Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
For the choir director; with stringed instruments, on the sheminith; [a] a psalm by David.
6 O Lord, do not punish me in your anger
or discipline me in your rage.
2 Have pity on me, O Lord, because I am weak.
Heal me, O Lord, because my bones shake with terror.
3 My soul has been deeply shaken with terror.
But you, O Lord, how long … ?
4 Come back, O Lord.
Rescue me.
Save me because of your mercy!
5 In death, no one remembers you.
In the grave, who praises you?
6 I am worn out from my groaning.
My eyes flood my bed every night.
I soak my couch with tears.
7 My eyes blur from grief.
They fail because of my enemies.
8 Get away from me, all you troublemakers,
because the Lord has heard the sound of my crying.
9 The Lord has heard my plea for mercy.
The Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be put to shame and deeply shaken with terror.
In a moment they will retreat and be put to shame.
Jeremiah Is Thrown into a Muddy Cistern
38 Shephatiah (son of Mattan), Gedaliah (son of Pashhur), Jucal (son of Shelemiah), and Pashhur (son of Malchiah) heard that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people. 2 They heard Jeremiah say, “This is what the Lord says: Those who stay in this city will die in wars, famines, or plagues. But those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.
3 “This is what the Lord says: This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, and it will capture the city.”
4 Then the officials said to the king, “Have this man put to death. He discourages the soldiers who are left in this city and all the people by telling them such things. This man is not trying to help these people; he’s trying to hurt them.”
5 King Zedekiah answered, “He’s in your hands. I won’t do anything to stop you.”
6 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son. It was in the courtyard of the prison. They used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the cistern. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
7 But an official in the royal palace, Ebed Melech from Sudan, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern. The king happened to be sitting at Benjamin Gate. 8 Ebed Melech left the royal palace and spoke to the king at Benjamin Gate. 9 “Your Majesty, everything that these men have done to the prophet Jeremiah is wrong. They have thrown him into the cistern, where he’ll starve to death, because there’s no more bread in the city.”
10 Then the king gave Ebed Melech from Sudan this command: “Take 30 men from here, and lift the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.”
11 So Ebed Melech took the men with him and went to the royal palace, to a room under the treasury. He took rags and torn clothes from there and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed Melech from Sudan said to Jeremiah, “Put these rags and torn clothes under your arms to protect you from the ropes.” Jeremiah did. 13 They used the ropes to pull Jeremiah up and lift him out of the cistern. Then Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the prison.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(A)
5 Jesus sent these twelve out with the following instructions: “Don’t go among people who are not Jewish or into any Samaritan city. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel. 7 As you go, spread this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Cure the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse those with skin diseases, and force demons out of people. Give these things without charging, since you received them without paying.
9 “Don’t take any gold, silver, or even copper coins in your pockets. 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the trip, a change of clothes, sandals, or a walking stick. After all, the worker deserves to have his needs met.
11 “When you go into a city or village, look for people who will listen to you there. Stay with them until you leave ⌞that place⌟. 12 When you go into a house, greet the family. 13 If it is a family that listens to you, allow your greeting to stand. But if it is not receptive, take back your greeting. 14 If anyone doesn’t welcome you or listen to what you say, leave that house or city, and shake its dust off your feet. 15 I can guarantee this truth: Judgment day will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city.
16 “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves. 17 Watch out for people who will hand you over to the Jewish courts and whip you in their synagogues. 18 Because of me you will even be brought in front of governors and kings to testify to them and to everyone in the world. 19 When they hand you over ⌞to the authorities⌟, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. When the time comes, you will be given what to say. 20 Indeed, you’re not the ones who will be speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.
21 “Brother will hand over brother to death; a father will hand over his child. Children will rebel against their parents and kill them. 22 Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who patiently endures to the end will be saved. 23 So when they persecute you in one city, flee to another. I can guarantee this truth: Before you have gone through every city in Israel, the Son of Man will come.
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