Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Thanksgiving for Return from Captivity.

A Song of Ascents.

¹² Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “^(A)The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. ¹³ Now then, ^(B)reform your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will relent of the disaster which He has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ But as for me, behold, ^(C)I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight. ¹⁵ Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring ^(D)innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words ^[a]so that you hear them.”

Jeremiah Is Spared

¹⁶ Then the officials and all the people ^(E)said to the priests and the prophets, “No ^(F)death sentence for this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” ¹⁷ Then ^(G)some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, ¹⁸ “^[b](H)Micah of Moresheth used to prophesy in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies has said:

¹⁹ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah actually put him to death? Did he not ^(K)fear the Lord and plead for the favor of the Lord, and ^(L)the Lord relented of the disaster which He had pronounced against them? But we are ^(M)committing a great evil against our own lives!”

²⁰ Indeed, there was also a man who used to prophesy in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from ^(N)Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah. ²¹ When King Jehoiakim and all his warriors and all the officials heard his words, then the ^(O)king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard about it, and he was afraid, so he ^(P)fled and went to Egypt. ²² Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: ^(Q)Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him, to Egypt. ²³ And they brought Uriah from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who ^(R)killed him with a sword and threw his dead body into the ^[d]burial place of the ^[e]common people.

²⁴ But the hand of ^(S)Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was ^(T)not handed over to the people to put him to death.

^11 (A)So if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it ^(B)the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise ^(C)according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. ¹³ For ^(D)the one about whom ^(E)these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord ^[a]was ^(F)descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses said nothing concerning priests. ¹⁵ And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become a priest not on the basis of a law of ^[b](G)physical requirement, but according to the power of ^(H)an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is attested of Him,

¹⁸ For, on the one hand, there is the nullification of a former commandment ^(J)because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for ^(K)the Law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, there is the introduction of a better ^(L)hope, through which we ^(M)come near to God. ²⁰ And to the extent that it was not without an oath ²¹ (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

²² by the same extent Jesus also has become the ^[c](Q)guarantee of ^(R)a better covenant.