Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK 1
The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.
1 Blessed is the person who (A)does not walk in the (B)counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the [a](C)path of sinners,
Nor (D)sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his (E)delight is (F)in the Law of the Lord,
And on His Law he meditates (G)day and (H)night.
3 He will be like (I)a tree planted by [b]streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its [c]leaf does not wither;
And [d]in whatever he does, (J)he prospers.
Baskets of Figs and the Returnees
24 After (A)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and metalworkers from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me: behold, two (B)baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. 2 One basket had very good figs, like (C)first-ripe figs, and the other basket had (D)very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness. 3 Then the Lord said to me, “(E)What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs: the good figs are very good, and the bad ones, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard (F)as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans. 6 For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will (G)bring them back to this land; and I will (H)build them up and not overthrow them, and I will (I)plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will also give them a (J)heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be (K)My people, and I will be their God, for they will (L)return to Me wholeheartedly.
8 ‘But like the (M)bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness,’ indeed, this is what the Lord says, ‘so will I give up (N)Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the (O)remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and the ones who live in the land of (P)Egypt. 9 I will (Q)make them an object of terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a (R)disgrace and a proverb, a taunt and a (S)curse in all the places where I will scatter them. 10 And I will send the (T)sword, the famine, and the plague upon them until they are eliminated from the land which I gave to them and their forefathers.’”
Instructions and Greetings
16 Now concerning (A)the collection for [a](B)the saints, as (C)I directed the churches of (D)Galatia, so you are to do as well. 2 On (E)the first day of every week, each of you is to [b]put aside and save as he may prosper, so that (F)no collections need to be made when I come. 3 When I arrive, (G)whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; 4 and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.
5 But I (H)will come to you after I go through (I)Macedonia; for I (J)am going through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may (K)send me on my way wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now (L)just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, (M)if the Lord permits. 8 But I will remain in (N)Ephesus until (O)Pentecost; 9 for a (P)wide door [c]for effective service has opened to me, and (Q)there are many adversaries.
10 Now if (R)Timothy comes, see that he [d]has no reason to be afraid while among you, for he is doing (S)the Lord’s work, as I also am. 11 (T)So do not look down on him, anyone. But (U)send him on his way (V)in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.
12 Now concerning our brother (W)Apollos, I strongly encouraged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has the opportunity.
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