October 2020 – Page 5 – A Walk Through The Word

October 11, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday October 11, 2020 (NIV)

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23

¹⁶“But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them.^(A) After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt^(B) them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.^(C) ¹⁷My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden^(D) from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.^(E) ¹⁸I will repay^(F) them double^(G) for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land^(H) with the lifeless forms of their vile images^(I) and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols.^(J)”^(K)

¹⁹Lord, my strength and my fortress,
my refuge^(L) in time of distress,
to you the nations will come^(M)
from the ends of the earth and say,
“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,^(N)
worthless idols^(O) that did them no good.^(P)
²⁰Do people make their own gods?
Yes, but they are not gods!”^(Q)

²¹“Therefore I will teach them—
this time I will teach them
my power and might.
Then they will know
that my name^(R) is the Lord.

17 “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,^(S)
inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts^(T)
and on the horns^(U) of their altars.
²Even their children remember
their altars and Asherah poles^[a]^(V)
beside the spreading trees
and on the high hills.^(W)
³My mountain in the land
and your^[b] wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as plunder,^(X)
together with your high places,^(Y)
because of sin throughout your country.^(Z)
⁴Through your own fault you will lose
the inheritance^(AA) I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies^(AB)
in a land^(AC) you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
and it will burn^(AD) forever.”

⁵This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,^(AE)
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.^(AF)
⁶That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places^(AG) of the desert,
in a salt^(AH) land where no one lives.

⁷“But blessed^(AI) is the one who trusts^(AJ) in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
⁸They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.^(AK)
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought^(AL)
and never fails to bear fruit.”^(AM)

⁹The heart^(AN) is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?

¹⁰“I the Lord search the heart^(AO)
and examine the mind,^(AP)
to reward^(AQ) each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”^(AR)

¹¹Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay
are those who gain riches by unjust means.
When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,
and in the end they will prove to be fools.^(AS)

¹²A glorious throne,^(AT) exalted from the beginning,
is the place of our sanctuary.
¹³Lord, you are the hope^(AU) of Israel;
all who forsake^(AV) you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust^(AW)
because they have forsaken the Lord,
the spring of living water.^(AX)

¹⁴Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;^(AY)
save^(AZ) me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.^(BA)
¹⁵They keep saying to me,
“Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it now be fulfilled!”^(BB)
¹⁶I have not run away from being your shepherd;
you know I have not desired the day of despair.
What passes my lips^(BC) is open before you.
¹⁷Do not be a terror^(BD) to me;
you are my refuge^(BE) in the day of disaster.^(BF)
¹⁸Let my persecutors be put to shame,
but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
destroy them with double destruction.^(BG)

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

¹⁹This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People,^[c] through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem.^(BH) ²⁰Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem^(BI) who come through these gates.^(BJ) ²¹This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath^(BK) day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. ²²Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.^(BL) ²³Yet they did not listen or pay attention;^(BM) they were stiff-necked^(BN) and would not listen or respond to discipline.^(BO) ²⁴But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy^(BP) by not doing any work on it, ²⁵then kings who sit on David’s throne^(BQ) will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.^(BR) ²⁶People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev,^(BS) bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. ²⁷But if you do not obey^(BT) me to keep the Sabbath^(BU) day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire^(BV) in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’”^(BW)

At the Potter’s House

18 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ²“Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” ³So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

⁵Then the word of the Lord came to me. ⁶He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay^(BX) in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand,^(BY) Israel. ⁷If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted,^(BZ) torn down and destroyed, ⁸and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent^(CA) and not inflict on it the disaster^(CB) I had planned. ⁹And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built^(CC) up and planted, ¹⁰and if it does evil^(CD) in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider^(CE) the good I had intended to do for it.^(CF)

¹¹“Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster^(CG) for you and devising a plan^(CH) against you. So turn^(CI) from your evil ways,^(CJ) each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’^(CK) ¹²But they will reply, ‘It’s no use.^(CL) We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.^(CM)’”

¹³Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“Inquire among the nations:
Who has ever heard anything like this?^(CN)
A most horrible^(CO) thing has been done
by Virgin^(CP) Israel.
¹⁴Does the snow of Lebanon
ever vanish from its rocky slopes?
Do its cool waters from distant sources
ever stop flowing?^[d]
¹⁵Yet my people have forgotten^(CQ) me;
they burn incense^(CR) to worthless idols,^(CS)
which made them stumble^(CT) in their ways,
in the ancient paths.^(CU)
They made them walk in byways,
on roads not built up.^(CV)
¹⁶Their land will be an object of horror^(CW)
and of lasting scorn;^(CX)
all who pass by will be appalled^(CY)
and will shake their heads.^(CZ)
¹⁷Like a wind^(DA) from the east,
I will scatter them before their enemies;
I will show them my back and not my face^(DB)
in the day of their disaster.”

¹⁸They said, “Come, let’s make plans^(DC) against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest^(DD) will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise,^(DE) nor the word from the prophets.^(DF) So come, let’s attack him with our tongues^(DG) and pay no attention to anything he says.”

¹⁹Listen to me, Lord;
hear what my accusers^(DH) are saying!
²⁰Should good be repaid with evil?^(DI)
Yet they have dug a pit^(DJ) for me.
Remember that I stood^(DK) before you
and spoke in their behalf^(DL)
to turn your wrath away from them.
²¹So give their children over to famine;^(DM)
hand them over to the power of the sword.^(DN)
Let their wives be made childless and widows;^(DO)
let their men be put to death,
their young men^(DP) slain by the sword in battle.
²²Let a cry^(DQ) be heard from their houses
when you suddenly bring invaders against them,
for they have dug a pit^(DR) to capture me
and have hidden snares^(DS) for my feet.
²³But you, Lord, know
all their plots to kill^(DT) me.
Do not forgive^(DU) their crimes
or blot out their sins from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you;
deal with them in the time of your anger.^(DV)

Footnotes:

Jeremiah 17:2 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
Jeremiah 17:3 Or hills / ³and the mountains of the land. / Your
Jeremiah 17:19 Or Army
Jeremiah 18:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3

Living to Please God

4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,^(A) we instructed you how to live^(B) in order to please God,^(C) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ²For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³It is God’s will^(D) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;^(E) ⁴that each of you should learn to control your own body^[a]^(F) in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵not in passionate lust^(G) like the pagans,^(H) who do not know God;^(I) ⁶and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.^[b]^(J) The Lord will punish^(K) all those who commit such sins,^(L) as we told you and warned you before. ⁷For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.^(M) ⁸Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.^(N)

⁹Now about your love for one another^(O) we do not need to write to you,^(P) for you yourselves have been taught by God^(Q) to love each other.^(R) ¹⁰And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.^(S) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,^(T) ¹¹and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,^(U) just as we told you, ¹²so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders^(V) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Believers Who Have Died

¹³Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^(W) about those who sleep in death,^(X) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^(Y) ¹⁴For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,^(Z) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.^(AA) ¹⁵According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^(AB) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^(AC) ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(AD) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(AE) and with the trumpet call of God,^(AF) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^(AG) ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left^(AH) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(AI) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(AJ) forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another^(AK) with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates^(AL) we do not need to write to you,^(AM) ²for you know very well that the day of the Lord^(AN) will come like a thief in the night.^(AO) ³While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”^(AP) destruction will come on them suddenly,^(AQ) as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.^(AR)

Footnotes:

1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or learn to live with your own wife; or learn to acquire a wife
1 Thessalonians 4:6 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 81

Psalm 81^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of Asaph.

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!^(A)
²Begin the music, strike the timbrel,^(B)
play the melodious harp^(C) and lyre.^(D)

³Sound the ram’s horn^(E) at the New Moon,^(F)
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
⁴this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.^(G)
⁵When God went out against Egypt,^(H)
he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:^(I)

⁶“I removed the burden^(J) from their shoulders;^(K)
their hands were set free from the basket.
⁷In your distress you called^(L) and I rescued you,
I answered^(M) you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[c]^(N)
⁸Hear me, my people,^(O) and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
⁹You shall have no foreign god^(P) among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
¹⁰I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.^(Q)
Open^(R) wide your mouth and I will fill^(S) it.

¹¹“But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.^(T)
¹²So I gave them over^(U) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.

