Thursday, May 27, 2021

 Jeremiah 4:19–31

¹⁹Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. ²⁰Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment. ²¹How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?

²²"My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good."

²³I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone. ²⁴I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. ²⁵I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away. ²⁶I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger.

²⁷This is what the LORD says:

"The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely. ²⁸Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back."

²⁹At the sound of horsemen and archers every town takes to flight. Some go into the thickets; some climb up among the rocks. All the towns are deserted; no one lives in them.

³⁰What are you doing, O devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why shade your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.

³¹I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child-- the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, "Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers."

 

 

Psalm 119:129–136

¹²⁹Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. ¹³⁰The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. ¹³¹I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. ¹³²Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. ¹³³Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. ¹³⁴Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. ¹³⁵Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees. ¹³⁶Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

 

 

Acts 2:1–13

¹When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ²Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" ¹²Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

¹³Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine. "