Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Jeremiah’s Land Purchase

32 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah^(A) of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(B) 2} At that time, the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem,^(C) and the prophet Jeremiah was imprisoned in the guard’s courtyard^(D) in the palace of the king of Judah. ³ King Zedekiah of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why are you prophesying as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, I am about to hand this city over to Babylon’s king, and he will capture it.

⁶ Jeremiah replied, “The word of the Lord came to me: ⁷ Watch! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy my field in Anathoth^(A) for yourself, for you own the right of redemption^(B) to buy it.’

⁸ “Then, as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to the guard’s courtyard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. ⁹ So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out the silver to him^(C)—seventeen shekels^[a] of silver. ¹⁰ I recorded it on a scroll,^(D) sealed it, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. ¹¹ I took the purchase agreement—the sealed copy with its terms and conditions and the open copy— ¹² and gave the purchase agreement to Baruch^(E) son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah. I did this in the sight of my cousin^[b] Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the purchase agreement, and all the Judeans sitting in the guard’s courtyard.

¹³ “I charged Baruch in their sight, ¹⁴ ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Take these scrolls—this purchase agreement with the sealed copy and this open copy—and put them in an earthen storage jar so they will last a long time. ¹⁵ For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’^(F)

Psalm 91

The Protection of the Most High

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain.^{(A) 7} For we brought nothing into the world, and^[a] we can take nothing out.^{(B) 8} If we have food and clothing,^[b] we will be content with these. ⁹ But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root^[c] of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith^(C) and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Fight the Good Fight

¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,^(D) endurance,^(E) and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight^(F) of the faith. Take hold of eternal life^(G) to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the presence of God, who gives life to all,^(H) and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius Pilate,^(I) I charge you ¹⁴ to keep this command without fault or failure until the appearing^(J) of our Lord^(K) Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ God will bring this about in his own time.^(L) He is the blessed and only^(M) Sovereign, the King of kings,^(N) and the Lord of lords,^{(O) 16} who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light,^(P) whom no one has seen or can see,^(Q) to him be honor and eternal power.^(R) Amen.^(S)

Instructions to the Rich

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant^(T) or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God,^[d] who richly provides us with all things^(U) to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works,^(V) to be generous and willing to share,^{(W) 19} storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age,^(X) so that they may take hold of what is truly life.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen,^(A) feasting lavishly every day. ²⁰ But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was lying at his gate.^{(B) 21} He longed to be filled^(C) with what fell from the rich man’s table,^(D) but instead the dogs^(E) would come and lick his sores. ²² One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side.^[a](F) The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torment^(G) in Hades,^(H) he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ ‘Father Abraham!’^(I) he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony^(J) in this flame!’

²⁵ “‘Son,’^[b] Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things,^(K) just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here,^(L) while you are in agony. ²⁶ Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’

²⁷ “‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ because I have five brothers—to warn^(M) them, so that they won’t also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets;^(N) they should listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”^(O)