Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

O Lord, Deliver My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to ^(A)The Sheminith.^[a] A Psalm of David.

Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern

38 Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, ^(A)Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and ^(B)Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, ² “Thus says the Lord: ^(C)He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, ^(D)but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. ³ Thus says the Lord: ^(E)This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” ⁴ Then the officials said to the king, ^(F)“Let this man be put to death, ^(G)for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking ^(H)the welfare of this people, but their harm.” ⁵ King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, ^(I)for the king can do nothing against you.” ⁶ So they took Jeremiah ^(J)and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in ^(K)the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down ^(L)by ropes. ^(M)And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and ^(N)Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Jeremiah Rescued from the Cistern

⁷ When ^(O)Ebed-melech ^(P)the Ethiopian, ^(Q)a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting ^(R)in the Benjamin Gate— ^8 (S)Ebed-melech went from the king's house and said to the king, ⁹ “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of ^(T)hunger, ^(U)for there is no bread left in the city.” ¹⁰ Then the king commanded ^(V)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” ¹¹ So ^(W)Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern ^(X)by ropes. ¹² Then ^(Y)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and ^(Z)the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. ¹³ Then they drew Jeremiah up with ^(AA)ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the ^(AB)court of the guard.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

^5 (A)These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of ^(B)the Samaritans, ^6 (C)but go rather to ^(D)the lost sheep of ^(E)the house of Israel. ⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, ^(F)‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ^8 (G)Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,^[a] cast out demons. ^(H)You received without paying; give without pay. ^9 (I)Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, nor two tunics^[b] nor sandals nor a staff, for ^(J)the labourer deserves his food. ¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹² As you enter the house, ^(K)greet it. ¹³ And if the house is ^(L)worthy, let ^(M)your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let ^(N)your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, ^(O)shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, ^(P)it will be more bearable on the day of judgement for ^(Q)the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

^16 (R)“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be ^(S)wise as serpents and ^(T)innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for ^(U)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you ^(V)in their synagogues, ^18 (W)and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, ^(X)to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ^19 (Y)When ^(Z)they deliver you over, ^(AA)do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for ^(AB)what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ^20 (AC)For it is not you who speak, but ^(AD)the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ^21 (AE)Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ^22 (AF)and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. ^(AG)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they ^(AH)persecute you in one town, ^(AI)flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel ^(AJ)before the Son of Man comes.