The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday October 26, 2021 (NIV)

Jeremiah 49:23-50:46

A Message About Damascus

²³Concerning Damascus:^(A)

“Hamath^(B) and Arpad^(C) are dismayed,
for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
troubled like^[a] the restless sea.^(D)
²⁴Damascus has become feeble,
she has turned to flee
and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
pain like that of a woman in labor.^(E)
²⁵Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
the town in which I delight?
²⁶Surely, her young men^(F) will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced^(G) in that day,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
²⁷“I will set fire^(H) to the walls of Damascus;^(I)
it will consume^(J) the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.^(K)”

A Message About Kedar and Hazor

²⁸Concerning Kedar^(L) and the kingdoms of Hazor,^(M) which Nebuchadnezzar^(N) king of Babylon attacked:

This is what the Lord says:

“Arise, and attack Kedar
and destroy the people of the East.^(O)
²⁹Their tents and their flocks^(P) will be taken;
their shelters will be carried off
with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
‘Terror^(Q) on every side!’

³⁰“Flee quickly away!
Stay in deep caves,^(R) you who live in Hazor,^(S)”
declares the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar^(T) king of Babylon has plotted against you;
he has devised a plan against you.

³¹“Arise and attack a nation at ease,
which lives in confidence,”
declares the Lord,
“a nation that has neither gates nor bars;^(U)
its people live far from danger.
³²Their camels^(V) will become plunder,
and their large herds^(W) will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds^(X) those who are in distant places^[b]^(Y)
and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
³³“Hazor^(Z) will become a haunt of jackals,^(AA)
a desolate^(AB) place forever.
No one will live there;
no people will dwell^(AC) in it.”

A Message About Elam

³⁴This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,^(AD) early in the reign of Zedekiah^(AE) king of Judah:

³⁵This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will break the bow^(AF) of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
³⁶I will bring against Elam the four winds^(AG)
from the four quarters of heaven;^(AH)
I will scatter them to the four winds,
and there will not be a nation
where Elam’s exiles do not go.
³⁷I will shatter Elam before their foes,
before those who want to kill them;
I will bring disaster on them,
even my fierce anger,”^(AI)
declares the Lord.
“I will pursue them with the sword^(AJ)
until I have made an end of them.
³⁸I will set my throne in Elam
and destroy her king and officials,”
declares the Lord.

³⁹“Yet I will restore^(AK) the fortunes of Elam
in days to come,”
declares the Lord.

A Message About Babylon^(AL)

50 This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon^(AM) and the land of the Babylonians^[c]:

²“Announce and proclaim^(AN) among the nations,
lift up a banner^(AO) and proclaim it;
keep nothing back, but say,
‘Babylon will be captured;^(AP)
Bel^(AQ) will be put to shame,^(AR)
Marduk^(AS) filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
and her idols^(AT) filled with terror.’
³A nation from the north^(AU) will attack her
and lay waste her land.
No one will live^(AV) in it;
both people and animals^(AW) will flee away.

⁴“In those days, at that time,”
declares the Lord,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together^(AX)
will go in tears^(AY) to seek^(AZ) the Lord their God.
⁵They will ask the way^(BA) to Zion
and turn their faces toward it.
They will come^(BB) and bind themselves to the Lord
in an everlasting covenant^(BC)
that will not be forgotten.

⁶“My people have been lost sheep;^(BD)
their shepherds^(BE) have led them astray^(BF)
and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill^(BG)
and forgot their own resting place.^(BH)
⁷Whoever found them devoured^(BI) them;
their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,^(BJ)
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
the Lord, the hope^(BK) of their ancestors.’

⁸“Flee^(BL) out of Babylon;^(BM)
leave the land of the Babylonians,
and be like the goats that lead the flock.
⁹For I will stir^(BN) up and bring against Babylon
an alliance of great nations^(BO) from the land of the north.^(BP)
They will take up their positions against her,
and from the north she will be captured.^(BQ)
Their arrows^(BR) will be like skilled warriors
who do not return empty-handed.
¹⁰So Babylonia^[d] will be plundered;^(BS)
all who plunder her will have their fill,”
declares the Lord.