¹³“If my people would only listen to me,^(V)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
¹⁴how quickly I would subdue^(W) their enemies
and turn my hand against^(X) their foes!
¹⁵Those who hate the Lord would cringe^(Y) before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
¹⁶But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;^(Z)
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Footnotes:

Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Cross references:

Psalm 81:1 : S Ps 66:1
Psalm 81:2 : S Ex 15:20
Psalm 81:2 : Ps 92:3
Psalm 81:2 : S Job 21:12
Psalm 81:3 : S Ex 19:13
Psalm 81:3 : S Ne 10:33
Psalm 81:4 : ver 1
Psalm 81:5 : S Ex 11:4
Psalm 81:5 : Ps 114:1
Psalm 81:6 : S Ex 1:14
Psalm 81:6 : Isa 9:4; 52:2
Psalm 81:7 : S Ex 2:23
Psalm 81:7 : Ex 19:19
Psalm 81:7 : S Ex 17:7; S Dt 33:8
Psalm 81:8 : Ps 50:7; 78:1
Psalm 81:9 : S Ex 20:3
Psalm 81:10 : S Ex 6:6; S 13:3; S 29:46
Psalm 81:10 : Eze 2:8
Psalm 81:10 : Ps 107:9
Psalm 81:11 : Ex 32:1-6
Psalm 81:12 : Eze 20:25; Ac 7:42; Ro 1:24
Psalm 81:13 : S Dt 5:29
Psalm 81:14 : Ps 47:3
Psalm 81:14 : Am 1:8
Psalm 81:15 : S 2Sa 22:45
Psalm 81:16 : S Dt 32:14

New International Version (NIV)

Proverbs 25:6-8

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
⁷it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”^(A)
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes
⁸do not bring^[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?^(B)

Footnotes:

Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / ⁸Do not go

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

October 10, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday October 10, 2020 (NIV)

Jeremiah 14:11-16:15

The Lord Forbids Jeremiah to Intercede

¹¹Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for these people anymore. ¹²When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.”

¹³Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, their prophets are telling them, ‘All is well—no war or famine will come. The Lord will surely send you peace.’”

¹⁴Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. ¹⁵Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine! ¹⁶As for the people to whom they prophesy—their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters—all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them. ¹⁷Now, Jeremiah, say this to them:

“Night and day my eyes overflow with tears.
I cannot stop weeping,
for my virgin daughter—my precious people—
has been struck down
and lies mortally wounded.
¹⁸If I go out into the fields,
I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy.
If I walk the city streets,
I see people who have died of starvation.
The prophets and priests continue with their work,
but they don’t know what they’re doing.”

A Prayer for Healing

¹⁹Lord, have you completely rejected Judah?
Do you really hate Jerusalem?^[a]
Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing?
We hoped for peace, but no peace came.
We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.
²⁰Lord, we confess our wickedness
and that of our ancestors, too.
We all have sinned against you.
²¹For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us.
Do not disgrace your own glorious throne.
Please remember us,
and do not break your covenant with us.

²²Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain?
Does it fall from the sky by itself?
No, you are the one, O Lord our God!
Only you can do such things.
So we will wait for you to help us.

Judah’s Inevitable Doom

15 Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn’t help them. Away with them! Get them out of my sight! ²And if they say to you, ‘But where can we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘Those who are destined for death, to death;
those who are destined for war, to war;
those who are destined for famine, to famine;
those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.’

³“I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” says the Lord. “I will send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left. ⁴Because of the wicked things Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem, I will make my people an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

⁵“Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem?
Who will weep for you?
Who will even bother to ask how you are?
⁶You have abandoned me
and turned your back on me,”
says the Lord.
“Therefore, I will raise my fist to destroy you.
I am tired of always giving you another chance.
⁷I will winnow you like grain at the gates of your cities
and take away the children you hold dear.
I will destroy my own people,
because they refuse to change their evil ways.
⁸There will be more widows
than the grains of sand on the seashore.
At noontime I will bring a destroyer
against the mothers of young men.
I will cause anguish and terror
to come upon them suddenly.
⁹The mother of seven grows faint and gasps for breath;
her sun has gone down while it is still day.
She sits childless now,
disgraced and humiliated.
And I will hand over those who are left
to be killed by the enemy.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Jeremiah’s Complaint

¹⁰Then I said,

“What sorrow is mine, my mother.
Oh, that I had died at birth!
I am hated everywhere I go.
I am neither a lender who threatens to foreclose
nor a borrower who refuses to pay—
yet they all curse me.”

¹¹The Lord replied,

“I will take care of you, Jeremiah.
Your enemies will ask you to plead on their behalf
in times of trouble and distress.
¹²Can a man break a bar of iron from the north,
or a bar of bronze?
¹³At no cost to them,
I will hand over your wealth and treasures
as plunder to your enemies,
for sin runs rampant in your land.
¹⁴I will tell your enemies to take you
as captives to a foreign land.
For my anger blazes like a fire
that will burn forever.^[b]”

¹⁵Then I said,

“Lord, you know what’s happening to me.
Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors!
Please give me time; don’t let me die young.
It’s for your sake that I am suffering.
¹⁶When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
¹⁷I never joined the people in their merry feasts.
I sat alone because your hand was on me.
I was filled with indignation at their sins.
¹⁸Why then does my suffering continue?
Why is my wound so incurable?
Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook,
like a spring that has gone dry.”

¹⁹This is how the Lord responds:

“If you return to me, I will restore you
so you can continue to serve me.
If you speak good words rather than worthless ones,
you will be my spokesman.
You must influence them;
do not let them influence you!
²⁰They will fight against you like an attacking army,
but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze.
They will not conquer you,
for I am with you to protect and rescue you.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
²¹Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men.
I will rescue you from their cruel hands.”

Jeremiah Forbidden to Marry

16 The Lord gave me another message. He said, ²“Do not get married or have children in this place. ³For this is what the Lord says about the children born here in this city and about their mothers and fathers: ⁴They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.”

Judah’s Coming Punishment

⁵This is what the Lord says: “Do not go to funerals to mourn and show sympathy for these people, for I have removed my protection and peace from them. I have taken away my unfailing love and my mercy. ⁶Both the great and the lowly will die in this land. No one will bury them or mourn for them. Their friends will not cut themselves in sorrow or shave their heads in sadness. ⁷No one will offer a meal to comfort those who mourn for the dead—not even at the death of a mother or father. No one will send a cup of wine to console them.

⁸“And do not go to their feasts and parties. Do not eat and drink with them at all. ⁹For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: In your own lifetime, before your very eyes, I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in this land. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard.

¹⁰“When you tell the people all these things, they will ask, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such terrible things against us? What have we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the Lord our God?’

¹¹“Then you will give them the Lord’s reply: ‘It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word. ¹²And you are even worse than your ancestors! You stubbornly follow your own evil desires and refuse to listen to me. ¹³So I will throw you out of this land and send you into a foreign land where you and your ancestors have never been. There you can worship idols day and night—and I will grant you no favors!’

Hope despite the Disaster

¹⁴“But the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ ¹⁵Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors.

Footnotes:

14:19 Hebrew Zion?
15:14 As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts read will burn against you.

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13

⁹Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. ¹⁰You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. ¹¹And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. ¹²We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.

¹³Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.

¹⁴And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. ¹⁵For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity ¹⁶as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.

Timothy’s Good Report about the Church

¹⁷Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. ¹⁸We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. ¹⁹After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! ²⁰Yes, you are our pride and joy.

3 Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, ²and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker^[a] in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, ³and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. ⁴Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. ⁵That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

⁶But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. ⁷So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters,^[b] because you have remained strong in your faith. ⁸It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.

⁹How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. ¹⁰Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.

¹¹May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. ¹²And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. ¹³May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Footnotes:

3:2 Other manuscripts read and God’s servant; still others read and a co-worker, or and a servant and co-worker for God, or and God’s servant and our co-worker.
3:7 Greek brothers.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 80

For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be sung to the tune “Lilies of the Covenant.”

¹Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock.
O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
display your radiant glory
²to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Show us your mighty power.
Come to rescue us!

³Turn us again to yourself, O God.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved.
⁴O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,
how long will you be angry with our prayers?
⁵You have fed us with sorrow
and made us drink tears by the bucketful.
⁶You have made us the scorn^[a] of neighboring nations.
Our enemies treat us as a joke.

⁷Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved.
⁸You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine;
you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land.
⁹You cleared the ground for us,
and we took root and filled the land.
¹⁰Our shade covered the mountains;
our branches covered the mighty cedars.
¹¹We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea;
our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.^[b]
¹²But now, why have you broken down our walls
so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?
¹³The wild boar from the forest devours it,
and the wild animals feed on it.

¹⁴Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
Look down from heaven and see our plight.
Take care of this grapevine
¹⁵that you yourself have planted,
this son you have raised for yourself.
¹⁶For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies.
May they perish at the sight of your frown.
¹⁷Strengthen the man you love,
the son of your choice.
¹⁸Then we will never abandon you again.
Revive us so we can call on your name once more.

¹⁹Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved.

Footnotes:

80:6 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads the strife.
80:11 Hebrew west to the sea, . . . east to the river.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Proverbs 25:1-5

More Proverbs of Solomon

25 These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah.

²It is God’s privilege to conceal things
and the king’s privilege to discover them.

³No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth,
or all that goes on in the king’s mind!

⁴Remove the impurities from silver,
and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.
⁵Remove the wicked from the king’s court,
and his reign will be made secure by justice.

