Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
צ Tsade
137 You are righteous, Lord,(A)
and Your judgments are just.
138 The decrees You issue are righteous
and altogether trustworthy.(B)
139 My anger overwhelms me
because my foes forget Your words.(C)
140 Your word is completely pure,(D)
and Your servant loves it.(E)
141 I am insignificant and despised,(F)
but I do not forget Your precepts.(G)
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and Your instruction is true.(H)
143 Trouble and distress have overtaken me,
but Your commands are my delight.(I)
144 Your decrees are righteous forever.(J)
Give me understanding, and I will live.
God’s Covenant with David
14 “Look, the days are coming”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“when I will fulfill the good promises
that I have spoken
concerning the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.(A)
15 In those days and at that time
I will cause a Righteous Branch(B)
to sprout up for David,
and He will administer justice
and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell securely,(C)
and this is what she will be named:
Yahweh Our Righteousness.
17 “For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel.(D) 18 The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices.”(E)
19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,(F) 21 then also My covenant with My servant David(G) may be broken so that he will not have a son reigning on his throne, and the Levitical priests will not be My ministers.(H) 22 The hosts of heaven cannot be counted; the sand of the sea cannot be measured.(I) So, too, I will make the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister to Me innumerable.”
23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed what these people have said? They say, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families He had chosen.’(J) My people are treated with contempt and no longer regarded as a nation among them. 25 This is what the Lord says: If I do not keep My covenant with the day and with the night and fail to establish the fixed order of heaven and earth,(K) 26 then I might also reject the seed of Jacob and of My servant David—not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore their fortunes[a] and have compassion on them.”(L)
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will,(A) and Timothy(B) our[a] brother:
To God’s church at Corinth,(C) with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.(D)
2 Grace to you and peace(E) from God our Father(F) and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The God of Comfort
3 Praise(G) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies(H) and the God of all comfort.(I) 4 He comforts us in all our affliction,[b] so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For as the sufferings(J) of Christ(K) overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows.(L) 6 If we are afflicted,(M) it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.(N) 7 And our hope(O) for you is firm, because we know that as you share(P) in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort.
8 For we don’t want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in Asia:(Q) we were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength(R)—so that we even despaired(S) of life. 9 Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God(T) who raises(U) the dead. 10 He has delivered(V) us from such a terrible death,(W) and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our[c] behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.
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