Happy is he who does what he says, and loves what he has ...

Be Careful How You Worship

1 Be careful what you do when you enter the house of God. Fools go there to offer sacrifices, because all they do is sin. But it's best just to listen when you go to worship. 2 Don't talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don't talk too much. 3 If you keep thinking about something, you will dream about it. If you talk too much, you will say the wrong thing.

4 God doesn't like fools. So don't be slow to keep your promises to God. 5 It's better not to make a promise at all than to make one and not keep it. 6 Don't let your mouth get you in trouble! And don't say to the worship leader, “I didn't mean what I said.” God can destroy everything you have worked for, so don't say something that makes God angry.

7 Respect and obey God! Daydreaming leads to a lot of senseless talk.

If your GOOD told you, it was because your EVIL helped you! Listen to yourself!

[ME]

Prophets Who Fool Themselves

9 Be shocked and stunned, you prophets!

Refuse to see. 

Get drunk and stagger, but not from wine.

10 The Lord has made you drowsy; he put you into a deep sleep and covered your head.

11 Now his message is like a sealed letter to you. Some of you say, “We can't read it, because it's sealed.” 12 Others say, “We can't read it, because we don't know how to read.”

13 The Lord has said:

“These people praise me with their words, but they never really think about me.

They worship me by repeating rules made up by humans.

14 So once again I will do things that shock and amaze them, and I will destroy the wisdom

of those who claim to know and understand.”

15 You are in for trouble, if you try to hide your plans from the Lord!

Or if you think what you do in the dark can't be seen.

16 You have it all backwards.

A clay dish doesn't say to the potter, “You didn't make me.

You don't even know how.”

Hope for the Future

17 Soon the forest of Lebanon will become a field with crops, thick as a forest.

18 The deaf will be able to hear whatever is read to them; the blind will be freed from a life of darkness.

19 The poor and the needy will celebrate and shout because of the Lord, the holy God of Israel.

20 All who are cruel and arrogant will be gone forever. Those who live by crime will disappear, 21 together with everyone who tells lies in court and keeps innocent people from getting a fair trial.

22 The Lord who rescued Abraham has this to say about Jacob's descendants:

“They will no longer be ashamed and disgraced.

23 When they see how great I have made their nation, they will praise and honor me, the holy God of Israel.

24 Everyone who is confused will understand, and all who have complained will obey my teaching.”

“This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”

[ME]

16 So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. 17 Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”

If, by chance, God spoke, what would He say about you?

[ME]

Israel Refuses To Listen

8 The Lord told me to write down his message for his people, so that it would be there forever. 9 They have turned against the Lord and can't be trusted. They have refused his teaching 10 and have said to his messengers and prophets: Don't tell us what God has shown you and don't preach the truth. Just say what we want to hear, even if it's false. 11 Stop telling us what God has said! We don't want to hear any more about the holy One of Israel.

12 Now this is the answer of the holy One of Israel: “You rejected my message, and you trust in violence and lies.

13 This sin is like a crack that makes a high wall quickly crumble 14 and shatter like a crushed bowl.

There's not a piece left big enough to carry hot coals or to dip out water.”

Trust the Lord

15 The holy Lord God of Israel had told all of you, “I will keep you safe if you turn back to me

and calm down.

I will make you strong if you quietly trust me.”

Then you stubbornly 16 said, “No! We will safely escape on speedy horses.”

But those who chase you will be even faster.

17 As few as five of them, or even one, will be enough to chase a thousand of you.

Finally, all that will be left will be a few survivors as lonely as a flag pole on a barren hill.

Your hands do not touch me, but your thoughts do...

[ME]

Idols Are Useless

21 I am the Lord, the King of Israel!

Come argue your case with me.

Present your evidence.

22 Come near me, you idols.

Tell us about the past, and we will think about it.

Tell us about the future, so we will know what is going to happen.

23 Prove that you are gods by making your predictions come true.

Do something good or evil, so we can be amazed and terrified.

24 You idols are nothing, and you are powerless. To worship you would be disgusting.

25 I, the Lord, appointed a ruler in the north; now he comes from the east to honor my name. He tramples kings like mud, as potters trample clay.

26 Did any of you idols predict what would happen?

Did any of you get it right?

None of you told about this or even spoke a word.

27 I was the first to tell the people of Jerusalem, “Look, it's happening!”

I was the one who announced this good news to Zion.

28 None of these idols are able to give advice or answer questions.

29 They are nothing, and they can do nothing— they are merely a passing breeze.

I say that you must be born from above.

Jesus and Nicodemus

1There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God's kingdom!”

4Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?”

5 Jesus answered:

I tell you for certain that before you can get into God's kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. 6 Humans give life to their children. Yet only God's Spirit can change you into a child of God. 7 Don't be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. 8 Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going.

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 Jesus replied:

How can you be a teacher of Israel and not know these things? 11 I tell you for certain we know what we are talking about because we have seen it ourselves. But none of you will accept what we say. 12 If you don't believe when I talk to you about things on earth, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about things in heaven?

13 No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. 14 And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as the metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert. 15 Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.

16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! 18 No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son.

19 The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. 20 People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. 21 But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.

Jesus and John the Baptist

22 Later, Jesus and his disciples went to Judea, where he stayed with them for a while and was baptizing people.

23-24   John had not yet been put in jail. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was a lot of water, and people were coming there for John to baptize them.