New Living Translation (NLT)

October 10, 2020

10/10/2020 DAB Transcript

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3, Psalms 81:1-16, Proverbs 25:6-8

Today is the 11^th day of October welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you as we do what we do at the beginning of every week, we take stock of where we’ve been and where we are understanding that this is a brand-new week. It’s like a line of demarcation. We’re moving into a new week and how we live this week is up to us and we’re at the front end of it. So, just knowing that, like continually reminding ourselves that when we get to the end of this week we will have lived week based on the choices that we made and we can choose ahead of time, like right now to allow the Scriptures to speak into the choices and decisions and chaos of the world and give us eyes to see and ears to hear, so that we can make wise decisions so that we can slow down and pay attention to wisdom, who is shouting out at all of the thresholds, at all of the forks in the road showing us which way to go if we’d slow down and listen and be wise in the things that we do. So, as we move into this shiny sparkly new week let’s do that. And if we string weeks together walking in wisdom, we’re gonna be wise and life is gonna shape and we’re gonna have context and perspective. And, so, let’s live into it. So, we got a brand-new week. We’re moving back into the territory that…well…we’re picking up where we left off. That’s what we do every day. And, so, that’s moving us back into Jeremiah. This week we’ll read from the New International Version. Jeremiah chapter 16 verse 16 through 18 verse 23 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for this new week and it is our hearts desire to live into this week with all of our hearts in fellowship, in union with You as step-by-step day by day we actively participate in Your work in this world and continue to take note of the transformation that is happening within our hearts as the motives of our lives are conformed, are transformed into Your will for us. And, so, we…it is our intention to live into this fully. We certainly cannot do that without the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. And, so, we open ourselves, we become aware, well up within us Holy Spirit. Comfort us, correct us, lead us into all truth we pray. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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Check out the Prayer Wall. Check of the resources that are available in the Shop for this journey and stay dialed into the Scriptures each day and to each other, brothers and sisters who are taking this journey with us. And the starting point of course is home base, dailyaudiobible.com. So check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that dailyaudiobible.com as well there is a link on the homepage. I thank you profoundly for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if you prefer, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, of course, if you’ve a prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app, which is the red button at the top, can’t miss it, kinda looks like a hotline button because that’s what it is. So, you can’t miss that, or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today, I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

October 9, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday October 9, 2020 (NIV)

Jeremiah 12:1-14:10

Jeremiah Questions the Lord’s Justice

12 Lord, you always give me justice
when I bring a case before you.
So let me bring you this complaint:
Why are the wicked so prosperous?
Why are evil people so happy?
²You have planted them,
and they have taken root and prospered.
Your name is on their lips,
but you are far from their hearts.
³But as for me, Lord, you know my heart.
You see me and test my thoughts.
Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered!
Set them aside to be slaughtered!

⁴How long must this land mourn?
Even the grass in the fields has withered.
The wild animals and birds have disappeared
because of the evil in the land.
For the people have said,
“The Lord doesn’t see what’s ahead for us!”

The Lord’s Reply to Jeremiah

⁵“If racing against mere men makes you tired,
how will you race against horses?
If you stumble and fall on open ground,
what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?
⁶Even your brothers, members of your own family,
have turned against you.
They plot and raise complaints against you.
Do not trust them,
no matter how pleasantly they speak.

⁷“I have abandoned my people, my special possession.
I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.
⁸My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest,
so I have treated them with contempt.
⁹My chosen people act like speckled vultures,^[a]
but they themselves are surrounded by vultures.
Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!

¹⁰“Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard,
trampling down the vines
and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness.
¹¹They have made it an empty wasteland;
I hear its mournful cry.
The whole land is desolate,
and no one even cares.
¹²On all the bare hilltops,
destroying armies can be seen.
The sword of the Lord devours people
from one end of the nation to the other.
No one will escape!
¹³My people have planted wheat
but are harvesting thorns.
They have worn themselves out,
but it has done them no good.
They will harvest a crop of shame
because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

A Message for Israel’s Neighbors

¹⁴Now this is what the Lord says: “I will uproot from their land all the evil nations reaching out for the possession I gave my people Israel. And I will uproot Judah from among them. ¹⁵But afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession. ¹⁶And if these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’ (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people. ¹⁷But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Jeremiah’s Linen Loincloth

13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.” ²So I bought the loincloth as the Lord directed me, and I put it on.

³Then the Lord gave me another message: ⁴“Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River.^[b] Hide it there in a hole in the rocks.” ⁵So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the Lord had instructed me.

⁶A long time afterward the Lord said to me, “Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there.” ⁷So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.

⁸Then I received this message from the Lord: ⁹“This is what the Lord says: This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁰These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing! ¹¹As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.

¹²“So tell them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: May all your jars be filled with wine.’ And they will reply, ‘Of course! Jars are made to be filled with wine!’

¹³“Then tell them, ‘No, this is what the Lord means: I will fill everyone in this land with drunkenness—from the king sitting on David’s throne to the priests and the prophets, right down to the common people of Jerusalem. ¹⁴I will smash them against each other, even parents against children, says the Lord. I will not let my pity or mercy or compassion keep me from destroying them.’”

A Warning against Pride

¹⁵Listen and pay attention!
Do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.
¹⁶Give glory to the Lord your God
before it is too late.
Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you,
causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains.
For then, when you look for light,
you will find only terrible darkness and gloom.
¹⁷And if you still refuse to listen,
I will weep alone because of your pride.
My eyes will overflow with tears,
because the Lord’s flock will be led away into exile.

¹⁸Say to the king and his mother,
“Come down from your thrones
and sit in the dust,
for your glorious crowns
will soon be snatched from your heads.”
¹⁹The towns of the Negev will close their gates,
and no one will be able to open them.
The people of Judah will be taken away as captives.
All will be carried into exile.

²⁰Open up your eyes and see
the armies marching down from the north!
Where is your flock—
your beautiful flock—
that he gave you to care for?
²¹What will you say when the Lord takes the allies you have cultivated
and appoints them as your rulers?
Pangs of anguish will grip you,
like those of a woman in labor!
²²You may ask yourself,
“Why is all this happening to me?”
It is because of your many sins!
That is why you have been stripped
and raped by invading armies.
²³Can an Ethiopian^[c] change the color of his skin?
Can a leopard take away its spots?
Neither can you start doing good,
for you have always done evil.

²⁴“I will scatter you like chaff
that is blown away by the desert winds.
²⁵This is your allotment,
the portion I have assigned to you,”
says the Lord,
“for you have forgotten me,
putting your trust in false gods.
²⁶I myself will strip you
and expose you to shame.
²⁷I have seen your adultery and lust,
and your disgusting idol worship out in the fields and on the hills.
What sorrow awaits you, Jerusalem!
How long before you are pure?”

Judah’s Terrible Drought

14 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord, explaining why he was holding back the rain:

²“Judah wilts;
commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt.
All the people sit on the ground in mourning,
and a great cry rises from Jerusalem.
³The nobles send servants to get water,
but all the wells are dry.
The servants return with empty pitchers,
confused and desperate,
covering their heads in grief.
⁴The ground is parched
and cracked for lack of rain.
The farmers are deeply troubled;
they, too, cover their heads.
⁵Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn
because there is no grass in the field.
⁶The wild donkeys stand on the bare hills
panting like thirsty jackals.
They strain their eyes looking for grass,
but there is none to be found.”

⁷The people say, “Our wickedness has caught up with us, Lord,
but help us for the sake of your own reputation.
We have turned away from you
and sinned against you again and again.
⁸O Hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble,
why are you like a stranger to us?
Why are you like a traveler passing through the land,
stopping only for the night?
⁹Are you also confused?
Is our champion helpless to save us?
You are right here among us, Lord.
We are known as your people.
Please don’t abandon us now!”

¹⁰So this is what the Lord says to his people:
“You love to wander far from me
and do not restrain yourselves.
Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people.
Now I will remember all your wickedness
and will punish you for your sins.”

Footnotes:

12:9 Or speckled hyenas.
13:4 Hebrew Perath; also in 13:5, 6, 7.
13:23 Hebrew a Cushite.

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul, Silas,^[a] and Timothy.

We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May God give you grace and peace.

The Faith of the Thessalonian Believers

²We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. ³As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴We know, dear brothers and sisters,^[b] that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. ⁵For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance^[c] that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. ⁶So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. ⁷As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.^[d]

⁸And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, ⁹for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. ¹⁰And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Paul Remembers His Visit

2 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters,^[e] that our visit to you was not a failure. ²You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. ³So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.

⁴For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. ⁵Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! ⁶As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.

