Seven Life-Changing Habits

Psalm 114

¹ When Israel came out of Egypt,
   Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
² Judah became God’s sanctuary,
   Israel his dominion.

³ The sea looked and fled,
   the Jordan turned back;
⁴ the mountains leaped like rams,
   the hills like lambs.

⁵ Why was it, sea, that you fled?
   Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
⁶ Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
   you hills, like lambs?

⁷ Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
   at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸ who turned the rock into a pool,
   the hard rock into springs of water.

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honour your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

⁴ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶ Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷ Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, ⁸ because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

⁹ And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him.

The Armour of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Final Greetings

²¹ Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. ²² I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

²³ Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

1 A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

² The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
   the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
   and vents his wrath against his enemies.
³ The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
   the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
   and clouds are the dust of his feet.
⁴ He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
   he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither
   and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
⁵ The mountains quake before him
   and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence,
   the world and all who live in it.
⁶ Who can withstand his indignation?
   Who can endure his fierce anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire;
   the rocks are shattered before him.

⁷ The Lord is good,
   a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,
   ⁸ but with an overwhelming flood
he will make an end of Nineveh;
   he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

⁹ Whatever they plot against the Lord
   he will bring to an end;
   trouble will not come a second time.
¹⁰ They will be entangled among thorns
   and drunk from their wine;
   they will be consumed like dry stubble.
¹¹ From you, Nineveh, has one come forth
   who plots evil against the Lord
   and devises wicked plans.

¹² This is what the Lord says:

“Although they have allies and are numerous,
   they will be destroyed and pass away.
Although I have afflicted you, Judah,
   I will afflict you no more.
¹³ Now I will break their yoke from your neck
   and tear your shackles away.”

¹⁴ The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:
   “You will have no descendants to bear your name.
I will destroy the images and idols
   that are in the temple of your gods.
I will prepare your grave,
   for you are vile.”

¹⁵ Look, there on the mountains,
   the feet of one who brings good news,
   who proclaims peace!
Celebrate your festivals, Judah,
   and fulfill your vows.
No more will the wicked invade you;
   they will be completely destroyed.

Nineveh to Fall

2 An attacker advances against you, Nineveh.
   Guard the fortress,
   watch the road,
   brace yourselves,
   marshal all your strength!

² The Lord will restore the splendour of Jacob
like the splendour of Israel,
though destroyers have laid them waste
and have ruined their vines.

³ The shields of the soldiers are red;
   the warriors are clad in scarlet.
The metal on the chariots flashes
   on the day they are made ready;
   the spears of juniper are brandished.
⁴ The chariots storm through the streets,
   rushing back and forth through the squares.
They look like flaming torches;
   they dart about like lightning.

⁵ Nineveh summons her picked troops,
   yet they stumble on their way.
They dash to the city wall;
   the protective shield is put in place.
⁶ The river gates are thrown open
   and the palace collapses.
⁷ It is decreed that Nineveh
   be exiled and carried away.
Her female slaves moan like doves
   and beat on their breasts.
⁸ Nineveh is like a pool
   whose water is draining away.
“Stop! Stop!” they cry,
   but no one turns back.
⁹ Plunder the silver!
   Plunder the gold!
The supply is endless,
   the wealth from all its treasures!
¹⁰ She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
   Hearts melt, knees give way,
   bodies tremble, every face grows pale.

¹¹ Where now is the lions’ den,
   the place where they fed their young,
where the lion and lioness went,
   and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
¹² The lion killed enough for his cubs
   and strangled the prey for his mate,
filling his lairs with the kill
   and his dens with the prey.

¹³ “I am against you,”
   declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will burn up your chariots in smoke,
   and the sword will devour your young lions.
   I will leave you no prey on the earth.
The voices of your messengers
   will no longer be heard.”

Woe to Nineveh

3 Woe to the city of blood,
   full of lies,
full of plunder,
   never without victims!
² The crack of whips,
   the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
   and jolting chariots!
³ Charging cavalry,
   flashing swords
   and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
   piles of dead,
bodies without number,
   people stumbling over the corpses —
⁴ all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
   alluring, the mistress of sorceries,
who enslaved nations by her prostitution
   and peoples by her witchcraft.

⁵ “I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty.
   “I will lift your skirts over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness
   and the kingdoms your shame.
⁶ I will pelt you with filth,
   I will treat you with contempt
   and make you a spectacle.
⁷ All who see you will flee from you and say,
   ‘Nineveh is in ruins —who will mourn for her?’
   Where can I find anyone to comfort you?”

⁸ Are you better than Thebes,
   situated on the Nile,
   with water around her?
The river was her defense,
   the waters her wall.
⁹ Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength;
   Put and Libya were among her allies.
¹⁰ Yet she was taken captive
   and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed to pieces
   at every street corner.
Lots were cast for her nobles,
   and all her great men were put in chains.
¹¹ You too will become drunk;
   you will go into hiding
   and seek refuge from the enemy.

¹² All your fortresses are like fig trees
   with their first ripe fruit;
when they are shaken,
   the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
¹³ Look at your troops—
   they are all weaklings.
The gates of your land
   are wide open to your enemies;
   fire has consumed the bars of your gates.

¹⁴ Draw water for the siege,
   strengthen your defenses!
Work the clay,
   tread the mortar,
   repair the brickwork!
¹⁵ There the fire will consume you;
   the sword will cut you down—
   they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
   multiply like locusts!
¹⁶ You have increased the number of your merchants
   till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
but like locusts they strip the land
   and then fly away.
¹⁷ Your guards are like locusts,
   your officials like swarms of locusts
   that settle in the walls on a cold day—
but when the sun appears they fly away,
   and no one knows where.

¹⁸ King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber;
   your nobles lie down to rest.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
   with no one to gather them.
¹⁹ Nothing can heal you;
   your wound is fatal.
All who hear the news about you
   clap their hands at your fall,
for who has not felt
   your endless cruelty?