you are excited and happy,
because you took my ·land [L inheritance; C Israel].
You ·dance around [run free] like a young cow ·in the grain [during the threshing; Deut. 25:4].
·Your laughter is like the neighing of male horses [L You neigh like a stallion].
12 Your mother will be ·very ashamed [humiliated];
the woman who gave birth to you will be disgraced.
·Soon Babylonia will be the least important of all [L It brings up the backside of] the nations.
She will be an empty, dry ·desert [wilderness].
13 Because of the Lord’s anger,
no one will live there.
She will be completely ·empty [desolate].
Everyone who passes by Babylon will be shocked.
They will shake their heads when they see all her injuries.
14 “Take your positions for war against Babylon,
all ·you soldiers with [L who draw] bows.
Shoot your arrows at Babylon! Do not ·save any of them [L spare any arrows],
because Babylon has sinned against the Lord.
15 ·Soldiers around Babylon [L On every side], shout the war cry!
Babylon has surrendered, her ·towers [defenses] have fallen,
and her walls have been ·torn down [demolished].
The Lord is giving her people the punishment they deserve.
·You nations should give her what she deserves;
do to her what she has done to others [L Just as it did, they did].
16 ·Don’t let the people from Babylon plant their crops [L Cut the sower off from Babylon]
·or gather [L seize the sickle wielder at the time of] the harvest.
·The soldiers treated their captives cruelly [L …before the sword of the oppressor].
Now, let everyone ·go back home [L turn face toward his people].
Let everyone ·run [flee] to his own country [C after the fall of Babylon, the Persians allowed the exiled people to return to their own lands; Ezra 1].
17 “The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that are scattered
from being ·chased [driven] by lions.
The first lion to eat them up
was the king of Assyria [C Sennacherib defeated the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 bc].
The last lion to ·crush [gnaw] their bones
was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [C defeated the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 bc].”
18 So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says:
“I will punish the king of Babylon and his country
as I punished the king of Assyria [C defeated by Babylon at the end of the seventh century bc].
19 But I will bring the people of Israel back to their own pasture.
They will ·eat [feed] on Mount Carmel and in Bashan [C particularly lush areas].
They will ·eat and be full [be sated]
on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.”
20 The Lord says,
“At that time and in those days people will try to find Israel’s guilt,
but there will be no guilt.
People will try to find Judah’s sins,
but no sins will be found,
because I will leave a ·few people alive from Israel and Judah [remnant],
and I will forgive their sins.
21 “Attack the land of Merathaim.
Attack the people who live in Pekod [C alternate names for Babylon].
·Chase them, kill them [L Put them to the sword], and ·completely destroy [annihilate] them.
Do everything I commanded you!” says the Lord.
22 “The noise of battle can be heard all over the country;
it is the noise of ·much destruction [L great fracture].
23 ·Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth,
but how broken and shattered that hammer is now [L How cut down and broken is the hammer of the whole earth].
·It is truly the most ruined
of [L How Babylon has become a horror among] all the nations.
24 I set a trap for you [C Babylon],
and you were caught before you knew it.
You ·fought against [challenged] the Lord,
so you were found and ·taken prisoner [captured].
25 The Lord has opened up his storeroom
and brought out the weapons of his anger,
because the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has work to do
in the land of the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans].
26 Come against it [C Babylon] from far away.
Break open her storehouses of grain.
Pile them up [C dead bodies] like heaps of grain.
·Completely destroy Babylon [L Annihilate it]
and ·do not leave anyone alive [L let there be no remnant].
27 ·Kill [L Put to the sword] all its bulls [C the young men in Babylon];
let them go down to the slaughter [C killed like animals].
·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] them, because ·the time has come for their defeat [L their day has come];
it is time for them to be punished.
28 Listen to the people ·running [fleeing] to escape the country of Babylon!
They are telling ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]
how the Lord our God is punishing Babylon as it deserves
for destroying his Temple.
29 “Call for ·the archers [L all those who draw the bow]
to come against Babylon.
·Tell them to surround the city [L Camp all around it],
and let no one escape.
Pay her back for what she has done;
do to her what she has done to other nations.
Babylon acted with ·pride [arrogance] against the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel.
30 So her young men will be killed in her streets.
All her soldiers will ·die [L be silenced] on that day,” says the Lord.
31 “You [C Babylon] are too ·proud [arrogant], and I am against you,”
says the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
“·The time has come [L Your day is coming]
·for you to be punished [L the time of your punishment].
32 The ·proud [arrogant; C Babylon] will stumble and fall,
and no one will help her get up.
I will ·start [kindle] a fire in her towns,
and it will ·burn up [L devour] everything around her.”
33 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“The people of Israel
and Judah are ·slaves [oppressed].