⁷As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children^[f] among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. ⁸We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

Footnotes:

1:1 Greek Silvanus, the Greek form of the name.
1:4 Greek brothers.
1:5 Or with the power of the Holy Spirit, so you can have full assurance.
1:7 Macedonia and Achaia were the northern and southern regions of Greece.
2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:9, 14, 17.
2:7 Some manuscripts read we were gentle.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

¹O God, pagan nations have conquered your land,
your special possession.
They have defiled your holy Temple
and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.
²They have left the bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of heaven.
The flesh of your godly ones
has become food for the wild animals.
³Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem;
no one is left to bury the dead.
⁴We are mocked by our neighbors,
an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

⁵O Lord, how long will you be angry with us? Forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?
⁶Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—
on kingdoms that do not call upon your name.
⁷For they have devoured your people Israel,^[a]
making the land a desolate wilderness.
⁸Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors!
Let your compassion quickly meet our needs,
for we are on the brink of despair.

⁹Help us, O God of our salvation!
Help us for the glory of your name.
Save us and forgive our sins
for the honor of your name.
¹⁰Why should pagan nations be allowed to scoff,
asking, “Where is their God?”
Show us your vengeance against the nations,
for they have spilled the blood of your servants.
¹¹Listen to the moaning of the prisoners.
Demonstrate your great power by saving those condemned to die.

¹²O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times
for the scorn they have hurled at you.
¹³Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will thank you forever and ever,
praising your greatness from generation to generation.

Footnotes:

79:7 Hebrew devoured Jacob. See note on 44:4.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Proverbs 24:30-34

³⁰I walked by the field of a lazy person,
the vineyard of one with no common sense.
³¹I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.
It was covered with weeds,
and its walls were broken down.
³²Then, as I looked and thought about it,
I learned this lesson:
³³A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
³⁴then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

New Living Translation (NLT)

October 9, 2020

10/09/2020 DAB Transcript

Jeremiah 12:1-14:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8, Psalms 79:1-13, Proverbs 24:30-34

Today is the 9^th day of October welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you today as we continue journeying forward and taking the next step on the adventure that leads us day by day the entire Bible and we have traveled a lot of the Bible that we have a lot of the Bible yet to hear from and to allow to speak into our lives. So, we’re working our way through the…the book of Jeremiah, one of the major prophets in the Old Testament. When we get to the New Testament today we have some new territory to go into, another of Paul’s letters, known as first Thessalonians and we’ll talk about that when we get there. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Jeremiah chapter 12 verse 1 through 14 verse 10 today.

Introduction to first Thessalonians:

Okay. So, as we mentioned at the beginning of our time together today we’re moving into the New Testament and we’re moving into some new territory, Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica and we can read about that, the formation of that church in the book of Acts, chapter 17. Basically, Paul had been in Philippi and then persecution had become severe so then he, as was the case in a lot of his travels, moved to another city. And he moved to Thessalonica where in a very quick move, very intense time this church, the Thessalonians was planted but then again a mob was stirred up against the church, persecution began to break out, Paul had to leave in the night and then a few cities later Paul then landed in Corinth and he ended up staying like 18 months in Corinth. So, that’s probably where he wrote this letter. But first Thessalonians among them majority of biblical scholars, this is…this is the first writing of Paul that we have and the earliest preserved Christian writing that we have. So, what we’re reading predates the…the book of Acts that tells about the formation of this church. This letter that we’re reading predates Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Gospels. And for that matter, predates anything else in all of the New Testament. This is thought to be the very earliest Christian writing that’s preserved. And Paul, he had wanted to go back to Thessalonica, but he wasn’t able to go so he had sent Timothy and then when Timothy came back and reported the good news that, even though they had only spent a little bit of time together in Thessalonica the people were staying true and they were being faithful to Jesus. This brought Paul’s spirits up. He was exhilarated and relieved and we see that his joy is something that we can…we can see in the words of the letter and it makes this a very encouraging letter from the apostle to those believers in Thessalonica, but also into our lives today. But Paul’s not just writing like just only a letter of encouragement. This community in Thessalonica, they hadn’t had a lot of teaching and training. They hadn’t had a lot of time since they heard the good news of the gospel and persecution was breaking out. And Paul was coming with the message of the imminent arrival of Jesus. And, so, they’re like trying to figure out how they’re supposed to be acting, how they’re supposed to be aiming. And they had questions because persecution was coming on the horizon and people were dying from, you know, reasons that people would pass away, whether that be sickness or illness or old age or even crime. And, so, they had been trained to wait for the imminent arrival of Jesus which was like immediate but then people were dying so they had questions about the afterlife of a believer. And, so, Paul addresses some of those questions. And as with all of the…the rest of Paul’s letters as we’ve discussed them as we’ve encountered them we get quite a glimpse into the early thought of the church, the early things that were going on, the early controversies, the early questions, the early arguments. We find that history embedded into these letters that are the earliest documents that…that we have. And, so, having said all that we begin. First Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 8.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we are so immensely grateful for the council that has brought into our lives, for the stability that it offers us constantly, for the way that seeds are planted in the soil of our hearts. And now that we are this far on the journey and we’ve made this the rhythm of our lives we see he the flourishing that You have been doing, the transformation that You have been doing within us. And, of course, once we see that then…well…it becomes more apparent that there is work to be done. This is a lifelong journey of transformation, but we are on the right path and we are grateful that we have Your word to illuminate our path. So, come Holy Spirit. Plant the words that have been spoken into our hearts, plant them in the soil of our lives so that again we continue to cultivate and plant and reep and harvest on a continual basis as we are growing forward. Come Holy Spirit we pray in the mighty name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you. If what’s happening here around the Global Campfire is bringing life to you and encouragement and challenge and forward movement and all the things that can happen as we move through the Scriptures in community than thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if that’s your preference, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement 877-942-4253 is the number to dial or you can hit the Hotline button in the app, the little red button at the top and share from there.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

October 8, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday October 8, 2020 (NIV)

Jeremiah 10-11

Idolatry Brings Destruction

10 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O Israel! ²This is what the Lord says:

“Do not act like the other nations,
who try to read their future in the stars.
Do not be afraid of their predictions,
even though other nations are terrified by them.
³Their ways are futile and foolish.
They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.
⁴They decorate it with gold and silver
and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails
so it won’t fall over.
⁵Their gods are like
helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field!
They cannot speak,
and they need to be carried because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of such gods,
for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

⁶Lord, there is no one like you!
For you are great, and your name is full of power.
⁷Who would not fear you, O King of nations?
That title belongs to you alone!
Among all the wise people of the earth
and in all the kingdoms of the world,
there is no one like you.

⁸People who worship idols are stupid and foolish.
The things they worship are made of wood!
⁹They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish
and gold from Uphaz,
and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen
who make their idols.
Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes
made by expert tailors.
¹⁰But the Lord is the only true God.
He is the living God and the everlasting King!
The whole earth trembles at his anger.
The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.

¹¹Say this to those who worship other gods: “Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.”^[a]

¹²But the Lord made the earth by his power,
and he preserves it by his wisdom.
With his own understanding
he stretched out the heavens.
¹³When he speaks in the thunder,
the heavens roar with rain.
He causes the clouds to rise over the earth.
He sends the lightning with the rain
and releases the wind from his storehouses.
¹⁴The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge!
The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make,
for their carefully shaped works are a fraud.
These idols have no breath or power.
¹⁵Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies!
On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.
¹⁶But the God of Israel^[b] is no idol!
He is the Creator of everything that exists,
including Israel, his own special possession.
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!

The Coming Destruction

¹⁷Pack your bags and prepare to leave;
the siege is about to begin.
¹⁸For this is what the Lord says:
“Suddenly, I will fling out
all you who live in this land.
I will pour great troubles upon you,
and at last you will feel my anger.”

¹⁹My wound is severe,
and my grief is great.
My sickness is incurable,
but I must bear it.
²⁰My home is gone,
and no one is left to help me rebuild it.
My children have been taken away,
and I will never see them again.
²¹The shepherds of my people have lost their senses.
They no longer seek wisdom from the Lord.
Therefore, they fail completely,
and their flocks are scattered.
²²Listen! Hear the terrifying roar of great armies
as they roll down from the north.
The towns of Judah will be destroyed
and become a haunt for jackals.

Jeremiah’s Prayer

²³I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.
We are not able to plan our own course.
²⁴So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle.
Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.
²⁵Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—
on the peoples that do not call upon your name.
For they have devoured your people Israel^[c];
they have devoured and consumed them,
making the land a desolate wilderness.

Judah’s Broken Covenant

11 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, ²“Remind the people of Judah and Jerusalem about the terms of my covenant with them. ³Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of my covenant! ⁴For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, “If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God.” ⁵I said this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey—the land you live in today.’”

Then I replied, “Amen, Lord! May it be so.”

⁶Then the Lord said, “Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go from town to town throughout the land and say, ‘Remember the ancient covenant, and do everything it requires. ⁷For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, “Obey me!” I have repeated this warning over and over to this day, ⁸but your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the curses described in this covenant.’”

