How to Live in Peace!
Peace That Surpasses All Understanding!
By Riqui Ricón*
And peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
(James 3:18, KJV)
In the first three chapters
of the Epistle of James, Scripture tells us to be doers of
the Word so that our faith produces
works and bears fruit. You are a BORN-AGAIN
child of God, and therefore, you are a believer and a doer of the Word who,
through the works of faith, will always bear the fruits of righteousness.
What does this mean? Well, being righteous
means being approved before God, and this will always bring peace to your life. Believing that Jesus Christ is
your Lord and Savior means believing God, believing the Bible, and precisely
because of this faith, you know that
He has already paid the price for all your offenses and sins, that you have
been justified, and that because of this, you are now a BORN-AGAIN child of
God. You are no longer, nor can you
ever be, the same person you used to be.
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through
that one man,
how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision
of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
... so that, just as sin
reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans
5:17, 21, NIV)
The most wonderful thing about the Gospel
message (the Good News) is that everything has been given to you through Jesus
Christ so that you can reign in this life through the Grace of God for Eternal
Life. You are no longer, nor can you ever be, the same person you used to be—not because
of what you can do or fail to do, but because of what
Jesus Christ HAS ALREADY DONE for you.
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus,
“Don’t be afraid;
just believe.” (Luke 8:50a, NIV)
This is where your faith [believing God,
believing His Word] can begin to produce peaceful fruits of righteousness. How? A good start is through your words.
Before, your words contaminated your body and set everything around you on fire, but now, being born again—not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, which is the Word of God that
lives and abides forever—your words carry the power
of God to heal, forgive,
set free, and bring love, peace, and joy
to everyone around you.
If I can explain this clearly, you will understand that this isn't
about something you have to
achieve or develop, but about something you already possess because it flows
from your identity. It flows from the person you now are in Christ Jesus: a
Born-Again child of God!
God has established it this way in His Word, and you only have to believe it, because this is the Truth. Let's see
how to accomplish this:
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
(Mark 9:23, NIV)
In Ephesians 4, the Bible teaches us that we
must put off the old self, which is
being corrupted by its deceitful desires, and be renewed (made new) in the
spirit of our minds. This means that in order to lay aside that old nature, you
need to believe that you are the person God says you are. Change
your way of thinking!
That ye put off concerning the
former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24, KJV)
To achieve this, what you need to do is put
the Word of God in your mind, mouth, and heart (reading and meditating on it day and night),
so that the first fruit of the
works of your faith is a change in your way of thinking and speaking.
Your words flow from your way of thinking,
and if you do not make the Word of God the priority of your life,
the pressures you face every day will come, and you will react the same way you
always have. But as you begin to fill your life with the Word of God, you will
notice that you no longer react the same way, and your way of speaking will
begin to change and manifest the fruits of righteousness.
Until the Spirit is poured upon us
from on high, and the wilderness
becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful
field is counted
as a forest. Then justice
will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will
be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My
people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet
resting places. (Isaiah 32:15-18, KJV)
This "until" of Scripture has already been fulfilled; in
fact, it has a dual fulfillment: first, when Jesus paid for all your sins on the cross and opened the way
for the Holy Spirit to come into your life; second, when you accepted
that sacrifice of Love by making Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life.
Neither peace, nor rest, nor assurance forever are things
that you can manifest or develop on your own; rather, they are the effects that the Blood of Jesus has
on your life. By shedding His Blood on the cross, Jesus satisfied the Justice
of God. By dying, the only Righteous One for the unrighteous, He justified you,
making you righteous once and for all.
The effect of this righteousness is peace, and its work is rest and assurance forever!
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2
Corinthians 5:21, KJV)
You might tell me, "That sounds good,
but how can I make this a reality in my life?" Well, change your way of
thinking! Make the Word of God the priority
of your existence. Meditate on it day and night, put it in your mind, mouth,
and heart, because then you will make your way prosperous, and everything will go
well for you.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou
shalt meditate therein day and
night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success. (Joshua 1:8, KJV)
Learn from the experience of the people of Israel: when they were
about to enter the promised
land, 10 of the 12 spies sent by Moses
spoke poorly of their
chances of success.
