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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.
Duration: 1245 days
New English Translation (NET)
Version
Psalm 6

Psalm 6[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style;[b] a psalm of David.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger.
Do not discipline me in your raging fury.[c]
Have mercy on me,[d] Lord, for I am frail.
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking.[e]
I am absolutely terrified,[f]
and you, Lord—how long will this continue?[g]
Relent, Lord, rescue me![h]
Deliver me because of your faithfulness.[i]
For no one remembers you in the realm of death.[j]
In Sheol who gives you thanks?[k]
I am exhausted as I groan.
All night long I drench my bed in tears;[l]
my tears saturate the cushion beneath me.[m]
My eyes[n] grow dim[o] from suffering;
they grow weak[p] because of all my enemies.[q]
Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly,[r]
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.[s]
The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy;
the Lord has accepted[t] my prayer.
10 They will be humiliated[u] and absolutely terrified.[v]
All my enemies will turn back and be suddenly humiliated.

Jeremiah 38:1-13

Jeremiah Is Charged with Treason and Put in a Cistern to Die

38 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal[a] son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur[b] son of Malkijah had heard[c] the things that Jeremiah had been telling the people. They had heard him say, “The Lord says, ‘Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease.[d] Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians[e] will live. They will escape with their lives.’”[f] They had also heard him say,[g] “The Lord says, ‘This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. They will capture it.’”[h] So these officials said to the king, “This man must be put to death. For he is demoralizing[i] the soldiers who are left in the city as well as all the other people there by these things he is saying.[j] This[k] man is not seeking to help these people but is trying to harm them.”[l] King Zedekiah said to them, “Very well, you can do what you want with him.[m] For I cannot do anything to stop you.”[n] So the officials[o] took Jeremiah and put him in the cistern[p] of Malkijah, one of the royal princes,[q] that was in the courtyard of the guardhouse. There was no water in the cistern, only mud. So when they lowered Jeremiah into the cistern with ropes he sank in the mud.[r]

An Ethiopian Official Rescues Jeremiah from the Cistern

An Ethiopian, Ebed Melech,[s] a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put[t] in the cistern. While the king was holding court[u] at the Benjamin Gate, Ebed Melech departed the palace and went to speak to the king. He said to him, “Your royal Majesty, those men have been very wicked in all that they have done to the prophet Jeremiah. They have thrown him into a cistern and he is sure to die of starvation there because there is no food left in the city.”[v] 10 Then the king gave Ebed Melech the Ethiopian the following order: “Take thirty[w] men with you from here and go pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasure room in the palace.[x] He got some worn-out clothes and old rags[y] from there and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed Melech[z] called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags and worn-out clothes under your armpits to pad the ropes.”[aa] Jeremiah did as Ebed Melech instructed.[ab] 13 So they pulled Jeremiah up from the cistern with ropes. Jeremiah, however, still remained confined[ac] to the courtyard of the guardhouse.

Matthew 10:5-23

Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows:[a] “Do not go on a road that leads to Gentile regions[b] and do not enter any Samaritan town.[c] Go[d] instead to the lost sheep[e] of the house of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’ Heal the sick, raise the dead,[f] cleanse lepers,[g] cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not take gold, silver, or copper[h] in your belts, 10 no bag[i] for the journey, or an extra tunic,[j] or sandals or staff,[k] for the worker deserves his provisions. 11 Whenever[l] you enter a town or village,[m] find out who is worthy there[n] and stay with them[o] until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet those within it.[p] 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.[q] 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off[r] your feet as you leave that house or that town. 15 I tell you the truth,[s] it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah[t] on the day of judgment than for that town!

Persecution of Disciples

16 “I[u] am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves,[v] so be wise as serpents[w] and innocent as doves.[x] 17 Beware[y] of people, because they will hand you over to councils[z] and flog[aa] you in their synagogues.[ab] 18 And you will be brought before governors and kings[ac] because of me, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19 Whenever[ad] they hand you over for trial,[ae] do not worry about how to speak or what to say,[af] for what you should say will be given to you at that time.[ag] 20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brother[ah] will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against[ai] parents and have them put to death. 22 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved! 23 Whenever[aj] they persecute you in one town,[ak] flee to another! I tell you the truth,[al] you will not finish going through all the towns[am] of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

New English Translation (NET)

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