Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

129 “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth”—may Israel now say—

² “many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me.

³ The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.”

⁴ The Lord is righteous; He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

⁵ Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

⁶ Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth before it groweth up,

⁷ wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom.

⁸ Neither do those who go by say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord.”

39 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.

² And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into.

³ And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

⁴ And it came to pass that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them and all the men of war, then they fled and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls; and he went out the way of the plain.

⁵ But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.

⁶ Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

⁷ Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains to carry him to Babylon.

⁸ And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the houses of the people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.

⁹ Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city and those who fell away, who fell to him, with the rest of the people who remained.

¹⁰ But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left the poor of the people, who had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,

¹² “Take him and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.”

¹³ So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;

¹⁴ even they sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home. So he dwelt among the people.

¹⁵ Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

¹⁶ “Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for evil and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

¹⁷ But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord; and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.

¹⁸ For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword; but thy life shall be as a prize unto thee, because thou hast put thy trust in Me, saith the Lord.’”

⁷ Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

⁸ Be ye also patient; make firm your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

⁹ Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned. Behold, the Judge standeth before the door!

¹⁰ My brethren, take the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering affliction and of patience.

¹¹ Behold, we count them happy who endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord, how the Lord is full of pity and of tender mercy.

¹² But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by earth, nor by any other oath; but let your “Yea” be yea, and your “Nay” be nay, lest ye fall into condemnation.