Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²² “‘Thus saith the Lord God: I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and eminent.

²³ In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit and be a goodly cedar, and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

²⁴ And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it.’”

92 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High,

² to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night,

³ upon an instrument of ten strings and upon the psaltery, upon the harp with a solemn sound.

⁴ For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work; I will triumph in the works of Thy hands.

¹² The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

¹³ Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴ They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing to show

¹⁵ that the Lord is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;

⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight.

⁸ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

⁹ Therefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted by Him.

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

¹¹ Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

¹² For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have something to answer those who glory in appearance and not in heart.

¹³ For if we be beside ourselves, it is for God; if we be soberminded, it is for your cause.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if One died for all, then all were dead;

¹⁵ and that He died for all, that those who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again.

¹⁶ Therefore, henceforth know we no man according to the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now henceforth we know Him so no more.

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.

²⁶ And He said, “So is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground,

²⁷ and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how.

²⁸ For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

²⁹ But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”

³⁰ And He said, “To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it?

³¹ It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth.

³² But when it is sown, it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.”

³³ And with many such parables He spoke the Word unto them, as they were able to hear it;

³⁴ but without a parable spoke He not unto them. And when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.