The Branch of the Lord

² In that day^(E) the Branch of the Lord^(F) will be beautiful^(G) and glorious, and the fruit^(H) of the land will be the pride and glory^(I) of the survivors^(J) in Israel. ³ Those who are left in Zion,^(K) who remain^(L) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,^(M) all who are recorded^(N) among the living in Jerusalem. ⁴ The Lord will wash away the filth^(O) of the women of Zion;^(P) he will cleanse^(Q) the bloodstains^(R) from Jerusalem by a spirit^[a] of judgment^(S) and a spirit^[b] of fire.^{(T) 5} Then the Lord will create^(U) over all of Mount Zion^(V) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;^(W) over everything the glory^[c](X) will be a canopy.^{(Y) 6} It will be a shelter^(Z) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge^(AA) and hiding place from the storm^(AB) and rain.

Psalm 31^[a](A)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman^(A)

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.^{(B) 22} A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,^(C) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”^(D)

²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”^(E)

²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him.^(F) “Lord, help me!” she said.

²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!^(G) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand^(H)(I)(J)

²⁹ Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. ³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.^{(K) 31} The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.^(L)

³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;^(M) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

³³ His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

³⁴ “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

³⁵ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them^(N) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.^{(O) 38} The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.