Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁴ O God, arrogant people attack me,
and a mob of ruthless people seeks my life.
They think nothing of you.
¹⁵ But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.
You are patient, always faithful and ready to forgive.
¹⁶ Turn toward me, and have pity on me.
Give me your strength because I am your servant.
Save me because I am the son of your female servant.
¹⁷ Grant me some proof of your goodness
so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame.
You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

²¹ “Present your case,” says the Lord.
“Bring forward your best arguments,” says Jacob’s king.
²² “Bring ⌞your idols⌟ so they can tell us what’s going to happen.
Explain past events that your idols told you about
so that we may consider them
and know what their outcome will be.
Tell us about future events.
²³ Tell us what’s going to happen
so that we may know that you are gods.
Yes, do something, good or evil,
to intimidate us and make us afraid.
²⁴ You are nothing!
You can’t do anything!
Whoever chooses you is disgusting.

²⁵ “I have raised up someone from the north, and he has come.
He will call on my name from the east.
He will attack rulers as if they were mud,
as if he were treading on clay like a potter.
²⁶ Who revealed this from the beginning so that we could know it?
Who revealed this from the past so that we could say that he was right?
No one revealed it.
No one announced it.
No one heard your words.
²⁷ I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look, here they are.’
I gave Jerusalem a messenger with the good news.
²⁸ When I look, there is no one.
There is no one to advise them.
When I ask them a question,
will they give an answer?
²⁹ All of them are nothing.^[a]
They can’t do anything.
Their statues are nothing but air.”