Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
126 A Song of the Ascents. In Jehovah's turning back [to] the captivity of Zion, We have been as dreamers.
2 Then filled [with] laughter is our mouth, And our tongue [with] singing, Then do they say among nations, `Jehovah did great things with these.'
3 Jehovah did great things with us, We have been joyful.
4 Turn again, O Jehovah, [to] our captivity, As streams in the south.
5 Those sowing in tears, with singing do reap,
6 Whoso goeth on and weepeth, Bearing the basket of seed, Surely cometh in with singing, bearing his sheaves!
12 And Jeremiah speaketh unto all the heads, and unto all the people, saying, `Jehovah sent me to prophesy concerning this house, and concerning 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 doth repent concerning the evil that He hath spoken against you.
14 `And I, lo, I [am] in your hand, do to me as is good and as is right in your eyes;
15 Only, know ye certainly, that if ye are putting me to death, surely innocent blood ye are putting on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly hath Jehovah sent me unto you to speak in your ears all these words.'
16 And the heads and all the people say unto the priests and unto the prophets, `There is not for this man a judgment of death, for in the name of Jehovah our God he hath spoken unto us.'
17 And certain of the elders of the land rise up, and speak unto all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 `Micah the Morashtite hath been prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he saith unto all the people of Judah, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Zion is a plowed field, and Jerusalem is heaps, And the mountain of the house is for high places of a forest.
19 `Put him at all to death did Hezekiah king of Judah, and all Judah? Did he not fear Jehovah? yea, he appeaseth the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah repenteth concerning the evil that He spake against them; and we are doing great evil against our souls.
20 `And also there hath been a man prophesying in the name of Jehovah, Urijah son of Shemaiah, of Kirjath-Jearim, and he prophesieth against this city, and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah,
21 And the king Jehoiakim, and all his mighty ones, and all the heads, hear his words, and the king seeketh to put him to death, and Urijah heareth, and feareth, and fleeth, and goeth in to Egypt.
22 And the king Jehoiakim sendeth men to Egypt -- Elnathan son of Achbor, and men with him unto Egypt --
23 And they bring out Urijah from Egypt, and bring him in unto the king Jehoiakim, and he smiteth him with a sword, and casteth his corpse unto the graves of the sons of the people.'
24 Only, the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan hath been with Jeremiah so as not to give him up into the hand of the people to put him to death.
11 If indeed, then, perfection were through the Levitical priesthood -- for the people under it had received law -- what further need, according to the order of Melchisedek, for another priest to arise, and not to be called according to the order of Aaron?
12 for the priesthood being changed, of necessity also, of the law a change doth come,
13 for he of whom these things are said in another tribe hath had part, of whom no one gave attendance at the altar,
14 for [it is] evident that out of Judah hath arisen our Lord, in regard to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15 And it is yet more abundantly most evident, if according to the similitude of Melchisedek there doth arise another priest,
16 who came not according to the law of a fleshly command, but according to the power of an endless life,
17 for He doth testify -- `Thou [art] a priest -- to the age, according to the order of Melchisedek;'
18 for a disannulling indeed doth come of the command going before because of its weakness, and unprofitableness,
19 (for nothing did the law perfect) and the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw nigh to God.
20 And inasmuch as [it is] not apart from oath, (for those indeed apart from oath are become priests,
21 and he with an oath through Him who is saying unto him, `The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest -- to the age, according to the order of Melchisedek;')
22 by so much of a better covenant hath Jesus become surety,