Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Jeremiah Compelled to Preach
7 You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.
You seized me and prevailed.
I am a laughingstock all the time;(A)
everyone ridicules me.
8 For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!”(B)
because the word of the Lord has become for me
constant disgrace and derision.
9 If I say, “I won’t mention Him
or speak any longer in His name,”
His message becomes a fire burning in my heart,(C)
shut up in my bones.
I become tired of holding it in,
and I cannot prevail.
10 For I have heard the gossip of many people,
“Terror is on every side
Report him; let’s report him!”
Everyone I trusted[b] watches for my fall.(E)
“Perhaps he will be deceived
so that we might prevail against him
and take our vengeance on him.”
11 But the Lord is with me like a violent warrior.(F)
Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly shamed,
an everlasting humiliation that will never be forgotten.
12 Lord of Hosts, testing the righteous
and seeing the heart[c] and mind,
let me see Your vengeance on them,
for I have presented my case to You.(G)
13 Sing to the Lord!
Praise the Lord,
for He rescues the life of the needy
from the hand of evil people.
7 For I have endured insults because of You,
and shame has covered my face.(A)
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers
and a foreigner to my mother’s sons(B)
9 because zeal for Your house has consumed me,(C)
and the insults of those who insult You
have fallen on me.(D)
10 I mourned and fasted,
but it brought me insults.(E)
11 I wore sackcloth as my clothing,
and I was a joke to them.
12 Those who sit at the city gate talk about me,
and drunkards make up songs about me.(A)
13 But as for me, Lord,
my prayer to You is for a time of favor.
In Your abundant, faithful love, God,
answer me with Your sure salvation.(B)
14 Rescue me from the miry mud; don’t let me sink.
Let me be rescued from those who hate me
and from the deep waters.(C)
15 Don’t let the floodwaters sweep over me
or the deep swallow me up;
don’t let the Pit close its mouth over me.(D)
The New Life in Christ
6 What should we say then?(A) Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?(B) 2 Absolutely not!(C) How can we who died to sin(D) still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized(E) into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?(F) 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death,(G) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead(H) by the glory of the Father,(I) so we too may walk in a new way[a] of life.(J) 5 For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death,(K) we will certainly also be[b] in the likeness of His resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self[c](L) was crucified with Him(M) in order that sin’s dominion over the body[d] may be abolished,(N) so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died(O) is freed[e] from sin’s claims.[f] 8 Now if we died with Christ,(P) we believe that we will also live with Him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead,(Q) will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him.(R) 10 For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin(S) but alive to God in Christ Jesus.[g]
24 A disciple[a] is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.(A) 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!(B)
Fear God
26 “Therefore,(C) don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.(D) 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper,[b] proclaim on the housetops.(E) 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul;(F) rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.(G) 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?[c] Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s(H) consent.[d] 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.(I) 31 So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.(J)
Acknowledging Christ
32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven.(K) 33 But whoever denies Me before men,(L) I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.(M) 35 For I came to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and a man’s enemies will be
the members of his household.(N)[e]
37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me;(O) the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow[f] Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding[g] his life will lose it,(P) and anyone losing[h] his life because of Me will find it.(Q)
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