Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁶ “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered^(A) you to the four winds of heaven,”^(B) declares the Lord.^(C)

⁷ “Come, Zion! Escape,^(D) you who live in Daughter Babylon!”^{(E) 8} For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye^(F)— ⁹ I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.^[a](G) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.^(H)

¹⁰ “Shout^(I) and be glad, Daughter Zion.^(J) For I am coming,^(K) and I will live among you,”^(L) declares the Lord.^{(M) 11} “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.^(N) I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.^{(O) 12} The Lord will inherit^(P) Judah^(Q) as his portion in the holy land and will again choose^(R) Jerusalem. ¹³ Be still^(S) before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.^(T)”

The Law and Sin

⁷ What shall we say, then?^(A) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!^(B) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.^(C) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”^{[a](D) 8} But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(E) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.^{(F) 9} Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰ I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life^(G) actually brought death. ¹¹ For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(H) deceived me,^(I) and through the commandment put me to death. ¹² So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.^(J)

¹³ Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good^(K) to bring about my death,^(L) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,^(M) sold^(N) as a slave to sin.^{(O) 15} I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.^{(P) 16} And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.^{(Q) 17} As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.^{(R) 18} For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[b](S) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.^{(T) 20} Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.^(U)