Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Song of degrees.

126 When Jehovah turned the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

² Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing: then said they among the nations, Jehovah hath done great things for them.

³ Jehovah hath done great things for us; [and] we are joyful.

⁴ Turn our captivity, O Jehovah, as the streams in the south.

⁵ They that sow in tears shall reap with rejoicing:

⁶ He goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for scattering; he cometh again with rejoicing, bearing his sheaves.

¹² And Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

¹³ And now, amend your ways and your doings, and hearken to the voice of Jehovah your God; and Jehovah will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.

¹⁴ But as for me, behold, I am in your hand; do unto me as seemeth good and right in your eyes:

¹⁵ only know for certain that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth Jehovah hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

¹⁶ And the princes and all the people said unto the priests and to the prophets, This man is not worthy to die; for he hath spoken to us in the name of Jehovah our God.

¹⁷ And there rose up certain of the elders of the land and spoke to all the congregation of the people, saying,

¹⁸ Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Zion shall be ploughed [as] a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

¹⁹ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? Did he not fear Jehovah, and supplicate Jehovah, and Jehovah repented him of the evil that he had pronounced against them? And we should be doing a great evil against our souls.

²⁰ And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of Jehovah, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim: and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah;

²¹ and Jehoiakim the king, and all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death; but Urijah heard it, and he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt.

²² And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and men with him, into Egypt;

²³ and they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king; and he slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the children of the people.

²⁴ —Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

¹¹ If indeed then perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, for the people had their law given to them in connexion with *it*, what need [was there] still that a different priest should arise according to the order of Melchisedec, and not be named after the order of Aaron?

¹² For, the priesthood being changed, there takes place of necessity a change of law also.

¹³ For he, of whom these things are said, belongs to a different tribe, of which no one has [ever] been attached to the service of the altar.

¹⁴ For it is clear that our Lord has sprung out of Juda, as to which tribe Moses spake nothing as to priests.

¹⁵ And it is yet more abundantly evident, since a different priest arises according to the similitude of Melchisedec,

¹⁶ who has been constituted not according to law of fleshly commandment, but according to power of indissoluble life.

¹⁷ For it is borne witness, *Thou* art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec.

¹⁸ For there is a setting aside of the commandment going before for its weakness and unprofitableness,

¹⁹ (for the law perfected nothing,) and the introduction of a better hope by which we draw nigh to God.

²⁰ And by how much [it was] not without the swearing of an oath;

²¹ (for they are become priests without the swearing of an oath, but he with the swearing of an oath, by him who said, as to him, The Lord has sworn, and will not repent [of it], *Thou* [art] priest for ever [according to the order of Melchisedec];)

²² by so much Jesus became surety of a better covenant.