It was THE WORDS of these 10 people that sowed doubt and fear in a
people who had already experienced great victories through
the miracles and wonders
God worked. Those words of doubt, unbelief, and fear prevented an entire nation
from taking possession of what God had already promised them.
And the Lord heard the voice
of your words,
and was wroth, and sware,
saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation
see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,
Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his
children, because he hath wholly
followed the Lord. (Deuteronomy 1:34-36, KJV)
However, there were two—Joshua and Caleb—who
thought completely differently (they had a different spirit) and spoke words of
faith and truth, trying to encourage
the people to believe God. These two were the only ones of that generation who, because of
their words, entered to possess the promised land.
So, it is your faith [believing God, believing His Word], manifested in your words, that gives you access to victory and to the peace that surpasses all understanding, because in honor of the
Truth:
O
Lord of hosts, blessed is the man [and woman] that trusteth
in thee. (Psalm
84:12, KJV)
By Riqui Ricón*
And peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
(James 3:18, KJV)
In the first three chapters
of the Epistle of James, Scripture tells us to be doers of
the Word so that our faith produces
works and bears fruit. You are a BORN-AGAIN
child of God, and therefore, you are a believer and a doer of the Word who,
through the works of faith, will always bear the fruits of righteousness.
What does this mean? Well, being righteous
means being approved before God, and this will always bring peace to your life. Believing that Jesus Christ is
your Lord and Savior means believing God, believing the Bible, and precisely
because of this faith, you know that
He has already paid the price for all your offenses and sins, that you have
been justified, and that because of this, you are now a BORN-AGAIN child of
God. You are no longer, nor can you
ever be, the same person you used to be.
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through
that one man,
how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision
of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
... so that, just as sin
reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans
5:17, 21, NIV)
The most wonderful thing about the Gospel
message (the Good News) is that everything has been given to you through Jesus
Christ so that you can reign in this life through the Grace of God for Eternal
Life. You are no longer, nor can you ever be, the same person you used to be—not because
of what you can do or fail to do, but because of what
Jesus Christ HAS ALREADY DONE for you.
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus,
“Don’t be afraid;
just believe.” (Luke 8:50a, NIV)
This is where your faith [believing God,
believing His Word] can begin to produce peaceful fruits of righteousness. How? A good start is through your words.
Before, your words contaminated your body and set everything around you on fire, but now, being born again—not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, which is the Word of God that
lives and abides forever—your words carry the power
of God to heal, forgive,
set free, and bring love, peace, and joy
to everyone around you.
If I can explain this clearly, you will understand that this isn't
about something you have to
achieve or develop, but about something you already possess because it flows
from your identity. It flows from the person you now are in Christ Jesus: a
Born-Again child of God!
God has established it this way in His Word, and you only have to believe it, because this is the Truth. Let's see
how to accomplish this:
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
(Mark 9:23, NIV)
In Ephesians 4, the Bible teaches us that we
must put off the old self, which is
being corrupted by its deceitful desires, and be renewed (made new) in the
spirit of our minds. This means that in order to lay aside that old nature, you
need to believe that you are the person God says you are. Change
your way of thinking!
That ye put off concerning the
former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24, KJV)
To achieve this, what you need to do is put
the Word of God in your mind, mouth, and heart (reading and meditating on it day and night),
so that the first fruit of the
works of your faith is a change in your way of thinking and speaking.
Your words flow from your way of thinking,
and if you do not make the Word of God the priority of your life,
the pressures you face every day will come, and you will react the same way you
always have. But as you begin to fill your life with the Word of God, you will
notice that you no longer react the same way, and your way of speaking will
begin to change and manifest the fruits of righteousness.