25 John's followers got into an argument with a Jewish man about a ceremony of washing. 26 They went to John and said, “Rabbi, you spoke about a man when you were with him east of the Jordan. He is now baptizing people, and everyone is going to him.”

27 John replied:

No one can do anything unless God in heaven allows it. 28 You surely remember how I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am only the one sent ahead of him.

29 At a wedding the groom is the one who gets married. The best man is glad just to be there and to hear the groom's voice. That's why I am so glad. 30 Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.

The One Who Comes from Heaven

31 God's Son comes from heaven and is above all others. Everyone who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all others. 32He speaks about what he has seen and heard, and yet no one believes him. 33 But everyone who does believe him has shown that God is truthful. 34 The Son was sent to speak God's message, and he has been given the full power of God's Spirit.

35   The Father loves the Son and has given him everything. 36Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever.

É preciso nascer de novo!

Encontro de Jesus com Nicodemos

1 Havia entre os fariseus um homem chamado Nicodemos, que era um dos chefes dos judeus. 2 Durante a noite foi ter com Jesus e disse-lhe: «Mestre, sabemos que Deus te enviou para nos ensinares. Ninguém pode realizar os sinais que tu fazes, se Deus não estiver com ele.» 3 Jesus respondeu-lhe: «Fica sabendo que ninguém pode ver o reino de Deus se não nascer de novo.» 4 Nicodemos perguntou-lhe então: «Como é que um homem idoso pode voltar a nascer? Pode entrar no ventre de sua mãe e nascer outra vez?» 5 Jesus respondeu: «Fica sabendo que só quem nascer da água e do Espírito é que pode entrar no reino de Deus. 6 O que nasce de pais humanos é apenas humano, o que nasce do espírito é espiritual. 7 Não te admires por eu te dizer: é preciso nascer de novo. 8 O vento sopra onde quer; ouves o seu ruído, mas não sabes donde vem nem para onde vai. Assim acontece também com aquele que nasce do Espírito.»

9 Nicodemos insistiu: «Como é que isso pode ser?» 10 Jesus respondeu: «Tu és um dos mestres do povo de Israel e não sabes estas coisas? 11 Repara bem no que te vou dizer: quando falamos é porque sabemos e quando afirmamos alguma coisa é porque vimos, mas não querem aceitar o que eu vos digo. 12 Se não acreditam em mim quando vos falo das coisas deste mundo, como podem crer quando vos falar das do Céu? 13 Ninguém subiu ao céu a não ser o Filho do Homem que veio do Céu. 14 Assim como Moisés levantou a serpente de bronze no deserto, assim também é necessário que o Filho do Homem seja levantado 15 para que todo aquele que nele crer tenha a vida eterna.

16 Deus amou de tal modo o mundo que entregou o seu Filho único, para que todo o que nele crer não se perca, mas tenha a vida eterna. 17 Não foi para condenar o mundo que Deus lhe enviou o seu Filho, mas sim para que o mundo fosse salvo por ele. 18 Quem crê nele não é condenado, mas quem não crê já está condenado, porque não acreditou no nome do Filho único de Deus.

19 O motivo da condenação é este: a luz veio ao mundo, mas o mundo preferiu as trevas porque as suas obras eram más. 20 De facto, quem faz o mal detesta a luz e foge dela, para que as suas más obras não sejam descobertas; 21 mas o que pratica a verdade, aproxima-se da luz e assim mostra publicamente que as suas obras foram feitas segundo a vontade de Deus.»

Jesus e João Batista

22 Jesus foi mais tarde para a região da Judeia, com os discípulos. Passou lá algum tempo com eles e batizava. 23 João estava também a batizar em Enon, perto de Salim, pois havia ali muita água, e o povo ia ter com ele para ser batizado. 24 Nessa altura, ainda João não tinha sido preso.

25 Um certo dia, levantou-se uma discussão entre alguns discípulos de João e um judeu a respeito das cerimônias de purificação. 26 Foram por isso ter com João e disseram-lhe: «Mestre, aquele homem que estava contigo na outra margem do Jordão e do qual deste testemunho, anda agora a batizar e toda a gente vai ter com ele.» 27 João respondeu: «O homem não pode conseguir nada se não lhe for dado por Deus. 28 Vós mesmos sois testemunhas de que eu disse: Eu não sou o Messias mas apenas o que foi enviado adiante dele. 29 O noivo é aquele a quem pertence a noiva e o amigo do noivo participa na boda e escuta a voz do noivo e regozija-se em ouvi-lo. Assim, também a minha alegria está agora completa. 30 Ele é que deve crescer em importância e eu diminuir. 31 Aquele que vem lá do alto está acima de todos os outros. Quem vem da Terra pertence à Terra e fala das coisas terrenas. O que vem do céu está acima de todos os outros; 32 fala como testemunha do que lá viu e ouviu, mas ninguém aceita o que ele diz. 33 Aceitar o seu testemunho é reconhecer que Deus é verdadeiro, 34 porque aquele que Deus enviou fala as palavras de Deus e não dá o Espírito por medida. 35 O Pai ama o Filho e deu-lhe poder sobre todas as coisas. 36 Aquele que acredita no Filho tem a vida eterna; quem não se deixa convencer pelo Filho não tem parte nessa vida, mas sobre ele recai o castigo de Deus.»