Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK 1
The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.
1 How blessed is the man 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 in His law he meditates (G)day and (H)night.
3 He will be like (I)a tree firmly 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 carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me: behold, two (B)baskets of figs set 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, very good; and the bad figs, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘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 again to this land; and I will (H)build them up and not overthrow them, and I will (I)plant them and not pluck them up. 7 I will 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 with their whole heart.
8 ‘But like the (M)bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness—indeed, thus says the Lord—so I will [a]abandon (N)Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the (O)remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and the ones who dwell in the land of (P)Egypt. 9 I will (Q)make them a terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a (R)reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a (S)curse in all places where I will scatter them. 10 I will send the (T)sword, the famine and the pestilence upon them until they are destroyed from the land which I gave to them and their forefathers.’”
Instructions and Greetings
16 Now concerning (A)the collection for (B)the saints, as (C)I directed the churches of (D)Galatia, so do you also. 2 On (E)the first day of every week each one of you is to [a]put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that (F)no collections be made when I come. 3 When I arrive, (G)whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; 4 and if it is fitting 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 may go. 7 For I do not wish 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 [b]for effective service has opened to me, and (Q)there are many adversaries.
10 Now if (R)Timothy comes, see that he is with you without [c]cause to be afraid, for he is doing (S)the Lord’s work, as I also am. 11 (T)So let no one despise him. But (U)send him on his way (V)in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.
12 But concerning (W)Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity.
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