Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer for Protection, Guidance, and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

¹⁷ Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹⁸ “Son of man, ^(A)eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. ¹⁹ Then say to the people of the land, ‘This is what the Lord God says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: “They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because ^[a]their land will be ^[b](B)stripped of its fullness on account of the violence of all who live in it. ²⁰ The inhabited ^(C)cities will be in ruins, and the ^(D)land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the Lord.”’”

²¹ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²² “Son of man, what is this ^(E)proverb you people have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The ^(F)days are long, and every ^(G)vision fails’? ²³ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “I will put an end to this proverb so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But tell them, “^(H)The days are approaching as well as the ^[c]fulfillment of every vision. ²⁴ For there will no longer be any ^[d](I)false vision or deceptive divination within the house of Israel. ²⁵ For I the Lord will speak whatever ^(J)word I speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in ^(K)your days, you ^(L)rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord God.’”

²⁶ Furthermore, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²⁷ “Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for ^(M)many ^[e]years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ ²⁸ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,”’” declares the Lord God.

^11 (A)Do not speak against one another, ^(B)brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or ^(C)judges his brother or sister, speaks against ^(D)the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not ^(E)a doer of the law but a judge of it. ¹² There is only one ^(F)Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is ^(G)able to save and to destroy; but ^(H)who are you, ^[a]judging your neighbor?

^13 (I)Come now, you who say, “^(J)Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” ^14 [b]Yet you do not know ^[c]what your life will be like tomorrow. ^(K)For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. ^15 [d]Instead, you ought to say, “^(L)If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast in your ^[e]arrogance; ^(M)all such boasting is evil.