⁹Again the Lord spoke to me and said, “I have discovered a conspiracy against me among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁰They have returned to the sins of their ancestors. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. ¹¹Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am going to bring calamity upon them, and they will not escape. Though they beg for mercy, I will not listen to their cries. ¹²Then the people of Judah and Jerusalem will pray to their idols and burn incense before them. But the idols will not save them when disaster strikes! ¹³Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame—altars for burning incense to your god Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.

¹⁴“Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress.

¹⁵“What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple,
when they have done so many immoral things?
Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction?
They actually rejoice in doing evil!
¹⁶I, the Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree,
beautiful to see and full of good fruit.
But now I have sent the fury of their enemies
to burn them with fire,
leaving them charred and broken.

¹⁷“I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal.”

A Plot against Jeremiah

¹⁸Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me. ¹⁹I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”

²⁰O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
you make righteous judgments,
and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets.
Let me see your vengeance against them,
for I have committed my cause to you.

²¹This is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had said, “We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the Lord’s name.” ²²So this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says about them: “I will punish them! Their young men will die in battle, and their boys and girls will starve to death. ²³Not one of these plotters from Anathoth will survive, for I will bring disaster upon them when their time of punishment comes.”

Footnotes:

10:11 The original text of this verse is in Aramaic.
10:16 Hebrew the Portion of Jacob. See note on 5:20.
10:25 Hebrew devoured Jacob. See note on 5:20.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Colossians 3:18-4

Instructions for Christian Households

¹⁸Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.

¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

²⁰Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

²²Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. ²³Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ²⁴Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.^[a] ²⁵But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

4 Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven.

An Encouragement for Prayer

²Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. ³Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. ⁴Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

⁵Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. ⁶Let your conversation be gracious and attractive^[b] so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Paul’s Final Instructions and Greetings

⁷Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. ⁸I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. ⁹I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.

¹⁰Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. ¹¹Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!

¹²Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. ¹³I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

¹⁴Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. ¹⁵Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters^[c] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

¹⁶After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them.

¹⁷And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.”

¹⁸HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL.

Remember my chains.

May God’s grace be with you.

Footnotes:

3:24 Or and serve Christ as your Master.
4:6 Greek and seasoned with salt.
4:15 Greek brothers.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 78:56-72

⁵⁶But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High.
They did not obey his laws.
⁵⁷They turned back and were as faithless as their parents.
They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
⁵⁸They angered God by building shrines to other gods;
they made him jealous with their idols.
⁵⁹When God heard them, he was very angry,
and he completely rejected Israel.
⁶⁰Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh,
the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people.
⁶¹He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured;
he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.
⁶²He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword,
because he was so angry with his own people—his special possession.
⁶³Their young men were killed by fire;
their young women died before singing their wedding songs.
⁶⁴Their priests were slaughtered,
and their widows could not mourn their deaths.

⁶⁵Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep,
like a warrior aroused from a drunken stupor.
⁶⁶He routed his enemies
and sent them to eternal shame.
⁶⁷But he rejected Joseph’s descendants;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
⁶⁸He chose instead the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loved.
⁶⁹There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens,
as solid and enduring as the earth.
⁷⁰He chose his servant David,
calling him from the sheep pens.
⁷¹He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
God’s own people, Israel.
⁷²He cared for them with a true heart
and led them with skillful hands.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Proverbs 24:28-29

²⁸Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause;
don’t lie about them.
²⁹And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me!
I’ll get even with them!”

New Living Translation (NLT)

October 8, 2020

10/08/2020 DAB Transcript

Jeremiah 10:1-11:23, Colossians 3:18-4:18, Psalms 78:56-72, Proverbs 24:28-29

Today is the 8^th day of October welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you today as we continue the journey through the week and, yeah, first full week of the month. And we’re for journeying through it and making our way toward the back half. So, let’s dive in. We are reading from the New Living Translation this week. Jeremiah chapters 10 and 11 today.

Commentary:

Alright. So, as we move through the prophetic books, and we happen to be in one right now called Jeremiah, we see this term, and this is a term we’ve been seeing throughout the Scriptures but it’s pretty…pretty much inescapable in the books of the prophets and that term is idolatry. So, idolatry is a term that permeates the Bible, but the way that it’s described in the Scriptures is something we’re a little less familiar with, right? So, quoting Jeremiah here. “They cut down a tree and a craftsman carves an idol and they decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with a hammer a nail, so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field. They can’t speak and need to be carried because they can’t walk.” So, we can look at that and know that in most of our cultures this is not a practice that we’re normally used to seeing or around or are tempted to be involved in. Although idol worship, certainly, even as described in the Bible here, still exists on earth today. But we can look at this and say, “well I don’t do any of that stuff. So, yeah, I can see why God would be calling his people away from that kind of useless behavior. But it’s I don’t practice idolatry.” But if we think of idolatry as the giving of ourselves in some way in worship towards something that we believe is promising us some kind of fulfillment or life then we realize that idolatry is still in the world and is still in the cultures. It just looks different. Like, we look at this example of an artisan kinda creatin…crafting an idol. But then we need to look at what has been crafted for us to live in that we think gives us safety, called a house or a home or an apartment. Or we look at our car. We can look at anything that has been made that we are thinking that if we could attain that thing than our lives would be fulfilled then we can see that we get pulled in all kinds of directions. We can…we could say that the culture itself that is very marketing driven that is continually throwing products and services into our face with the promise of some kind of fulfillment in some sort of way, that we are being pulled. And I’m not saying marketing is a bad thing. It’s how our culture works. And I’m not saying that the products and services that are being marketed are a bad thing. It depends on where our hearts are going. If we start obsessing about achieving that promotion, if start obsessing about a bigger home because we need to keep up, if we start obsessing about these things and studying and researching and planning and giving ourselves over to the pursuit of something outside of God, then we…as Ecclesiastes told us, we are chasing the wind. And, so, we see God coming up against idolatry in the worship of false gods continually, especially in the prophets, but we see that it’s because His people have broken covenant with Him and gone to pursue something else. That’s all so called adultery and it is called that in the Scriptures as well, a spiritual form of adultery, idolatry, giving yourself to someone else expecting some kind of life, some kind of exchange that only God can provide. I’ve used an example in the past of like a stuffed animal because I’ve had stuffed animals in my life for a long time with my children. And…and, you know, some of you are in the same boat, like you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you’re kid starts talking to a stuffed animal, and they can love these animal, and they can love…they can pretend and everything, but if your kid starts elevating this certain stuffed animal, like it takes the prominent place in bed, it’s like always sat up and they start talking to this thing, not just pretending but they talk to this thing and they stop talking to you as their parent and they start telling the stuffed animal to tell you things, you starting you got a problem. Like your kid is giving themselves to something that is not even alive and is not even real. And, so, you become troubled and the further that goes the more troubled you would be. And this is in so many ways what God is saying. “You keep tracking to give yourself to something that you made or that you had made for you and you’re giving yourself to this thing ignoring the fact that you are already in covenant with the most-high God. There is nowhere else to go. Everything else is lesser and you are worshiping lesser things thinking that they can do the job of the most-high God in your life and they can’t. And, so, you are being led to destruction. And I’m telling you, stop, come home, return to me, don’t do this, it will destroy you.” This is fundamentally what we’re talking about when we’re talking about idolatry. And once we kind of unpack it to this point, we can see that lots of things can be idolatrous behaviors in our lives as we examine where our hearts are being pulled. In what direction are our hearts being drawn away? Because if we are being drawn away, like “God’s not gonna come through. So, I’m gonna come through and I’m gonna go get this thing and I’m gonna have this fashioned, I’m gonna make this and then it’s gonna make my life better”, yeah then that’s dangerous territory. We are hopelessly and helplessly dependent upon the most-high God, whether we like it or not. And just acknowledging it is really what He’s looking for, that we acknowledge, that we remain intimate in the covenant that we have entered into as His followers. And, so, let’s think about that. Certainly examine our own hearts and lives today, but also have this kind of awareness and understanding as we hear these terms brought up over and over and over in the books of prophecy.

Prayer:

Father we invite You into that. We don’t want to be involved in idolatry. And we can very easily say, like as described in the Bible, we’re not involved in that kind of idolatry. But idolatry, like everything else, isn’t just an outward expression, it is what is…it is an outward expression of what is inside of us. And we can see that we can be seduced and pulled away in all sorts of ways. And, so, come Holy Spirit when we do find ourselves pulled in all kinds of directions. Make us aware, help us to open our eyes and see what’s happening and where that road will lead. We ask this in the mighty and precious name of Jesus. Amen.

