Today's Reading

¹The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?

²You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.

³All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.

⁴Therefore I said, "Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Do not labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

⁵For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, the Lord of hosts, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains."

⁶Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

⁷It happened that your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.

⁸He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armor in the house of the forest.

⁹You saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

¹⁰You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

¹¹You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who purposed it long ago.

¹²In that day, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, called to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth:

¹³and behold, joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die."

¹⁴The Lord of hosts revealed himself in my ears, "Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die," says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.

¹⁵Thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, "Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,

¹⁶'What are you doing here? Who has you here, that you have dug out a tomb here?' Cutting himself out a tomb on high, chiseling a habitation for himself in the rock!"

¹⁷Behold, the Lord will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.

¹⁸He will surely wind you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a large country. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be, you shame of your lord's house.

¹⁹I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station.

²⁰It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

²¹and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

²²I will lay the key of the house of David on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.

²³I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father's house.

²⁴They will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers.

²⁵"In that day," says the Lord of hosts, "the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down, and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken it."

¹The burden of Tyre. Howl, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in. From the land of Kittim it is revealed to them.

²Be still, you inhabitants of the coast, you whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

³On great waters, the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue. She was the market of nations.

⁴Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, "I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins."

⁵When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.

⁶Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the coast!

⁷Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her far away to travel?

⁸Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth?

⁹The Lord of hosts has planned it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

¹⁰Pass through your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no restraint any more.

¹¹He has stretched out his hand over the sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. The Lord has ordered the destruction of Canaan's strongholds.

¹²He said, "You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest."

¹³Behold, the land of the Chaldeans. This people was not. The Assyrians founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up their towers. They overthrew its palaces. They made it a ruin.

¹⁴Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste!

¹⁵It will come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years it will be to Tyre like in the song of the prostitute.

¹⁶Take a harp; go about the city, you prostitute that has been forgotten. Make sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you may be remembered.

¹⁷It will happen after the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her wages, and will play the prostitute with all the kingdoms of the world on the surface of the earth.

¹⁸Her merchandise and her wages will be holiness to the Lord. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

¹Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty, makes it waste, turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants.

²It will be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker of interest, so with the giver of interest.

³The earth will be utterly emptied and utterly laid waste; for the Lord has spoken this word.

⁴The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The lofty people of the earth languish.

⁵The earth also is polluted under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant.

⁶Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

⁷The new wine mourns. The vine languishes. All the merry-hearted sigh.

⁸The mirth of tambourines ceases. The sound of those who rejoice ends. The joy of the harp ceases.

⁹They will not drink wine with a song. Strong drink will be bitter to those who drink it.

¹⁰The confused city is broken down. Every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

¹¹There is a crying in the streets because of the wine. All joy is darkened. The mirth of the land is gone.

¹²The city is left in desolation, and the gate is struck with destruction.

¹³For it will be so in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as the shaking of an olive tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done.

¹⁴These shall lift up their voice. They will shout for the majesty of the Lord. They cry aloud from the sea.

¹⁵Therefore glorify the Lord in the east, even the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea!

¹⁶From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs. Glory to the righteous! But I said, "I pine away! I pine away! Woe is me!" The treacherous have dealt treacherously. Yes, the treacherous have dealt very treacherously.

¹⁷Fear, the pit, and the snare, are on you who inhabitant the earth.

¹⁸It will happen that he who flees from the noise of the fear will fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the midst of the pit will be taken in the snare; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.

¹⁹The earth is utterly broken. The earth is torn apart. The earth is shaken violently.

²⁰The earth will stagger like a drunken man, and will sway back and forth like a hammock. Its disobedience will be heavy on it, and it will fall and not rise again.

²¹It shall happen in that day that the Lord will punish the army of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth.

²²They shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison; and after many days shall they be visited.

²³Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders will be glory.

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

²"Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with a promise:

³"that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth."

⁴You fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

⁵Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;

⁶not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

⁷with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men;

⁸knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.

⁹You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.

¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹²For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

¹³Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

¹⁵and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace;

¹⁶above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God;

¹⁸with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:

¹⁹on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,

²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

²¹But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things;

²²whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.

²³Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.

¹Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

²It isn't good to have zeal without knowledge; nor being hasty with one's feet and missing the way.

³The foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against the Lord.

⁴Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.

⁵A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.

⁶Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

⁷All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.

⁸He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.

⁹A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.

¹⁰Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

¹¹The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.

¹²The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife's quarrels are a continual dripping.

¹⁴House and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

¹⁵Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. The idle soul shall suffer hunger.

¹⁶He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.

¹⁷He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; he will reward him.

¹⁸Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

¹⁹A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, for if you rescue him, you must do it again.

²⁰Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end.

²¹There are many plans in a man's heart, but the Lord's counsel will prevail.

²²That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.

²⁴The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

²⁶He who robs his father and drives away his mother, is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

²⁷If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity.

²⁹Penalties are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools.