Jer. 5:14–31

5:14 Because of that, the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies said to me:

“Because these people have spoken like this,

I will make the words that I put in your mouth like fire.

And I will make this people like wood,

which the fiery judgments you speak will burn up.”

15The Lord says, “Listen, nation of Israel!

I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you.

It will be a nation that was founded long ago

and has lasted for a long time.

It will be a nation whose language you will not know.

Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.

16All its soldiers are strong and mighty.

Their arrows will send you to your grave.

17They will eat up your crops and your food.

They will kill off your sons and your daughters.

They will eat up your sheep and your cattle.

They will destroy your vines and your fig trees.

Their weapons will batter down

the fortified cities you trust in.

18“Yet even then I will not completely destroy you,” says the Lord. 19“So then, Jeremiah, when your people ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ tell them, ‘It is because you rejected me and served foreign gods in your own land. So you must serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you.’

20“Proclaim this message among the descendants of Jacob.

Make it known throughout Judah.

21Tell them: ‘Hear this,

you foolish people who have no understanding,

who have eyes but do not discern,

who have ears but do not perceive:

22“You should fear me!” says the Lord.

“You should tremble in awe before me!

I made the sand to be a boundary for the sea,

a permanent barrier that it can never cross.

Its waves may roll, but they can never prevail.

They may roar, but they can never cross beyond that boundary.”

23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.

They have turned aside and gone their own way.

24They do not say to themselves,

“Let us revere the Lord our God.

It is he who gives us the autumn rains and the spring rains at the proper time.

It is he who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.”

25Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming.

Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.’

26Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people.

They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush.

They set deadly traps to catch people.

27Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught,

their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit.

That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful.

28That is how they have grown fat and sleek.

There is no limit to the evil things they do.

They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it.

They do not defend the rights of the poor.

29I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord.

“I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!

30Something horrible and shocking

is going on in the land of Judah:

31The prophets prophesy lies.

The priests exercise power by their own authority.

And my people love to have it this way.

But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!

Ps. 119:145–152

119:145 ק (Qof)

I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!

I will observe your statutes.”

146I cried out to you, “Deliver me,

so that I can keep your rules.”

147I am up before dawn crying for help.

I find hope in your word.

148My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours

so that I can meditate on your word.

149Listen to me because of your loyal love.

O Lord, revive me, as you typically do.

150Those who are eager to do wrong draw near;

they are far from your law.

151You are near, O Lord,

and all your commands are reliable.

152I learned long ago that

you ordained your rules to last.

Acts 2:42–3:10

2:42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. 44All who believed were together and held everything in common, 45and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. 46Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, 47praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.

3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. 2And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” 5So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!” 7Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. 8He jumped up, stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him.