Until the Spirit is poured upon us
from on high, and the wilderness
becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful
field is counted
as a forest. Then justice
will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will
be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My
people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet
resting places. (Isaiah 32:15-18, KJV)
This "until" of Scripture has already been fulfilled; in
fact, it has a dual fulfillment: first, when Jesus paid for all your sins on the cross and opened the way
for the Holy Spirit to come into your life; second, when you accepted
that sacrifice of Love by making Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life.
Neither peace, nor rest, nor assurance forever are things
that you can manifest or develop on your own; rather, they are the effects that the Blood of Jesus has
on your life. By shedding His Blood on the cross, Jesus satisfied the Justice
of God. By dying, the only Righteous One for the unrighteous, He justified you,
making you righteous once and for all.
The effect of this righteousness is peace, and its work is rest and assurance forever!
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2
Corinthians 5:21, KJV)
You might tell me, "That sounds good,
but how can I make this a reality in my life?" Well, change your way of
thinking! Make the Word of God the priority
of your existence. Meditate on it day and night, put it in your mind, mouth,
and heart, because then you will make your way prosperous, and everything will go
well for you.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou
shalt meditate therein day and
night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success. (Joshua 1:8, KJV)
Learn from the experience of the people of Israel: when they were
about to enter the promised
land, 10 of the 12 spies sent by Moses
spoke poorly of their
chances of success.
It was THE WORDS of these 10 people that sowed doubt and fear in a
people who had already experienced great victories through
the miracles and wonders
God worked. Those words of doubt, unbelief, and fear prevented an entire nation
from taking possession of what God had already promised them.
And the Lord heard the voice
of your words,
and was wroth, and sware,
saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation
see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,
Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his
children, because he hath wholly
followed the Lord. (Deuteronomy 1:34-36, KJV)
However, there were two—Joshua and Caleb—who
thought completely differently (they had a different spirit) and spoke words of
faith and truth, trying to encourage
the people to believe God. These two were the only ones of that generation who, because of
their words, entered to possess the promised land.
So, it is your faith [believing God, believing His Word], manifested in your words, that gives you access to victory and to the peace that surpasses all understanding, because in honor of the
Truth:
O
Lord of hosts, blessed is the man [and woman] that trusteth
in thee. (Psalm
84:12, KJV)
Let’s pray out loud:
Beloved Heavenly Father,
today I declare,
with all Your authority, that I am a
child of the one Living and True God. I am BORN AGAIN, and my words are
charged with power and authority to make things
happen. With the help of the
Holy Spirit, I set myself to put the Word of God in my mind,
MOUTH, and heart so that,
regardless of the circumstances I am facing today, my thinking, speaking, and
acting will bear fruit of peace and righteousness. Lord Jesus, I trust in You;
You are all my confidence, and without You, I cannot live. I am blessed! A thousand
times happy! For the rock of my salvation is Jesus Christ.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but Your Word will not pass away. Therefore,
I do not fix my eyes or my trust on the situation, problem, or affliction I am
going through today, because I, (your
name here), will prosper through the Word of God like a tree planted by the
waters, spreading its roots by the stream. I will not fear when heat comes, but
my leaf will be green; I will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease
from yielding fruit.
Therefore, I resist the
lies of the devil and declare over myself, according to Your Word, the Bible,
that I am healed! I am free! I am prosperous! I am blessed! I am a Born-Again
child of God, not of corruptible seed, but of the incorruptible seed which is
the Word of God that lives and abides forever! Neither sin nor death has any hold on me. There is
no way I can lose in life, for
in ALL things I, (your name here), am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me, Christ
Jesus. Amen!
Important Note:
How do I become a Child of God? How do I establish a relationship with the
Almighty?
Just say the following prayer
aloud, putting all your attention
and heart into what you are saying to God:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of
God. That You came into this world, born
of the virgin Mary, to pay for all my sins, and I have
been a sinner. Therefore, today I say that I accept. I accept Your
sacrifice on the cross! I accept Your precious
Blood shed to the last drop out of love for me! I open my
heart to You and invite You in
because I want, Lord Jesus, that from today and forever You be my only and sufficient Savior, my
God, my King, and my Lord.
