Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
To the Director: A song by the Sons of Korah, to the tune of[a] “The Maidens”.
God is the Refuge of His People
46 God is our refuge and strength,
a great help in times of distress.
2 Therefore we will not be frightened
when the earth roars,
when the mountains shake in the depths of the seas,
3 when its waters roar and rage,
when the mountains tremble despite their pride.[b]
4 Look! There is a river
whose streams make the city of God rejoice,
even the Holy Place of the Most High.
5 Since God is in her midst,
she will not be shaken.
God will help her
at the break of dawn.
6 The nations roared;
the kingdoms were shaken.
His voice boomed;
the earth melts.
7 The Lord of the heavenly armies is with us;
our refuge is the God of Jacob.
8 Come, observe the mighty works of the Lord,
who causes desolation in the earth.
9 He causes wars to cease all over[c] the earth,
he causes the bow to break, the spear to snap,
the chariots to ignite and burn.
10 Be in awe and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted throughout the earth.
11 The Lord of the heavenly armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
18 Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
“They won’t lament for him with these words:[a]
‘How terrible, my brother,
How terrible, my sister!’
They won’t lament for him with these words:[b]
‘How terrible, lord,
How terrible, your[c] majesty!’
19 He will receive[d] a donkey’s burial,
dragged out and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.”
An Oracle against Jerusalem
20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
to Bashan and lift up your voice.
Cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers[e]
have been crushed.
21 I spoke to you when you were secure,[f]
but you said, “I won’t listen!”
This has been your way since your youth,
for you haven’t obeyed me.
22 The wind will shepherd[g] all your shepherds,[h]
and your lovers[i] will go into exile.
Indeed, you will then be ashamed and humiliated
because of all your wickedness.
23 You who live in Lebanon,
who build your nest in the cedars,
how you will groan when pains come upon you,
pain like that of a woman giving birth.
An Oracle against Jehoiachin
24 “As certainly as I’m alive and living,” declares the Lord, “even if Jehoiakim’s son King Jehoiachin[j] of Judah were a signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off 25 and give you to those who are trying to kill you, whom you fear—that is, to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Chaldeans. 26 I’ll hurl you and the mother who gave birth to you into another land where you were not born, and there you will die. 27 As for the land to which you[k] want to return, you[l] won’t return there!
28 “Is this man Jehoiachin[m] a despised and shattered jar,
a vessel no one wants?
Why were he and his descendants hurled away,
thrown into a land that they didn’t know?
29 Land, land, land,
listen to this message from the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
‘Write this man off as childless,
a man who does not prosper in his lifetime.[n]
None of his descendants will succeed
in sitting on the throne of David,
or ever ruling in Judah again.’”
Jesus Blesses the Little Children(A)
15 Now some people[a] were even bringing their infants to Jesus[b] to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people[c] not to do that. 16 Jesus, however, called for the children[d] and said, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these. 17 I tell all of you[e] with certainty, whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never get into it at all.”
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