Day 326 – November 22, 2022

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Jeremiah 32-35

​¹ What Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.
² Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Take a cup of the unmixed wine from My hand, and you shall cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. ³ They will drink, vomit, and be insane because of the presence of the sword I send among them.”
⁴ So I took the cup from the hand of the Lord and caused the nations to whom the Lord sent me to drink it: ⁵ Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, the kings of Judah and its rulers, to put them into desolation, to make them an untrodden place and a hissing; ⁶ and Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his nobles, and all his people; ⁷ all the mixed multitude and all the kings of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; ⁸ and Edom, Moab, and the sons of Ammon; ⁹ and all the kings of Tyre, the kings of Sidon, and the kings in the seas beyond; ¹⁰ and Dedan, Teman, and Buz, and everyone who shaves round about his face; ¹¹ and all the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert; ¹² and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Persians; ¹³ and all the kings from the faraway East, each one with his brother; and all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.
¹⁴ “You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Almighty: “Drink and become drunk, and you shall vomit, fall, and not rise because of the presence of the sword I send among you.’ ” ¹⁵ It shall come to pass, when they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink it, you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall surely drink it. ¹⁶ For I will begin to afflict the city upon which My name is called, and you will not be guiltless; because I will call a sword upon all who dwell upon the earth.’ ”
¹⁷ “You shall prophesy against them these words, and say, ‘The Lord shall speak from on high, to instruct from His sanctuary. He will utter His voice, and declare a word against His place.’ They will answer like men who gather grapes and shout in harvest; ¹⁸ and destruction is coming upon those who dwell on earth—to the ends of the earth. For the Lord has a controversy with the nations. He is pleading with all flesh, and the ungodly are given to the sword.”
¹⁹ Thus says the Lord: “Behold, evils go from nation to nation, and a great storm proceeds from the ends of the earth. ²⁰ In the day of the Lord, the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be buried, but will be as manure on the face of the earth. ²¹ Wail loudly, you shepherds, and cry aloud. Strike yourselves, you rams of the sheep, for your days are filled for slaughter, and you shall fall like choice rams. ²² Flight shall vanish from the shepherds and safety from the rams of the flock. ²³ There shall be a voice of outcry from the shepherds, and the loud wailing of sheep and rams shall be heard, for the Lord destroyed their pasture. ²⁴ The remnants of the peace will end because of the fierceness of My wrath. ²⁵ Like a lion, he forsook his lair, for their land became impassable because of the presence of the great sword.”
  Jeremiah Spared from Death
​¹ In the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, this word came from the Lord. ² Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the court of the house of the Lord, and you shall declare to all Judeans, and all who come to worship in the house of the Lord, all the words I command you to reveal to them. Do not omit a word. ³ Perhaps each will hear and turn away from his evil ways. Then I will cease from the calamities I consider doing to them because of their evil practices. ⁴ You shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord: “If you will not hear Me, to walk in My laws I set before you, ⁵ to heed the words of My servants the prophets, whom I send to you early in the morning—yes, I sent them, but you did not heed Me— ⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh, and the city into a curse to all the nations of all the earth.” ’ ”
⁷ So the priests, the false prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸ Then it came to pass, when Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people the things the Lord commanded him, the priests, the false prophets, and all the people seized him, saying, “You will surely die, ⁹ for you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate of inhabitants.’ ” So all the people summoned an assembly against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
¹⁰ The rulers of Judah also heard this word. So they went up from the house of the king to the house of the Lord and sat in the entrance of the new gate of the Lord. ¹¹ Then the priests and the false prophets said to the rulers and all the people, “The judgment of death is due this man because he prophesied against this city, as you heard with your ears.”
¹² Then Jeremiah replied to the rulers and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you heard. ¹³ Now then, amend your ways and your works. Hear the voice of the Lord, and the Lord will cease from the calamities He spoke against you. ¹⁴ Behold, I am in your hand. Do with me as seems useful and best for you. ¹⁵ But know for certain, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, on this city, and on those living there. For in truth, the Lord sent me to you, to speak all these words in your ears.”
¹⁶ Then the rulers and all the people said to the priests and the false prophets, “The judgment of death is not due this man, for he spoke to us in the name of the Lord our God.” ¹⁷ After this, men from the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people: ¹⁸ “Micah the Morasthite lived in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and said to all the people of Judah, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall be impassable, and the mountain of the house shall be a thicket of trees.’ ” ¹⁹ Now did Hezekiah and all Judah by any means put him to death? Instead, did they not fear the Lord and make supplication before the Lord; and the Lord ceased from the calamities He spoke against them? But we have done great evils against our souls.”
²⁰ After this, there was a man who prophesied in the Lord’s name, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim, and he prophesied concerning this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. ²¹ Jehoiakim the king with all the rulers heard all his words, and they sought to put him to death; but Urijah heard this and went to Egypt. ²² So the king sent men to Egypt, ²³ and they brought him from there to the king. Then he killed him with the sword and cast him into the grave of the children of his people. ²⁴ Nevertheless, the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah to prevent his being delivered into the hands of the people to be put to death.
  Bonds and Yokes
​¹ Thus says the Lord: “Make bonds and wooden yokes and put them on your neck, ² and you shall send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the same messengers who met them in Jerusalem with Zedekiah king of Judah. ³ You shall instruct them with regard to their masters to speak thus: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel to your masters: ⁴ “I made the earth by My great strength and with My high arm, and I will give it to whomsoever it may seem good in My eyes. ⁵ I gave the earth to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon to serve him; and I gave the wild beasts of the field to him to work for him. ⁶ But the nation and kingdom, whoever will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will visit them with the sword and the famine,” says the Lord, “until they come to an end by his hand. ⁷ So do not give heed to your false prophets, diviners, dreamers, soothsayers, or sorcerers, who say, ‘You shall not work for the king of Babylon.’ ⁸ For they prophesy lies to you to remove you far from your land. ⁹ But the nation that brings its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon to work for him, I shall leave it on its own land; and he shall work it for him and dwell in it.” ’ ”
¹⁰ I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “The Lord says, ‘Place your neck under the yoke and work for the king of Babylon, for they prophesy wrongdoings to you, but I did not send them. ¹¹ Yet they prophesy wrongfully in My name, that I might destroy you, and you should perish, and these prophets of yours, who wrongfully prophesy lies to you.’ ”
¹² Again I spoke to him, to all this people and to the priests, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not heed the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, saying, “Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will return from Babylon,” for they prophesy wrongfully to you; but I did not send them.’ ”
¹³ Thus if they are prophets, and the word of the Lord is in them, let them meet me, for thus the Lord said. ¹⁴ Now concerning the remainder of the vessels the king of Babylon did not take when he carried away captive Jeconiah from Jerusalem, the Lord says, “They will go to Babylon.”
The False Prophet Hananiah
​¹ Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month, that Hananiah, the false prophet from Gibeon, and the son of Azur spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, ² “Thus says the Lord: ‘I broke into pieces the yoke of the king of Babylon. ³ Yet two full years, and I will return the vessels of the Lord’s house to this place, ⁴ along with Jeconiah and all the captives of Judah, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”
⁵ Then Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah in the presence of all the people, and in the presence of the priests who stood in the house of the Lord. ⁶ Thus Jeremiah said, “Truly, may the Lord do so indeed, and establish the word you prophesy, to return the vessels of the Lord’s house and all those carried away captive from Babylon to this place. ⁷ Nevertheless, hear the word of the Lord I speak in your ears and the ears of all the people. ⁸ The prophets who were before me and before you of old, they prophesied concerning war against many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹ As for this prophet who prophesied regarding peace to come, when his word comes to pass, they shall know the prophet the Lord sent to them in good faith.”
¹⁰ Then in the sight of all the people, Hananiah took the yokes from the neck of Jeremiah and broke them to pieces. ¹¹ Hananiah then spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Thus I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon from the necks of all nations.’ ” After this, Jeremiah went his way.
¹² Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Hananiah broke the yokes from his neck, saying, ¹³ “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but I will make yokes of iron in their place.” ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord: “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all the nations, so they may serve the king of Babylon.” ’ ” ¹⁵ Jeremiah also said to Hananiah, “The Lord has not sent you, but you have caused this people to be persuaded wrongfully. ¹⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth, and you shall die this year.’ ” ¹⁷ So he died in the seventh month.

