Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Safe in the Lord
91 Those who ·go to God Most High for safety [L dwell/sit in the shelter of God Most High]
will ·be protected by [lodge in the shade/shadow of] the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “You are my ·place of safety [refuge] and ·protection [fortress].
You are my God and I ·trust [have confidence in] you.”
3 God will ·save [protect] you from ·hidden traps [L the snare of the fowler]
and from deadly ·diseases [pestilence].
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you ·can hide [will find refuge; Deut. 32:11; Is. 31:5; Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34].
His ·truth [faithfulness] will be your shield and ·protection [buckler; C a small shield].
5 You will not fear any ·danger by [terror at] night
or an arrow that flies during the day.
6 ·You will not be afraid of diseases [L …or the pestilence] that ·come [walks; stalks] in the dark
or ·sickness [L stings] that ·strikes [devastates; overpowers] at noon.
14 The Lord says, “Whoever ·loves [desires] me, I will ·save [rescue].
I will ·protect [lift to safety] those who know ·me [L my name].
15 They will call to me, and I will answer them.
I will be with them in ·trouble [distress];
I will rescue them and ·honor [glorify] them.
16 I will ·give them a long, full life [L satisfy them with length of days],
and ·they will see how I can save [L show them my salvation/victory].”
The Good and Bad Figs
24 Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon ·captured [exiled] ·Jehoiachin [Jeconiah] son of Jehoiakim and king of Judah, his officers, and all the craftsmen and metalworkers of Judah [C 597 bc]. He took them away from Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon. It was then that the Lord showed me two baskets of figs [C a symbol of fruitfulness (Hos. 9:11) and shelter (Mic. 4:4; Zech. 3:10)] arranged in front of the Temple of the Lord. 2 One of the baskets had very good figs in it, like figs that ripen ·early in the season [first]. But the other basket had figs too rotten to eat.
3 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
I answered, “I see figs. The good figs are very good, but the rotten figs are too rotten to eat.”
4 Then the Lord spoke his word to me: 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I sent the people of Judah out of their country to live in the country of Babylon. I ·think of [regard] those people as good, like these good figs. 6 I will ·look after them [L set my eyes on them for good] and ·bring them back [return them] to this land [C of Judah]. I will not tear them down, but I will build them up. I will not pull them up, but I will plant them [C so they can grow]. 7 I will ·make them want [L give them a heart] to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, because they will return to me with their whole hearts.
8 “‘But the bad figs are too rotten to eat.’ So this is what the Lord says: ‘Zedekiah king of Judah [C ruled 597–586 bc], his officers, and all the people from Jerusalem who are left alive, even those who live in Egypt, will be like those rotten figs. 9 I will make those people ·hated [a horror; abhorrent] as an evil people by all the kingdoms of the earth. ·People will make fun of them and tell jokes about them and point fingers at them and curse them [L …a reproach, a proverb/byword, a taunt, a curse] everywhere I ·scatter [drive] them. 10 I will send ·war [sword], ·hunger [famine], and ·disease [pestilence] against them. ·I will attack them until they have all been killed. Then they will no longer be in [L …until they have been annihilated from] the land I gave to them and their ·ancestors [fathers].’”
43 All the people were ·amazed [astonished; awestruck] at the ·great power [majesty; greatness] of God.
Jesus Talks About His Death(A)
While everyone was ·wondering [marveling] about all that Jesus did, he said to his ·followers [disciples], 44 “·Don’t forget what I tell you now [L Put these words into your ears]: [L For] The Son of Man will be ·handed over [betrayed; delivered] to ·people [his enemies; L human hands].” 45 But ·the followers [L they] did not understand ·what this meant [L this word/statement]; the meaning was hidden from them so they could not ·understand [perceive it; grasp it]. But they were afraid to ask Jesus about it.
Who Is the Greatest?(B)
46 Jesus’ followers began to have an argument about which one of them ·was [would be] the greatest. 47 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a little child and stood the child beside him. 48 Then Jesus said, “Whoever ·accepts [welcomes; receives] this little child in my name ·accepts [welcomes; receives] me [C children had low social status, so the saying indicates concern for the lowly]. And whoever ·accepts [welcomes; receives] me ·accepts [welcomes; receives] the One who sent me, because whoever is least among you all is really the greatest.”
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