Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 66
For the music leader. A song. A psalm.
66 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth!
2 Sing praises to the glory of God’s name!
Make glorious his praise!
3 Say to God:
“How awesome are your works!
Because of your great strength,
your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth worships you,
sings praises to you,
sings praises to your name!” Selah
5 Come and see God’s deeds;
his works for human beings are awesome:
6 He turned the sea into dry land
so they could cross the river on foot.
Right there we rejoiced in him!
7 God rules with power forever;
keeps a good eye on the nations.
So don’t let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 All you nations, bless our God!
Let the sound of his praise be heard!
9 God preserved us among the living;
he didn’t let our feet slip a bit.
10 But you, God, have tested us—
you’ve refined us like silver,
11 trapped us in a net,
laid burdens on our backs,
12 let other people run right over our heads—
we’ve been through fire and water.
But you brought us out to freedom!
Submit to the king of Babylon and live
27 Early in the rule of Judah’s King Zedekiah,[a] Josiah’s son, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 This is what the Lord said to me: Make a yoke of straps and bars and wear it on your neck. 3 Then send word[b] to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their representatives who have come to Jerusalem to Judah’s King Zedekiah. 4 Tell them to say to their masters: The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: Say this to your masters:
5 By my great power and outstretched arm, I have made the earth and the people and animals that are on it. I can give it to anyone I please. 6 Now I hand over all these countries to my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I even give him the wild animals as subjects. 7 All nations will serve him, his son and grandson, until the time for his land arrives; then many nations and great kings will conquer him.
8 As for the nation or country that won’t serve Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar and won’t put its neck under his yoke, I will punish it with sword, famine, and disease until I have destroyed it by his hand, declares the Lord. 9 As for you, don’t listen to your prophets, diviners, dreamers,[c] mediums, or your sorcerers who say to you, “Don’t serve the king of Babylon.” 10 They are lying to you, and their lies will lead to banishment from your land. I will drive you out, and you will perish. 11 But any nation that puts its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will let stay in its land to till it and live on it, declares the Lord.
12 I delivered the same message to Judah’s King Zedekiah: If you want to live, put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people. 13 Why should you and your people die by sword, famine, and disease, as the Lord pronounced against any nation that won’t serve the king of Babylon? 14 Pay no attention to the words of the prophets who encourage you not to serve the king of Babylon, for they are lying to you. 15 I haven’t sent these prophets, declares the Lord; they are prophesying falsely in my name. If you listen to them, I will drive you out, and you will perish, both you and your prophets!
16 Then I spoke to the priests and all this people: This is what the Lord says: Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you, “In a short while, the temple equipment will be brought back from Babylon.” They are prophesying a lie to you. 17 Don’t listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Otherwise, this city will be reduced to ruin. 18 If they are really prophets and have the Lord’s word, let them intercede with the Lord of heavenly forces not to let the equipment left in the Lord’s temple and in the royal palace of Judah and Jerusalem be carted off to Babylon.
19 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces proclaims about the pillars, the Sea, the stands, and the rest of the equipment left in this city, 20 which Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar didn’t plunder when he deported Jeconiah the son of Judah’s King Jehoiakim from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the officials of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Yes, this is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims about the equipment that is left in the Lord’s temple and in the royal palace in Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 They will be carted off to Babylon where they will remain until the day I come looking for them, declares the Lord; then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.
Pass on the message and share suffering
2 So, my child, draw your strength from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Take the things you heard me say in front of many other witnesses and pass them on to faithful people who are also capable of teaching others.
3 Accept your share of suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Nobody who serves in the military gets tied up with civilian matters, so that they can please the one who recruited them. 5 Also in the same way, athletes don’t win unless they follow the rules. 6 A hardworking farmer should get the first share of the crop. 7 Think about what I’m saying; the Lord will give you understanding about everything.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible