Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
33 O Lord, teach me the way of Your Law and I will obey it to the end. 34 Give me understanding. Then I will listen to Your Word and obey it with all my heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your Word, for I find joy in it. 36 Turn my heart toward Your Law, so I will not earn money in a wrong way. 37 Turn my eyes away from things that have no worth, and give me new life because of Your ways. 38 Keep Your promise to Your servant, the promise You made to those who fear and worship You. 39 Turn away the shame that I do not want to come to me, for Your Law is good. 40 O, how I desire Your Law! Give me new life because of Your right and good way.
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15 The Word of the Lord came to me saying, 16 “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the desire of your eyes. But do not have sorrow or loud crying or any tears. 17 Cry inside yourself. Do not show sorrow for the dead. Put your head-covering on. Put your shoes on your feet. Do not cover your face or eat the bread of those in sorrow.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I was told. 19 And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?” 20 So I said to them, “The Word of the Lord came to me saying, 21 ’Tell the people of Israel, “The Lord God says, ‘I am about to let sin fill My holy place, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the happiness of your soul. And your sons and daughters you have left behind will be killed by the sword. 22 Then you will do as I have done. You will not cover your face or eat the bread of those in sorrow. 23 Your heads will be covered and your shoes will be on your feet. You will not have sorrow or cry. But you will waste away in your sins and cry in pain to one another. 24 So Ezekiel will be something special for you to see. You will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord God.’”
25 ‘Son of man, I will take away their strong-place that was their joy and pride, the desire of their eyes and the things their hearts wanted most. And I will take away their sons and their daughters. 26 On that day, one who gets away will come to you with the news. 27 That same day your mouth will be opened. You will speak with him and no longer be quiet. So you will be something special for them to see, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”
15 And how can someone tell them if he is not sent? The Holy Writings say, “The feet of those who bring the Good News are beautiful.” (A)
16 But they have not all listened to the Good News. Isaiah says, “Lord, who believed what we told them?” (B) 17 So then, faith comes to us by hearing the Good News. And the Good News comes by someone preaching it. 18 And so I ask, “Did they not hear?” For sure they did. The Holy Writings say, “Their voice was heard over all the earth. The Good News was told to the ends of the earth.” (C) 19 Again I ask, “Did the Jews not understand?” First of all, Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation. I will make you angry with a foolish nation of people who do not understand.” (D) 20 Isaiah says even stronger words, “I have been found by men who did not look for Me. I have shown Myself to those who were not asking for Me.” (E) 21 This is what God says about the Jews, “All day long I held out my hand to a people who would not obey Me and who worked against Me.” (F)
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