Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 72
Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King
Of Solomon.
1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.(A)
2 May he judge your people with righteousness
and your poor with justice.(B)
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.(C)
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.(D)
5 May he live[a] while the sun endures
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.(E)
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.(F)
7 In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.(G)
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.(H)
9 May his foes[b] bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.(I)
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.(J)
11 May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.
12 For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.(K)
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.(L)
15 Long may he live!
May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually
and blessings invoked for him all day long.(M)
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field.(N)
17 May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;[c]
may they pronounce him happy.(O)
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.(P)
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.(Q)
20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
The Ruler from Bethlehem
2 [a]But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.(A)
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.(B)
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth,(C)
5 and he shall be the one of peace.
If the Assyrians come into our land
and tread upon our soil,[b]
we will raise against them seven shepherds
and eight rulers.(D)
6 They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword
and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword;[c]
they[d] shall rescue us from the Assyrians
if they come into our land
or tread within our border.(E)
The Future Role of the Remnant
7 Then the remnant of Jacob,
surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which do not depend upon people
or wait for any mortal.(F)
8 And among the nations the remnant of Jacob,
surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it goes through, treads down
and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver.(G)
9 Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
and all your enemies shall be cut off.(H)
The Lament over Jerusalem
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me,[a] ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.(A) 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!(B) 35 See, your house is left to you.[b] And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when[c] you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”(C)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.