Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
To the Director: A special Davidic psalm[a] to the tune of[b] “A Silent Dove Far Away,” when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
A Prayer about Trust in God
56 Have mercy on me, God,
because men have harassed me.
Those who oppress me have fought against me all day long.
2 Those who watch me all day have harassed me,
for there are many who fight against me out of conceit.
3 On days when I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I put my trust.
I will not fear what mortal man[c] can do to me.
5 All day long people[d] distort what I say;
all their schemes against me are for evil purposes.
6 They gather together
and hide in ambush.
They watch my every step
as they lie in wait for my life.
7 Cast them away because of their wickedness.
In wrath, God, cast down these[e] people!
8 You have kept count of my wanderings.
Put my tears in your bottle—
have not you recorded them in your book?
9 My enemies will retreat when I call on you.[f]
This has been my experience,
because God is with me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I will put my trust.
I will not fear what mortal man can do to me.
The Visions of the Almond Branch and Boiling Pot
11 This message from the Lord came to me, asking, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
I replied, “I see an almond branch.”
12 The Lord told me, “You have observed well, because I’m watching over[a] my message, to make sure it comes about.”
13 This message from the Lord came to me a second time: “What do you see?”
I replied, “I see a boiling pot, and its mouth is tilted away from the north.”
14 Then the Lord told me, “From the north disaster will pour out on all who live in the land, 15 because I’m about to summon all the families and kingdoms from the north,” declares the Lord.
“They’ll come and each one will set up his seat[b]
at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem,
against all of its surrounding walls,
and against all of the towns of Judah.
16 “I’ll pronounce my judgments against them
because of all their wickedness.
They have forsaken me,
they have burned incense to other gods,
and they have bowed down in worship
to the works of their own[c] hands.”[d]
The Lord’s Assurance to Jeremiah
17 “As for you, get ready![e] Stand up and tell them everything that I’ve commanded you. Don’t be frightened as you face them, or I’ll frighten you right in front of them.
18 “As for me, today I’m making you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19 They’ll fight against you, but they won’t prevail against you, because I am with you,” declares the Lord, “to deliver you.”
41 When he came closer and saw the city, he began to grieve over it: 42 “If you[a] had only known today what could have brought you peace! But now it is hidden from your sight, 43 because the days will come[b] when your enemies will build walls around you, surround you, and close you in on every side. 44 They will level you to the ground—you and those who live[c] within your city limits.[d] They will not leave one stone on another within your walls,[e] because you didn’t recognize the time when you were visited.”[f]
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