Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
10 (A)I, the Lord, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
(B)Open your mouth wide and I will (C)fill it.
11 “But My people (D)did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not [a]obey Me.
12 So I (E)gave [b]them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk by their own plans.
13 Oh that My people (F)would listen to Me,
That Israel would (G)walk in My ways!
14 I would quickly (H)subdue their enemies
And (I)turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 (J)Those who hate the Lord would (K)pretend to obey Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
16 [c]But I would feed you with the [d](L)finest of the wheat,
And with (M)honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Jeremiah’s Prayer
12 (A)Righteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You;
Nevertheless I would (B)discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the (C)way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who (D)deal in treachery at ease?
2 You have (E)planted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have also produced fruit.
You are (F)near [a]to their lips
But far from their [b]mind.
3 But You (G)know me, Lord;
You see me
And (H)examine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter,
And [c]set them apart for a (I)day of slaughter!
4 How long is the (J)land to mourn,
And the (K)vegetation of the [d]countryside to dry up?
Due to the (L)wickedness of those who live in it,
(M)Animals and birds have been snatched away,
Because people have said, “He will not see our final (N)end.”
5 “If you have run with infantrymen and they have tired you out,
How can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace,
How will you do in the (O)thicket by the Jordan?
6 For even your (P)brothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you,
Even they have called aloud after you.
Do not believe them, though they say (Q)nice things to you.”
God’s Answer
7 “I have (R)forsaken My house,
I have abandoned My inheritance;
I have handed the (S)beloved of My soul
Over to her enemies.
8 My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has [e](T)roared against Me;
Therefore I have come to (U)hate her.
9 Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?
Are the (V)birds of prey against her on every side?
Go, gather all the (W)animals of the field,
Bring them to devour!
10 Many (X)shepherds have ruined My (Y)vineyard,
They have (Z)trampled down My field;
They have made My (AA)pleasant field
A desolate wilderness.
11 [f]It has been made a desolation;
Desolate, it (AB)mourns [g]before Me;
The (AC)whole land has been made desolate,
Because no one (AD)takes it to heart.
12 On all the [h](AE)bare heights in the wilderness
Destroyers have come,
For the (AF)sword of the Lord is devouring
From one end of the land even to the [i]other;
There is (AG)no peace for [j]anyone.
13 They have (AH)sown wheat but have harvested thorns,
They have (AI)strained themselves [k]to no profit.
So be ashamed of your (AJ)produce
Because of the (AK)fierce anger of the Lord.”
7 (A)The end of all things [a]is near; therefore, (B)be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of [b]prayer. 8 Above all, (C)keep fervent in your love for one another, because (D)love covers a multitude of sins. 9 (E)Be hospitable to one another without (F)complaint. 10 (G)As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good (H)stewards of the [c]multifaceted grace of God. 11 (I)Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking (J)actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving [d](K)by the strength which God supplies; so that (L)in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, (M)to whom belongs the glory and [e]dominion forever and ever. Amen.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.