Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 25 October 2020

 Today marks the beginning of the last week of October, making us half the distance in the "-brrrr" months of what has not been a wonderful year for about anyone.  The last two months, weather-wise and such, will probably be worse if not much worse.  But it's beyond my power to do much about any of it.  That's well above my pay grade, which is probably just as well.

Wife is feeling a teeny bit better, so perhaps on the morrow I can get back on the flooring work here.  I'd expected to have everything complete six weeks ago if not longer, but when she's feeling lousy, which is frankly the "normal" situation, any noise, dust, about any change in things, affects her badly and she makes it known.  So perhaps I can get things back on track.  Very important as the weather detereriorates and some OSB is about all that separates us from the outside, and the joints aren't totally air tight.  So I'll be busy, I hope.

And, added to that, is that in two days is the birthday of my step-daughter.  She's to turn 36 then.  We've had no communication in several years, by her choice.  Originally it was just me that was deemed to be a "deplorable" or suchlike, but I hear that she's also severed ties with most of the rest of the family, and much of her husband's family as well.  We heard that she'd had a baby, though we've seen no pictures, had nothing whatever to do with things.  Which hurts, terribly.  And hurts Wife even more.  So it will be a tough week just due to that.

We shall see.

=====================

JEREMIAH 45

1The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

2Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch;

3Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

4Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

5And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

JEREMIAH 46

1The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;

2Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh–neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

3Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

4Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.

5Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the Lord.

6Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

7Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?

8Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.

9Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Ludim, that handle and bend the bow.

10For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

11Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

12The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

13The word that the Lord spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

14Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

15Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did drive them.

16He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

17They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

18As I live, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

19O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Memphis shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

20Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.

21Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

22The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

23They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.

24The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

25The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:

26And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord.

27But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

28Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.