Today's Reading

¹When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, also the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief enters in, and the gang of robbers ravages outside.

²They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own deeds have engulfed them. They are before my face.

³They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

⁴They are all adulterers. They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring, from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

⁵On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He joined his hand with mockers.

⁶For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

⁷They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to me.

⁸Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations. Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.

⁹Strangers have devoured his strength, and he doesn't realize it. Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him, and he doesn't realize it.

¹⁰The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they haven't returned to the Lord their God, nor sought him, for all this.

¹¹"Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.

¹²When they go, I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.

¹³Woe to them! For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them! For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

¹⁴They haven't cried to me with their heart, but they howl on their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and new wine. They turn away from me.

¹⁵Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me.

¹⁶They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.

¹"Put the trumpet to your lips! Something like an eagle is over the Lord's house, because they have broken my covenant, and rebelled against my law.

²They cry to me, 'My God, we Israel acknowledge you!'

³Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will pursue him.

⁴They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I did not approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off.

⁵Let Samaria throw out his calf idol! My anger burns against them! How long will it be until they are capable of purity?

⁶For this is even from Israel! The workman made it, and it is no God; indeed, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

⁷For they sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will swallow it up.

⁸Israel is swallowed up. Now they are among the nations like a worthless thing.

⁹For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for himself.

¹⁰But although they sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.

¹¹Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for him altars for sinning.

¹²I wrote for him the many things of my law; but they were regarded as a strange thing.

¹³As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it; But the Lord doesn't accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.

¹⁴For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire on his cities, and it will devour its fortresses."

¹Do not rejoice, Israel, to jubilation like the nations; for you were unfaithful to your God. You love the wages of a prostitute at every grain threshing floor.

²The threshing floor and the winepress won't feed them, and the new wine will fail her.

³They won't dwell in the Lord's land; but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.

⁴They won't pour out wine offerings to the Lord, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into the house of the Lord.

⁵What will you do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?

⁶For, behold, they have gone away from destruction. Egypt will gather them up. Memphis will bury them. Nettles will possess their pleasant things of silver. Thorns will be in their tents.

⁷The days of visitation have come. The days of reckoning have come. Israel will consider the prophet to be a fool, and the man who is inspired to be insane, because of the abundance of your sins, and because your hostility is great.

⁸A prophet watches over Ephraim with my God. A fowler's snare is on all of his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.

⁹They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.

¹⁰I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal Peor, and consecrated themselves to the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.

¹¹As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, none with child, and no conception.

¹²Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them, so that not a man shall be left. Indeed, woe also to them when I depart from them!

¹³I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.

¹⁴Give them-Lord what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

¹⁵"All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house! I will love them no more. All their princes are rebels.

¹⁶Ephraim is struck. Their root has dried up. They will bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth, yet I will kill the beloved ones of their womb."

¹⁷My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.

¹This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you;

²that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles:

³knowing this first, that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking and walking after their own lusts,

⁴and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."

⁵For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water, by the word of God;

⁶by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.

⁷But the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

⁸But do not forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

⁹The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be disclosed.

¹¹Therefore since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness,

¹²looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

¹³But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

¹⁴Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without blemish and blameless in his sight.

¹⁵Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you;

¹⁶as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

¹⁷You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness.

¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

¹A wise son listens to his father's instruction, but a scoffer doesn't listen to rebuke.

²By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; but the unfaithful crave violence.

³He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

⁴The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.

⁵A righteous man hates lies, but a wicked man brings shame and disgrace.

⁶Righteousness guards the way of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷There are some who pretend to be rich, yet have nothing. There are some who pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.

⁸The ransom of a man's life is his riches, but the poor hear no threats.

⁹The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰Pride only breeds quarrels, but with ones who take advice is wisdom.

¹¹Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away, but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

¹³Whoever despises instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command will be rewarded.

¹⁴The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, to turn from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding wins favor; but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

¹⁶Every prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposes folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy gains healing.

¹⁸Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline, but he who heeds correction shall be honored.

¹⁹Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁰One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

²¹Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous.

²²A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.

²³An abundance of food is in poor people's fields, but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴One who spares the rod hates his son, but one who loves him is careful to discipline him.

²⁵The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.