¹¹“Because you rejoice and are glad,
you who pillage my inheritance,^(BT)
because you frolic like a heifer^(BU) threshing grain
and neigh like stallions,
¹²your mother will be greatly ashamed;
she who gave you birth will be disgraced.^(BV)
She will be the least of the nations—
a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.^(BW)
¹³Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited
but will be completely desolate.^(BX)
All who pass Babylon will be appalled;^(BY)
they will scoff^(BZ) because of all her wounds.^(CA)

¹⁴“Take up your positions around Babylon,
all you who draw the bow.^(CB)
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,^(CC)
for she has sinned against the Lord.
¹⁵Shout^(CD) against her on every side!
She surrenders, her towers fall,
her walls^(CE) are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance^(CF) of the Lord,
take vengeance on her;
do to her^(CG) as she has done to others.^(CH)
¹⁶Cut off from Babylon the sower,
and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword^(CI) of the oppressor
let everyone return to their own people,^(CJ)
let everyone flee to their own land.^(CK)

¹⁷“Israel is a scattered flock^(CL)
that lions^(CM) have chased away.
The first to devour^(CN) them
was the king^(CO) of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones^(CP)
was Nebuchadnezzar^(CQ) king^(CR) of Babylon.”

¹⁸Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
as I punished the king^(CS) of Assyria.^(CT)
¹⁹But I will bring^(CU) Israel back to their own pasture,
and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied^(CV)
on the hills^(CW) of Ephraim and Gilead.^(CX)
²⁰In those days, at that time,”
declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
but there will be none,^(CY)
and for the sins^(CZ) of Judah,
but none will be found,
for I will forgive^(DA) the remnant^(DB) I spare.

²¹“Attack the land of Merathaim
and those who live in Pekod.^(DC)
Pursue, kill and completely destroy^[e] them,”
declares the Lord.
“Do everything I have commanded you.
²²The noise^(DD) of battle is in the land,
the noise of great destruction!
²³How broken and shattered
is the hammer^(DE) of the whole earth!^(DF)
How desolate^(DG) is Babylon
among the nations!
²⁴I set a trap^(DH) for you, Babylon,
and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured^(DI)
because you opposed^(DJ) the Lord.
²⁵The Lord has opened his arsenal
and brought out the weapons^(DK) of his wrath,
for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
in the land of the Babylonians.^(DL)
²⁶Come against her from afar.^(DM)
Break open her granaries;
pile her up like heaps of grain.^(DN)
Completely destroy^(DO) her
and leave her no remnant.
²⁷Kill all her young bulls;^(DP)
let them go down to the slaughter!^(DQ)
Woe to them! For their day^(DR) has come,
the time^(DS) for them to be punished.
²⁸Listen to the fugitives^(DT) and refugees from Babylon
declaring in Zion^(DU)
how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,^(DV)
vengeance for his temple.^(DW)

²⁹“Summon archers against Babylon,
all those who draw the bow.^(DX)
Encamp all around her;
let no one escape.^(DY)
Repay^(DZ) her for her deeds;^(EA)
do to her as she has done.
For she has defied^(EB) the Lord,
the Holy One^(EC) of Israel.
³⁰Therefore, her young men^(ED) will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the Lord.
³¹“See, I am against^(EE) you, you arrogant one,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
“for your day^(EF) has come,
the time for you to be punished.
³²The arrogant^(EG) one will stumble and fall^(EH)
and no one will help her up;^(EI)
I will kindle a fire^(EJ) in her towns
that will consume all who are around her.”

³³This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“The people of Israel are oppressed,^(EK)
and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
refusing to let them go.^(EL)
³⁴Yet their Redeemer^(EM) is strong;
the Lord Almighty^(EN) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause^(EO)
so that he may bring rest^(EP) to their land,
but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

³⁵“A sword^(EQ) against the Babylonians!”^(ER)
declares the Lord—
“against those who live in Babylon
and against her officials and wise^(ES) men!
³⁶A sword against her false prophets!
They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!^(ET)
They will be filled with terror.^(EU)
³⁷A sword against her horses and chariots^(EV)
and all the foreigners in her ranks!
They will become weaklings.^(EW)
A sword against her treasures!^(EX)
They will be plundered.
³⁸A drought on^[f] her waters!^(EY)
They will dry^(EZ) up.
For it is a land of idols,^(FA)
idols that will go mad with terror.

