Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

32 ¶ The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar;

² for then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem; and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah’s house.

³ For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Why dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus hath the LORD said, Behold, I give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it?

⁶ And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

⁷ Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle comes unto thee, saying, Buy my field that is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.

⁸ So Hanameel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the LORD and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

⁹ And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

¹⁰ And I subscribed the evidence and sealed it and took witnesses and weighed him the money in the balances.

¹¹ So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open.

¹² And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel my uncle’s son and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase before all the Jews that were in the court of the guard.

¹³ And I charged Baruch before them, saying,

¹⁴ Thus hath the LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel, said: Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both that which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel that they may continue many days.

¹⁵ For thus hath the LORD of the hosts the God of Israel said: Houses and fields and vineyards shall be bought and sold again in this land.

¹ ¶ He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say of the LORD, He is my hope and my fortress: my God; in him will I secure myself.

³ Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the mortal pestilence.

⁴ He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings thou shalt be secure: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

⁵ Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flies by day,

⁶ nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.

¹⁴ Because he has set his will upon me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he has known my name.

¹⁵ He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and glorify him.

¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him and show him my saving health.

⁶ ¶ But piety with contentment is great gain.

⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

⁸ So that, sustenance and covering, let us be content with this.

⁹ For those that desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

¹¹ But thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, charity, tolerance, meekness.

¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, unto which thou art also called, having made a good profession before many witnesses.

¹³ ¶ I give thee charge in the sight of God, who gives life to all things and before Christ Jesus, who testified before Pontius Pilate a good profession;

¹⁴ that thou keep the commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ who in his time shall show the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

¹⁶ the only one who has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

¹⁷ Charge those that are rich in this world, that they not be highminded, not placing their hope in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy;

¹⁸ but charge them to do good, that they be rich in good works, liberal to distribute, willing to communicate,

¹⁹ laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the future, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

¹⁹ ¶ There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day;

²⁰ and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores

²¹ and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom; the rich man also died and was buried;

²³ and in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

²⁵ But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime didst receive thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted here, and thou art tormented.

²⁶ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass from there to us.

²⁷ Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father’s house,

²⁸ for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

²⁹ Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

³⁰ And he said, No, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

³¹ And he said unto him, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, even though one rose from the dead.