Titus 2; Jeremiah 15; Jeremiah 16; Psalms 126

Titus 2

1 But you must speak what is consistent with sound teaching.

2 Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.

3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. [They are] to teach what is good,

4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and children,

5 to be sensible, pure, good homemakers, and submissive to their husbands, so that God's message will not be slandered.

6 Likewise, encourage the young men to be sensible

7 about everything. Set an example of good works yourself, with integrity and dignity in your teaching.

8 Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

9 Slaves are to be submissive to their masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing, not talking back

10 or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, with salvation for all people,

12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,

13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a special people, eager to do good works.

15 Say these things, and encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Jeremiah 15

1 Then the Lord said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My compassions would not [reach out] to these people. Send them from My presence, and let them go.

2 If they ask you: Where will we go? you must tell them: This is what the Lord says: Those [destined] for death, to death; those [destined] for the sword, to the sword. Those [destined] for famine, to famine; those [destined] for captivity, to captivity.

3 "I will ordain four kinds [of judgment] for them"-[this is] the Lord's declaration-"the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land to devour and destroy.

4 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

5 Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will show sympathy toward you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

6 You have left Me. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. You have turned your back, so I have stretched out My hand against you and destroyed you. I am tired of showing compassion.

7 I scattered them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land. I made [them] childless; I destroyed My people. They would not turn from their ways.

8 I made their widows more numerous than the sand of the seas. I brought against the mother of young men a destroyer at noon. I suddenly released on her agitation and terrors.

9 The mother of seven grew faint; she breathed her [last] breath. Her sun set while it was still day; she was ashamed and humiliated. The rest of them I will give over to the sword in the presence of their enemies." [This is] the Lord's declaration.

10 Woe is me, my mother, that you gave birth to me, a man who incites dispute and conflict in all the land. I did not lend or borrow, yet everyone curses me.

11 The Lord said: Assuredly, I will set you free and care for you. Assuredly, I will intercede for you in a time of trouble, in your time of distress, with the enemy.

12 Can anyone smash iron, iron from the north, or bronze?

13 Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without cost, for all your sins, and within all your borders.

14 Then I will make you serve your enemies in a land you do not know, for My anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.

15 You know, Lord; remember me and take note of me. Avenge me against my persecutors. In Your patience, don't take me away. Know that I suffer disgrace for Your honor.

16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, Lord God of Hosts.

17 I never sat with the band of revelers, and I did not celebrate [with them]. Because Your hand was [on me], I sat alone, for You filled me with indignation.

18 Why has my pain become unending, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You truly have become like a mirage to me- water that is not reliable.

19 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. And if you speak noble [words], rather than worthless ones, you will be My spokesman. It is they who must return to you; you must not return to them.

20 Then I will make you a fortified wall of bronze to this people. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration.

21 I will deliver you from the power of evil people and redeem you from the control of the ruthless.

Jeremiah 16

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 "You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place.

3 For this is what the Lord says concerning sons and daughters born in this place as well as concerning the mothers who bear them and the fathers who father them in this land:

4 They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like manure on the face of the earth. They will be finished off by sword and famine. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.

5 "For this is what the Lord says: Don't enter a house where a mourning feast is taking place. Don't go to lament or sympathize with them, for I have removed My peace from these people"-[this is] the Lord's declaration-"[as well as My] faithful love and compassion.

6 Both great and small will die in this land without burial. No lament will be made for them, nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them.

7 Food won't be provided for the mourner to comfort him because of the dead. A cup of consolation won't be given him because of [the loss of] his father or mother.

8 You must not enter the house where feasting is taking place to sit with them to eat and drink.

9 For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to eliminate from this place, before your very eyes and in your time, the sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride.

10 "When you tell these people all these things, they will say to you: Why has the Lord declared all this great disaster against us? What is our guilt? What is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?

11 Then you will answer them: Because your fathers abandoned Me"-the Lord's declaration-"and followed other gods, served them, and worshiped them. Indeed, they abandoned Me and did not keep My law.

12 You did more evil than your fathers. Look, each one of you was following the stubbornness of his evil heart, not obeying Me.

13 So I will hurl you from this land into a land that you and your fathers are not familiar with. There you will worship other gods both day and night, for I will not grant you grace.

14 "However, take note! The days are coming"-the Lord's declaration-"when it will no longer be said: As the Lord lives who brought the Israelites from the land of Egypt,

15 but rather: As the Lord lives who brought the Israelites from the land of the north and from all the other lands where He had banished them. For I will return them to their land that I gave to their ancestors.

16 "I am about to send for many fishermen"-the Lord's declaration-"and they will fish for them. Then I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and out of the clefts of the rocks,

17 for My gaze takes in all their ways. They are not concealed from Me, and their guilt is not hidden from My sight.

18 I will first repay them double for their guilt and sin because they have polluted My land. They have filled My inheritance with the lifelessness of their detestable and abhorrent idols."

19 Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a time of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, "Our fathers inherited only lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all."

20 Can one make gods for himself? But they are not gods.

21 "Therefore, I am about to inform them, and this time I will make them know My power and My might; then they will know that My name is Yahweh."

Psalms 126

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.

2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then, and our tongues with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."

3 The Lord had done great things for us; we were joyful.

4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, like watercourses in the Negev.

5 Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.

6 Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves.