Daily Bible GNT November 03 Scroll

Responsibilities toward Believers

1 Timothy 5 Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat the younger men as your brothers, ²the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, with all purity.

³Show respect for widows who really are all alone. ⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn first to carry out their religious duties toward their own family and in this way repay their parents and grandparents, because that is what pleases God. ⁵A widow who is all alone, with no one to take care of her, has placed her hope in God and continues to pray and ask him for his help night and day. ⁶But a widow who gives herself to pleasure has already died, even though she lives. ⁷Give them these instructions, so that no one will find fault with them. ⁸But if any do not take care of their relatives, especially the members of their own family, they have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.

⁹Do not add any widow to the list of widows unless she is over sixty years of age. In addition, she must have been married only once ¹⁰and have a reputation for good deeds: a woman who brought up her children well, received strangers in her home, performed humble duties for other Christians, helped people in trouble, and devoted herself to doing good.

¹¹But do not include younger widows in the list; because when their desires make them want to marry, they turn away from Christ, ¹²and so become guilty of breaking their earlier promise to him. ¹³They also learn to waste their time in going around from house to house; but even worse, they learn to be gossips and busybodies, talking of things they should not. ¹⁴So I would prefer that the younger widows get married, have children, and take care of their homes, so as to give our enemies no chance of speaking evil of us. ¹⁵For some widows have already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶But if any Christian woman has widows in her family, she must take care of them and not put the burden on the church, so that it may take care of the widows who are all alone.

¹⁷The elders who do good work as leaders should be considered worthy of receiving double pay, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For the scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain" and "Workers should be given their pay." ¹⁹Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or more witnesses. ²⁰Rebuke publicly all those who commit sins, so that the rest may be afraid.

The Book of
JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 1 This book is the account of what was said by Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of the town of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. ²The LORD spoke to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, ³and he spoke to him again when Josiah's son Jehoiakim was king. After that, the LORD spoke to him many times, until the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah. In the fifth month of that year the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.

The Call of Jeremiah

⁴The LORD said to me, ⁵"I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations."

⁶I answered, "Sovereign LORD, I don't know how to speak; I am too young."

⁷But the LORD said to me, "Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. ⁸Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

⁹Then the LORD reached out, touched my lips, and said to me, "Listen, I am giving you the words you must speak. ¹⁰Today I give you authority over nations and kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

Two Visions

¹¹The LORD asked me, "Jeremiah, what do you see?"

I answered, "A branch of an almond tree."

¹²"You are right," the LORD said, "and I am watching to see that my words come true."

¹³Then the LORD spoke to me again. "What else do you see?" he asked.

I answered, "I see a pot boiling in the north, and it is about to tip over this way."

¹⁴He said to me, "Destruction will boil over from the north on all who live in this land, ¹⁵because I am calling all the nations in the north to come. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of Jerusalem and around its walls and also around the other cities of Judah. ¹⁶I will punish my people because they have sinned; they have abandoned me, have offered sacrifices to other gods, and have made idols and worshiped them. ¹⁷Get ready, Jeremiah; go and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them now, or I will make you even more afraid when you are with them. ^18-19Listen, Jeremiah! Everyone in this land--the kings of Judah, the officials, the priests, and the people--will be against you. But today I am giving you the strength to resist them; you will be like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. They will not defeat you, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken."

God's Care for Israel

Jeremiah 2 The LORD told me ²to proclaim this message to everyone in Jerusalem.

"I remember how faithful you were when you were young,

how you loved me when we were first married;

you followed me through the desert,

through a land that had not been planted.

³Israel, you belonged to me alone;

you were my sacred possession.

I sent suffering and disaster

on everyone who hurt you.

I, the LORD, have spoken."

The Sin of Israel's Ancestors

⁴Listen to the LORD's message, you descendants of Jacob, you tribes of Israel. ⁵The LORD says:

"What accusation did your ancestors bring against me?

What made them turn away from me?

They worshiped worthless idols

and became worthless themselves.

⁶They did not care about me,

even though I rescued them from Egypt

and led them through the wilderness:

a land of deserts and sand pits,

a dry and dangerous land

where no one lives

and no one will even travel.

⁷I brought them into a fertile land,

to enjoy its harvests and its other good things.

But instead they ruined my land;

they defiled the country I had given them.

⁸The priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?'

My own priests did not know me.

The rulers rebelled against me;

the prophets spoke in the name of Baal

and worshiped useless idols.

The LORD's Case against His People

⁹"And so I, the LORD, will state my case against my people again.

I will bring charges against their descendants.

¹⁰Go west to the island of Cyprus,

and send someone eastward to the land of Kedar.

You will see that nothing like this has ever happened before.

¹¹No other nation has ever changed its gods,

even though they were not real.

But my people have exchanged me,

the God who has brought them honor,

for gods that can do nothing for them.

¹²And so I command the sky to shake with horror,

to be amazed and astonished,

¹³

for my people have committed two sins:

they have turned away from me,

the spring of fresh water,

and they have dug cisterns,

cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all.

The Results of Israel's Unfaithfulness

¹⁴"Israel is not a slave;

he was not born into slavery.

Why then do his enemies hunt him down?

¹⁵They have roared at him like lions;

they have made his land a desert,

and his towns lie in ruins, completely abandoned.

¹⁶Yes, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes

have cracked his skull.

¹⁷Israel, you brought this on yourself !

You deserted me, the LORD your God,

while I was leading you along the way.

¹⁸What do you think you will gain by going to Egypt

to drink water from the Nile?

What do you think you will gain by going to Assyria

to drink water from the Euphrates?

¹⁹Your own evil will punish you,

and your turning from me will condemn you.