Psalm 117:17–29

¹⁷ I shall not die, but live,
And tell of the Lord’s works.
¹⁸ The Lord chastened and corrected me,
But He did not give me up to death.
¹⁹ Open the gates of righteousness to me;
I will enter therein and give thanks to the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord;
The righteous shall go in through it.
²¹ I will give thanks to You, for You heard me,
And You became my salvation.
²² The stone the builders rejected,
the same became the head of the corner;
²³ And this came about from the Lord,
And it is wonderful in our eyes.
²⁴ This is the day the Lord made;
Let us greatly rejoice, and be glad therein.
²⁵ O Lord, save us now;
O Lord, prosper us now.
²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;
We blessed you from the house of the Lord.
²⁷ God is the Lord, and He revealed Himself to us;
Appoint a feast for yourselves, decked with branches,
Even to the horns of the altar.
²⁸ You are my God, and I will give thanks to You;
You are my God, and I shall exalt You;
I will give thanks to You, for You heard me;
And You became my salvation.
²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His mercy endures forever.

Proverbs 25:12–16

¹² Grace and friendship free a man;
Keep these for yourself, that you may not be reproached,
But guard your ways peaceably.
¹³ As a golden apple in a small necklace of sardius stone,
Thus it is to speak a wise word.
¹⁴ As a very expensive sardius stone set in a golden earring,
So is a wise word to an obedient ear.
¹⁵ As the falling of snow in harvest is beneficial against the heat,
So is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
For he benefits the souls of those who use him.
¹⁶ As winds, clouds, and rains are evident,
So are those who boast in a false gift.

James 3

​¹ My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
² For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
³ Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.
⁴ Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
⁵ Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
⁶ And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
⁷ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
⁸ But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
⁹ With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
¹¹ Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom
¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
  ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.