Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 O God of Heaven’s Armies,[a] restore us.
Smile on us.[b] Then we will be delivered.[c]
8 You uprooted a vine[d] from Egypt;
you drove out nations and transplanted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it;[e]
it took root,[f]
and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the highest cedars[g] by its branches.
11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea,[h]
and its shoots the Euphrates River.[i]
12 Why did you break down its walls,[j]
so that all who pass by pluck its fruit?[k]
13 The wild boars of the forest ruin it;[l]
the insects[m] of the field feed on it.
14 O God of Heaven’s Armies,[n] come back.
Look down from heaven and take notice.
Take care of this vine,
15 the root[o] your right hand planted,
the shoot you made to grow.[p]
23 “How can you say, ‘I have not made myself unclean.
I have not paid allegiance to[a] the gods called Baal.’
Just look at the way you have behaved in the Valley of Hinnom![b]
Think about the things you have done there!
You are like a flighty, young female camel
that rushes here and there, crisscrossing its path.[c]
24 You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness.
In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male.[d]
No one can hold her back when she is in heat.
None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her.
At mating time she is easy to find.[e]
25 Do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear out
and your throats become dry.[f]
But you say, ‘It is useless for you to try and stop me
because I love those foreign gods[g] and want to pursue them!’
26 Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught,
so the people of Israel[h] will suffer dishonor for what they have done.[i]
So will their kings and officials,
their priests and their prophets.
27 They say to a wooden idol,[j] ‘You are my father.’
They say to a stone image, ‘You gave birth to me.’[k]
Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me.[l]
Yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’
28 But where are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them save you when you are in trouble.
The sad fact is that[m] you have as many gods
as you have towns, Judah.
29 Why do you try to refute me?[n]
All of you have rebelled against me,”
says the Lord.
30 “It did no good for me to punish your people.
They did not respond to such correction.
You slaughtered your prophets
like a voracious lion.[o]
31 You people of this generation,
listen to the Lord’s message:
“Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel?
Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you?[p]
Why then do you[q] say, ‘We are free to wander.[r]
We will not come to you anymore?’
32 Does a young woman forget to put on her jewels?
Does a bride forget to put on her bridal attire?
But my people have forgotten me
for more days than can even be counted.
33 “My, how good you have become
at chasing after your lovers![s]
Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two![t]
34 Even your clothes are stained with
the lifeblood of the poor who had not done anything wrong;
you did not catch them breaking into your homes.[u]
Yet, in spite of all these things you have done,[v]
35 you say, ‘I have not done anything wrong,
so the Lord cannot really be angry with me any more.’
But, watch out![w] I will bring down judgment on you
because you say, ‘I have not committed any sin.’
36 Why do you constantly go about[x]
changing your political allegiances?[y]
You will get no help from Egypt
just as you got no help from Assyria.[z]
37 Moreover, you will come away from Egypt
with your hands covering your faces in sorrow and shame[aa]
because the Lord will not allow your reliance on them to be successful
and you will not gain any help from them.[ab]
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world[a] 16 by holding on to[b] the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you. 18 And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.
True and False Righteousness
3 Finally, my brothers and sisters,[a] rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2 Beware of the dogs,[b] beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh![c] 3 For we are the circumcision,[d] the ones who worship by the Spirit of God,[e] exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials[f] 4 —though mine too are significant.[g] If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials,[h] I have more:
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