Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁰ At this point Hananyah the prophet took the crossbar off the prophet Yirmeyahu’s neck and broke it. ¹¹ Then Hananyah, in front of all the people, said, “Thus says Adonai: ‘In just this way will I break off the yoke of N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel from the necks of all the nations within two years.’”

The prophet Yirmeyahu left them; ¹² but then this word of Adonai came to Yirmeyahu, after Hananyah the prophet had broken off the crossbar from the neck of the prophet Yirmeyahu: ¹³ “Go and tell Hananyah that Adonai:says, ‘You have broken the crossbars of wood, but you will make in their place crossbars of iron. ¹⁴ For here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: “I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, so that they can serve N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel; and they will serve him; and I have given him the wild animals too.”’”

¹⁵ Then the prophet Yirmeyahu said to Hananyah the prophet, “Listen here, Hananyah! Adonai has not sent you! You are making these people trust in a lie! ¹⁶ Therefore, here is what Adonai says: ‘I am about to send you away from the face of the earth — this year you will die, because you have preached rebellion against Adonai.’” ¹⁷ Hananyah the prophet died that same year, in the seventh month.

3 Then what advantage has the Jew? What is the value of being circumcised? ² Much in every way! In the first place, the Jews were entrusted with the very words of God. ³ If some of them were unfaithful, so what? Does their faithlessness cancel God’s faithfulness? ⁴ Heaven forbid! God would be true even if everyone were a liar! — as the Tanakh says,

⁵ Now if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what should we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict his anger on us? (I am speaking here the way people commonly do.) ⁶ Heaven forbid! Else, how could God judge the world? ⁷ “But,” you say, “if, through my lie, God’s truth is enhanced and brings him greater glory, why am I still judged merely for being a sinner?” ⁸ Indeed! Why not say (as some people slander us by claiming we do say), “Let us do evil, so that good may come of it”? Against them the judgment is a just one!