You will learn how bitter and wrong it is

to abandon me, the LORD your God,

and no longer to remain faithful to me.

I, the Sovereign LORD Almighty, have spoken."

Israel Refuses to Worship the LORD

²⁰The Sovereign LORD says,

"Israel, long ago you rejected my authority;

you refused to obey me and worship me.

On every high hill

and under every green tree

you worshiped fertility gods.

²¹I planted you like a choice vine

from the very best seed.

But look what you have become!

You are like a rotten, worthless vine.

²²Even if you washed with the strongest soap,

I would still see the stain of your guilt.

²³How can you say you have not defiled yourself,

that you have never worshiped Baal?

Look how you sinned in the valley;

see what you have done.

You are like a wild camel in heat,

running around loose,

²⁴

rushing into the desert.

When she is in heat, who can control her?

No male that wants her has to trouble himself;

she is always available in mating season.

²⁵Israel, don't wear your feet out,

or let your throat become dry

from chasing after other gods.

But you say, 'No! I can't turn back.

I have loved foreign gods

and will go after them.'"

Israel Deserves to Be Punished

²⁶The LORD says, "Just as a thief is disgraced when caught, so all you people of Israel will be disgraced--your kings and officials, your priests and prophets. ²⁷You will all be disgraced--you that say that a tree is your father and that a rock is your mother. This will happen because you turned away from me instead of turning to me. But when you are in trouble, you ask me to come and save you.

²⁸"Where are the gods that you made for yourselves? When you are in trouble, let them save you--if they can! Judah, you have as many gods as you have cities. ²⁹What is your complaint? Why have you rebelled against me? ³⁰I punished you, but it did no good; you would not let me correct you. Like a raging lion, you have murdered your prophets. ³¹People of Israel, listen to what I am saying. Have I been like a desert to you, like a dark and dangerous land? Why, then, do you say that you will do as you please, that you will never come back to me? ³²Does a young woman forget her jewelry, or a bride her wedding dress? But my people have forgotten me for more days than can be counted. ³³You certainly know how to chase after lovers. Even the worst of women can learn from you. ³⁴Your clothes are stained with the blood of the poor and innocent, not with the blood of burglars.

"But in spite of all this, ³⁵you say, 'I am innocent; surely the LORD is no longer angry with me.' But I, the LORD, will punish you because you deny that you have sinned. ³⁶You have cheapened yourself by turning to the gods of other nations. You will be disappointed by Egypt, just as you were by Assyria. ³⁷You will turn away from Egypt, hanging your head in shame. I, the LORD, have rejected those you trust; you will not gain anything from them."

A Prayer for Deliverance

Psalm 119 ¹⁴⁵With all my heart I call to you;

answer me, LORD, and I will obey your commands!

¹⁴⁶I call to you;

save me, and I will keep your laws.

¹⁴⁷Before sunrise I call to you for help;

I place my hope in your promise.

¹⁴⁸All night long I lie awake,

to meditate on your instructions.

¹⁴⁹Because your love is constant, hear me, O LORD;

show your mercy, and preserve my life!

¹⁵⁰My cruel persecutors are coming closer,

people who never keep your law.

¹⁵¹But you are near to me, LORD,

and all your commands are permanent.

¹⁵²Long ago I learned about your instructions;

you made them to last forever.

A Plea for Help

¹⁵³Look at my suffering, and save me,

because I have not neglected your law.

¹⁵⁴Defend my cause, and set me free;

save me, as you have promised.

¹⁵⁵The wicked will not be saved,

for they do not obey your laws.

¹⁵⁶But your compassion, LORD, is great;

show your mercy and save me!

¹⁵⁷I have many enemies and oppressors,

but I do not fail to obey your laws.

¹⁵⁸When I look at those traitors, I am filled with disgust,

because they do not keep your commands.

¹⁵⁹See how I love your instructions, LORD.

Your love never changes, so save me!

¹⁶⁰The heart of your law is truth,

and all your righteous judgments are eternal.

Dedication to the Law of the LORD

¹⁶¹Powerful people attack me unjustly,

but I respect your law.

¹⁶²How happy I am because of your promises--

as happy as someone who finds rich treasure.

¹⁶³I hate and detest all lies,

but I love your law.

¹⁶⁴Seven times each day I thank you

for your righteous judgments.

¹⁶⁵Those who love your law have perfect security,

and there is nothing that can make them fall.

¹⁶⁶I wait for you to save me, LORD,

and I do what you command.

¹⁶⁷I obey your teachings;

I love them with all my heart.

¹⁶⁸I obey your commands and your instructions;

you see everything I do.

A Prayer for Help

¹⁶⁹Let my cry for help reach you, LORD!

Give me understanding, as you have promised.

¹⁷⁰Listen to my prayer,

and save me according to your promise!

¹⁷¹I will always praise you,

because you teach me your laws.

¹⁷²I will sing about your law,

because your commands are just.

¹⁷³Always be ready to help me,

because I follow your commands.

¹⁷⁴How I long for your saving help, O LORD!

I find happiness in your law.

¹⁷⁵Give me life, so that I may praise you;

may your instructions help me.

¹⁷⁶I wander about like a lost sheep;

so come and look for me, your servant,

because I have not neglected your laws.

This reading is from The Holy Bible, Today's English Version, Second Edition copyright © American Bible Society, 1992;
Old Testament copyright © American Bible Society, 1976, 1992; New Testament © American Bible Society, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.

These daily Bible readings from the Good News Translation (GNT), formerly the Today's English Version (TEV), are published by BibleNetUSA. The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative. All BibleCard® images are copyrighted by iCreative. All rights reserved.