Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The New Covenant

²⁷ “Look, the days are coming,” declares^[a] Yahweh, “and I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humankind, and with the seed of animals.^{[b] 28} And then^[c] as I have watched over them to pull up, and to tear down, and to annihilate, and to destroy, and to do evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares^[d] Yahweh. ²⁹ “In those days they will say no longer, ‘Parents^[e] have eaten unripe fruit, and the teeth of the children are set on edge^[f].’ ³⁰ But^[g] each will die because of his iniquity, everyone^[h] who eats the unripe fruit, their teeth will be set on edge.^[i]

³¹ Look, the days are coming,” declares^[j] Yahweh, “and I will make^[k] a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, ³² not like the covenant that I made^[l] with their ancestors^[m] on the day of my grasping them^[n] by their hand, bringing them out from the land of Egypt, my covenant that they themselves broke, though I myself was a master over them,” declares^[o] Yahweh. ³³ “But this is the covenant that I will make^[p] with the house of Israel after those days,” declares^[q] Yahweh: “I will put my law in their inward parts and on their hearts^[r] I will write it, and I will be to them God, and they themselves will be to me people. ³⁴ And they will no longer teach each one his neighbor, or each one his brother, saying,^[s] ‘Know Yahweh,’ for all of them will know me, from their smallest^[t] and up to their greatest,”^[u] declares^[v] Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will no longer remember.”

Mem

¹⁴ But you continue in the things which you have learned and are convinced of, because you^[a] know from whom you learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the holy writings that are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Paul’s Charge to Timothy

4 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, ² preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and instruction. ³ For there will be a time when they will not put up with sound teaching, but in accordance with their own desires, they will accumulate for themselves teachers, because they have an insatiable curiosity^[b], ⁴ and they will turn away from the hearing of the truth, but will turn to myths. ⁵ But you, be self-controlled in all things, bear hardship patiently, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The Parable of the Unjust Judge

18 And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged, ² saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. ³ And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary!’ ⁴ And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, ‘Even if I do not fear God or respect people, ⁵ yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her^[a] coming back!’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! ⁷ And will not God surely see to it that justice is done^[b] to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? ⁸ I tell you that he will see to it that justice is done^[c] for them soon! Nevertheless, when^[d] the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?”