Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

For the choir director; with stringed instruments, ^[a]upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.

Cities of Judah Warned

26 In the beginning of the reign of ^(A)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying, ² “Thus says the Lord, ‘^(B)Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have ^(C)come to worship in the Lord’s house ^(D)all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. ^(E)Do not omit a word! ^3 (F)Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that ^(G)I may repent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.’ ⁴ And you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “^(H)If you will not listen to Me, to ^(I)walk in My law which I have set before you, ⁵ to listen to the words of ^(J)My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you ^[a]again and again, but you have not listened; ⁶ then I will make this house like ^(K)Shiloh, and this city I will make a ^(L)curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”

A Plot to Murder Jeremiah

⁷ The ^(M)priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸ When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “^(N)You must die! ⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be ^(O)desolate, without inhabitant’?” And ^(P)all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

¹⁰ When the ^(Q)officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat in the ^(R)entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s house. ¹¹ Then the priests and the prophets ^(S)spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A ^(T)death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied ^(U)against this city as you have heard in your hearing.”

¹² Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “^(V)The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.

Message to Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in ^(A)Smyrna write:

^(B)The first and the last, who ^[a](C)was dead, and has come to life, says this:

⁹ ‘I know your ^(D)tribulation and your ^(E)poverty (but you are ^(F)rich), and the blasphemy by those who ^(G)say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of ^(H)Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be ^(I)tested, and you will have tribulation ^(J)for ten days. ^[b]Be ^(K)faithful until death, and I will give you ^(L)the crown of life. ^11 (M)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(N)He who overcomes will not be hurt by the ^(O)second death.’