12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and ^shis brothers¹ and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 ^tThe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus ^uwent up to Jerusalem. 14 ^vIn the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make ^wmy Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, ^x“Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 So the Jews said to him, ^y“What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, ^z“Destroy this temple, and in three days ^aI will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,² and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about ^bthe temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, ^chis disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed ^dthe Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus Knows What Is in Man

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name ^ewhen they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus ^fon his part did not entrust himself to them, because ^ghe knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for ^ghe himself knew what was in man.

Wisdom from Above

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? ^mBy his good conduct let him show his works ⁿin the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter ^ojealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not ^pthe wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^qdemonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But ^rthe wisdom from above is first pure, then ^speaceable, gentle, open to reason, ^tfull of mercy and good fruits, ^uimpartial and ^vsincere. 18 And ^wa harvest of righteousness ^xis sown in peace by those who make peace.

Fear God

1 ⁿGuard your steps when you go to ^othe house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to ^poffer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 ¹ Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore ^qlet your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with ^rmany words.

4 When ^syou vow a vow to God, ^tdo not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. ^uPay what you vow. 5 ^vIt is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you² into sin, and do not say before ^wthe messenger³ that it was ^xa mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;⁴ but^{5 y}God is the one you must fear.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

8 ^zIf you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, ^ado not be amazed at the matter, ^bfor the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.⁶

10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

13 ^cThere is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 ^dAs he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what ^egain is there to him who ^ftoils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he ^geats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

18 Behold, what I have seen to be ^hgood and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment⁷ in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his ⁱlot. 19 Everyone also to whom ^jGod has given ^kwealth and possessions ^land power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is ^mthe gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

Famine, Sword, and Pestilence

1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning ^ythe drought:

11 The Lord said to me: ^r“Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, ^sand though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them ^tby the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

Lying Prophets

13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets ^usay to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’” 14 And the Lord said to me: “The ^vprophets are prophesying lies in my name. ^wI did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, ^xworthless divination, and ^ythe deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although ^wI did not send them, and who say, ^t‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: ^zBy sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, ^awith none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

The Lord Will Not Relent

1 Then the Lord said to me, ^p“Though ^qMoses ^rand Samuel ^sstood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! 2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord:

3 ^uI will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the Lord: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and ^vthe birds of the air ^wand the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. 4 ^xAnd I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what ^yManasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah’s Complaint

10 ^kWoe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! ^lI have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. 11 The Lord said, “Have I not¹ set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress? 12 Can one break iron, iron ^mfrom the north, and bronze?

13 ⁿ“Your wealth and your treasures I will give as ^ospoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. 14 I will make you serve your enemies ^pin a land that you do not know, ^qfor in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”