Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Knowledge of God
For the music director. Of David. A psalm.[a]
139 O Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up.
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You search out[b] my wandering and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word yet on my tongue,
but behold, O Yahweh, you know it completely.
5 You barricade me behind and in front,
and set your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
It is set high; I cannot prevail against it.
13 Indeed you created my inward parts;[a]
you wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made.[b]
Wonderful are your works,
and my soul knows it well.
15 My frame[c] was not hidden from you,
when I was created secretly,[d]
and intricately woven
in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my embryo,[e]
and in your book they all were written—
days fashioned for me when there was not one of them.
17 And to me, how precious[f] are your thoughts, O God;
how vast is their sum.
18 If I should count them,
they would outnumber the sand.
I awaken, and I am still with you.
The Nation’s Return to the Land
14 Therefore[a] look, days are coming,’ declares[b] Yahweh, ‘and it will no longer be said, “As Yahweh lives,[c] who led up the Israelites[d] from the land of Egypt,” 15 but only[e] “As Yahweh lives,[f] who led up the Israelites[g] from the land of the north, and from all the lands where he had driven them,” for I will bring them back to their ground that I gave to their ancestors.[h] 16 Look, I am sending for many fishermen,’ declares[i] Yahweh, ‘and they will fish them out, and afterward[j] I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and from the clefts of the cliffs. 17 For my eyes are on all their ways, they are not hidden from before me,[k] and their iniquity is not concealed from before my eyes. 18 And I will first doubly repay[l] their iniquity and their sin because of their profaning my land with the dead bodies[m] of their abhorrences, and with their abominations they have filled up my inheritance.’”
19 O Yahweh, my strength, and my stronghold,
and my refuge in the day of distress,
to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth,
and they will say, “Our ancestors[n] have inherited only lies,[o]
vanity, and there is no profit in them.
20 Can a human make for himself gods?
Yet they are not gods!”
21 “Therefore[p] look, I am about to let them know,
this time I am going to let them know
my power[q] and my might,
and they will know that my name is Yahweh.”
The Sin of Judah
17 “The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus,
with a point of diamond it is engraved
on the tablet of their heart,
and on the horns of their altars.
2 As the remembering of their children,
so is the remembering of their altars
and their poles of Asherah worship
beside the leafy trees[r] on the high hills.
3 O my mountain in the open country,
I will give your wealth, all your treasures, for spoil,
your high places, because of your sin,
throughout all your territories.
4 And you will let go your hand from your inheritance[s]
that I gave to you,
and I will make you serve your enemies
in the land that you do not know,
for you kindled a fire in my anger,
until eternity it will be kindled.”
Exhortations Regarding Fellow Workers
7 Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you all my circumstances[a], 8 whom I have sent to you for this very reason, in order that you may know our circumstances[b] and he may encourage your hearts, 9 together with Onesimus, my faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all the circumstances[c] here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions—if he should come to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only ones who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God from the circumcision, who have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, greets you, a slave of Christ[d] always struggling on behalf of you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured[e] in all the will of God. 13 For I testify to him that he is working hard[f] on behalf of you and those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the physician, our dear friend, greets you, as does Demas. 15 Greet the brothers in Laodicea, and Nympha and the church in her[g] house. 16 And whenever this letter is read among you, see to it[h] that it is read also among the Laodicean church, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And tell Archippus, “Direct your attention to the ministry that you received in the Lord, in order that you may complete it.”
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