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October 7, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday October 7, 2020 (NIV)

Jeremiah 8:8-9:26

⁸“‘How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,”
when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?
⁹These wise teachers will fall
into the trap of their own foolishness,
for they have rejected the word of the Lord.
Are they so wise after all?
¹⁰I will give their wives to others
and their farms to strangers.
From the least to the greatest,
their lives are ruled by greed.
Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that.
They are all frauds.
¹¹They offer superficial treatments
for my people’s mortal wound.
They give assurances of peace
when there is no peace.
¹²Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions?
Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush!
Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered.
They will be brought down when I punish them,
says the Lord.
¹³I will surely consume them.
There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes.
Their fruit trees will all die.
Whatever I gave them will soon be gone.
I, the Lord, have spoken!’

¹⁴“Then the people will say,
‘Why should we wait here to die?
Come, let’s go to the fortified towns and die there.
For the Lord our God has decreed our destruction
and has given us a cup of poison to drink
because we sinned against the Lord.
¹⁵We hoped for peace, but no peace came.
We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.’

¹⁶“The snorting of the enemies’ warhorses can be heard
all the way from the land of Dan in the north!
The neighing of their stallions makes the whole land tremble.
They are coming to devour the land and everything in it—
cities and people alike.
¹⁷I will send these enemy troops among you
like poisonous snakes you cannot charm.
They will bite you, and you will die.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Jeremiah Weeps for Sinful Judah

¹⁸My grief is beyond healing;
my heart is broken.
¹⁹Listen to the weeping of my people;
it can be heard all across the land.
“Has the Lord abandoned Jerusalem?^[a]” the people ask.
“Is her King no longer there?”

“Oh, why have they provoked my anger with their carved idols
and their worthless foreign gods?” says the Lord.

²⁰“The harvest is finished,
and the summer is gone,” the people cry,
“yet we are not saved!”

²¹I hurt with the hurt of my people.
I mourn and am overcome with grief.
²²Is there no medicine in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why is there no healing
for the wounds of my people?

9 ^[b]If only my head were a pool of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
I would weep day and night
for all my people who have been slaughtered.
²^[c]Oh, that I could go away and forget my people
and live in a travelers’ shack in the desert.
For they are all adulterers—
a pack of treacherous liars.

Judgment for Disobedience

³“My people bend their tongues like bows
to shoot out lies.
They refuse to stand up for the truth.
They only go from bad to worse.
They do not know me,”
says the Lord.

⁴“Beware of your neighbor!
Don’t even trust your brother!
For brother takes advantage of brother,
and friend slanders friend.
⁵They all fool and defraud each other;
no one tells the truth.
With practiced tongues they tell lies;
they wear themselves out with all their sinning.
⁶They pile lie upon lie
and utterly refuse to acknowledge me,”
says the Lord.

⁷Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:
“See, I will melt them down in a crucible
and test them like metal.
What else can I do with my people?^[d]
⁸For their tongues shoot lies like poisoned arrows.
They speak friendly words to their neighbors
while scheming in their heart to kill them.
⁹Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.
“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?”

¹⁰I will weep for the mountains
and wail for the wilderness pastures.
For they are desolate and empty of life;
the lowing of cattle is heard no more;
the birds and wild animals have all fled.

¹¹“I will make Jerusalem into a heap of ruins,” says the Lord.
“It will be a place haunted by jackals.
The towns of Judah will be ghost towns,
with no one living in them.”

¹²Who is wise enough to understand all this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it to others? Why has the land been so ruined that no one dares to travel through it?

¹³The Lord replies, “This has happened because my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said. ¹⁴Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped the images of Baal, as their ancestors taught them. ¹⁵So now, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look! I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. ¹⁶I will scatter them around the world, in places they and their ancestors never heard of, and even there I will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely.”

Weeping in Jerusalem

¹⁷This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:
“Consider all this, and call for the mourners.
Send for the women who mourn at funerals.
¹⁸Quick! Begin your weeping!
Let the tears flow from your eyes.
¹⁹Hear the people of Jerusalem^[e] crying in despair,
‘We are ruined! We are completely humiliated!
We must leave our land,
because our homes have been torn down.’”

²⁰Listen, you women, to the words of the Lord;
open your ears to what he has to say.
Teach your daughters to wail;
teach one another how to lament.
²¹For death has crept in through our windows
and has entered our mansions.
It has killed off the flower of our youth:
Children no longer play in the streets,
and young men no longer gather in the squares.

²²This is what the Lord says:
“Bodies will be scattered across the fields like clumps of manure,
like bundles of grain after the harvest.
No one will be left to bury them.”

²³This is what the Lord says:
“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
or the powerful boast in their power,
or the rich boast in their riches.
²⁴But those who wish to boast
should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
who demonstrates unfailing love
and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

²⁵“A time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit— ²⁶the Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, the people who live in the desert in remote places,^[f] and yes, even the people of Judah. And like all these pagan nations, the people of Israel also have uncircumcised hearts.”

Footnotes:

8:19 Hebrew Zion?
9:1 Verse 9:1 is numbered 8:23 in Hebrew text.
9:2 Verses 9:2-26 are numbered 9:1-25 in Hebrew text.
9:7 Hebrew with the daughter of my people? Greek version reads with the evil daughter of my people?
9:19 Hebrew Zion.
9:26 Or in the desert and clip the corners of their hair.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Colossians 3:1-17

Living the New Life

3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ²Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴And when Christ, who is your^[a] life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

⁵So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.^[b] ⁷You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. ¹¹In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,^[c] circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized,^[d] slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

¹²Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

¹⁶Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Footnotes:

3:4 Some manuscripts read our.
3:6 Some manuscripts read is coming on all who disobey him.
3:11a Greek a Greek.
3:11b Greek Barbarian, Scythian.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 78:32-55

³²But in spite of this, the people kept sinning.
Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him.
³³So he ended their lives in failure,
their years in terror.
³⁴When God began killing them,
they finally sought him.
They repented and took God seriously.
³⁵Then they remembered that God was their rock,
that God Most High^[a] was their redeemer.
³⁶But all they gave him was lip service;
they lied to him with their tongues.
³⁷Their hearts were not loyal to him.
They did not keep his covenant.
³⁸Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
and did not destroy them all.
Many times he held back his anger
and did not unleash his fury!
³⁹For he remembered that they were merely mortal,
gone like a breath of wind that never returns.

⁴⁰Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland.
⁴¹Again and again they tested God’s patience
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
⁴²They did not remember his power
and how he rescued them from their enemies.
⁴³They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt,
his wonders on the plain of Zoan.
⁴⁴For he turned their rivers into blood,
so no one could drink from the streams.
⁴⁵He sent vast swarms of flies to consume them
and hordes of frogs to ruin them.
⁴⁶He gave their crops to caterpillars;
their harvest was consumed by locusts.
⁴⁷He destroyed their grapevines with hail
and shattered their sycamore-figs with sleet.
⁴⁸He abandoned their cattle to the hail,
their livestock to bolts of lightning.
⁴⁹He loosed on them his fierce anger—
all his fury, rage, and hostility.
He dispatched against them
a band of destroying angels.
⁵⁰He turned his anger against them;
he did not spare the Egyptians’ lives
but ravaged them with the plague.
⁵¹He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family,
the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt.^[b]
⁵²But he led his own people like a flock of sheep,
guiding them safely through the wilderness.
⁵³He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
but the sea covered their enemies.
⁵⁴He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this land of hills he had won for them.
⁵⁵He drove out the nations before them;
he gave them their inheritance by lot.
He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

Footnotes:

78:35 Hebrew El-Elyon.
78:51 Hebrew in the tents of Ham.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Proverbs 24:27

²⁷Do your planning and prepare your fields
before building your house.

New Living Translation (NLT)

October 7, 2020

10/07/2020 DAB Transcript

Jeremiah 8:8-9:26, Colossians 3:1-17, Psalms 78:32-55, Proverbs 24:27

Today is the 7^th day of October welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today, hump day, another center of the week that we move through…well…once a week, but here we are in the middle of the first full week of this month. And yeah, the Bible is speaking to us. And, so, let’s move into that. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Jeremiah chapter 8 verse 8 through 9:26.

