Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴ The Lord said to me, ⁵ “I knew you before you were formed within your mother’s womb; before you were born I sanctified you and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.”

⁶ “O Lord God,” I said, “I can’t do that! I’m far too young! I’m only a youth!”

⁷ “Don’t say that,” he replied, “for you will go wherever I send you and speak whatever I tell you to. ⁸ And don’t be afraid of the people, for I, the Lord, will be with you and see you through.”

⁹ Then he touched my mouth and said, “See, I have put my words in your mouth! ¹⁰ Today your work begins, to warn the nations and the kingdoms of the world. In accord with my words spoken through your mouth I will tear down some and destroy them, and plant others, nurture them, and make them strong and great.”

71 Lord, you are my refuge! Don’t let me down! ² Save me from my enemies, for you are just! Rescue me! Bend down your ear and listen to my plea and save me. ³ Be to me a great protecting Rock, where I am always welcome, safe from all attacks. For you have issued the order to save me. ⁴ Rescue me, O God, from these unjust and cruel men. ⁵ O Lord, you alone are my hope; I’ve trusted you from childhood. ⁶ Yes, you have been with me from birth and have helped me constantly—no wonder I am always praising you!

¹⁸ You have not had to stand face to face with terror, flaming fire, gloom, darkness, and a terrible storm as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai when God gave them his laws. ¹⁹ For there was an awesome trumpet blast and a voice with a message so terrible that the people begged God to stop speaking. ²⁰ They staggered back under God’s command that if even an animal touched the mountain it must die. ²¹ Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he shook with terrible fear.

²² But you have come right up into Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the gathering of countless happy angels; ²³ and to the church, composed of all those registered in heaven; and to God who is Judge of all; and to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven, already made perfect; ²⁴ and to Jesus himself, who has brought us his wonderful new agreement; and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did.

²⁵ So see to it that you obey him who is speaking to you. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, how terrible our danger if we refuse to listen to God who speaks to us from heaven! ²⁶ When he spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but, “Next time,” he says, “I will not only shake the earth but the heavens too.” ²⁷ By this he means that he will sift out everything without solid foundations so that only unshakable things will be left.

²⁸ Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts and with holy fear and awe. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.

¹⁰ One Sabbath as he was teaching in a synagogue, ¹¹ he saw a seriously handicapped woman who had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to straighten herself.

¹² Calling her over to him Jesus said, “Woman, you are healed of your sickness!” ¹³ He touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised and thanked God!

¹⁴ But the local Jewish leader in charge of the synagogue was very angry about it because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week to work,” he shouted to the crowd. “Those are the days to come for healing, not on the Sabbath!”

¹⁵ But the Lord replied, “You hypocrite! You work on the Sabbath! Don’t you untie your cattle from their stalls on the Sabbath and lead them out for water? ¹⁶ And is it wrong for me, just because it is the Sabbath day, to free this Jewish woman from the bondage in which Satan has held her for eighteen years?”

¹⁷ This shamed his enemies. And all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.