Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.
For the music director; with stringed instruments, [a]upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.
6 Lord, (A)do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor discipline me in Your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am (B)frail;
(C)Heal me, Lord, for (D)my bones are horrified.
3 And my (E)soul is greatly horrified;
But You, Lord—(F)how long?
4 Return, Lord, (G)rescue my [b]soul;
Save me because of Your mercy.
5 For (H)there is no [c]mention of You in death;
In [d]Sheol, who will praise You?
Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern
38 Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the (A)son of Shelemiah, and (B)Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Anyone who (C)stays in this city will die by the (D)sword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who surrenders to the Chaldeans will live and have his own (E)life as plunder, and stay alive.’ 3 This is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be (F)handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.’” 4 Then the (G)officials said to the king, “Please have this man put to death, since he is [a](H)discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and [b]all the people, by speaking words like these to them; for this man (I)is not seeking the well-being of this people, but rather their harm.” 5 And King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your [c]hands; for the king (J)can do nothing against you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the (K)cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only (L)mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud. 7 But (M)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a [d](N)eunuch, while he was in the king’s palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern. Now the king was sitting at the (O)Gate of Benjamin; 8 and Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and spoke to the king, saying, 9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have thrown into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is (P)no more bread in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take thirty men from here [e]under your authority and bring Jeremiah the prophet up from the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech took the men under his [f]authority and went into the king’s palace to a place beneath the storeroom, and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags, and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah. 12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits under the ropes”; and Jeremiah did so. 13 So they pulled Jeremiah out with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the (Q)courtyard of the guardhouse.
5 (A)These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go on a road [a]to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of (B)Samaritans; 6 but rather go to (C)the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, [b]preach, saying, ‘(D)The kingdom of heaven [c]has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 (E)Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a [d]bag for your journey, or even two [e]tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for (F)the worker is deserving of his [f]support. 11 And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay [g]at his house until you leave that city. 12 As you enter the [h]house, (G)give it your [i]greeting. 13 If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, [j]take back your blessing of peace. 14 And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, (H)shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I say to you, (I)it will be more tolerable for the land of (J)Sodom and Gomorrah on (K)the day of judgment, than for that city.
A Hard Road Ahead of Them
16 “(L)Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as (M)wary as serpents, and as (N)innocent as doves. 17 But be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the (O)courts and flog you (P)in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 (Q)But when they hand you over, (R)do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour. 20 For (S)it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking [k]in you.
21 “Now (T)brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and (U)children will rise up against parents and [l]cause them to be put to death. 22 And (V)you will be hated by all because of My name, but (W)it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
23 “But whenever they (X)persecute you in [m]one city, flee to the [n]next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel (Y)until the Son of Man comes.
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