Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹³ Then I said, “Adonai, God! The prophets are telling them, ‘You won’t see war, and you won’t have famine; but I will give you secure peace in this place.’” ¹⁴ Adonai replied, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I didn’t send them, order them or speak to them. They are prophesying false visions to you, worthless divinations, the delusions of their own minds. ¹⁵ Therefore,” Adonai says, “concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, whom I did not send, yet they say, ‘There will be neither war nor famine in this land’ — it will be war and famine that will destroy those prophets. ¹⁶ And the people to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Yerushalayim because of the famine and war, with no one to bury them — them, or their wives, or their sons, or their daughters — because I will pour their own wickedness out upon them. ¹⁷ You are to give them this message:

5 So imitate God, as his dear children; ² and live a life of love, just as also the Messiah loved us, indeed, on our behalf gave himself up as an offering, as a slaughtered sacrifice to God with a pleasing fragrance. ³ Among you there should not even be mentioned sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or greed; these are utterly inappropriate for God’s holy people. ⁴ Also out of place are obscenity and stupid talk or coarse language; instead, you should be giving thanks. ⁵ For of this you can be sure: every sexually immoral, impure or greedy person — that is, every idol-worshipper — has no share in the Kingdom of the Messiah and of God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty talk; for it is because of these things that God’s judgment is coming on those who disobey him.