Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

(A special psalm by Ethan the Ezrahite.)

The Lord's Agreement with David

Seventy Years of Exile

25 ^1-2 (A) In the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah,^[a] which was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar^[b] was king of Babylonia, the Lord told me to speak to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. So I told them:

³ For 23 years now, ever since the thirteenth year that Josiah^[c] was king, I have been telling you what the Lord has told me. But you have not listened.

⁴ The Lord has sent prophets to you time after time, but you refused to listen. ⁵ They told you that the Lord had said:

Change your ways! If you stop doing evil, I will let you stay forever in this land that I gave your ancestors. ⁶ I don't want to harm you. So don't make me angry by worshiping idols and other gods.

⁷ But you refused to listen to my prophets. So I, the Lord, say that you have made me angry by worshiping idols, and you are the ones who were hurt by what you did.

² I, Paul, promise you that Christ won't do you any good if you get circumcised. ³ If you do, you must obey the whole Law. ⁴ And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his gift of undeserved grace. ⁵ But the Spirit makes us sure God will accept us because of our faith in Christ. ⁶ If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, it makes no difference whether you are circumcised or not. All that matters is your faith that makes you love others.