Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Song of Ascents
The Exiles Restored
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people: “The Lord has sent me to prophesy all the things you heard against this house and against this city. 13 Now, change your habits[a] and your deeds and obey the Lord your God, and the Lord will change his mind about the disaster that he told you about. 14 Look, I’m in your hands, so do with me what you think is good and right. 15 But know for certain that if you kill me, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and its residents because the Lord really did send me to you to say all these things for you to hear.”
The Elders Remember Micah’s Similar Message
16 The officials and all the people told the priests and the prophets, “No death sentence for this man because he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”
17 Some of the elders of the land got up and told all the assembled people, 18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign[b] of Hezekiah king of Judah to all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says:
“Zion will be a plowed field,
and Jerusalem a ruin.
The Temple Mount will be a wooded hill.”’[c]
19 “Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone in Judah kill him? Didn’t he fear the Lord and seek the Lord’s favor, and so the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he had spoken to them about. We’re bringing great disaster on ourselves. 20 There was also a man named Uriah, Shemaiah’s son from Kiriath-jearim, who prophesied in the Lord’s name. He prophesied about this city and this land in words similar to those of Jeremiah. 21 King Jehoiakim, all his troops, and all the officials heard his words, and the king sought to kill him. Uriah heard about this and was afraid, so he fled and went to Egypt. 22 King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt. He sent[d] Achbor’s son Elnathan, along with a contingent of men[e] into Egypt. 23 They brought Uriah out of Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who killed him with a sword. Then they threw his body into a common grave.[f]”
24 Yet because Shaphan’s son Ahikam supported Jeremiah,[g] he was not handed over to the people for them to kill.
11 Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—for on this basis the people received the Law—what further need would there be to speak of appointing another kind of priest according to the order of Melchizedek, not one according to the order of Aaron? 12 When a change in the priesthood takes place, there must also be a change in the Law. 13 For the person we are talking about belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served[a] at the altar. 14 Furthermore, it is obvious that our Lord was a descendant of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests coming from that tribe. 15 This point is even more obvious in that another priest who is like Melchizedek has appeared 16 who was appointed to be a priest,[b] not on the basis of a genealogical registry, but rather on the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared about him,
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”[c]
18 Indeed, because it was weak and ineffective, the former commandment has been annulled, 19 since the Law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is presented, by which we approach God.
20 Now none of this happened without an oath. Others became priests without any oath, 21 but Jesus[d] became a priest[e] with an oath when God[f] told him,
22 In this way, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
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