Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
8 I will listen to what God will say;
surely the Lord will declare peace
to His people, His godly ones,
and not let them go back to foolish ways.(A)
9 His salvation is very near those who fear Him,
so that glory may dwell in our land.(B)
10 Faithful love and truth will join together;
righteousness and peace will embrace.(C)
11 Truth will spring up from the earth,
and righteousness will look down from heaven.(D)
12 Also, the Lord will provide what is good,
and our land will yield its crops.(E)
13 Righteousness will go before Him
to prepare the way for His steps.(F)
A Call to Repentance
6 Come, let us return to the Lord.(A)
For He has torn us,(B)
and He will heal us;(C)
He has wounded us,
and He will bind up our wounds.(D)
2 He will revive us after two days,(E)
and on the third day He will raise us up
so we can live in His presence.(F)
3 Let us strive to know the Lord.(G)
His appearance is as sure as the dawn.(H)
He will come to us like the rain,(I)
like the spring showers that water the land.
The Lord’s First Lament
4 What am I going to do with you, Ephraim?(J)
What am I going to do with you, Judah?
Your loyalty is like the morning mist(K)
and like the early dew that vanishes.
5 This is why I have used the prophets
to cut them down;[a](L)
I have killed them with the words of My mouth.
My judgment strikes like lightning.[b]
6 For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God(M) rather than burnt offerings.(N)
Thanksgiving
2 We always thank God for all of you, remembering you constantly in our prayers. 3 We recall, in the presence of our God and Father,(A) your work of faith,(B) labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,(C) 4 knowing your election,(D) brothers loved(E) by God.(F) 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit,(G) and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you(H) for your benefit, 6 and you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message(I) with joy from the Holy Spirit. 7 As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia(J) and Achaia.(K) 8 For the Lord’s message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith[a](L) in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, 9 for they themselves report[b] what kind of reception(M) we had from you: how you turned(N) to God from idols(O) to serve the living(P) and true(Q) God 10 and to wait(R) for His Son(S) from heaven, whom He raised from the dead(T)—Jesus, who rescues us(U) from the coming wrath.(V)
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