Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Blessed State of the Righteous

A Call to Repentance

⁶ The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what ^(A)backsliding Israel has done? She has ^(B)gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. ^7 (C)And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous ^(D)sister Judah saw it. ⁸ Then I saw that ^(E)for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had ^(F)put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; ^(G)yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. ⁹ So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she ^(H)defiled the land and committed adultery with ^(I)stones and trees. ¹⁰ And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me ^(J)with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.

¹¹ Then the Lord said to me, ^(K)“Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. ¹² Go and proclaim these words toward ^(L)the north, and say:

¹⁴ “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; ^(R)“for I am married to you. I will take you, ^(S)one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to ^(T)Zion.

Adultery in the Heart

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said ^[a]to those of old, ^(A)‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say to you that whoever ^(B)looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ^29 (C)If your right eye causes you to ^[b]sin, ^(D)pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to ^[c]sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Marriage Is Sacred and Binding^(E)

³¹ “Furthermore it has been said, ^(F)‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³² But I say to you that ^(G)whoever divorces his wife for any reason except ^[d]sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Jesus Forbids Oaths

³³ “Again you have heard that ^(H)it was said to those of ^[e]old, ^(I)‘You shall not swear falsely, but ^(J)shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, ^(K)do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is ^(L)God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of ^(M)the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.