Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁸⁹ Forever, O Lord, your Word stands firm in heaven. ^90-91 Your faithfulness extends to every generation, like the earth you created; it endures by your decree, for everything serves your plans.

⁹² I would have despaired and perished unless your laws had been my deepest delight. ⁹³ I will never lay aside your laws, for you have used them to restore my joy and health. ⁹⁴ I am yours! Save me! For I have tried to live according to your desires. ⁹⁵ Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me, I will quietly keep my mind upon your promises.

⁹⁶ Nothing is perfect except your words.

36 In the fourth year of the reign of King Jehoiakim^[a] of Judah (son of Josiah) the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:

² “Get a scroll and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every one of them. ³ Perhaps when the people of Judah see in writing all the terrible things I will do to them, they will repent. And then I can forgive them.”

⁴ So Jeremiah sent for Baruch (son of Neriah), and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote down all the prophecies.

⁵ When all was finished, Jeremiah said to Baruch, “Since I am a prisoner here, ⁶ you read the scroll in the Temple on the next day of fasting, for on that day people will be there from all over Judah. ⁷ Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the Lord to forgive them before it is too late, even though these curses of God have been pronounced upon them.”

⁸ Baruch did as Jeremiah told him to and read all these messages to the people at the Temple. ⁹ This occurred on the day of fasting held in December of the fifth year of the reign of King Jehoiakim (son of Josiah). People came from all over Judah to attend the services at the Temple that day. ¹⁰ Baruch went to the office of Gemariah the scribe (son of Shaphan) to read the scroll. (This room was just off the upper assembly hall of the Temple, near the door of the New Gate.)

14 Let love be your greatest aim; nevertheless, ask also for the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives, and especially the gift of prophecy, being able to preach the messages of God.

² But if your gift is that of being able to “speak in tongues,” that is, to speak in languages you haven’t learned, you will be talking to God but not to others, since they won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be a secret. ³ But one who prophesies, preaching the messages of God, is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them. ⁴ So a person “speaking in tongues” helps himself grow spiritually, but one who prophesies, preaching messages from God, helps the entire church grow in holiness and happiness.

⁵ I wish you all had the gift of “speaking in tongues,” but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy, preaching God’s messages, for that is a greater and more useful power than to speak in unknown languages—unless, of course, you can tell everyone afterwards what you were saying, so that they can get some good out of it too.

⁶ Dear friends, even if I myself should come to you talking in some language you don’t understand, how would that help you? But if I speak plainly what God has revealed to me, and tell you the things I know, and what is going to happen, and the great truths of God’s Word—that is what you need; that is what will help you. ⁷ Even musical instruments—the flute, for instance, or the harp—are examples of the need for speaking in plain, simple English^[a] rather than in unknown languages. For no one will recognize the tune the flute is playing unless each note is sounded clearly. ⁸ And if the army bugler doesn’t play the right notes, how will the soldiers know that they are being called to battle? ⁹ In the same way, if you talk to a person in some language he doesn’t understand, how will he know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room.

¹⁰ I suppose that there are hundreds of different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them, ¹¹ but to me they mean nothing. A person talking to me in one of these languages will be a stranger to me and I will be a stranger to him. ¹² Since you are so anxious to have special gifts from the Holy Spirit, ask him for the very best, for those that will be of real help to the whole church.