Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

(A song for worship.)

A Prayer for Mercy

Punishment for Worshiping Other Gods

¹⁶ Jeremiah, don't pray for these people! I, the Lord, would refuse to listen. ¹⁷ Do you see what the people of Judah are doing in their towns and in the streets of Jerusalem? ^18 (A) Children gather firewood, their fathers build fires, and their mothers mix dough to bake bread for the goddess they call the Queen of Heaven.^[a] They even offer wine sacrifices to other gods, just to insult me. ¹⁹ But they are not only insulting me; they are also harming themselves by doing these shameful things.

²⁰ And now, I, the Lord All-Powerful, will flood Judah with my fiery anger until nothing is left—no people or animals, no trees or crops.

It Is Useless To Offer Sacrifices

²¹ The Lord told me to say to the people of Judah:

I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, but I won't accept sacrifices from you. So don't even bother bringing them to me. You might as well just cook the meat for yourselves.

²² At the time I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, I didn't command them to offer sacrifices to me. ²³ Instead, I told them, “If you listen to me and do what I tell you, I will be your God, you will be my people, and all will go well for you.” ²⁴ But your ancestors refused to listen. They were stubborn, and whenever I wanted them to go one way, they always went the other. ²⁵ Ever since your ancestors left Egypt, I have been sending my servants the prophets to speak for me. ²⁶ But you have ignored me and become even more stubborn and sinful than your ancestors ever were!

⁷ You judge by appearances.^[a] If any of you think you are the only ones who belong to Christ, then think again. We belong to Christ as much as you do. ⁸ Maybe I brag a little too much about the authority that the Lord gave me to help you and not to hurt you. Yet I am not embarrassed to brag. ⁹ And I am not trying to scare you with my letters. ¹⁰ Some of you are saying, “Paul's letters are harsh and powerful. But in person, he is a weakling and has nothing worth saying.” ¹¹ Those people had better understand that when I am with you, I will do exactly what I say in my letters.