Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

¹² Then Jeremiah said to all the officials^(A) and all the people: “The Lord sent me to prophesy^(B) against this house and this city all the things you have heard.^{(C) 13} Now reform^(D) your ways and your actions and obey^(E) the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent^(F) and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ As for me, I am in your hands;^(G) do with me whatever you think is good and right. ¹⁵ Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood^(H) on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words^(I) in your hearing.”

¹⁶ Then the officials^(J) and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death!^(K) He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

¹⁷ Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, ¹⁸ “Micah^(L) of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says:

¹⁹ “Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah^(Q) fear the Lord and seek^(R) his favor? And did not the Lord relent,^(S) so that he did not bring the disaster^(T) he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster^(U) on ourselves!”

²⁰ (Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim^(V) was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. ²¹ When King Jehoiakim^(W) and all his officers and officials^(X) heard his words, the king was determined to put him to death.^(Y) But Uriah heard of it and fled^(Z) in fear to Egypt. ²² King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan^(AA) son of Akbor to Egypt, along with some other men. ²³ They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword^(AB) and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)^(AC)

²⁴ Furthermore, Ahikam^(AD) son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

Jesus Like Melchizedek

¹¹ If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people^(A) established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come,^(B) one in the order of Melchizedek,^(C) not in the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. ¹³ He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe,^(D) and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.^{(E) 14} For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah,^(F) and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. ¹⁵ And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶ one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is declared:

¹⁸ The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless^{(H) 19} (for the law made nothing perfect),^(I) and a better hope^(J) is introduced, by which we draw near to God.^(K)

²⁰ And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.^(N)