Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Hear O Israel
Psalm 81
1 For the music director, on the Gittite lyre, of Asaph.
10 Let there be no foreign god among you,
and you shall not worship any alien god.
11 I am Adonai your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
12 But My people did not listen to My voice.
Israel was not willing to be Mine.
13 So I gave them over
to the stubbornness of their heart,
to walk in their own counsels.
14 Oh that My people would listen to Me,
that Israel would walk in My ways!
15 I would soon subdue their enemies,
and turn My hand against their foes.
16 Those who hate Adonai would cringe before Him—
their time of doom would be forever.
Curse of the Covenant
11 The word that came to Jeremiah from Adonai, saying: 2 Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the people of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 3 Now say to them, Thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: “Cursed is the one who does not obey the words of this covenant, 4 which I commanded your forefathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt—out of the iron furnace—saying: ‘Listen to My voice, and do all that I command you. Then you will be My people, and I will be your God. [a] 5 Then I will fulfill the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is today.’”
In response I said, “Amen, Adonai.”
6 Then Adonai said to me: “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: ‘Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.’ 7 For I earnestly forewarned your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt until this day, forewarning early and often, saying ‘Listen to My voice!’ 8 Yet they would not obey or incline their ear, but each one walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant—which I commanded them to do, but they did not.”
9 Then Adonai said to me, “A conspiracy has been discovered among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words. They have gone after other gods to serve them.
“The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.”
11 Therefore thus says Adonai. “I will soon bring a disaster on them that they will not be able to escape. They will 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 burn incense—but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 13 For as numerous as your cities are your gods, O Judah, and as numerous as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the shameful thing—altars to burn incense to Baal. 14 As for you, you are not to pray for this people or lift up supplication or prayer for them, for I will not hear them at the time they cry to out to Me because of their disaster.”[b]
Olive Tree with Broken Branches
15 “What is My beloved doing in My House
as she does evil schemes with many?
Can holy meat prevent your disaster?
So you may rejoice?
16 Adonai called your name—a leafy olive tree,[c]
beautiful with well-formed fruit.
With the noise of a great tumult
He has set it on fire,
and its branches are broken.
17 For Adonai-Tzva’ot, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves, provoking Me by offering sacrifices to Baal.
Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, tenderhearted, humble-minded. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or insult for insult, but give a blessing instead—it is for this reason you were called, so that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“The one who loves life,
wanting to see good days,
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 He must turn away from evil and do good.
He must seek shalom and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of Adonai are on the righteous
and His ears open to their prayer,
but the face of Adonai is against those who do evil.”[a]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.