Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Prayer for Help^{[a] (A)}

^6 (A)“I was the one who brought famine to all your cities, yet you did not come back to me. ⁷ I kept it from raining when your crops needed it most. I sent rain on one city, but not on another. Rain fell on one field, but another field dried up. ⁸ Weak with thirst, the people of several cities went to a city where they hoped to find water, but there was not enough to drink. Still you did not come back to me.

⁹ “I sent a scorching wind to dry up your crops. The locusts ate up all your gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees. Still you did not come back to me.

¹⁰ “I sent a plague on you like the one I sent on Egypt. I killed your young men in battle and took your horses away. I filled your nostrils with the stink of dead bodies in your camps. Still you did not come back to me.

^11 (B)“I destroyed some of you as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like a burning stick saved from a fire. Still you did not come back to me,” says the Lord. ¹² “So then, people of Israel, I am going to punish you. And because I am going to do this, get ready to face my judgment!”

Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple^(A)

24 Jesus left and was going away from the Temple when his disciples came to him to call his attention to its buildings. ² “Yes,” he said, “you may well look at all these. I tell you this: not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down.”

Troubles and Persecutions^(B)

^3 (C)As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. “Tell us when all this will be,” they asked, “and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. ⁵ Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will fool many people. ⁶ You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. ^7 (D)Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. ⁸ All these things are like the first pains of childbirth.

^9 (E)“Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. ¹⁰ Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. ¹² Such will be the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold. ^13 (F)But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all people; and then the end will come.