Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Praise the Name of the Lord

Jeremiah Threatened with Death

26 ^(A)In the beginning of the reign of ^(B)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: ² “Thus says the Lord: ^(C)Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord ^(D)all the words that I command you to speak to them; ^(E)do not hold back a word. ^3 (F)It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, ^(G)that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them ^(H)because of their evil deeds. ⁴ You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(I)If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, ^5 (J)and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you ^(K)urgently, ^(L)though you have not listened, ⁶ then I will make this house ^(M)like Shiloh, and I will make this city ^(N)a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”

^7 (O)The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸ And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then ^(P)the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! ⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be ^(Q)like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, ^(R)without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

¹² Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. ¹³ Now therefore ^(A)mend your ways and your deeds, ^(B)and obey the voice of the Lord your God, ^(C)and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. ^14 (D)But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. ¹⁵ Only know for certain that if you put me to death, ^(E)you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

Stephen Is Seized

⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and ^(A)power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. ¹⁰ But ^(B)they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then ^(C)they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, ¹³ and they ^(D)set up false ^(E)witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against ^(F)this holy place and the law, ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth ^(G)will destroy this place and will ^(H)change ^(I)the customs that Moses delivered to us.” ¹⁵ And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face ^(J)was like the face of an angel.

^51 (A)“You stiff-necked people, ^(B)uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. ^(C)As your fathers did, so do you. ^52 (D)Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of ^(E)the Righteous One, ^(F)whom you have now betrayed and murdered, ⁵³ you who received the law ^(G)as delivered by angels and ^(H)did not keep it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ Now when they heard these things ^(I)they were enraged, and they ^(J)ground their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But he, ^(K)full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw ^(L)the glory of God, and Jesus standing ^(M)at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, “Behold, I see ^(N)the heavens opened, and ^(O)the Son of Man standing ^(P)at the right hand of God.” ⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together^[a] at him. ⁵⁸ Then ^(Q)they cast him out of the city and ^(R)stoned him. And ^(S)the witnesses laid down their garments ^(T)at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And as they were stoning Stephen, ^(U)he called out, “Lord Jesus, ^(V)receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ And ^(W)falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ^(X)“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, ^(Y)he fell asleep.