Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.
A Song of Ascents.
129 “[a]Many times they have [b](A)persecuted me from my (B)youth up,”
(C)Let Israel now say,
2 “[c]Many times they have [d]persecuted me from my youth up;
Yet they have (D)not prevailed against me.
3 “The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows.”
4 The Lord (E)is righteous;
He has cut in two the (F)cords of the wicked.
5 May all who (G)hate Zion
Be (H)put to shame and turned backward;
6 Let them be like (I)grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it [e]grows up;
7 With which the reaper does not fill his [f]hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his (J)bosom;
8 Nor do those who pass by say,
“The (K)blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Jerusalem Captured
39 [a]Now when Jerusalem was captured [b](A)in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it; 2 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was (B)breached. 3 Then all the (C)officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the (D)Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the [c]Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the [d]Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they (E)fled and went out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate (F)between the two walls; and he went out toward the [e]Arabah. 5 But the army of the (G)Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the (H)plains of Jericho; and they seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at (I)Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. 6 Then the (J)king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah (K)before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the (L)nobles of Judah. 7 He then (M)blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in (N)fetters of bronze to bring him to (O)Babylon. 8 The Chaldeans also (P)burned with fire the king’s palace and the houses of the people, and they (Q)broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 As for the rest of the people who were left in the city, the [f](R)deserters who had gone over to him and (S)the rest of the people who remained, (T)Nebuzaradan the (U)captain of the bodyguard carried them into exile in Babylon. 10 But some of the (V)poorest people who had nothing, (W)Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard left behind in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields [g]at that time.
Jeremiah Spared
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders about (X)Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, 12 “Take him and [h]look after him, and (Y)do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the [i]Rab-saris, and Nergal-sar-ezer the [j]Rab-mag, and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon; 14 they even sent and (Z)took Jeremiah out of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted him to (AA)Gedaliah, the son of (AB)Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.
15 Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was (AC)confined in the court of the guardhouse, saying, 16 “Go and speak to (AD)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city (AE)for disaster and not for [k]prosperity; and they will (AF)take place before you on that day. 17 But I will (AG)deliver you on that day,” declares the Lord, “and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread. 18 For I will certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own (AH)life as booty, because you have (AI)trusted in Me,” declares the Lord.’”
Exhortation
7 Therefore be patient, (A)brethren, (B)until the coming of the Lord. (C)The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until [a]it gets (D)the early and late rains. 8 (E)You too be patient; (F)strengthen your hearts, for (G)the coming of the Lord is (H)near. 9 (I)Do not [b]complain, (J)brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, (K)the Judge is standing [c](L)right at the [d]door. 10 As an example, (M)brethren, of suffering and patience, take (N)the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those (O)blessed who endured. You have heard of (P)the [e]endurance of Job and have seen (Q)the [f]outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that (R)the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
12 But above all, (S)my brethren, (T)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but [g]your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
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