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THEN |
NOW |
Jeremiah 18:18-23 Then said they, Come, and let us devise
devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest,
nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let
us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his
words.
(19) Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that
contend with me.
(20) Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for
my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, [and]
to turn away thy wrath from them.
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(18 ) Then the powers-that-be said, let's figure out
what to do with Jeremiah. He's telling the people that the courts are
corrupt. That the politicians are fools, and that the clergy are state licensed
Baal-priests. Call your friends in the media, have them do a number on
him. Then we will set him up and bring false charges, child abuse, wife
swapping, illegal fire arms, something, anything. Yeah! Let's have the
A.T.F. raid his home, kill his wife and burn it to the ground. We will
keep everyone back two miles so no one will hear his side of the story. "Come,"
they said, Let us continue a plot against Jeremiah ... let us destroy
him by his own tongue. let us carefully note his every word."
(NAB)
(19) Jeremiah takes his situation to the
Lord.
(20) Jeremiah resorts to imprecatory prayer saying, "God, are you
going to let them get away with it? Remember that I am in this jam
because I spoke your word. I did this in hope that they would repent,
and that your wrath would be turned away from this republic." |
(21) Therefore deliver up their children to
the famine, and pour out their [blood] by the force of the sword; and
let their wives be bereaved of their children, and [be] widows; and let
their men be put to death; [let] their young men [be] slain by the sword
in battle.
(22) Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop
suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid
snares for my feet. |
(21) Therefore Lord, punish the incorrigibly
wicked just as described in Deuteronomy 28. Do it in a way that all will
see, that others will repent. |
| (23) Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their
counsel against me to slay [me]: forgive not their iniquity, neither
blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before
thee; deal [thus] with them in the time of thine anger |
(23) But
you, Yahweh, know all about their murderous plot against me. Do not
forgive their guilt, do not efface their sin from your sight. Let them
be hurled down before you, deal with them while you are angry! (NJB)
Deuteronomy 13:11
And
all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such
wickedness as this is among you. |
The rulers of Jeremiah's time were like those of Jesus day.
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John 11:46-48 - then |
Comments - if now |
| (46) But some of them went their ways to the
Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. |
Spies and infiltrators told the 'they'
about Mr. Modern Dayperson, his meetings, literature and radio programs. |
| (47) Then gathered the chief priests and the
Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many
miracles. |
They said, "What are we going to
do with him? The public likes him! He is building a power base! |
| (48) If we let him thus alone, all [men] will
believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place
and nation. |
If we don't do something quick, he might run
for office, get elected, and we will lose out. We can't afford to have
any of these 'right wingers' in office! |
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