Commentary:

Okay. Let’s think about cooking. Let’s think about recipe books. Like some of you are like extravagant cooks. My wife would be one in that category. I would be much less in that category, but above just making Ramen noodles. But we’re all over the map. But the thing that we usually need until we become extremely advanced cooking is a recipe. How much of this, how much of that makes this particular dish that I’m going to eat. And, so, just think about some dishes that we might cook up. Let’s say we grab a leaf of sexual immorality and throw it in the pot and then stir in a couple of impurity and then a handful of lust and then a generous dash of greed and idolatry, and then a cup of anger and a half a cup of rage and three quarters of a cup of malicious behavior and then a dash of slander and some dirty language for taste and then a cup of lying and bake that 350 after we whip it up and pour it into some sort of container. How yummy does that sound? And why do we keep eating that dish when there’s another recipe found in Colossians today? And the recipe…well…I…I…I mean I made up the amounts, but Paul told us the ingredients. But what if…what if we made need a different dish? What is we took a cup of tenderhearted mercy and poured that over a nice base of kindness with several leafs of humility, a cup of gentleness, a cup of patience, two cups of forgiveness, right, some sprigs of peace and a garnish of love. That sounds delicious. Which dish would you rather have for dinner tonight? Like, they are completely different dishes that will have a completely different taste and outcome, which is basically what Paul’s talking about in Colossians. Paul was saying essentially that Jesus transforms us into a completely different person with completely different tastes and the old stuff that we used to munch on that were…were leading us down the pathway of destruction should be basically abhorrent to us now because it’s the food of the dead. Let that roll around in your mind for a minute. But it does bring us to a point where we can think about what it is we’re munching on. I mean, I know that’s a metaphor but it’s a metaphor the stands. We all understand what we’re talking about here. What are we consuming? What are we putting in ourselves? Because that’s what’s coming out of us. That’s the aroma of our lives. Like, that’s what we look like. That’s how it is with us. We could say in this spiritual analogy “we are what we eat”. Ironically what we’re mostly trying to do is have like maybe a cup of impurity, with a pinch of humility, several tablespoons of greed with several tablespoons of patience. Anger mixed with forgiveness. Like these things do not go together. When I was a kid…I can’t remember if it was like Sesame Street or one of the children’s programs back then, like, I can still remember all these years later this little, you know, little children’s songs - one of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong. Can you guess which things not like the other be…I don’t know…before we get to the end of this song. Something like that. Things that don’t go together don’t go together and the things of this world do not go with the kingdom of God. And if we just do some self-examination, especially about the…the points inside of us that have so much unrest, if we look at how that got made it might make sense at why it’s turned out the way that it is. Maybe we’re trying to make something that can’t work. It’s never gonna taste good ever no matter how we try to keep modifying it. Paul’s saying like, “you got a whole new pallet brothers and sisters, a much more refined one, a much better one. You don’t have to eat garbage anymore. You are a son and a daughter of the most-high. Come and feast on the goodness of the Lord. And as we concluded our reading today, Paul’s like, “whatever you do or say”…in other words…“whatever you’re mixing up, whatever the recipe’s gonna be, whatever you do or say, do it representing Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. That is a great little garnish on the top of the dish but it’s actually saying a lot because it gives us a barometer and gives us the opportunity to say can I…can I do this? Could I put this in my recipe for the day in the name of Jesus? Right? I mean we’ve discussed this before at a different point in the Scriptures, but we look at these things and say okay, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, idolatry…idolatry, anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, dirty language and lying, which of those can we do in the name of Jesus as a representative of the most-high? So, we just have to ask ourselves, can I do this in the name of Jesus? Maybe I’m free to do whatever I want as Paul has told us so many times, but not everything is good. Can I do this in the name of Jesus or is this going to ruin my whole dish?

Prayer:

Father we invite You into that. We have ruined plenty of dishes, plenty of days, plenty of encounters, plenty of meetings, plenty of circumstances. We’ve ruined plenty of stuff by trying to mix ingredients that do not and will not ever go together. And yet You are calling us higher, You are inviting us forward, You are ever patient and You don’t hate us because we’ve made bad dishes, because we’ve made masses of things. You’re just calling us forward. You’re just saying You can do better than that because You are better than that in me. May we recognize that. May we recognize what we are making of our lives we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

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And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello Daily Audio Bible family this Shelby from Pittsburgh and Brian just want to congratulate you and your family on China’s announcement for this spring occasion of the brand-new life. Your excitement and…and happiness really came through and it just brightened up my day and I think all of us at this time could use some more really happy joyful news. And it really touched my heart. I feel like, you know, I’m going to be another auntie. It’s awesome. Really happy for you guys. God bless you God bless the process and everything. God bless the baby and, yeah, it’s a wonderful thing. Thank you for sharing that with us Brian and I’m very happy to be a part of this Daily Audio Bible family. It is a welcome reprieve from the days, whatever, and I like it because it also helps keep me on track and…and staying in the word of God. So, thank you very much and God bless you and again, congratulations. Goodbye.

Hello, everyone this is Rebecca’s heart from Michigan I’m a first-time caller and been listening to the DAB with my husband Skye since January and we love you guys and appreciate you all. Just wanted to ask for prayers today. I fell a few weeks ago and hit my jaw on a piece of hard metal and whiplashed my neck and spine and that’s…that was right before we went on a 9 ½ hour mission trip road trip to deliver a hand cycle that we fundraised for a new paraplegic friend up in Copper Harbor Michigan. We were able to witness God’s love and care towards Eric and need prayers for his spirit to be opened to be receiving the gift of Jesus love and salvation. We also shared our testimony of our trip with a young couple at a remote campsite named Scarlet and Dave and another young man on a hike named John and we’d like to ask prayers for them that they will come to know Jesus and maybe even read the Bible’s we gave them or listen in to the DAB with us. So, hopefully we’ll hear from them. Besides my own need for prayer and physical healing, Skye and I need prayer for our marriage to be covered by the blood of Jesus and to pray against any attacks the enemy would come at us with. We’ve had three years similar to Job’s story in the Bible with incredible losses but we’re trusting Jesus and need prayers to find us new means of income since Covid and to lead us to where He wants us to be this winter as our landlord is selling our house. We’re asking that when we travel again also in our funky van that God provided He would open the door for us to share Jesus to those we meet along the way.

Hello this is Wonderfully Made Amber from Albuquerque this is my first time calling in a been a listener for a few months now and Daily Audio Bible has been such a blessing in my life and today is the 2^nd of October and I’m specifically calling to pray for Lacey from Massachusetts who asked for prayer for her sick dog. That prayer request really resonated with me because I…I have a dog and he is my buddy and companion and I…I couldn’t imagine being isolated and alone without such a companion. And, so, first I want to pray. Heavenly Father thank You for the blessing of this dog in Lacey’s life and Lord You created this little…this little dog and…and…and You…everything is possible with You. So, I asked that You’ll show mercy Lord and favor on this woman and that You’ll extend this dog’s life. He’ll her precious dog in Jesus’ name. And I also pray Father that You will bring more friends, companionship into her life beyond what she has with her dog Lord. This is a hard time of people being isolated and lonely yet there’s still a way for people to reach out to others. And, so, I pray that in Jesus’ name You’ll stir somebody’s heart to reach out to this…to Lacey and to be a friend to her. And lastly Lord I want to pray for healing over her health as well, that You will heal whatever successes, diseases she has and that You’ll comfort her, comfort her and thank You Lord. Thank You for Your mercy and Your grace and Your love and that You never leave us and that You give us good things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hello this is the Anthony I’m calling from __ I just did hear my fellow New Englander and she called in from Cape Cod, Lacey I believe she said her name was, who’s calling about her sick dog whose her only companion. Just wanted to pray Lord for…for healing for Lacey’s companion…for Lacey’s dog and more importantly Lord that You use this as an opportunity to just help people, help friends, help the community reach out to her so that she’s assured that she’s not alone Lord because no one…no one needs to be alone especially in these…in these times. We just pray Lord for that community and that she through this, finds companionship in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Good day Duncan the Piano Man it’s October 22^nd and I’m remembering you because this is the anniversary of your wife’s death. And I know what it is to go through loss. You know, as I’m in right now mourning the loss of my mom, so I understand and I want you to know that I’m thinking about you, I’m praying for you and I pray that you would have a good day with the friends that you are taking out to that special place to eat and those memories that you will encounter in your mind, instead of bringing you sadness will bring you joy. And here is something I want to read to you it says, “do not weep long. You will weep today for sure I know but don’t weep long. Lift your eyes to heaven and see her in the Father’s arms. She will always be a part of you and remember that where there is love death is never the conqueror because God’s love makes it triumphant.” So, be triumphant today in the midst of your memories. And this is Soaring On Eagles Wings from Canada. I love you and I’m praying for you today. Bye now.

Hello this is Howard from Northern California sitting in the parking lot at Kaiser here just dropped by wife off going in for a biopsy. Need some prayers for the women in my life. Obviously, my wife got lucky getting this biopsy because of the great help from the lady that worked the desk yesterday when she went in for a simple mammogram. And then I also need prayers for my mom, she’s 83. She’s had some stroke issues and she’s struggling and Covid thing isn’t helping, no interactions with friends, she feels alone, scared. I try to get up to see her as much as I can. Her sisters are helping her. It’s a burden on them. So, probably prayers for them for patience prayers, for my three daughters. They all struggle from…a few of them struggle from some serious health issues and my oldest struggles with just trying to make it now that Covid took her job and she’s got two kids and her boyfriend, who he’s not the greatest guy that you want for your daughter but hopefully he’ll step up. So, probably prayers for him too. Thank you. God bless

October 6, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday October 6, 2020 (NIV)

Jeremiah 6:16-8:7

Judah Rejects the Lord’s Way

¹⁶This is what the Lord says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’
¹⁷I posted watchmen over you who said,
‘Listen for the sound of the alarm.’
But you replied,
‘No! We won’t pay attention!’

