Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Calm Trust in Yahweh

A song of ascents. Of David.^[a]

¹⁰ Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. ¹¹ Then Hananiah said before the eyes of all the people, saying,^[a] “Thus says Yahweh, ‘This is how I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, within two years,^[b] from the neck of all the nations.’” And Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.

¹² And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet broke the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, saying,^{[c] 13} “Go, and you must say to Hananiah, saying,^[d] ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You have broken yoke bars of wood, but you have made in place of them yoke bars of iron.” ¹⁴ For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, to serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and they will serve him, and I have even given the animals^[e] of the open field to him.”’”

¹⁵ Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Please listen, Hananiah, Yahweh has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. ¹⁶ Therefore^[f] thus says Yahweh, ‘Look, I am going to send you from the face of the earth. This year you will die because you have spoken rebellion against Yahweh.’” ¹⁷ And Hananiah the prophet died in that same year in the seventh month.

Jews Still Have an Advantage

3 Therefore, what is the advantage of the Jew, or what is the use of circumcision? ² Much in every way. For first, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. ³ What is the result^[a] if some refused to believe? Their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? ⁴ May it never be! But let God be true but every human being a liar, just as it is written,

⁵ But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? God, who inflicts wrath, is not unjust, is he? (I am speaking according to a human perspective.) ⁶ May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? ⁷ But if by my lying, the truth of God abounded to his glory, why am I also still condemned as a sinner? ⁸ And why not (as we are slandered, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, in order that good may come of it? Their^[d] condemnation is just!