Thank You, Almighty God, because with this
simple prayer and profession of faith I have passed from death to Life, I have been transferred from darkness
to Your marvelous Light. Today I have been Born Again! God, now I am Your
Child! Now You are my Father! I will never be alone again! I will never live
defeated again. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Beloved Heavenly Father,
today I declare,
with all Your authority, that I am a
child of the one Living and True God. I am BORN AGAIN, and my words are
charged with power and authority to make things
happen. With the help of the
Holy Spirit, I set myself to put the Word of God in my mind,
MOUTH, and heart so that,
regardless of the circumstances I am facing today, my thinking, speaking, and
acting will bear fruit of peace and righteousness. Lord Jesus, I trust in You;
You are all my confidence, and without You, I cannot live. I am blessed! A thousand
times happy! For the rock of my salvation is Jesus Christ.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but Your Word will not pass away. Therefore,
I do not fix my eyes or my trust on the situation, problem, or affliction I am
going through today, because I, (your
name here), will prosper through the Word of God like a tree planted by the
waters, spreading its roots by the stream. I will not fear when heat comes, but
my leaf will be green; I will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease
from yielding fruit.
Therefore, I resist the
lies of the devil and declare over myself, according to Your Word, the Bible,
that I am healed! I am free! I am prosperous! I am blessed! I am a Born-Again
child of God, not of corruptible seed, but of the incorruptible seed which is
the Word of God that lives and abides forever! Neither sin nor death has any hold on me. There is
no way I can lose in life, for
in ALL things I, (your name here), am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me, Christ
Jesus. Amen!
Important Note:
How do I become a Child of God? How do I establish a relationship with the
Almighty?
Just say the following prayer
aloud, putting all your attention
and heart into what you are saying to God:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of
God. That You came into this world, born
of the virgin Mary, to pay for all my sins, and I have
been a sinner. Therefore, today I say that I accept. I accept Your
sacrifice on the cross! I accept Your precious
Blood shed to the last drop out of love for me! I open my
heart to You and invite You in
because I want, Lord Jesus, that from today and forever You be my only and sufficient Savior, my
God, my King, and my Lord.
Thank You, Almighty God, because with this
simple prayer and profession of faith I have passed from death to Life, I have been transferred from darkness
to Your marvelous Light. Today I have been Born Again! God, now I am Your
Child! Now You are my Father! I will never be alone again! I will never live
defeated again. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Three Recommendations:
What just happened by you recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord and
Savior of your life, according
to God's Word, is that you have been Born Again. No longer
as an ordinary human being, subject to the law of sin and death, but now as a
legitimate and authentic Child of God, Born Again, exactly like Jesus Christ, who is now your Older Brother. Therefore,
I give you these three, very important, recommendations:
1.
Pray. Praying is talking with God. So, find a quiet
place where you can begin talking to Him about everything. Do it out loud, and you will notice
how God always responds to your heart.
2.
Read and meditate
on the Word of God. The Bible
is the Word of God, so
get a Bible and start reading and meditating on it. How do you begin? It’s very simple. Depending on the day,
look up the reading program “The
Bible in One Year” and do the corresponding readings. You can get this program at: Through The Bible In One Year (palabradehonor.org). You will notice
that the program is set up so you can print it as a booklet.
3.
In prayer with God, your Father, look for and join a
Christian church or congregation where the Word of God is taught based
on the Good News, which are
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ricardo C. Peredo Jaime © 2020
What just happened by you recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord and
Savior of your life, according
to God's Word, is that you have been Born Again. No longer
as an ordinary human being, subject to the law of sin and death, but now as a
legitimate and authentic Child of God, Born Again, exactly like Jesus Christ, who is now your Older Brother. Therefore,
I give you these three, very important, recommendations:
1.
Pray. Praying is talking with God. So, find a quiet
place where you can begin talking to Him about everything. Do it out loud, and you will notice
how God always responds to your heart.
2.
Read and meditate
on the Word of God. The Bible
is the Word of God, so
get a Bible and start reading and meditating on it. How do you begin? It’s very simple. Depending on the day,
look up the reading program “The
Bible in One Year” and do the corresponding readings. You can get this program at: Through The Bible In One Year (palabradehonor.org). You will notice
that the program is set up so you can print it as a booklet.
3.
In prayer with God, your Father, look for and join a
Christian church or congregation where the Word of God is taught based
on the Good News, which are
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ricardo C. Peredo Jaime © 2020
Reading and Meditation on the Word of God
Do these daily readings, and by the end of one year you will have read the
entire Bible.
Do these daily readings, and by the end of one year you will have read the
entire Bible.
November 15 James 3 / Jeremiah 25-26 / Psalm 131
James
3 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing
that we shall receive the greater
condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold,
we put bits in the horses' mouths,
that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold
also the ships,
which though they be so great, and are driven
of fierce winds, yet are they
turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold,
how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth
the whole body, and setteth
on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts,
and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of
mankind:
8 But the tongue
can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which
are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth
proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain
send forth at the same place sweet water and
bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries?
either a vine, figs? so can
no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge
among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works
with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,
glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above,
but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying
and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be
intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without
hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Jeremiah
25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in
the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year
of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
2 The which Jeremiah
the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
3 From the
thirteenth year of Josiah the son of
Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you,
rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.
4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising
early and sending them; but
ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land
that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for
ever and ever:
6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of
your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
7 Yet ye have not hearkened
unto me, saith the
LORD; that ye might provoke
me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Because ye have not heard my words,
9 Behold, I
will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring
them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all
these nations round about, and will utterly
destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and
perpetual desolations.
10 Moreover
I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness,
the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the
millstones, and the light of the candle.
11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations
shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy
years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation,
saith the LORD, for their
iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual
desolations.
13 And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is
written in this book, which Jeremiah
hath prophesied against all the nations.
14 For many
nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds,
and according to the works
of their own hands.
15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the
nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
16 And they shall drink, and be moved,
and be mad, because of the sword
that I will send among them.
17 Then took I the cup at the LORD's hand,
and made all the nations
to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
18 To wit,
Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof,
to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a
curse; as it is this day;
19 Pharaoh
king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes,
and all his people;
20 And all
the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,
21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of
Ammon,
22 And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles
which are beyond the sea,
23 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,
24 And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled
people that dwell in the desert,
25 And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the
Medes,
26 And all
the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world,
which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of
Sheshach shall drink after them.
27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the
LORD
of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken,
and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send
among you.
28 And it
shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Ye shall certainly
drink.
29 For, lo,
I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly
unpunished? Ye shall
not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the
earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
30 Therefore prophesy
thou against them all these
words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon
his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against
all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise
shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath
a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold,
evil shall go forth from nation to nation,
and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even
unto the other end of the earth:
they shall not be lamented,
neither gathered, nor buried;
they shall be dung upon the ground.
34 Howl,
ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of
your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like
a pleasant vessel.
35 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock
to escape.
36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling
of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.
37 And the peaceable
habitations are cut down because
of the fierce anger of the LORD.
38 He hath forsaken
his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because
of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.
26 In the beginning
of the reign of Jehoiakim
the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,
2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all
the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's
house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a
word:
3 If so be
they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose
to do unto them because
of the evil of their doings.
4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken
to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending
them, but ye have not hearkened;
6 Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
7 So the priests
and the prophets
and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the
LORD.
8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah
had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the
people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying,
Thou shalt surely die.
9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying,
This house shall
be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant?
And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10 When the
princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's
house.
11 Then spake
the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying,
This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against
this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
12 Then
spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against
this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings,
and obey the voice of the
LORD
your God; and the LORD will
repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.
15 But know
ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent
blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words
in your ears.
16 Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests
and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he
hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our
God.
17 Then rose up certain of the elders
of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 Micah the
Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying,
Thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall
become heaps, and the mountain
of the house as the high places of a forest.
