Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

How Long, O Yahweh?

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

Yahweh Will Save

12 The oracle of the word of Yahweh concerning Israel.

Thus declares Yahweh who ^(A)stretches out the heavens, ^(B)lays the foundation of the earth, and ^(C)forms the spirit of man within him, ² “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a ^(D)cup ^[a]that causes reeling to all the peoples all around. Now the one in siege against Jerusalem will also be against ^(E)Judah. ³ But it will be in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a heavy ^(F)stone for all the peoples; all who heave it up will be ^(G)severely ^[b]injured. And all the ^(H)nations of the earth will be gathered against it. ⁴ In that day,” declares Yahweh, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will open my eyes to watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. ⁵ Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘^[c]A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through Yahweh of hosts, their God.’

⁶ “In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a ^(I)fiery laver among pieces of wood and a fiery torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem will again be ^(J)inhabited in its own place—in Jerusalem. ⁷ Yahweh also will ^(K)save the tents of Judah first so that the glory of the house of ^(L)David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah. ⁸ In that day Yahweh will ^(M)defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who ^(N)stumbles among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like ^(O)God, like the ^(P)angel of Yahweh before them. ⁹ And it will be in that day, that I will ^(Q)seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning for the Pierced One

¹⁰ “And I will ^(R)pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem ^[d]the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have ^(S)pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one ^(T)mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. ¹¹ In that day there will be great ^(U)mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the ^[e]plain of ^[f]Megiddo. ¹² And the land will mourn, each family alone; the family of the house of David alone and their wives alone; the family of the house of Nathan alone and their wives alone; ¹³ the family of the house of Levi alone and their wives alone; the family of the Shimeites alone and their wives alone; ¹⁴ all the families that remain, each family alone and their wives alone.

Jerusalem Refined and Tested

13 “In that day a ^(V)fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for ^(W)sin and for ^(X)impurity.

⁹ “But see to yourselves; for they will ^(A)deliver you to the ^[a]courts, and you will be beaten ^(B)in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to them. ^10 (C)And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. ^11 (D)And when they lead you away, delivering you up, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and ^[b]have them put to death. ^13 (E)And you will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

The Abomination of Desolation and the Tribulation

¹⁴ “But ^(F)when you see the ^(G)abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. ^15 (H)And the one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; ¹⁶ and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his garment. ¹⁷ But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ¹⁸ But pray that it may not happen in the winter. ¹⁹ For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred ^(I)since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. ²⁰ And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no ^[c]life would have been saved; but for the sake of the ^[d]elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. ²¹ And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the ^[e]Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; ²² for false christs and ^(J)false prophets will arise, and will show ^[f](K)signs and ^(L)wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³ But as for you, see! I have told you everything in advance.