Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
137 Lord, you do what is right.
And your laws are fair.
138 The rules you commanded are right
and completely trustworthy.
139 I am so upset I am worn out.
This is because my enemies have forgotten your words.
140 Your promises are proven.
I, your servant, love them.
141 I am unimportant and hated.
But I have not forgotten your orders.
142 Your goodness continues forever.
And your teachings are true.
143 I have had troubles and misery.
But I love your commands.
144 Your rules are good forever.
Help me understand so I can live.
The Good Branch
14 The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will do the things I promised. I made a special promise to the people of Israel and Judah.
15 In those days and at that time,
I will make a righteous branch sprout from David’s family.
He will do what is fair and right in the land.
16 At this time Judah will be saved.
The people of Jerusalem will live in safety.
The branch will be named:
The Lord Does What Is Right.”
17 This is what the Lord says: “Someone from David’s family will always sit on the throne. And he will rule the family of Israel. 18 And there will always be priests from the family of Levi. Those priests will always stand before me. And they will offer burnt offerings and grain offerings. And they will offer sacrifices to me.”
19 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. 20 “This is what the Lord says: I have an agreement with day and night. I agreed that they will continue forever. Day and night will always come at the right times. If you could change that agreement, 21 you could also change my agreement with David and Levi. Only then would descendants from my servant David not be the kings on their thrones. And only then would the family of Levi not be priests serving me in the Temple. 22 But I will give many descendants to my servant David. And I will give them to the family group of Levi who serve me in the Temple. They will be as many as the stars in the sky that no one can count. And they will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore that no one can count.”
23 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 24 “Jeremiah, have you heard what the people are saying? They are saying: ‘The Lord turned away from the two families of Israel and Judah. He chose those people. But now he doesn’t think of them as a nation anymore!’”
25 This is what the Lord says: “If I had not made my agreement with day and night, and if I had not made the laws for the sky and earth, 26 only then might I turn away from Jacob’s descendants. And only then I might not let the descendants of David my servant rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And I will be kind to those people. I will cause good things to happen to them again.”
Paul Answers Those Who Accuse Him
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted.
Also from Timothy our brother in Christ.
To the church of God in Corinth, and to all of God’s people in the whole country of Southern Greece:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul Gives Thanks to God
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Father who is full of mercy. And he is the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us every time we have trouble, so that we can comfort others when they have trouble. We can comfort them with the same comfort that God gives us. 5 We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ. 6 If we have troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we have comfort, then you also have comfort. This helps you to accept patiently the same sufferings that we have. 7 Our hope for you is strong. We know that you share in our sufferings. So we know that you also share in the comfort we receive.
8 Brothers, we want you to know about the trouble we suffered in the country of Asia. We had great burdens there that were greater than our own strength. We even gave up hope for life. 9 Truly, in our own hearts we believed that we would die. But this happened so that we would not trust in ourselves. It happened so that we would trust in God, who raises people from death. 10 God saved us from these great dangers of death. And he will continue to save us. We have put our hope in him, and he will save us again. 11 And you can help us with your prayers. Then many people will give thanks for us—that God blessed us because of their many prayers.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.