Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Love of God^[a]

Jerusalem the Unfaithful

16 The Lord spoke to me again. ² “Mortal man,” he said, “point out to Jerusalem what disgusting things she has done. ³ Tell Jerusalem what the Sovereign Lord is saying to her:

“You were born in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.^{[a] 4} When you were born, no one cut your umbilical cord or washed you^[b] or rubbed you with salt or wrapped you in cloths. ⁵ No one took enough pity on you to do any of these things for you. When you were born, no one loved you. You were thrown out in an open field.

⁶ “Then I passed by and saw you squirming in your own blood. You were covered with blood, but I wouldn't let you die. ⁷ I made you grow like a healthy plant. You grew strong and tall and became a young woman.^[c] Your breasts were well-formed, and your hair had grown, but you were naked.

⁸ “As I passed by again, I saw that the time had come for you to fall in love. I covered your naked body with my coat and promised to love you. Yes, I made a marriage covenant with you, and you became mine.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

⁹ “Then I took water and washed the blood off you. I rubbed olive oil on your skin. ¹⁰ I dressed you in embroidered gowns and gave you shoes of the best leather, a linen headband, and a silk cloak. ¹¹ I put jewels on you—bracelets and necklaces. ¹² I gave you a nose ring and earrings and a beautiful crown to wear. ¹³ You had ornaments of gold and silver, and you always wore clothes of embroidered linen and silk. You ate bread made from the best flour, and had honey and olive oil to eat. Your beauty was dazzling, and you became a queen. ¹⁴ You became famous in every nation for your perfect beauty, because I was the one who made you so lovely.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

3 Do the Jews then have any advantage over the Gentiles? Or is there any value in being circumcised? ² Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews. ³ But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful? ^4 (A)Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says,

⁵ But what if our doing wrong serves to show up more clearly God's doing right? Can we say that God does wrong when he punishes us? (This would be the natural question to ask.) ⁶ By no means! If God is not just, how can he judge the world?

⁷ But what if my untruth serves God's glory by making his truth stand out more clearly? Why should I still be condemned as a sinner? ⁸ Why not say, then, “Let us do evil so that good may come”? Some people, indeed, have insulted me by accusing me of saying this very thing! They will be condemned, as they should be.