The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday October 24, 2018 (NIV)

Jeremiah 44:24-47:7

24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt.(A) 25 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for you and your wives, you women have spoken with your mouths, and you men fulfilled it by your deeds, saying, “We will keep our vows that we have made to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings for her.” Go ahead, confirm your vows! Keep your vows!’

26 “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you Judeans who live in the land of Egypt: ‘I have sworn by my great name,(B) says the Lord, that my name will never again be invoked by anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt,(C) saying, “As the Lord God lives.” 27 I am watching over them for disaster and not for good,(D) and everyone from Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine until they are finished off. 28 Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah only few in number,(E) and the whole remnant of Judah, the ones going to the land of Egypt to stay there for a while, will know whose word stands, mine or theirs! 29 This will be a sign to you’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘that I will punish you in this place, so you may know that my words of disaster concerning you will certainly come to pass.(F) 30 This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand over Pharaoh Hophra,(G) Egypt’s king, to his enemies, to those who intend to take his life, just as I handed over Judah’s King Zedekiah(H) to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, who was his enemy, the one who intended to take his life.’”

The Lord’s Message to Baruch

45 This is the word that the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Baruch son of Neriah(I) when he wrote these words on a scroll at Jeremiah’s dictation[a](J) in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:(K) “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: ‘You have said, “Woe is me, because the Lord has added misery to my pain! I am worn out with[b] groaning and have found no rest.”’(L)

“This is what you are to say to him: ‘This is what the Lord says: “What I have built I am about to demolish, and what I have planted I am about to uproot(M)—the whole land! But as for you, do you pursue great things for yourself? Stop pursuing! For I am about to bring disaster on everyone”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“but I will grant you your life like the spoils of war(N) wherever you go.”’”

Prophecies Against the Nations

46 This is the word of the Lord that came to the prophet Jeremiah about the nations:(O)

Prophecies against Egypt

About Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco, Egypt’s king,(P) which was defeated at Carchemish(Q) on the Euphrates River by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in the fourth year of Judah’s King Jehoiakim son of Josiah:(R)

Deploy small shields(S) and large;
approach for battle!
Harness the horses;
mount the steeds;[c]
take your positions with helmets on!
Polish the lances;
put on armor!(T)
Why have I seen this?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are crushed,
they flee headlong,
they never look back,
terror is on every side!(U)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
The swift cannot flee,
and the warrior cannot escape!(V)
In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River,
they stumble and fall.(W)
Who is this, rising like the Nile,(X)
with waters that churn like rivers?
Egypt rises like the Nile,(Y)
and its waters churn like rivers.
He boasts, “I will go up, I will cover the earth;
I will destroy cities with their residents.”
Rise up, you cavalry!
Race furiously, you chariots!
Let the warriors march out—
Cush and Put,(Z)
who are able to handle shields,
and the men of Lud,(AA)
who are able to handle and string the bow.(AB)
10 That day belongs to the Lord, the God of Armies,
a day of vengeance to avenge himself
against his adversaries.
The sword will devour and be satisfied;
it will drink its fill of their blood,
because it will be a sacrifice(AC) to the Lord, the God of Armies,
in the northern land by the Euphrates River.(AD)
11 Go up to Gilead and get balm,(AE)
Virgin Daughter Egypt!
You have multiplied remedies in vain;
there is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your dishonor,(AF)
and your cries fill the earth,
because warrior stumbles against warrior
and together both of them have fallen.

13 This is the word the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to defeat the land of Egypt:(AG)

14 Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol!(AH)
Proclaim it in Memphis and in Tahpanhes!
Say, “Take positions! Prepare yourself,
for the sword devours all around you.”(AI)
15 Why have your strong ones been swept away?
Each has not stood,
for the Lord has thrust him down.
16 He continues to stumble.(AJ)
Indeed, each falls over the other.
They say, “Get up! Let’s return to our people
and to our native land,
away from the oppressor’s sword.”(AK)
17 There they will cry out,
“Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise;
he let the opportune moment pass.”
18 As I live—
this is the King’s declaration; the Lord of Armies is his name(AL)
the king of Babylon[d] will come like Tabor among the mountains
and like Carmel by the sea.
19 Get your bags ready for exile,
inhabitant of Daughter Egypt!(AM)
For Memphis will become a desolation,
uninhabited ruins.
20 Egypt is a beautiful young cow,(AN)
but a horsefly from the north is coming against her.[e](AO)
21 Even her mercenaries among her
are like stall-fed calves.
They too will turn back;
together they will flee;
they will not take their stand,
for the day of their calamity is coming on them,
the time of their punishment.(AP)
22 Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake,[f]
for the enemy will come with an army;
with axes they will come against her
like those who cut trees.(AQ)
23 They will cut down her forest—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
though it is dense,
for they are more numerous than locusts;
they cannot be counted.(AR)
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
handed over to a northern people.(AS)

25 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I am about to punish Amon, god of Thebes,(AT) along with Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings—Pharaoh and those trusting in him. 26 I will hand them over to those who intend to take their lives(AU)—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers. But after this,(AV) Egypt[g] will be inhabited again as in ancient times.”

