Rejoice in Christ Amid Judgment's Call

1. The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, when king Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying, 2. “Please inquire of Yahweh for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps Yahweh will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may withdraw from us.” 3. Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah: 4. ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel says, “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will gather them into the middle of this city. 5. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation. 6. I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and animal. They will die of a great pestilence. 7. Afterward,” says Yahweh, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’ 8. “You shall say to this people, ‘Yahweh says: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9. He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes out, and passes over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he will live, and he will escape with his life. 10. For I have set my face on this city for evil, and not for good,” says Yahweh. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”’ 11. “Concerning the house of the king of Judah, hear Yahweh’s word: 12. House of David, Yahweh says, ‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 13. Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, and of the rock of the plain,’ says Yahweh. ‘You that say, “Who would come down against us?” or “Who would enter into our homes?” 14. I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says Yahweh; and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it will devour all that is around her.’” 1. Yahweh said, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak this word, there: 2. ‘Hear Yahweh’s word, king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you, your servants, and your people who enter in by these gates. 3. Yahweh says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place. 4. For if you do this thing indeed, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter in by the gates of this house, riding in chariots and on horses, he, his servants, and his people. 5. But if you will not hear these words, I swear by myself,” says Yahweh, “that this house will become a desolation.”’” 6. For Yahweh says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I will make you a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited. 7. I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons, and they will cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. 8. “Many nations will pass by this city, and they will each ask his neighbor, ‘Why has Yahweh done this to this great city?’ 9. Then they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh their God, worshiped other gods, and served them.’” 10. Don’t weep for the dead. Don’t bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he will return no more, and not see his native country. 11. For Yahweh says touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went out of this place: “He won’t return there any more. 12. But in the place where they have led him captive, there will he die. He will see this land no more.” 13. “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his rooms by injustice; who uses his neighbor’s service without wages, and doesn’t give him his hire; 14. who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house and spacious rooms,’ and cuts out windows for himself; with a cedar ceiling, and painted with red. 15. “Should you reign, because you strive to excel in cedar? Didn’t your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. 16. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; so it was well, then. Wasn’t this to know me?” says Yahweh. 17. But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, for oppression, and for doing violence.” 18. Therefore Yahweh says concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They won’t lament for him, saying, ‘Ah my brother!’ or, ‘Ah sister!’ They won’t lament for him, saying ‘Ah lord!’ or, ‘Ah his glory!’ 19. He will be buried with the burial of a donkey, drawn and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” 20. “Go up to Lebanon, and cry. Lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all your lovers have been destroyed. 21. I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice. 22. The wind will feed all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Surely then you will be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness. 23. Inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied you will be when pangs come on you, the pain as of a woman in travail! 24. “As I live,” says Yahweh, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck you from there. 25. I would give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of them of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26. I will cast you out with your mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born; and there you will die. 27. But to the land to which their soul longs to return, there they will not return.” 28. Is this man Coniah a despised broken vessel? Is he a vessel in which no one delights? Why are they cast out, he and his offspring, and cast into a land which they don’t know? 29. O earth, earth, earth, hear Yahweh’s word! 30. Yahweh says, “Record this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no more will a man of his offspring prosper, sitting on David’s throne, and ruling in Judah.” 1. “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says Yahweh. 2. Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says against the shepherds who feed my people: “You have scattered my flock, driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings,” says Yahweh. 3. “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4. I will set up shepherds over them, who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, neither will any be lacking,” says Yahweh. 5. “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is his name by which he will be called: Yahweh our righteousness. 7. “Therefore behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that they will no more say, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;’ 8. but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up and who led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will dwell in their own land.” 9. Concerning the prophets: My heart within me is broken. All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of Yahweh, and because of his holy words. 10. For the land is full of adulterers; for because of the curse the land mourns. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right; 11. for both prophet and priest are profane. Yes, in my house I have found their wickedness,” says Yahweh. 12. Therefore their way will be to them as slippery places in the darkness. They will be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their visitation,” says Yahweh. 13. “I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. 14. In the prophets of Jerusalem I have also seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one returns from his wickedness. They have all become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.” 15. Therefore Yahweh of Armies says concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.” 16. Yahweh of Armies says, “Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They teach you vanity. They speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Yahweh. 17. They say continually to those who despise me, ‘Yahweh has said, “You will have peace;”’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, ‘No evil will come on you.’ 18. For who has stood in the council of Yahweh, that he should perceive and hear his word? Who has listened to my word, and heard it? 19. Behold, Yahweh’s storm, his wrath, has gone out. Yes, a whirling storm: It will burst on the head of the wicked. 20. Yahweh’s anger will not return until he has executed, and until he has performed the intents of his heart. In the latter days, you will understand it perfectly. 21. I didn’t send these prophets, yet they ran. I didn’t speak to them, yet they prophesied. 22. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have caused my people to hear my words, and would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. 23. “Am I a God at hand,” says Yahweh, “and not a God afar off? 24. Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I can’t see him?” says Yahweh. “Don’t I fill heaven and earth?” says Yahweh. 25. “I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26. How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart? 27. They intend to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they each tell his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name because of Baal. 28. The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat?” says Yahweh. 29. “Isn’t my word like fire?” says Yahweh; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30. “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who each steal my words from his neighbor. 31. Behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who use their tongues, and say, ‘He says.’ 32. Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,” says Yahweh, “who tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting; yet I didn’t send them or command them. They don’t profit this people at all,” says Yahweh. 33. “When this people, or the prophet, or a priest, asks you, saying, ‘What is the message from Yahweh?’ Then you shall tell them, ‘“What message? I will cast you off,” says Yahweh.’ 34. As for the prophet, the priest, and the people, who say, ‘The message from Yahweh,’ I will even punish that man and his household. 35. You will say everyone to his neighbor, and everyone to his brother, ‘What has Yahweh answered?’ and, ‘What has Yahweh said?’ 36. You will mention the message from Yahweh no more: for every man’s own word has become his message; for you have perverted the words of the living God, of Yahweh of Armies, our God. 37. You will say to the prophet, ‘What has Yahweh answered you?’ and, ‘What has Yahweh spoken?’ 38. Although you say, ‘The message from Yahweh;’ therefore Yahweh says: ‘Because you say this word, “The message from Yahweh,” and I have sent to you, telling you not to say, “The message from Yahweh;” 39. therefore, behold, I will utterly forget you, and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, away from my presence. 40. I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which will not be forgotten.’”

1. Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants: 2. Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. I thank my God whenever I remember you, 4. always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy, 5. for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; 6. being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 7. It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8. For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. 9. This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; 10. so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ; 11. being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 12. Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News; 13. so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ; 14. and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. 15. Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will. 16. The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains; 17. but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News. 18. What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice. 19. For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20. according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death. 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22. But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. 23. But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24. Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake. 25. Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26. that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. 27. Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News; 28. and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God. 29. Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf, 30. having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me. 1. If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2. make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3. doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; 4. each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. 5. Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6. who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7. but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. 9. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12. So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. 14. Do all things without murmurings and disputes, 15. that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, 16. holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain. 17. Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all. 18. In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me. 19. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing. 20. For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. 21. For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. 22. But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News. 23. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. 24. But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly. 25. But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need; 26. since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick. 27. For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. 28. I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor, 30. because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me. 1. Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe. 2. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision. 3. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; 4. though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: 5. circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6. concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 7. However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. 8. Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9. and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10. that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death; 11. if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12. Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13. Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. 16. Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. 17. Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. 18. For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19. whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. 20. For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21. who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself. 1. Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 2. I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord. 3. Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4. Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” 5. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. 8. Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. 9. The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 10. But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity. 11. Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. 12. I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. 13. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. 14. However you did well that you shared in my affliction. 15. You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only. 16. For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need. 17. Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account. 18. But I have all things, and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God. 19. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen. 21. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22. All the saints greet you, especially those who are of Caesar’s household. 23. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

1. Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring. 2. Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. 3. A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both. 4. Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy? 5. Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse. 7. A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet. 8. As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home. 9. Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend. 10. Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster: better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother. 11. Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor. 12. A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it. 13. Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman! 14. He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him. 15. A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike: 16. restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand. 17. Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance. 18. Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored. 19. Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man. 20. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied. 21. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise. 22. Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him. 23. Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds: 24. for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations. 25. The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in. 26. The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field. 27. There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.