Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Lamedh

Jeremiah’s Scroll Read in the Temple

36 In the ^(A)fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ² “Take a ^[a](B)scroll and write on it all the ^(C)words which I have spoken to you concerning ^(D)Israel, Judah, and all the ^(E)nations, from the ^(F)day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. ^3 (G)Perhaps the house of Judah will listen to all the disaster which I plan to carry out against them, so that every person will ^(H)turn from his evil way; then I will ^(I)forgive their wrongdoing and their sin.”

⁴ Then Jeremiah called ^(J)Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a ^[b](K)scroll ^[c]at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him. ⁵ Jeremiah then commanded Baruch, saying, “I am ^[d](L)restricted; I cannot go into the house of the Lord. ⁶ So you go and ^(M)read from the scroll, which you have ^(N)written ^[e]at my dictation, the words of the Lord ^[f]to the people at the Lord’s house on a day of ^(O)fasting. And you shall also read them ^[g]to all the people of Judah who come from their cities. ^7 (P)Perhaps their pleading will ^[h]come before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his evil way; for ^(Q)great is the anger and the wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.” ⁸ So Baruch the son of Neriah acted in accordance with all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, ^(R)reading from the book the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house.

⁹ Now in the ^(S)fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ^(T)ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who ^(U)came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a ^(V)fast before the Lord. ¹⁰ Then Baruch read to all the people from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord in the ^(W)chamber of ^(X)Gemariah the son of Shaphan the ^(Y)scribe, in the upper courtyard, at the ^(Z)entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house.

Prophecy a Superior Gift

14 ^(A)Pursue love, yet earnestly ^(B)desire ^(C)spiritual gifts, but especially that you may ^(D)prophesy. ² For the one who ^(E)speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one ^[a]understands, but ^[b]in his spirit he speaks ^(F)mysteries. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people for ^(G)edification, ^[c](H)exhortation, and consolation. ⁴ The one who ^(I)speaks in a tongue ^(J)edifies himself; but the one who ^(K)prophesies ^(L)edifies the church. ⁵ Now I wish that you all ^(M)spoke in tongues, but ^(N)rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who ^(O)speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive ^(P)edification.

⁶ But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of ^(Q)revelation, or of ^(R)knowledge, or of ^(S)prophecy, or of ^(T)teaching? ⁷ Yet even lifeless instruments, whether flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? ⁸ For if ^(U)the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? ⁹ So you too, unless you produce intelligible speech by the tongue, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will just be ^(V)talking to the air. ¹⁰ There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of ^[d]languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning. ¹¹ So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be ^(W)unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible ^[e]to me. ¹² So you too, since you are eager to possess ^[f]spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the ^(X)edification of the church.