Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
49 Remember the word ⌞you gave⌟ me.
Through it you gave me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my misery:
Your promise gave me a new life.
51 Arrogant people have mocked me with cruelty,
yet I have not turned away from your teachings.
52 I remembered your regulations from long ago, O Lord,
and I found comfort ⌞in them⌟.
53 I am burning with anger because of wicked people,
who abandon your teachings.
54 Your laws have become like psalms to me
in this place where I am only a foreigner.
55 At night I remember your name, O Lord,
and I follow your teachings.
56 This has happened to me
because I have obeyed your guiding principles.
The Lord Will Restore and Heal Judah
33 While Jeremiah was still being held in the courtyard of the prison, the Lord spoke his word to him a second time. The Lord said, 2 “I made ⌞the earth⌟, formed it, and set it in place. My name is the Lord. This is what the Lord says: 3 Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know. 4 The houses in this city and the palaces of the kings of Judah have been torn down to be used against the dirt ramps and weapons of the Babylonians. This is what the Lord God of Israel says about this: 5 The people of Israel fought the Babylonians. Now their houses are filled with the bodies of their own people I killed in my anger and my fury. I will hide my face from this city because of its wickedness.
6 “But I will heal this city and restore it to health. I will heal its people, and I will give them peace and security. 7 I will restore Judah and Israel and rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sins that they have committed against me. I will forgive them for all the sins that they have committed against me and for rebelling against me. 9 Then Jerusalem will be my source of joy, praise, and honor. All the nations on earth will hear about all the blessings that I will give to Jerusalem. They will be afraid and tremble because of all the prosperity that I will provide for it.
10 “This is what the Lord says: You have said that this place is ruined and that no people or animals live in it. It’s true! The cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are deserted. No people or animals live there. But once again you will hear 11 the sounds of joy and happiness and the sounds of brides and grooms. You will hear those who bring thank offerings to the Lord’s temple say,
‘Give thanks to the Lord of Armies because the Lord is good,
because his mercy endures forever.’
I will restore the fortunes of the land to what they were before,” says the Lord.
12 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: In this deserted place, where no people or animals live, and in all its cities, there will once again be pastures where shepherds can rest their flocks. 13 In the cities on the mountains, in the foothills, in the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the area around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shepherds will once again count their sheep,” says the Lord.
Eternal Life in the Kingdom(A)
16 Then a man came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good deed should I do to gain eternal life?”
17 Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, obey the commandments.”
18 “Which commandments?” the man asked.
Jesus said, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
20 The young man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments. What else do I need to do?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, sell what you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad because he owned a lot of property.
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