Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Psalm of Praise
150 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his Holy Place.
Praise him in his great expanse.
2 Praise him for his mighty works.
Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with trumpet sounding.
Praise him with stringed instrument and harp.
4 Praise him with tambourine and dancing.
Praise him with stringed and wind instruments.
5 Praise him with loud cymbals.
Praise him with reverberating cymbals.
6 Let everyone who breathes praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!
A Message of Consolation
30 This message came from the Lord to Jeremiah: 2 “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Write all the words that I’ve spoken to you in a book. 3 Indeed, the time[a] will come,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I’ll restore the security of my people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘I’ll bring them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors, and they’ll possess it.’”
4 These are the words that the Lord spoke about Israel and Judah:
5 “Indeed, this is what the Lord says:
‘We have heard a sound of terror
and of fear, and there is no peace.
6 Ask about this and think about it—
Can a man give birth to a child?
Why then do I see every strong man
with his hands on his thighs
like a woman giving birth,
and all their faces have turned pale?
7 Oh how terrible! That time[b] will be worse
than any like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be rescued from it.
8 On that day,’ declares the Lord
of the Heavenly Armies,
‘I’ll break the yoke[c] from your neck
and will tear off your restraints.[d]
Foreigners will no longer make you[e] serve them.[f]
9 Rather, they will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.
10 ‘My servant Jacob, don’t be afraid,’ declares the Lord,
‘and Israel, don’t be dismayed.
For I’ll deliver you from a distant place
and your descendants from the land of their captivity.
Jacob will return. He will be undisturbed and secure,
and no one will cause him to fear.
11 For I’ll be with you to save you,’
declares the Lord.
‘For I’ll put an end to all the nations
where I scattered you;
but I won’t make an end of you.
I’ll discipline you justly,
but I certainly won’t leave you unpunished.’
10 This is how God’s children and the Devil’s children are distinguished.[a] No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God.
Love One Another
11 This is the message that you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain,[b] who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because what he was doing was evil and his brother’s actions[c] were righteous. 13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love one another. The person who does not love[d] remains spiritually[e] dead. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life present in him. 16 This is how we have come to know love: the Messiah[f] gave his life for us. We, too, ought to give our lives for our brothers.
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