·The enemy took them as prisoners [L Their captors have seized them]
and won’t let them go.
34 But ·God is strong and will buy them back [L their redeemer is strong].
His name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
He will surely ·defend them with power [take up their cause/case]
so he can give rest to their land.
But ·he will not give rest [turmoil] to those living in Babylon.”
35 The Lord says,
“Let a sword ·kill the people living in Babylon [L be against the Chaldeans]
and her officers and wise men!
36 Let a sword ·kill [L be against] her ·false prophets [diviners],
and they will become fools.
Let a sword ·kill [L be against] her warriors,
and they will be full of terror.
37 Let a sword ·kill [L be against] her horses and chariots
and all the soldiers hired from other countries!
Then they will be like women [C frightened].
Let a sword ·attack [L be against] her treasures,
so they will be ·taken away [L plundered].
38 Let a sword ·attack [L be against] her waters
so they will be dried up.
She is a land of idols,
and the people go ·crazy [mad] with fear over them.
39 “Desert animals and hyenas will live there,
and ·owls [or ostriches] will live there [C ritually unclean birds that live in desolate places],
but no people will ever live there again.
She will never be ·filled with people [resided in] again.
40 God ·completely destroyed [L overturned] the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
and ·the towns around them [L their neighbors; 20:6; 23:13–15; 49:18; Gen. 18–19],” says the Lord.
“In the same way no people will live there [C Babylon],
and no human being will stay there.
41 “Look! An army is coming from the north [C Persia and its allies].
A powerful nation and many kings
are ·coming together [L stirred up] from all around the world.
42 ·Their armies have [L They have grabbed] bows and spears.
The soldiers are ·cruel [fierce; violent] and have no ·mercy [compassion].
As the soldiers come riding on their horses,
the sound is loud like the ·roaring [thundering] sea.
They stand in their places, ready for battle.
They are ready to attack you, city of Babylon.
43 The king of Babylon heard ·about those armies [L the news/report],
and ·he became helpless with fear [L his hands grew slack/feeble].
Distress has gripped him.
His pain is like that of a woman ·giving birth to a baby [in labor; 6:22–24].
44 “Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River
to attack a ·strong pen for sheep [or perennial pastures],
I will suddenly chase them away [C people of Babylon from their land].
Who is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to do this?
·There is no one [L Who is…?] like me,
·no one who [L Who…?] can take me to court.
·None of their leaders [L Who is the shepherd who…?] can stand up against me [49:19].”
45 So listen to ·what the Lord has planned to do against Babylon [L counsel/advice of the Lord].
Listen to ·what he has decided to do to [L his plans against] the people in the city of Babylon.
He will surely drag away the young of the flock [C the youth of Babylon].
Their ·hometowns [L pasture] will surely be shocked at what happens to them.
46 At the sound of Babylon’s capture, the earth will shake.
People in all nations will hear Babylon’s cry of distress.
1 From Paul, a ·servant [slave; bondservant] of God and an ·apostle [messenger] of Jesus Christ. I was sent ·to help [or in the service of; or to bring about] the faith of God’s ·chosen people [elect] and to help them know the truth that ·shows people how to serve God [or leads to godliness/piety]. 2 That faith and that knowledge ·come from [or lead to] the ·hope for [confidence/certainty of] ·life forever [eternal life], which God, who never lies, promised to us before ·time began [L eternal times]. 3 At ·the right [the appointed; his own] time God ·let the world know about that life [L revealed/manifested his word/message] through preaching. He ·trusted [entrusted] me with that work by the command of God our Savior.
4 To Titus [2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6; 8:16; Gal. 2:1–3], my ·true [genuine] child in the faith we share:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Titus’ Work in Crete
5 I left you in Crete [C an island in the Mediterranean southeast of Greece] so you could ·finish doing [organize; straighten out] the things that still needed to be done and so you could appoint elders in every ·town [city], as I directed you. 6 An elder [1 Tim. 3:1–7] must ·not be guilty of doing wrong [be blameless], must ·have only one wife [or be faithful to his wife], and must have ·believing [or faithful] children. They must not be ·known as children who are [accused of being] ·wild [reckless] and ·do not cooperate [unruly; undisciplined; rebellious]. 7 As God’s ·managers [stewards], overseers [C probably the same church office as elder; 1 Tim. 3:1, 6, 7; 5:17] must be ·innocent of wrongdoing [blameless], ·unselfish [not arrogant/self-willed], not ·quick-tempered [easily angered]. They must not ·drink too much wine [be a drunkard], ·like to fight [be violent/a brawler], or ·try to get rich by cheating others [be greedy for gain/dishonest in business]. 8 Overseers must be ·ready to welcome guests [hospitable], love what is good, be ·wise [self-controlled; sensible], ·live right [upright; just], and be ·holy [devout] and ·self-controlled [disciplined]. 9 By holding ·on [firmly] to the ·trustworthy [faithful] ·word [message] just as it was taught to them, overseers can ·encourage [exhort] people with ·true [sound; healthy] teaching, and they can ·correct [reprove; refute] those who are against it.
