Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 148[a]
148 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the sky.
Praise him in the heavens.
2 Praise him, all his angels.[b]
Praise him, all his heavenly assembly.[c]
3 Praise him, O sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shiny stars.[d]
4 Praise him, O highest heaven,
and you waters above the sky.[e]
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he gave the command and they came into existence.
6 He established them so they would endure;[f]
he issued a decree that will not be revoked.[g]
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,
8 O fire and hail, snow and clouds,[h]
O stormy wind that carries out his orders,[i]
9 you mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars,
10 you animals and all you cattle,
you creeping things and birds,
11 you kings of the earth and all you nations,
you princes and all you leaders[j] on the earth,
12 you young men and young women,
you elderly, along with you children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty extends over the earth and sky.
14 He has made his people victorious,[k]
and given all his loyal followers reason to praise—
the Israelites, the people who are close to him.[l]
Praise the Lord!
Jeremiah Is Put on Trial as a False Prophet[a]
26 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah[b] at the beginning of the reign[c] of Josiah’s son, King Jehoiakim of Judah. 2 The Lord said, “Go stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.[d] Speak out to all the people who are coming from the towns of Judah to worship in the Lord’s temple. Tell them everything I command you to tell them. Do not leave out a single word. 3 Maybe they will pay attention and each of them will stop living the evil way they do.[e] If they do that, then I will forgo destroying them[f] as I had intended to do because of the wicked things they have been doing.[g] 4 Tell them that the Lord says,[h] ‘You must obey me; you must live according to the way I have instructed you in my laws.[i] 5 You must pay attention to the exhortations of my servants the prophets. I have sent them to you over and over again.[j] But you have not paid any attention to them. 6 If you do not obey me,[k] then I will do to this temple what I did to Shiloh.[l] And I will make this city an example to be used in curses by people from all the nations on the earth.’”
7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah say these things in the Lord’s temple. 8 Jeremiah had just barely finished saying all the Lord had commanded him to say to all the people when all at once some[m] of the priests, the prophets, and the people grabbed him and shouted, “You deserve to die![n] 9 How dare you claim the Lord’s authority to prophesy such things! How dare you claim his authority to prophesy that this temple will become like Shiloh and that this city will become an uninhabited ruin!”[o] Then all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the Lord’s temple.
12 Then Jeremiah made his defense before all the officials and all the people.[a] “The Lord sent me to prophesy everything you have heard me say against this temple and against this city. 13 But correct the way you have been living and do what is right.[b] Obey the Lord your God. If you do, the Lord will forgo destroying you as he threatened he would.[c] 14 As to my case, I am in your power.[d] Do to me what you deem fair and proper. 15 But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!”[e]
Stephen is Arrested
8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs[a] among the people. 9 But some men from the Synagogue[b] of the Freedmen (as it was called),[c] both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia,[d] stood up and argued with Stephen. 10 Yet[e] they were not able to resist[f] the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly instigated[g] some men to say, “We have heard this man[h] speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They incited the people, the[i] elders, and the experts in the law;[j] then they approached Stephen,[k] seized him, and brought him before the council.[l] 13 They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place[m] and the law.[n] 14 For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs[o] that Moses handed down to us.” 15 All[p] who were sitting in the council[q] looked intently at Stephen[r] and saw his face was like the face of an angel.[s]
51 “You stubborn[a] people, with uncircumcised[b] hearts and ears![c] You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors[d] did! 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors[e] not persecute?[f] They[g] killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One,[h] whose betrayers and murderers you have now become![i] 53 You[j] received the law by decrees given by angels,[k] but you did not obey[l] it.”
Stephen is Killed
54 When they heard these things, they became furious[m] and ground their teeth[n] at him. 55 But Stephen,[o] full[p] of the Holy Spirit, looked intently[q] toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing[r] at the right hand of God. 56 “Look!” he said.[s] “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears,[t] shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 58 When[u] they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him,[v] and the witnesses laid their cloaks[w] at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They[x] continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then he fell[y] to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”[z] When[aa] he had said this, he died.[ab]
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