Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer for Help

70 O God, hurry to take me out of trouble. O Lord, hurry to help me! ² Let those who want to kill me be ashamed and brought low. Let those who want to hurt me be turned away in shame. ³ Let those who say, “O, O!” be turned back because of their shame.

⁴ Let all who look for You be full of joy and be glad in You. And let those who love Your saving power always say, “Let God be honored.” ⁵ But I am poor and in need. Hurry to me, O God! You are my help and the One Who takes me out of trouble. O Lord, do not wait.

Israel Did Not Learn

⁶ “I kept food from your teeth in all your cities. I did not let you have enough bread in all your places. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. ⁷ “I kept the rain from you while there were still three months until gathering time. Then I would send rain on one city, but would send no rain on another city. One part would receive rain, while the part which did not receive rain would dry up. ⁸ People would go from city to city to drink water, but would not get enough. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. ⁹ “I sent hot wind to dry up your fields. The locust destroyed your many gardens and grape-fields, fig trees and olive trees. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. ¹⁰ “I sent a very bad disease upon you as I had done to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword and took your horses away. I filled your nose with the bad smell of your camp. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. ¹¹ “I destroyed some of you as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick pulled out of the fire. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. ¹² “So I will do this to you, O Israel. And because I will do this to you, get ready to meet your God, O Israel.” ¹³ He is the One Who makes the mountains and the wind. He makes His thoughts known to man. He turns the morning into darkness, and walks on the high places of the earth. The Lord God of All is His name.

Jesus Tells of the House of God ^(A)

24 Jesus went out of the house of God. On the way His followers came to Him to show Him the buildings of the house of God. ² Jesus said to them, “Do you see all these things? For sure, I tell you, all these stones will be thrown down. Not one will be left standing on another.”

Jesus Teaches on the Mount of Olives

³ Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. The followers came to Him when He was alone and said, “Tell us, when will this happen? What can we look for to show us of Your coming and of the end of the world?”

⁴ Jesus said to them, “Be careful that no one leads you the wrong way. ⁵ Many people will come using My name. They will say, ‘I am Christ.’ They will fool many people and will turn them to the wrong way. ⁶ You will hear of wars and lots of talk about wars, but do not be afraid. These things must happen, but it is not the end yet. ⁷ Nations will have wars with other nations. Countries will fight against countries. There will be no food for people. The earth will shake and break apart in different places. ⁸ These things are the beginning of sorrows and pains.

⁹ “Then they will hand you over to be hurt. They will kill you. You will be hated by all the world because of My name. ¹⁰ Many people will give up and turn away at this time. People will hand over each other. They will hate each other. ¹¹ Many false religious teachers will come. They will fool many people and will turn them to the wrong way. ¹² Because of people breaking the laws and sin being everywhere, the love in the hearts of many people will become cold. ¹³ But the one who stays true to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ “This Good News about the holy nation of God must be preached over all the earth. It must be told to all nations and then the end will come.