¹⁸“Therefore, listen to this, all you nations.
Take note of my people’s situation.
¹⁹Listen, all the earth!
I will bring disaster on my people.
It is the fruit of their own schemes,
because they refuse to listen to me.
They have rejected my word.
²⁰There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba.
Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands!
I will not accept your burnt offerings.
Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.”

²¹Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
“I will put obstacles in my people’s path.
Fathers and sons will both fall over them.
Neighbors and friends will die together.”

An Invasion from the North

²²This is what the Lord says:
“Look! A great army coming from the north!
A great nation is rising against you from far-off lands.
²³They are armed with bows and spears.
They are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like a roaring sea
as they ride forward on horses.
They are coming in battle formation,
planning to destroy you, beautiful Jerusalem.^[a]”

²⁴We have heard reports about the enemy,
and we wring our hands in fright.
Pangs of anguish have gripped us,
like those of a woman in labor.
²⁵Don’t go out to the fields!
Don’t travel on the roads!
The enemy’s sword is everywhere
and terrorizes us at every turn!
²⁶Oh, my people, dress yourselves in burlap
and sit among the ashes.
Mourn and weep bitterly, as for the loss of an only son.
For suddenly the destroying armies will be upon you!

²⁷“Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals,^[b]
that you may determine the quality of my people.
²⁸They are the worst kind of rebel,
full of slander.
They are as hard as bronze and iron,
and they lead others into corruption.
²⁹The bellows fiercely fan the flames
to burn out the corruption.
But it does not purify them,
for the wickedness remains.
³⁰I will label them ‘Rejected Silver,’
for I, the Lord, am discarding them.”

Jeremiah Speaks at the Temple

7 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, ²“Go to the entrance of the Lord’s Temple, and give this message to the people: ‘O Judah, listen to this message from the Lord! Listen to it, all of you who worship here! ³This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:

“‘Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land. ⁴But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!” ⁵But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; ⁶only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. ⁷Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever.

⁸“‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie! ⁹Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, ¹⁰and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again? ¹¹Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken!

¹²“‘Go now to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle that bore my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites. ¹³While you were doing these wicked things, says the Lord, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer. ¹⁴So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that bears my name, this Temple that you trust in for help, this place that I gave to you and your ancestors. ¹⁵And I will send you out of my sight into exile, just as I did your relatives, the people of Israel.^[c]’

Judah’s Persistent Idolatry

¹⁶“Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you. ¹⁷Don’t you see what they are doing throughout the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁸No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods! ¹⁹Am I the one they are hurting?” asks the Lord. “Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame.”

²⁰So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger.”

²¹This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves! ²²When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. ²³This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’

²⁴“But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. ²⁵From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets—day in and day out. ²⁶But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors.

²⁷“Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond. ²⁸Say to them, ‘This is the nation whose people will not obey the Lord their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips. ²⁹Shave your head in mourning, and weep alone on the mountains. For the Lord has rejected and forsaken this generation that has provoked his fury.’

The Valley of Slaughter

³⁰“The people of Judah have sinned before my very eyes,” says the Lord. “They have set up their abominable idols right in the Temple that bears my name, defiling it. ³¹They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing! ³²So beware, for the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when that garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. They will bury the bodies in Topheth until there is no more room for them. ³³The bodies of my people will be food for the vultures and wild animals, and no one will be left to scare them away. ³⁴I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in the streets of Jerusalem. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard in the towns of Judah. The land will lie in complete desolation.

8 “In that day,” says the Lord, “the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people of Jerusalem. ²They will spread out their bones on the ground before the sun, moon, and stars—the gods my people have loved, served, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like manure. ³And the people of this evil nation who survive will wish to die rather than live where I will send them. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

Deception by False Prophets

⁴“Jeremiah, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘When people fall down, don’t they get up again?
When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back?
⁵Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path?
Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back?
They cling tightly to their lies
and will not turn around.
⁶I listen to their conversations
and don’t hear a word of truth.
Is anyone sorry for doing wrong?
Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”?
No! All are running down the path of sin
as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
⁷Even the stork that flies across the sky
knows the time of her migration,
as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane.^[d]
They all return at the proper time each year.
But not my people!
They do not know the Lord’s laws.

Footnotes:

6:23 Hebrew daughter of Zion.
6:27 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads a tester of my people a fortress.
7:15 Hebrew of Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel.
8:7 The identification of some of these birds is uncertain.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Colossians 2:8-23

⁸Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers^[a] of this world, rather than from Christ. ⁹For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.^[b] ¹⁰So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

¹¹When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.^[c] ¹²For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

¹³You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. ¹⁴He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵In this way, he disarmed^[d] the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

¹⁶So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. ¹⁷For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. ¹⁸Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels,^[e] saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, ¹⁹and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

²⁰You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, ²¹“Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? ²²Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. ²³These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Footnotes:

2:8 Or the spiritual principles; also in 2:20.
2:9 Or in him dwells all the completeness of the Godhead bodily.
2:11 Greek the cutting away of the body of the flesh.
2:15 Or he stripped off.
2:18 Or or worshiping with angels.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 78:1-31

Psalm 78

A psalm^[a] of Asaph.

¹O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
²for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
³stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
⁴We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
⁵For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
⁶so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
⁸Then they will not be like their ancestors—
stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
refusing to give their hearts to God.

⁹The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.
¹⁰They did not keep God’s covenant
and refused to live by his instructions.
¹¹They forgot what he had done—
the great wonders he had shown them,
¹²the miracles he did for their ancestors
on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
¹³For he divided the sea and led them through,
making the water stand up like walls!
¹⁴In the daytime he led them by a cloud,
and all night by a pillar of fire.
¹⁵He split open the rocks in the wilderness
to give them water, as from a gushing spring.
¹⁶He made streams pour from the rock,
making the waters flow down like a river!

¹⁷Yet they kept on sinning against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
¹⁸They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
demanding the foods they craved.
¹⁹They even spoke against God himself, saying,
“God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
²⁰Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”
²¹When the Lord heard them, he was furious.
The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob.
Yes, his anger rose against Israel,
²²for they did not believe God
or trust him to care for them.
²³But he commanded the skies to open;
he opened the doors of heaven.
²⁴He rained down manna for them to eat;
he gave them bread from heaven.
²⁵They ate the food of angels!
God gave them all they could hold.
²⁶He released the east wind in the heavens
and guided the south wind by his mighty power.
²⁷He rained down meat as thick as dust—
birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!
²⁸He caused the birds to fall within their camp
and all around their tents.
²⁹The people ate their fill.
He gave them what they craved.
³⁰But before they satisfied their craving,
while the meat was yet in their mouths,
³¹the anger of God rose against them,
and he killed their strongest men.
He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.

Footnotes:

78:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Proverbs 24:26

²⁶An honest answer
is like a kiss of friendship.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

At the Potter’s House

Footnotes:

Cross references:

1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3

Living to Please God

Believers Who Have Died

The Day of the Lord

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 81

Psalm 81[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of Asaph.

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Proverbs 25:6-8

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Jeremiah 14:11-16:15

The Lord Forbids Jeremiah to Intercede

A Prayer for Healing

Judah’s Inevitable Doom

Jeremiah’s Complaint

Jeremiah Forbidden to Marry

Judah’s Coming Punishment

Hope despite the Disaster

Footnotes:

1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13

Timothy’s Good Report about the Church

Footnotes:

Psalm 80

Psalm 80

For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be sung to the tune “Lilies of the Covenant.”

Footnotes:

Proverbs 25:1-5

More Proverbs of Solomon

Jeremiah 12:1-14:10

Jeremiah Questions the Lord’s Justice

The Lord’s Reply to Jeremiah

A Message for Israel’s Neighbors

Jeremiah’s Linen Loincloth

A Warning against Pride

Judah’s Terrible Drought

Footnotes:

1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8

Greetings from Paul

The Faith of the Thessalonian Believers

Paul Remembers His Visit

Footnotes:

Psalm 79

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 24:30-34

Jeremiah 10-11

Idolatry Brings Destruction

The Coming Destruction

Jeremiah’s Prayer

Judah’s Broken Covenant

A Plot against Jeremiah

Footnotes:

Colossians 3:18-4

Instructions for Christian Households

An Encouragement for Prayer

Paul’s Final Instructions and Greetings

Footnotes:

Psalm 78:56-72

Proverbs 24:28-29

Jeremiah 8:8-9:26

Jeremiah Weeps for Sinful Judah

Judgment for Disobedience

Weeping in Jerusalem

Footnotes:

Colossians 3:1-17

Living the New Life

Footnotes:

Psalm 78:32-55

Footnotes:

Proverbs 24:27

Psalm 81^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of Asaph.

A psalm^[a] of Asaph.