Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Majesty and Condescension of God
113 Praise[a] the Lord!
(A)Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
2 (B)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
3 (C)From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.
4 The Lord is (D)high above all nations,
(E)His glory above the heavens.
5 (F)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
6 (G)Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
7 (H)He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the (I)needy out of the ash heap,
8 That He may (J)seat him with princes—
With the princes of His people.
9 (K)He grants the [b]barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Israel in the Furnace
17 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (A)the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a (B)furnace; they have become dross from silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to (C)melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have (D)poured out My fury on you.’ ”
Israel’s Wicked Leaders
23 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is (E)not [a]cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 (F)The conspiracy of her [b]prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they (G)have devoured [c]people; (H)they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 (I)Her priests have [d]violated My law and (J)profaned My holy things; they have not (K)distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her (L)princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy [e]people, and to get dishonest gain. 28 (M)Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, (N)seeing false visions, and divining (O)lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully (P)oppress the stranger. 30 (Q)So I sought for a man among them who would (R)make a wall, and (S)stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have (T)poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed (U)their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.
God’s Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? (A)If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 (B)He who did not spare His own Son, but (C)delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? (D)It is God who justifies. 34 (E)Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, (F)who is even at the right hand of God, (G)who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
(H)“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 (I)Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor (J)principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.