Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ You are all around me, behind me and in front of me.
    You hold me safe in your hand.
⁶ I’m amazed at how well you know me.
    It’s more than I can understand.

¹³ You created the deepest parts of my being.
    You put me together inside my mother’s body.
¹⁴ How you made me is amazing and wonderful.
    I praise you for that.
What you have done is wonderful.
    I know that very well.
¹⁵ None of my bones was hidden from you
    when you made me inside my mother’s body.
    That place was as dark as the deepest parts of the earth.
When you were putting me together there,
¹⁶     your eyes saw my body even before it was formed.
You planned how many days I would live.
    You wrote down the number of them in your book
    before I had lived through even one of them.

¹⁷ God, your thoughts about me are priceless.
    No one can possibly add them all up.
¹⁸ If I could count them,
    they would be more than the grains of sand.
If I were to fall asleep counting and then wake up,
    you would still be there with me.

¹⁰ My mother, I wish I had never been born!
    The whole land opposes me.
    They fight against me.
I haven’t made loans to anyone.
    And I haven’t borrowed anything.
    But everyone curses me anyway.

“Jeremiah, I will keep you safe for a good purpose.
    I will make your enemies ask you to pray for them.
They will make their appeal to you
    when they are in great trouble.

¹² “People of Judah, the armies of Babylon
    will come from the north.
They are as strong as iron and bronze.
    Can anyone break their power?
¹³ I will give away your wealth and your treasures.
    Your enemies will carry off everything.
    And they will not pay anything for it.
That will happen because you have sinned so much.
    You have done it throughout your country.
¹⁴ I will make you slaves to your enemies.
    You will serve them in a land
    you have not known about before.
My anger will start a fire
    that will burn you up.”

¹⁵ Lord, you understand how much I’m suffering.
    Show concern for me. Take care of me.
    Pay back those who are trying to harm me.
You are patient. Don’t take my life away from me.
    Think about how much shame I suffer because of you.
¹⁶ When I received your words, I ate them.
    They filled me with joy.
    My heart took delight in them.
Lord God who rules over all,
    I belong to you.
¹⁷ I never sat around with those who go to wild parties.
    I never had a good time with them.
I sat alone because you had put your powerful hand on me.
    Your anger against sin was burning inside me.
¹⁸ Why does my pain never end?
    Why is my wound so deep?
    Why can’t I ever get well?
To me you are like a stream that runs dry.
    You are like a spring that doesn’t have any water.

“If you turn away from your sins, I will heal you.
    And then you will be able to serve me.
Speak words that are worthy, not worthless.
    Then you will be speaking for me.
Let these people turn to you.
    But you must not turn to them.
²⁰ I will make you like a wall to them.
    I will make you like a strong bronze wall.
The people will fight against you.
    But they will not overcome you.
I am with you.
    I will save you,”
    announces the Lord.
²¹ “I will save you from the hands of evil people.
    I will set you free from those who treat you badly.”