³⁹“So desert creatures^(FB) and hyenas will live there,
and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
or lived in from generation to generation.^(FC)
⁴⁰As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah^(FD)
along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
no people will dwell in it.^(FE)

⁴¹“Look! An army is coming from the north;^(FF)
a great nation and many kings
are being stirred^(FG) up from the ends of the earth.^(FH)
⁴²They are armed with bows^(FI) and spears;
they are cruel^(FJ) and without mercy.^(FK)
They sound like the roaring sea^(FL)
as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Babylon.^(FM)
⁴³The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
and his hands hang limp.^(FN)
Anguish has gripped him,
pain like that of a woman in labor.^(FO)
⁴⁴Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets^(FP)
to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen^(FQ) one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?^(FR)
And what shepherd can stand against me?”

⁴⁵Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,
what he has purposed^(FS) against the land of the Babylonians:^(FT)
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
⁴⁶At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;^(FU)
its cry^(FV) will resound among the nations.

Footnotes:

Jeremiah 49:23 Hebrew on or by
Jeremiah 49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
Jeremiah 50:1 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 8, 25, 35 and 45
Jeremiah 50:10 Or Chaldea
Jeremiah 50:21 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26.
Jeremiah 50:38 Or A sword against

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Titus 1

1 Paul, a servant of God^(A) and an apostle^(B) of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth^(C) that leads to godliness^(D)— ²in the hope of eternal life,^(E) which God, who does not lie,^(F) promised before the beginning of time,^(G) ³and which now at his appointed season^(H) he has brought to light^(I) through the preaching entrusted to me^(J) by the command of God^(K) our Savior,^(L)

⁴To Titus,^(M) my true son^(N) in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.^(O)

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good^(P)

⁵The reason I left you in Crete^(Q) was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint^[a] elders^(R) in every town, as I directed you. ⁶An elder must be blameless,^(S) faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe^[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ⁷Since an overseer^(T) manages God’s household,^(U) he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.^(V) ⁸Rather, he must be hospitable,^(W) one who loves what is good,^(X) who is self-controlled,^(Y) upright, holy and disciplined. ⁹He must hold firmly^(Z) to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine^(AA) and refute those who oppose it.

Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

¹⁰For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk^(AB) and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.^(AC) ¹¹They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households^(AD) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. ¹²One of Crete’s own prophets^(AE) has said it: “Cretans^(AF) are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”^[c] ¹³This saying is true. Therefore rebuke^(AG) them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith^(AH) ¹⁴and will pay no attention to Jewish myths^(AI) or to the merely human commands^(AJ) of those who reject the truth.^(AK) ¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure,^(AL) but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.^(AM) In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.^(AN) ¹⁶They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.^(AO) They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.^(AP)

Footnotes:

Titus 1:5 Or ordain
Titus 1:6 Or children are trustworthy
Titus 1:12 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides

Cross references:

