Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Brevity of Human Life
For the music director. For Jeduthun.[a] A psalm of David.[b]
39 I said, “I will guard my ways
that I may not sin[c] with my tongue.
I will keep a muzzle over my mouth
as long as the wicked are before me.”
2 I was mute with silence. I was silent even from saying good things,
and my pain was stirred up.
3 My heart grew hot inside me;
in my sighing a fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue,
4 “Let me know, O Yahweh, my end,
and what is the measure of my days.
Let me know how transient I am.”
5 Look, you have made my days mere handbreadths,
and my lifespan as nothing next to you.
Surely every person standing firm is complete vanity. Selah
6 Surely a man walks about as a mere shadow;[d]
surely in vain they bustle about.
He heaps up possessions but does not know who will gather them in.
7 And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is for you.
8 From all my transgressions deliver me;
do not make me the taunt of the fool.
9 I am mute. I do not open my mouth,
for you, yourself, have done it.
10 Remove from me your affliction.
By the opposition of your hand I perish.
11 When with rebukes you chastise a man for sin,
you[e] consume[f] like a moth his delightful things.
Surely everyone is a mere vapor.[g] Selah
12 Hear my prayer, O Yahweh, and listen to my cry for help;
do not be deaf to my tears.
For I am an alien[h] with you,
a sojourner like all my ancestors.[i]
13 Look away from me that I may be cheerful,
before I depart and I am no more.
The Broken Covenant
11 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,[a] 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the people[b] of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 3 and say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: “The man is cursed who does not obey the words of this covenant, 4 which I commanded your ancestors[c] in the day of my bringing them from the land of Egypt, from the furnace of iron, saying,[d] ‘Listen to my voice and do according to all that I command you, so will you be my people, and I will be your God.’[e] 5 in order to keep the oath that I swore to your ancestors,[f] to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I answered and said, “Let it be so,[g] O Yahweh.”
6 And Yahweh said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying,[h] ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them, 7 for I solemnly admonished your ancestors[i] in the day of my leading them out from the land of Egypt and up to this day, admonishing persistently,[j] saying,[k] “Obey my voice.” 8 But they did not obey and they did not incline their ear. Instead each one walked in the stubbornness of his[l] evil heart. Therefore, I brought on them all the words of this covenant which I commanded them[m] to do, and they did not do it.’”[n]
9 And Yahweh said to me, “A conspiracy is found among the people[o] of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their former ancestors,[p] who refused to obey my words, and they have gone after other gods, to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made[q] with their ancestors.”[r]
11 Therefore[s] thus says Yahweh, “I am about to bring on them disaster from which they will not be able to escape. Though they cry out to me, yet I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they are making smoke offerings, but they will certainly not save them in the time of their trouble. 13 For the number of your towns are your gods, O Judah, and the number of the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the shameful things, to make smoke offerings to Baal. 14 Therefore you must not pray for this people, and you must not lift up for them a cry of entreaty, or a prayer, for I will not listen in the time of their calling to me, in the time of their trouble.
15 What rights has my beloved in my house[t]
when she has done many wicked things?[u]
Can the flesh of holiness pass over you?
For you engage in your wickedness,[v] then you exult.
16 Yahweh called your name, ‘A leafy olive tree, beautiful with fine fruit.’[w]
With the sound of a great storm he will set fire to it,
and its branches will be good for nothing.
17 And Yahweh of hosts, the one who planted you,
has spoken evil against you,
because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah,
that they have done to themselves,
to provoke me to anger by making smoke offerings to Baal.”
The Righteous and Impartial Judgment of God
2 Therefore you are without excuse, O man, every one of you who passes judgment. For in that which you pass judgment on someone else, you condemn yourself, for you who are passing judgment are doing the same things. 2 Now we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who do such things. 3 But do you think this, O man who passes judgment on those who do such things, and who does the same things, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will reward each one according to his works: 7 to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, 8 but to those who act from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. 9 There will be affliction and distress for every human being[a] who does evil, of the Jew first and of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
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