Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies
A Song of Ascents.
129 “Many a time they have (A)afflicted[a] me from (B)my youth,”
(C)Let Israel now say—
2 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all those who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned back.
6 Let them be as the (D)grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up,
7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor he who binds sheaves, his [b]arms.
8 Neither let those who pass by them say,
(E)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
The Fall of Jerusalem(A)
39 In the (B)ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 In the (C)eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the [a]city was penetrated.
3 (D)Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, [b]Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, [c]Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4 (E)So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king’s garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the [d]plain. 5 But the Chaldean army pursued them and (F)overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had captured him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to (G)Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. 6 Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his (H)eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the (I)nobles of Judah. 7 Moreover (J)he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze [e]fetters to carry him off to Babylon. 8 (K)And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the houses of the people with (L)fire, and broke down the (M)walls of Jerusalem. 9 (N)Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive to Babylon the remnant of the people who remained in the city and those who (O)defected to him, with the rest of the people who remained. 10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah the (P)poor people, who had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields [f]at the same time.
Jeremiah Goes Free
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, 12 “Take him and look after him, and do him no (Q)harm; but do to him just as he says to you.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s chief officers; 14 then they sent someone (R)to take Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and committed him (S)to Gedaliah the son of (T)Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he dwelt among the people.
15 Meanwhile the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 16 “Go and speak to (U)Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, (V)I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. 17 But I will deliver you in that day,” says the Lord, “and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but (W)your life shall be as a prize to you, (X)because you have put your trust in Me,” says the Lord.’ ”
Be Patient and Persevering
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord [a]is at hand.
9 Do not [b]grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be [c]condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 (A)My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and (B)patience. 11 Indeed (C)we count them blessed who (D)endure. You have heard of (E)the perseverance of Job and seen (F)the end intended by the Lord—that (G)the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brethren, (H)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into [d]judgment.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.