Jeremiah 1:4-19 New International Version (NIV)

The Call of Jeremiah

4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send
you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with
you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
9Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put
my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to
uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11 The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

12The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching[b] to see that my word
is fulfilled.”
13 The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you see?”

“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”
14The LORD said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the
land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares
the LORD.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones

in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.
16 I will pronounce my judgments on my people

because of their wickedness in forsaking me,

in burning incense to other gods
and in worshiping what their hands have made.
17“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be
terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.18 Today I have made you a fortified
city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings
of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you
but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

John 1:1-16 New International Version (NIV)

The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without
him nothing was made that has been made.4 In him was life, and that life was the
light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
overcome[a] it.
6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to
testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not
the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10 He was in the
world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize
him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all
who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become
children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a
husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the
14

glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about
15

when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before
me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

Hosea 4:1-19 New International Version (NIV)

The Charge Against Israel
4 Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites,
because the LORD has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
 no acknowledgment of God in the land.
2 There is only cursing,[a] lying and murder,

stealing and adultery;

they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Because of this the land dries up,

and all who live in it waste away;

the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea are swept away.
4 “But let no one bring a charge,
let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.
5 You stumble day and night,

and the prophets stumble with you.

So I will destroy your mother—
6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

“Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
7 The more priests there were,

the more they sinned against me;

they exchanged their glorious God[b] for something disgraceful.
8 They feed on the sins of my people

and relish their wickedness.

9 And it will be: Like people, like priests.

I will punish both of them for their ways

and repay them for their deeds.

“They will eat but not have enough;

10

they will engage in prostitution but not flourish,

because they have deserted the LORD
to give themselves 11 to prostitution;
old wine and new wine
take away their understanding.
12 My people consult a wooden idol,

and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.

A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
 they are unfaithful to their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops

and burn offerings on the hills,

under oak, poplar and terebinth,
where the shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution
and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

“I will not punish your daughters

14

when they turn to prostitution,

nor your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots
and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—
a people without understanding will come to ruin!
15 “Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
do not let Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;

do not go up to Beth Aven.[c]
And do not swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
16 The Israelites are stubborn,
like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the LORD pasture them
like lambs in a meadow?
17 Ephraim is joined to idols;

leave him alone!

18 Even when their drinks are gone,

they continue their prostitution;

their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
19 A whirlwind will sweep them away,

and their sacrifices will bring them shame.