Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Desire for God’s House

84 How beautiful are the places where You live, O Lord of all! ² My soul wants and even becomes weak from wanting to be in the house of the Lord. My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. ³ Even the bird has found a home. The swallow has found a nest for herself where she may lay her young at Your altars, O Lord of all, my King and my God. ⁴ How happy are those who live in Your house! They are always giving thanks to You.

⁵ How happy is the man whose strength is in You and in whose heart are the roads to Zion! ⁶ As they pass through the dry valley of Baca, they make it a place of good water. The early rain fills the pools with good also. ⁷ They go from strength to strength. Every one of them stands before God in Zion.

No Water—No Food

14 The Word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah when there was no water: ² “Judah is full of sorrow and her gates are weak. Her people sit on the ground in sorrow, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. ³ Their men of honor have sent their servants for water. They have come to the wells and found no water, and returned with their jars empty. They have been put to shame and troubled, and covered their heads. ⁴ The ground is dried up because there has been no rain on the land. The farmers have been put to shame and have covered their heads. ⁵ Even the deer in the field leaves her young one which has just been born, because there is no grass. ⁶ The wild donkeys stand on the open hill-tops. They breathe hard for air like wild dogs. Their eyes become weak because there is nothing to eat.

Mary’s Song of Thanks

⁴⁶ Then Mary said, “My heart sings with thanks for my Lord. ⁴⁷ And my spirit is happy in God, the One Who saves from the punishment of sin. ⁴⁸ The Lord has looked on me, His servant-girl and one who is not important. But from now on all people will honor me. ⁴⁹ He Who is powerful has done great things for me. His name is holy. ⁵⁰ The loving-kindness of the Lord is given to the people of all times who honor Him. ⁵¹ He has done powerful works with His arm. He has divided from each other those who have pride in their hearts. ⁵² He has taken rulers down from their thrones. He has put those who are in a place that is not important to a place that is important. ⁵³ He has filled those who are hungry with good things. He has sent the rich people away with nothing. ⁵⁴ He has helped Israel His servant. This was done to remember His loving-kindness. ⁵⁵ He promised He would do this to our early fathers and to Abraham and to his family forever.”