On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of our exile, the leaders of the exiles from Judah were sitting in my house with me. Suddenly the power of the Sovereign LORD came on me.

Some of the leaders of the Israelites came to consult me about the LORD's will.

It was the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year of our exile. Some of the leaders of the Israelite community came to consult me about the LORD's will, and they sat down in front of me.

"Mortal man," he said, "speak to these leaders and tell them that the Sovereign LORD is saying: You have come to ask my will, have you? As surely as I am the living God, I will not let you ask me anything. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken.

Tell them what I am saying. When I chose Israel, I made them a promise. I revealed myself to them in Egypt and told them: I am the LORD your God.

I told them to throw away the disgusting idols they loved and not to make themselves unclean with the false gods of Egypt, because I am the LORD their God.

But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name, for in the presence of the people among whom they were living I had announced to Israel that I was going to lead them out of Egypt.

I gave them my commands and taught them my laws, which bring life to anyone who obeys them.

But even in the desert they defied me. They broke my laws and rejected my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They completely profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and to destroy them.

So I made a vow in the desert that I would not take them to the land I had given them, a rich and fertile land, the finest land of all.

"But then I took pity on them. I decided not to kill them there in the desert.

I am the LORD your God. Obey my laws and my commands.

"But that generation also defied me. They broke my laws and did not keep my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and to kill them all.

So I made another vow in the desert. I vowed that I would scatter them all over the world.

"Then I gave them laws that are not good and commands that do not bring life.

"Now then, mortal man, tell the Israelites what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them. This is another way their ancestors insulted me by their unfaithfulness.

I asked them: What are these high places where you go? So they have been called 'High Places' ever since.

Even today you offer the same gifts and defile yourselves with the same idols by sacrificing your children to them in the fire. And then you Israelites still come to ask what my will is! As surely as I, the Sovereign LORD, am the living God, I will not let you ask me anything.

She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching.

And so I sent for you at once, and you have been good enough to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God, waiting to hear anything that the Lord has instructed you to say."

The LORD said to his people, "Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths and where the best road is. Walk in it, and you will live in peace." But they said, "No, we will not!"

Then the LORD appointed sentries to listen for the trumpet's warning. But they said, "We will not listen."

I finished telling the people everything that the LORD their God had sent me to tell them.

Baruch son of Neriah has stirred you up against us, so that the Babylonians will gain power over us and can either kill us or take us away to Babylonia."

Then Johanan and all the army officers took everybody left in Judah away to Egypt, together with all the people who had returned from the nations where they had been scattered:

They disobeyed the LORD's command and went into Egypt as far as the city of Tahpanhes.

"We refuse to listen to what you have told us in the name of the LORD.

"So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.

"But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

He is like a man who, in building his house, dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. The river flooded over and hit that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

But anyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a man who built his house without laying a foundation; when the flood hit that house it fell at once---and what a terrible crash that was!"

Jesus said to them all, "My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

But Jesus answered, "Rather, how happy are those who hear the word of God and obey it!"

Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice.

They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like.

"When the LORD heard this, he said to me, 'I have heard what these people said, and they are right.

If only they would always feel this way! If only they would always honor me and obey all my commands, so that everything would go well with them and their descendants forever.

But their words were all lies; nothing they said was sincere.

They were not loyal to him; they were not faithful to their covenant with him.

The Lord said, "These people claim to worship me, but their words are meaningless, and their hearts are somewhere else. Their religion is nothing but human rules and traditions, which they have simply memorized.

My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?

What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!"---if you don't give them the necessities of life?

If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God?

My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.

That is why the LORD is going to teach you letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson. Then you will stumble with every step you take. You will be wounded, trapped, and taken prisoner.

The LORD said to me, "Jeremiah, when one of my people or a prophet or a priest asks you, 'What is the LORD's message?' you are to say, 'You are a burden to the LORD, and he is going to get rid of you.'

Instead, each one of them should ask their friends and their relatives, 'What answer has the LORD given? What has the LORD said?'

Jeremiah, ask the prophets, 'What answer did the LORD give you? What did the LORD say?'

When the Pharisees heard all this, they made fun of Jesus, because they loved money.

"You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they don't bear fruit.

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was very rich.

And he went on to say to them all, "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be."

He began to think to himself, 'I don't have a place to keep all my crops. What can I do?

Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself !'

And Jesus concluded, "This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight."

You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.