Titus 1:1 : Ro 1:1; Jas 1:1
Titus 1:1 : S 1Co 1:1
Titus 1:1 : S 1Ti 2:4
Titus 1:1 : S 1Ti 2:2
Titus 1:2 : Tit 3:7; 2Ti 1:1
Titus 1:2 : Nu 23:19; Heb 6:18
Titus 1:2 : 2Ti 1:9
Titus 1:3 : 1Ti 2:6; 6:15
Titus 1:3 : 2Ti 1:10
Titus 1:3 : S 1Ti 1:11
Titus 1:3 : S 2Co 1:1; 1Ti 1:1
Titus 1:3 : S Lk 1:47
Titus 1:4 : S 2Co 2:13
Titus 1:4 : S 1Ti 1:2
Titus 1:4 : S Ro 1:7
Titus 1:5 : 1:6-8Ref — 1Ti 3:2-4
Titus 1:5 : Ac 27:7
Titus 1:5 : S Ac 11:30
Titus 1:6 : S 1Th 3:13; 1Ti 3:2
Titus 1:7 : S 1Ti 3:1
Titus 1:7 : 1Co 4:1
Titus 1:7 : S 1Ti 3:3, 8
Titus 1:8 : S Ro 12:13
Titus 1:8 : 2Ti 3:3
Titus 1:8 : Tit 2:2, 5, 6, 12
Titus 1:9 : S 1Co 16:13; 1Ti 1:19; 2Ti 1:13; 3:14
Titus 1:9 : S 1Ti 1:10
Titus 1:10 : 1Ti 1:6
Titus 1:10 : Ac 10:45; 11:2
Titus 1:11 : 1Ti 5:13
Titus 1:12 : Ac 17:28
Titus 1:12 : Ac 2:11
Titus 1:13 : S 1Ti 5:20
Titus 1:13 : Tit 2:2
Titus 1:14 : S 1Ti 1:4
Titus 1:14 : S Col 2:22
Titus 1:14 : 2Ti 4:4
Titus 1:15 : Ps 18:26; Mt 15:10, 11; Mk 7:14-19; Ac 10:9-16, 28; Col 2:20-22
Titus 1:15 : Ro 14:14, 23
Titus 1:15 : 1Ti 6:5
Titus 1:16 : Jer 5:2; 12:2; 1Jn 2:4
Titus 1:16 : Hos 8:2, 3

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 97-98

Psalm 97

¹The Lord reigns,^(A) let the earth be glad;^(B)
let the distant shores^(C) rejoice.
²Clouds^(D) and thick darkness^(E) surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.^(F)
³Fire^(G) goes before^(H) him
and consumes^(I) his foes on every side.
⁴His lightning^(J) lights up the world;
the earth^(K) sees and trembles.^(L)
⁵The mountains melt^(M) like wax^(N) before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.^(O)
⁶The heavens proclaim his righteousness,^(P)
and all peoples see his glory.^(Q)

⁷All who worship images^(R) are put to shame,^(S)
those who boast in idols^(T)—
worship him,^(U) all you gods!^(V)

⁸Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad^(W)
because of your judgments,^(X) Lord.
⁹For you, Lord, are the Most High^(Y) over all the earth;^(Z)
you are exalted^(AA) far above all gods.
¹⁰Let those who love the Lord hate evil,^(AB)
for he guards^(AC) the lives of his faithful ones^(AD)
and delivers^(AE) them from the hand of the wicked.^(AF)
¹¹Light shines^[a]^(AG) on the righteous^(AH)
and joy on the upright in heart.^(AI)
¹²Rejoice in the Lord,^(AJ) you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.^(AK)

Psalm 98

A psalm.

¹Sing to the Lord^(AL) a new song,^(AM)
for he has done marvelous things;^(AN)
his right hand^(AO) and his holy arm^(AP)
have worked salvation^(AQ) for him.
²The Lord has made his salvation known^(AR)
and revealed his righteousness^(AS) to the nations.^(AT)
³He has remembered^(AU) his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth^(AV) have seen
the salvation of our God.^(AW)

⁴Shout for joy^(AX) to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵make music to the Lord with the harp,^(AY)
with the harp and the sound of singing,^(AZ)
⁶with trumpets^(BA) and the blast of the ram’s horn^(BB)—
shout for joy^(BC) before the Lord, the King.^(BD)

⁷Let the sea^(BE) resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.^(BF)
⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,^(BG)
let the mountains^(BH) sing together for joy;
⁹let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.^(BI)

Footnotes:

Psalm 97:11 One Hebrew manuscript and ancient versions (see also 112:4); most Hebrew manuscripts Light is sown

Cross references:

