Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
68 “Let us thank the Lord, the God of Israel.
God has come to help his people and has given them freedom.
69 God has given us a powerful Savior
from the family of God’s servant David.
70 God said that he would do this.
He said it through his holy prophets who lived long ago.
71 God will save us from our enemies
and from the power of all those who hate us.
72 God said he would give mercy to our ancestors.
And he remembered his holy promise.
73 God promised Abraham, our father,
74 that he would free us from the power of our enemies,
so that we could serve him without fear.
75 We will be righteous and holy before God as long as we live.
76 “Now you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go first before the Lord
to prepare the people for his coming.
77 You will make his people know that they will be saved.
They will be saved by having their sins forgiven.
78 With the loving mercy of our God,
a new day from heaven will shine upon us.
79 God will help those who live in darkness,
in the fear of death.
He will guide us into the path that goes toward peace.”
God Rejects King Zedekiah’s Request
21 This is the word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. It came when Zedekiah king of Judah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah to Jeremiah. He also sent the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. 2 They said, “Ask the Lord for us what will happen. We want to know because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the Lord will do miracles for us as he did in the past. Maybe he will make Nebuchadnezzar stop attacking us and leave.”
3 But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell King Zedekiah this: 4 ‘Here is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have weapons of war in your hands. You are using them to defend yourselves against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians. But I will make those weapons useless. The army from Babylon is all around the outside of the city wall. Soon I will bring that army into the center of the city. 5 I myself will fight against you with my great power and strength. I am very angry with you. So I will fight against you with my own powerful arm. I will fight very hard against you in my very great anger. 6 I will kill everything living in Jerusalem—both people and animals. They will die from terrible diseases. 7 Then, says the Lord, I’ll give Zedekiah king of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will also give Zedekiah’s officers to Nebuchadnezzar. Some of the people in Jerusalem will not die from the terrible diseases. Some will not die in battle or from hunger. I will give them also to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will let those win who want to kill the people of Judah. So the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be killed in war. Nebuchadnezzar will not show any mercy or pity or feel sorry for them!’
8 “Also tell this to the people of Jerusalem: ‘This is what the Lord says: I will let you choose to live or die. 9 Anyone who stays in Jerusalem will die. He will die in war or from hunger or from a terrible disease. But anyone who goes out of Jerusalem and surrenders to the Babylonians who are around the city will live. Anyone who leaves the city will save his life. 10 I have decided to make trouble for this city and not to help it, says the Lord. I will give it to the king of Babylon. He will burn it with fire.’
11 “Tell these things to Judah’s royal family: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 12 Family of David, the Lord says these things:
You must judge people fairly every day.
Protect from criminals
the person who has been robbed.
If you don’t do that, I will become very angry.
My anger will be like a fire that no one can put out.
This will happen because you have done evil things.
13 “‘Jerusalem, I am against you.
You sit on top of the mountain.
You sit over this valley, says the Lord.
You say, “No one can attack us.
No one can come into our strong city.”
14 But I will give you the punishment you deserve, says the Lord.
I will start a fire in your forests.
It will burn up everything around you!’”
Christ’s Death Takes Away Sins
23 So the copies of the real things in heaven had to be made clean by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven need much better sacrifices. 24 For Christ did not go into the Most Holy Place made by men. It is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven itself. He is there now before God to help us. 25 The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes with him blood that is not his own blood. But Christ did not go into heaven to offer himself many times. 26 Then he would have had to suffer many times since the world was made. But Christ came only once and for all time. He came at just the right time to take away all sin by sacrificing himself. 27 Everyone must die once. After a person dies, he is judged. 28 So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, but not to offer himself for sin. He will come again to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.