Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
27 The Lord says, “The ·time is [L days are] coming when I will ·help [L sow] the ·families [L houses] of Israel and Judah ·and their children [L with the seed of humans] and ·animals to grow [L seed of animals]. 28 In the past I watched over them [C Israel and Judah; 1:12], to ·pull [pluck] them up and ·tear [pull] them down, to destroy them and bring them ·disaster [harm; trouble]. But now I will watch over them to build them up and ·make them strong [to plant them; 1:10],” says the Lord.
29 “·At that time [L In those days] people will no longer say:
‘The ·parents [fathers] have eaten sour grapes,
and that caused the children to ·grind their teeth from the sour taste [L be set on edge].’
30 Instead, each person will die for his own ·sin [iniquity]; the person who eats sour grapes ·will grind his own teeth [L his teeth are set on edge; Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 18:2].
The New Agreement
31 “Look, the ·time is [L days are] coming,” says the Lord,
“when I will ·make [L cut] a new ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel
and the ·people [L house] of Judah.
32 It will not be like the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
I ·made [L cut] with their ·ancestors [fathers]
when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of Egypt [C the Mosaic Covenant; Ex. 19–24].
I was a ·husband [or master] to them [2:2],
but they broke ·that agreement [my covenant/treaty],” says the Lord.
33 “This is the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I will ·make [L cut]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel ·at that time [L after those days],” says the Lord:
“I will put my ·teachings [laws; instructions] in their ·minds [L innards]
and write them on their hearts [Joel 2:28–29].
I will be their God,
and they will be my people [Ex. 6:6–8].
34 People will no longer have to teach their neighbors and ·relatives [brothers]
to know the Lord,
because all people will know me,
from the least to the most important,” says the Lord.
“I will forgive them for ·the wicked things they did [L their iniquities],
and I will not remember their sins anymore [32:37–44; 50:4–5; Ezek. 37:15–28; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:5–14; Heb. 8:8–12; 10:16–17].”
97 How I love your ·teachings [instructions; laws]!
I ·think about [ponder; meditate on] them all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
because they are mine forever.
99 I am ·wiser [more insightful] than all my teachers,
because I ·think about [ponder; meditate on] your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
because I ·follow [protect] your ·orders [precepts].
101 I have ·avoided [L kept my feet from] every evil way
so I could ·obey [keep; guard] your word.
102 I haven’t ·walked [turned] away from your ·laws [judgments],
because you yourself are my teacher.
103 ·Your promises are sweet to me [L How sweet your words slip/slide down my palate],
sweeter than honey in my mouth!
104 Your ·orders [precepts] give me understanding,
so I hate lying ways.
14 But you should continue following the teachings you learned. You ·know [are confident] they are true, ·because you trust those who taught you [L knowing from whom you learned them]. 15 Since you were a ·child [infant] you have known the ·Holy Scriptures [or sacred writings] which are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is ·inspired by God [breathed out by God; L God-breathed] and is useful for teaching, for ·showing people what is wrong in their lives [refuting error; rebuking], for correcting faults, and for ·teaching how to live right [training in righteousness]. 17 ·Using the Scriptures, [L …so that] ·the person who serves God [L God’s person] will be ·capable [competent], ·having all that is needed [fully equipped] to do every good work.
4 I ·give you a command [solemnly charge you] in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, the One who will judge the living and the dead, and by his ·coming [appearing] and his kingdom: 2 Preach the ·Good News [Gospel]. Be ready ·at all times [whether it is convenient or inconvenient; in season or out of season], and ·tell people what they need to do [correct; reprove]. ·Tell them when they are wrong [Rebuke]. ·Encourage [Comfort; Exhort] them with ·great patience and careful teaching [L all patience and teaching], 3 because the time will come when people will not ·listen to [put up with; endure] the ·true [sound; healthy] teaching but will ·find many more [gather around themselves; accumulate] teachers who ·please them [meet their needs/desires] by saying the things ·they want to hear [their ears itch for]. 4 They will ·stop listening to [L turn their ears/hearing away from] the truth and will ·begin to follow [wander/turn aside to] ·false stories [myths]. 5 But you should ·control yourself [be sober-minded] at all times, ·accept troubles [endure hardships], do the work of ·telling the Good News [L an evangelist], and ·complete all the duties of a servant of God [L fulfill your service/ministry].
God Will Answer His People
18 Then Jesus used this ·story [parable] to ·teach his followers [show the necessity] that they should always pray and never ·lose hope [become discouraged]. 2 “In a certain town there was a judge who did not ·respect [fear] God or ·care about people [or care what people thought]. 3 In that same town there was a widow [C among the most vulnerable members of society] who kept coming to this judge, saying, ‘Give me ·my rights [justice] against my ·enemy [opponent; adversary].’ 4 For a while the judge refused to help her. But afterwards, he thought to himself, ‘Even though I don’t ·respect [fear] God or ·care about people [or care what people think], 5 yet because she ·keeps bothering me [is causing me such trouble], I will see that she gets ·her rights [justice]. Otherwise she will ·keep coming until she wears me out [or eventually come and punch me/blacken my eye].’”
6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the ·unfair [unjust; unrighteous] judge said. 7 God will always [L Will not God…?] ·give what is right [provide justice] to his ·people [L chosen people; elect] who cry to him day and night, and ·he will not [L will he…?] ·be slow to answer them [or keep putting them off]. 8 I tell you, God will ·help [provide justice to] his people ·quickly [or suddenly]. ·But [However; Yet] when the Son of Man comes again, will he find ·those on earth who believe in him [L faith on the earth; C God’s faithfulness is certain; the only question is whether people will remain faithful to him]?”
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