Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
8 [a]I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will (A)speak peace to His people, [b]to His godly ones;
But let them not (B)turn back to [c]folly.
9 Surely (C)His salvation is near to those who [d]fear Him,
That (D)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (E)Lovingkindness and [e]truth have met together;
(F)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 [f]Truth (G)springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 Indeed, (H)the Lord will give what is good,
And our (I)land will yield its produce.
13 (J)Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.
All the Tribes Are Guilty
3 Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire [a](A)family which [b]He brought up from the land of Egypt:
2 “(B)You only have I [c]chosen among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will [d](C)punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an [e]appointment?
4 Does a (D)lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion [f]growl from his den unless he has captured something?
5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no [g]bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
6 If a (E)trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a (F)calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?
7 [h]Surely the Lord [i]God does nothing
Unless He (G)reveals His secret counsel
To His servants the prophets.
8 A (H)lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The (I)Lord [j]God has spoken! (J)Who can but prophesy?
9 Proclaim on the citadels in (K)Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the (L)mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the (M)oppressions in her midst. 10 But they (N)do not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord, “these who (O)hoard up [k]violence and devastation in their citadels.”
11 Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
“An (P)enemy, even one surrounding the land,
Will pull down your [l]strength from you
And your (Q)citadels will be looted.”
12 Thus says the Lord,
2 (A)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time (B)for us as well, that God will open up to us a (C)door for (D)the word, so that we may speak forth (E)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also (F)been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear (G)in the way I ought to speak.
5 [a](H)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward (I)outsiders, [b](J)making the most of the opportunity. 6 (K)Let your speech always be [c]with grace, as though seasoned with (L)salt, so that you will know how you should (M)respond to each person.
7 (N)As to all my affairs, (O)Tychicus, our (P)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 (Q)For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may (R)encourage your hearts; 9 [d]and with him (S)Onesimus, our faithful and (T)beloved brother, (U)who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.
10 (V)Aristarchus, my (W)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also (X)Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received [e]instructions; (Y)if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only (Z)fellow workers for the kingdom of God (AA)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. 12 (AB)Epaphras, (AC)who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always (AD)laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may [f]stand [g](AE)perfect and [h]fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has [i]a deep concern for you and for those who are in (AF)Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 (AG)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also (AH)Demas. 15 Greet the brethren who are in (AI)Laodicea and also [j]Nympha and (AJ)the church that is in [k]her house. 16 (AK)When [l]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part (AL)read [m]my letter that is coming from (AM)Laodicea. 17 Say to (AN)Archippus, “Take heed to the (AO)ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may [n]fulfill it.”
18 [o]I, Paul, (AP)write this greeting with my own hand. (AQ)Remember my [p](AR)imprisonment. (AS)Grace be with you.
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