Joel 2:12-19

English Standard Version

Return to the Lord

¹²“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    ^(A)“return to me with all your heart,
^(B)with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³    and ^(C)rend your hearts and not ^(D)your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    ^(E)for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    ^(F)and he relents over disaster.
¹⁴^(G)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and ^(H)leave a blessing behind him,
^(I)a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

¹⁵^(J)Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    ^(K)consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
¹⁶    gather the people.
^(L)Consecrate the congregation;
    assemble the elders;
^(M)gather the children,
    even nursing infants.
^(N)Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷^(O)Between the ^(P)vestibule and the ^(Q)altar
    ^(R)let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and make not your heritage a reproach,
    a byword among the nations.^[a]
^(S)Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

¹⁸^(T)Then the Lord became jealous for his land
    ^(U)and had pity on his people.
¹⁹The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, ^(V)I am sending to you
    grain, wine, and oil,
    ^(W)and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
    a reproach among the nations.

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Footnotes

Joel 2:17 Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

English Standard Version

¹⁶From now on, therefore, ^(A)we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is ^(B)in Christ, he is ^(C)a new creation.^[a] ^(D)The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸All this is from God, ^(E)who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us ^(F)the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[b] the world to himself, ^(G)not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us ^(H)the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore, ^(I)we are ambassadors for Christ, ^(J)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹^(K)For our sake he made him to be sin ^(L)who knew no sin, so that in him we might become ^(M)the righteousness of God.

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Footnotes

2 Corinthians 5:17 Or creature
2 Corinthians 5:19 Or God was in Christ, reconciling

Matthew 9:35-38

English Standard Version

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

³⁵^(A)And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶^(B)When he saw the crowds, ^(C)he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, ^(D)like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷^(E)Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸therefore ^(F)pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to ^(G)send out laborers into his harvest.”