Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Why Jeremiah Bought Property

32 The word that came to Jeremiah from Adonai, in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. ² Now at the time the king of Babylon’s army was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the palace of the king of Judah. ³ For King Zedekiah of Judah had shut him up, saying: “Why do you prophesy and say, thus says Adonai: ‘I will soon give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it;

⁶ So Jeremiah said: “The word of Adonai came to me, saying: ⁷ ‘Hanamel, son of Shallum your uncle, will soon come to you saying: ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.’” ⁸ So my uncle’s son Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard as was the word of Adonai, and said to me: “Buy my field, please, which is in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that this was the word of Adonai. ⁹ So I bought the field that was in Anathoth from the son of my uncle Hanamel, and weighed him the money—seventeen shekels of silver. ¹⁰ I signed and sealed the deed, called in witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales. ¹¹ Then I took the purchase deed, both the sealed copy, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy, ¹² and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my uncle’s son Hanamel and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the purchase deed, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the guard. ¹³ Then I charged Baruch before them, saying, ¹⁴ thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, “Take these deeds—this purchase deed, both the sealed copy and the open copy—and put them in a clay jar, so they may last many days.” ¹⁵ For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “Houses and fields and vineyards will yet again be bought in this land.”

Dwell in the Shelter of Elyon

Psalm 91

⁶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ^{[a] 7} For we brought nothing into this world, So we cannot take anything out of it. ^{[b] 8} But having food and clothing, with these things we shall be content. ^{[c] 9} But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ^{[d] 10} For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil—some, longing for it, have gone astray from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith! Take hold of the eternal life—you were called to it, and you made the good confession for it in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Messiah Yeshua who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. ¹⁵ This He will reveal in His own time—the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, ^{[e] 16} who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or is able to see.^[f] To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ Direct those who are rich in this present age not to be proud or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches,^[g] but rather on God—who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ Direct them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous, sharing, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so they might take hold of the true life.

¹⁹ “Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, living it up in luxury every day. ²⁰ But a poor man named Lazarus had been laid at his gate, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming to lick his sores.

²² “It happened that the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. Then the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And from Sheol, as he was in torment, he raised his eyes. And he sees Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his side. ^{[a] 24} So he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! And send Lazarus so he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, because I am suffering torment in this flame.’^[b]

²⁵ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your life you received your good things, even as Lazarus received the bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are tormented. ²⁶ Besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is firmly set, so that those who want to cross over to you cannot, nor can those from there cross over to us.

²⁷ “Then the rich man said, ‘I beg you then, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house! ²⁸ For I have five brothers to warn, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “But Abraham said, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!’”