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Reassurance for Israel

27 But you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid,(AW)
and do not be discouraged, Israel,
for without fail I will save you from far away,
and your descendants from the land of their captivity!
Jacob will return and have calm and quiet
with no one to frighten him.
28 And you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
for I will be with you.(AX)
I will bring destruction on all the nations
where I have banished you,
but I will not bring destruction on you.
I will discipline you with justice,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.(AY)

Prophecies against the Philistines

47 This is the word of the Lord that came to the prophet Jeremiah about the Philistines(AZ) before Pharaoh defeated Gaza.(BA) This is what the Lord says:

Look, water is rising from the north(BB)
and becoming an overflowing wadi.
It will overflow the land and everything in it,(BC)
the cities and their inhabitants.
The people will cry out,
and every inhabitant of the land will wail.
At the sound of the stomping hooves of his stallions,(BD)
the rumbling of his chariots,
and the clatter of their wheels,(BE)
fathers will not turn back for their sons.
They will be utterly helpless[h]
on account of the day that is coming
to destroy all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
every remaining ally.(BF)
Indeed, the Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,
the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.[i](BG)
Baldness(BH) is coming to Gaza;
Ashkelon will become silent.(BI)
Remnant of their valley,
how long will you gash yourself?
Oh, sword of the Lord!(BJ)
How long will you be restless?
Go back to your sheath;
be still; be silent!
How can it[j] rest
when the Lord has given it a command?(BK)
He has assigned it(BL)
against Ashkelon and the shore of the sea.

Footnotes:

  1. 45:1 Lit scroll from Jeremiah’s mouth
  2. 45:3 Lit I labored in my
  3. 46:4 Or mount up, riders
  4. 46:18 Lit He
  5. 46:20 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read is coming, coming
  6. 46:22 Lit Her sound is like a snake as it goes
  7. 46:26 Lit it
  8. 47:3 Lit Because of weakened hands
  9. 47:4 Probably Crete
  10. 47:7 LXX, Vg; MT reads you
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

2 Timothy 3

Difficult Times Ahead

But know this: Hard times will come in the last days.(A) For people will be lovers of self,(B) lovers of money,(C) boastful, proud,(D) demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,(E) unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers,(F) without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good,(G) traitors,(H) reckless,(I) conceited,(J) lovers of pleasure(K) rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.(L) Avoid these people.(M)

For among them are those who worm their way into households and deceive gullible women overwhelmed by sins and led astray by a variety of passions,(N) always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.(O) Just as Jannes and Jambres(P) resisted Moses,(Q) so these also resist the truth. They are men who are corrupt in mind(R) and worthless(S) in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress, for their foolishness will be clear to all, as was the foolishness of Jannes and Jambres.

Struggles in the Christian Life

10 But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose,(T) faith, patience, love,(U) and endurance, 11 along with the persecutions and sufferings(V) that came to me in Antioch,(W) Iconium,(X) and Lystra.(Y) What persecutions I endured—and yet the Lord rescued me from them all. 12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.(Z) 13 Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving(AA) and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you,(AB) 15 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,(AC) which are able to give you wisdom for salvation(AD) through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God[a](AE) and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.(AF)

Footnotes:

  1. 3:16 Lit breathed out by God
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 94

Psalm 94

The Just Judge

Lord, God of vengeance—
God of vengeance, shine!(A)
Rise up, Judge of the earth;
repay the proud what they deserve.(B)
Lord, how long will the wicked—
how long will the wicked celebrate?(C)

They pour out arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.(D)
Lord, they crush your people;
they oppress your heritage.(E)
They kill the widow and the resident alien
and murder the fatherless.(F)
They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it.
The God of Jacob doesn’t pay attention.”(G)

Pay attention, you stupid people!
Fools, when will you be wise?(H)
Can the one who shaped the ear not hear,
the one who formed the eye not see?(I)
10 The one who instructs nations,
the one who teaches mankind knowledge—
does he not discipline?(J)
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of mankind;
they are futile.(K)

12 Lord, how happy is anyone you discipline
and teach from your law(L)
13 to give him relief from troubled times
until a pit is dug for the wicked.(M)
14 The Lord will not leave his people
or abandon his heritage,(N)
15 for the administration of justice will again be righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow[a] it.(O)

16 Who stands up for me against the wicked?
Who takes a stand for me against evildoers?(P)
17 If the Lord had not been my helper,
I would soon rest in the silence of death.(Q)
18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your faithful love will support me, Lord.(R)
19 When I am filled with cares,
your comfort brings me joy.(S)

20 Can a corrupt throne be your ally,
a throne that makes evil laws?(T)
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.(U)
22 But the Lord is my refuge;
my God is the rock of my protection.(V)
23 He will pay them back for their sins
and destroy them for their evil.
The Lord our God will destroy them.(W)

Footnotes:

  1. 94:15 Or heart will support; lit heart after
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 26:6-8

The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand(A)
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.(B)
A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like lame legs that hang limp.
Giving honor to a fool
is like binding a stone in a sling.

Cross references:

  1. 26:6 : Pr 10:26; 25:13
  2. 26:6 : Pr 13:2
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.