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD,
and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented
him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure
great evil against our souls.
20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of
Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according
to all the words of Jeremiah.
21 And when
Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into
Egypt;
22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely,
Elnathan the son of
Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
James
3 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing
that we shall receive the greater
condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold,
we put bits in the horses' mouths,
that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold
also the ships,
which though they be so great, and are driven
of fierce winds, yet are they
turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold,
how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth
the whole body, and setteth
on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts,
and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of
mankind:
8 But the tongue
can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which
are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth
proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain
send forth at the same place sweet water and
bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries?
either a vine, figs? so can
no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge
among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works
with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,
glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above,
but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying
and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be
intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without
hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Jeremiah
25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in
the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year
of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
2 The which Jeremiah
the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
3 From the
thirteenth year of Josiah the son of
Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you,
rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.
4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising
early and sending them; but
ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land
that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for
ever and ever:
6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of
your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
7 Yet ye have not hearkened
unto me, saith the
LORD; that ye might provoke
me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Because ye have not heard my words,
9 Behold, I
will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring
them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all
these nations round about, and will utterly
destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and
perpetual desolations.
10 Moreover
I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness,
the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the
millstones, and the light of the candle.
11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations
shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy
years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation,
saith the LORD, for their
iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual
desolations.
13 And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is
written in this book, which Jeremiah
hath prophesied against all the nations.
14 For many
nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds,
and according to the works
of their own hands.
15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the
nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
16 And they shall drink, and be moved,
and be mad, because of the sword
that I will send among them.
17 Then took I the cup at the LORD's hand,
and made all the nations
to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
18 To wit,
Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof,
to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a
curse; as it is this day;
19 Pharaoh
king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes,
and all his people;
20 And all
the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,
21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of
Ammon,
22 And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles
which are beyond the sea,
23 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,
24 And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled
people that dwell in the desert,
25 And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the
Medes,
26 And all
the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world,
which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of
Sheshach shall drink after them.
27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the
LORD
of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken,
and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send
among you.
28 And it
shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Ye shall certainly
drink.
29 For, lo,
I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly
unpunished? Ye shall
not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the
earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
30 Therefore prophesy
thou against them all these
words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon
his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against
all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise
shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath
a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold,
evil shall go forth from nation to nation,
and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even
unto the other end of the earth:
they shall not be lamented,
neither gathered, nor buried;
they shall be dung upon the ground.
34 Howl,
ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of
your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like
a pleasant vessel.
35 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock
to escape.
36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling
of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.
37 And the peaceable
habitations are cut down because
of the fierce anger of the LORD.
38 He hath forsaken
his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because
of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.
26 In the beginning
of the reign of Jehoiakim
the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,
2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all
the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's
house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a
word:
3 If so be
they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose
to do unto them because
of the evil of their doings.
4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken
to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending
them, but ye have not hearkened;
6 Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
7 So the priests
and the prophets
and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the
LORD.
8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah
had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the
people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying,
Thou shalt surely die.
9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying,
This house shall
be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant?
And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10 When the
princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's
house.
11 Then spake
the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying,
This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against
this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
12 Then
spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against
this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings,
and obey the voice of the
LORD
your God; and the LORD will
repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.
15 But know
ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent
blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words
in your ears.
16 Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests
and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he
hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our
God.
17 Then rose up certain of the elders
of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 Micah the
Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying,
Thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall
become heaps, and the mountain
of the house as the high places of a forest.
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD,
and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented
him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure
great evil against our souls.
20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of
Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according
to all the words of Jeremiah.
21 And when
Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into
Egypt;
22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely,
Elnathan the son of
Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
23 And they fetched
forth Urijah out of Egypt,
and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24 Nevertheless
the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Psalm
131 Lord, my heart
is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in
things too high for me.
2 Surely
I have behaved and quieted
myself, as a child that is weaned
of his mother: my soul is even
as a weaned child.
3 Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.