10 There are many ·people who refuse to cooperate [unruly/rebellious people], who talk about ·worthless [empty; useless] things and ·lead others into the wrong way [deceive others]—·mainly [especially] those ·who insist on circumcision to be saved [or among the Jewish Christians; L of the circumcision]. 11 These people must be ·stopped [L silenced], because they are ·upsetting [misleading; ruining; overthrowing] whole families by teaching things they should not teach, which they do ·to get rich by cheating people [for dishonest gain]. 12 Even one of their own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil ·animals [beasts], and lazy ·people who do nothing but eat [gluttons; C a quote from Epimenides, a poet from Crete (sixth century bc)].” 13 ·The words that prophet said are [L This testimony is] true. So ·firmly [severely; sharply] ·tell those people they are wrong [rebuke/admonish them] so they may become ·strong [sound; healthy] in the faith, 14 not ·accepting [paying attention to; wasting time with] Jewish ·false stories [myths; 1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:4] and the commands of people who ·reject [turn their backs on] the truth. 15 To those who are pure, all things are pure, but to those who are ·full of sin [defiled; polluted (with sin)] and ·do not believe [unfaithful], nothing is pure. Both their minds and their consciences have been ·ruined [defiled; polluted]. 16 They ·say [claim; confess] they know God, but their actions show they ·do not accept [deny] him. They are ·hateful people [detestable; abominable], they refuse to obey, and they are ·useless [unfit; disqualified] for doing anything good.
A Hymn About the Lord’s Power
97 The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6]. Let the earth rejoice;
·faraway lands [or islands; or coastlands] should be glad.
2 Thick, dark clouds surround him.
His ·kingdom [L throne] is ·built [established] on ·what is right [righteousness] and ·fair [justice].
3 A fire goes before him
and ·burns up [flames] his enemies all around.
4 His lightning ·lights up [illuminates] the world;
when the ·people [earth] see it, they ·tremble [writhe].
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens ·tell about [declare] his ·goodness [righteousness],
and all the people see his glory [C his manifest presence].
7 Those who ·worship [serve] idols should be ·ashamed [embarrassed; Is. 42:17; 45:16];
they brag about their ·gods [worthless things].
All the gods should ·worship [bow down to] the Lord.
8 When ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] hears this, she is glad,
and the ·towns [L daughters] of Judah rejoice.
They are happy because of your judgments, Lord.
9 You are the Lord Most High over all the earth;
you are ·supreme [exalted] over all gods.
10 People who love the Lord hate evil.
The Lord ·watches over [keeps; guards] ·those who follow him [his loyal ones/saints]
and ·frees [rescues] them from the ·power [L hand] of the wicked.
11 Light ·shines [L is sown] on ·those who do right [the righteous];
joy belongs to those who are ·honest [L virtuous/upright in heart].
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who ·do right [are righteous].
Praise his ·holy name [or unforgettable holiness].
The Lord of Power and Justice
A psalm.
98 Sing to the Lord a new song [C celebrating victory; 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3],
because he has done ·miracles [wonderful acts].
By his right hand and holy arm
he has won the victory.
2 The Lord has made known his ·power to save [salvation; victory];
he has ·shown [revealed to] ·the other [L before the eyes of the] nations his ·victory for his people [righteousness].
3 He has remembered his ·love [loyalty]
and his ·loyalty [faithfulness] to the ·people [L house] of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
God’s ·power to save [salvation; victory].
4 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth;
·burst into songs [L break forth and sing for joy] and make ·music [a psalm].
5 Make music to the Lord with harps,
with harps and the sound of singing.
6 Blow the trumpets and the ·sheep’s [ram’s] horns;
shout for joy to the Lord the King [47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1; Rev. 19:6].
7 Let the sea and ·everything in it [its fullness] ·shout [thunder];
let the world and everyone in it sing.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the mountains sing together for joy.
9 Let them sing before the Lord,
because he is coming to judge the world.
He will judge the world ·fairly [with righteousness];
he will judge the peoples with fairness [96:13].
13 The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the ·road [path]!
There’s a lion in the streets!”
14 Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges,
the lazy person turns over and over in bed.
15 Lazy people may ·put [L bury] their hands in the dish,
but they are ·too tired [or not able] to lift the food to their mouths.
16 The lazy person ·thinks he is wiser [L is wiser in his own eyes]
than seven people who give sensible answers.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.