Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer against All Who Hate Zion

129 “They have made it hard for me many times since I was young,” let Israel now say. ² “They have made it hard for me many times since I was young. But they have not won over me. ³ Those who plow have plowed my back. And they have made their ditches long.” ⁴ The Lord is right and good. He has cut in two the ropes of the sinful.

⁵ May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned away. ⁶ Let them be like grass on the roof, which dries up before it grows. ⁷ No one can pick it and fill his hand. No one can gather it and fill his arms. ⁸ And those who pass by do not say, “May the Lord be good to you. We pray that good will come to you in the name of the Lord.”

Jerusalem Taken by the Babylonians

39 In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came and gathered around Jerusalem. ² And on the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the city wall was broken open. ³ Then all the captains of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sarsekim, the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the captains of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When King Zedekiah of Judah and all his men of war saw them, they ran out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls. They went out toward the Jordan Valley. ⁵ But the Babylonian army went after them and came to Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They took hold of him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. And Nebuchadnezzar decided how he should be punished. ⁶ The king of Babylon killed Zedekiah’s sons in front of his eyes at Riblah. He killed all the leaders of Judah also. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and put him in chains of brass to take him to Babylon. ⁸ The Babylonians burned the king’s house and the houses of the people with fire. And they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹ Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the soldiers, carried the rest of the people who were left in the city away to Babylon, those who went over with him, and the people who stayed. ¹⁰ But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the prison soldiers, left behind in the land of Judah some of the poorest people who had nothing. He gave them grape-fields and fields at the same time.

Jeremiah Is Not Held

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon said what must be done about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the prison soldiers. He said, ¹² “Take him and watch over him. Do not hurt him, but do with him as he tells you.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the captain of the prison soldiers, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the leading captains of the king of Babylon ¹⁴ sent for Jeremiah and took him out of the open space of the prison. And they put him in the care of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah stayed among the people.

Ebed-melech’s Future

¹⁵ The Word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was being kept in the open space of the prison, saying, ¹⁶ “Go and tell Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘This is what the Lord of All, the God of Israel says: “I will bring My words on this city for bad and not for good. And they will happen in front of you at that time. ¹⁷ I will save you on that day,” says the Lord. “You will not be given over to the men you are afraid of. ¹⁸ For I will be sure to take you away, and you will not be killed by the sword. You will have your life because you have trusted in Me,”’” says the Lord.

The Lord Will Come Again

⁷ Christian brothers, be willing to wait for the Lord to come again. Learn from the farmer. He waits for the good fruit from the earth until the early and late rains come. ⁸ You must be willing to wait also. Be strong in your hearts because the Lord is coming again soon. ⁹ Do not complain about each other, Christian brothers. Then you will not be judged. See! The Judge is standing at the door. ¹⁰ See how the early preachers spoke for the Lord by their suffering and by being willing to wait. ¹¹ We think of those who stayed true to Him as happy even though they suffered. You have heard how long Job waited. You have seen what the Lord did for him in the end. The Lord is full of loving-kindness and pity.

¹² My Christian brothers, do not swear. Do not use heaven or earth or anything else to swear by. If you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say no. You will be guilty for saying anything more.