Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁷ God of heaven’s armies, take us back.
    Show us your kindness so we can be saved.

⁸ You brought us out of Egypt as if we were a vine.
    You forced out other nations and planted us in the land.
⁹ You cleared the land for us.
    Like a vine, we took root and filled the land.
¹⁰ We covered the mountains with our shade.
    We had limbs like the mighty cedar tree.
¹¹ Our branches reached the Mediterranean Sea.
    And our shoots went to the Euphrates River.

¹² So why did you pull down our walls?
    Now everyone who passes by steals from us.
¹³ Like wild pigs they walk over us.
    Like wild animals they feed on us.

¹⁴ God of heaven’s armies, come back.
    Look down from heaven and see.
Take care of us, your vine.
¹⁵     You planted this shoot with your own hands.
    You raised and strengthened this child.

²⁶ “A thief is ashamed when someone catches him stealing.
    In the same way the family of Israel is ashamed.
The kings and the officers,
    the priests and the prophets are ashamed.
²⁷ They say to things of wood, ‘You are my father.’
    They say to idols of stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’
Those people won’t look at me.
    They have turned their backs to me.
But when they get into trouble, they say,
    ‘Come and save us!’
²⁸ Where are the idols you have made for yourselves?
    Let them come and save you
    when you are in trouble!
People of Judah, you have as many idols
    as you have towns!

²⁹ “Why do you accuse me?
    All of you have turned against me,” says the Lord.
³⁰ “I punished your people, but it did not help.
    They didn’t come back when they were punished.
You killed with your swords the prophets who came to you.
    You were like a dangerous lion.

Have I been like a desert to the people of Israel?
    Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to them?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to wander.
    We won’t come to you anymore’?
³² A young woman does not forget her jewelry.
    A bride does not forget the decorations for her dress.
But my people have forgotten me
    for more days than can be counted!
³³ You really know how to chase after love.
    Even the worst women can learn evil ways from you.
³⁴ You have blood on your clothes.
    It is the blood of the poor and innocent people.
You killed them,
    but they weren’t thieves you had caught breaking in.
You do all these things,
³⁵     but you say, ‘I am innocent.
    God is not angry with me.’
But I will judge you guilty of lying.
    It is because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
³⁶ It is so easy for you to change your mind.
    Assyria let you down.
    And Egypt will let you down, too.
³⁷ You will eventually leave that place.
    And, like captives, your hands will be on your head.
You trusted those countries.
    But you will not be helped by them.
This is because the Lord has rejected them.