Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 72
A Prayer for the King
Solomonic.(A)
1 God, give Your justice to the king
and Your righteousness to the king’s son.(B)
2 He will judge Your people with righteousness
and Your afflicted ones with justice.(C)
3 May the mountains bring prosperity[a] to the people
and the hills, righteousness.(D)
4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,
help the poor,
and crush the oppressor.(E)
5 May he continue[b] while the sun endures
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.(F)
6 May he be like rain that falls on the cut grass,
like spring showers that water the earth.(G)
7 May the righteous[c] flourish in his days
and prosperity[d] abound
until the moon is no more.(H)
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.(I)
9 May desert tribes kneel before him
and his enemies lick the dust.(J)
10 May the kings of Tarshish
and the coasts and islands bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.(K)
11 Let all kings bow down to him,
all nations serve him.(L)
12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.(M)
13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless
and save the lives of the poor.(N)
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are[e] precious[f] in his sight.(O)
15 May he live long!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be offered for him continually,
and may he be blessed all day long.(P)
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains.
May its crops be like Lebanon.
May people flourish in the cities
like the grass of the field.(Q)
17 May his name endure forever;
as long as the sun shines,
may his fame increase.
May all nations be blessed by him
and call him blessed.(R)
2 [a]Bethlehem Ephrathah,(A)
you are small among the clans of Judah;
One will come from you(B)
to be ruler over Israel for Me.(C)
His origin[b] is from antiquity,(D)
from eternity.[c]
3 Therefore, He will abandon them(E) until the time
when she who is in labor(F) has given birth;
then the rest of His brothers(G) will return
to the people of Israel.(H)
4 He will stand and shepherd them(I)
in the strength of Yahweh,
in the majestic name of Yahweh His God.
They will live securely,
for then His greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.(J)
5 He will be their peace.(K)
When Assyria invades our land,(L)
when it marches against our fortresses,
we will raise against it seven shepherds,
even eight leaders of men.
6 They will shepherd(M) the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod(N) with a drawn blade.[d]
So He will rescue us(O) from Assyria
when it invades our land,
when it marches against our territory.
The Glorious and Purified Remnant
7 Then the remnant of Jacob(P)
will be among many peoples
like dew from the Lord,(Q)
like showers on the grass,(R)
which do not wait for anyone
or linger for mankind.
8 Then the remnant of Jacob
will be among the nations, among many peoples,
like a lion among animals of the forest,(S)
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which tramples(T) and tears(U) as it passes through,
and there is no one to rescue them.(V)
9 Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries,(W)
and all your enemies will be destroyed.
Jesus and Herod Antipas
31 At that time some Pharisees came and told Him, “Go, get out of here! Herod(A) wants to kill You!”(B)
32 He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look! I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day[a] I will complete My work.’[b](C) 33 Yet I must(D) travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet(E) to perish(F) outside of Jerusalem!
Jesus’ Lamentation over Jerusalem
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem!(G) She who kills the prophets and stones(H) those who are sent to her.(I) How often I wanted to gather your children(J) together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,(K) but you were not willing!(L) 35 See, your house[c] is abandoned to you.(M) And I tell you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One’!”(N)[d]
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