Psalm 97:1 : Ex 15:18; Ps 93:1; 96:10; 99:1; Isa 24:23; 52:7
Psalm 97:1 : S Ps 96:11
Psalm 97:1 : S Est 10:1
Psalm 97:2 : S Job 22:14
Psalm 97:2 : S Ex 19:9
Psalm 97:2 : Ps 89:14
Psalm 97:3 : Isa 9:19; Da 7:10; Joel 1:19; 2:3
Psalm 97:3 : Hab 3:5
Psalm 97:3 : S 2Sa 22:9
Psalm 97:4 : S Job 36:30
Psalm 97:4 : S 2Sa 22:8
Psalm 97:4 : S Ps 18:7; 104:32; S Rev 6:12
Psalm 97:5 : S Ps 46:2, 6
Psalm 97:5 : S Ps 22:14
Psalm 97:5 : S Jos 3:11
Psalm 97:6 : Ps 50:6; 98:2
Psalm 97:6 : S Ps 19:1
Psalm 97:7 : S Lev 26:1
Psalm 97:7 : Isa 42:17; Jer 10:14
Psalm 97:7 : S Dt 5:8
Psalm 97:7 : Heb 1:6
Psalm 97:7 : Ex 12:12; Ps 16:4
Psalm 97:8 : S Ps 9:2
Psalm 97:8 : Ps 48:11
Psalm 97:9 : Ps 7:8
Psalm 97:9 : S Job 34:29
Psalm 97:9 : S Ps 47:9
Psalm 97:10 : S Job 28:28; Am 5:15; Ro 12:9
Psalm 97:10 : Ps 145:20
Psalm 97:10 : Ps 31:23; 37:28; Pr 2:8
Psalm 97:10 : S Ps 34:7; Da 3:28; 6:16
Psalm 97:10 : Ps 37:40; Jer 15:21; 20:13
Psalm 97:11 : S Job 22:28
Psalm 97:11 : Ps 11:5
Psalm 97:11 : Ps 7:10
Psalm 97:12 : S Job 22:19; Ps 104:34; Isa 41:16; Php 4:4
Psalm 97:12 : S Ex 3:15; S Ps 99:3
Psalm 98:1 : Ps 30:4
Psalm 98:1 : S Ps 96:1
Psalm 98:1 : Ex 15:1; Ps 96:3; Isa 12:5; Lk 1:51
Psalm 98:1 : S Ex 15:6
Psalm 98:1 : S Jos 4:24; Job 40:9; Isa 51:9; 52:10; 53:1; 63:5
Psalm 98:1 : S Ps 44:3; Isa 59:16
Psalm 98:2 : Isa 52:10; Lk 3:6
Psalm 98:2 : S Ps 97:6
Psalm 98:2 : S Ps 67:2
Psalm 98:3 : S 1Ch 16:15
Psalm 98:3 : S Ge 49:10; S Ps 48:10
Psalm 98:3 : S Ps 50:23
Psalm 98:4 : Ps 20:5; Isa 12:6; 44:23; 52:9; 54:1; 55:12
Psalm 98:5 : Ps 33:2; 92:3; 147:7
Psalm 98:5 : Isa 51:3
Psalm 98:6 : S Nu 10:2; S 2Sa 6:15
Psalm 98:6 : S Ex 19:13
Psalm 98:6 : Ps 20:5; 100:1; Isa 12:6
Psalm 98:6 : Ps 2:6; 47:7
Psalm 98:7 : S Ps 93:3
Psalm 98:7 : S Ps 24:1
Psalm 98:8 : S 2Ki 11:12
Psalm 98:8 : Ps 148:9; Isa 44:23; 55:12
Psalm 98:9 : S Ps 96:10

New International Version (NIV)

Proverbs 26:13-16

¹³A sluggard says,^(A) “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”^(B)
¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.^(C)
¹⁵A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.^(D)
¹⁶A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Jeremiah 49:23-50:46

A Message About Damascus

A Message About Kedar and Hazor

A Message About Elam

A Message About Babylon(AL)

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Titus 1

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good(P)

Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 97-98

Psalm 97

Psalm 98

A psalm.

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Proverbs 26:13-16

Cross references:

A Message About Babylon^(AL)

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good^(P)