Day 256: Hard Seasons (2026)

Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:04)

Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to The Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 256 We're reading three chapters today, one from Jeremiah, Jeremiah 51 It's one of the longest chapters in the entire book of Jeremiah, which is the longest book in the Bible. So a little fun facts for you guys. Lamentations 4 and 5, the conclusion of basically of lamentations as Jeremiah observes the pain and the suffering of the people of Jerusalem as he walks through the city under siege. And we're also reading Proverbs 18 verses 9 through 12 As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version of the Second Catholic Edition. I'm using The Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bible in a Year and click off those last 109 days. That'd be great. That'd be awesome. Why not do that? You also can subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe and receiving daily episodes and daily updates. It is Day 256 and we're reading Jeremiah 51, Lamentations 4 and 5, Proverbs 18, 9-12.

The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 51 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon, against the inhabitants of Chaldea. And I will send to Babylon winnowers, and they shall winnow her. And they shall empty her land, when they come against her from every side on the day of trouble. Let not the archer bend his bow, and let him not stand up in his coat of mail. Spare not her young men, utterly destroy all her host. They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and wounded in her streets. For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the Lord of hosts. But the land of the Chaldeans is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel. Flee from the midst of Babylon, let every man save his life. Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her. Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, making all the earth drunken. The nations drank of her wine, therefore the nations went mad. Suddenly, Babylon has fallen and been broken. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain, perhaps she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed. Forsake her, and let us go each to his own country, for her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies. The Lord has brought forth our vindication. Come, let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God. Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields. The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the king of the Medes because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it. For that is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance for his temple. Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon. Make the watch strong. Set up watchmen. Prepare the ambushes. For the Lord has both planned and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon. O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come. The threat of your life is cut. The Lord of hosts has sworn by himself, Surely I will fill you with men, as many as locusts, and they shall raise the shout of victory over you. It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Every man is stupid and without knowledge. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion. At the time of their punishment, they shall perish.

Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance. The Lord of hosts is his name.

You are my hammer and weapon of war. With you I break nations in pieces. With you I destroy kingdoms. With you I break in pieces the horse and his rider. With you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer. With you I break in pieces man and woman. With you I break in pieces the old man and the youth. With you I break in pieces the young man and the maiden. With you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock. With you I break in pieces the farmer and his team. With you I break in pieces governors and commanders.