Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²² ¶ Thus hath the Lord GOD said: I will also take of the highest branch of that high cedar and will set it up; I will crop off from the principal branch a shoot and will plant it upon the high and sublime mountain:

²³ in the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a magnificent cedar; and under it shall dwell every fowl; everything that flies shall dwell in the shadow of its branches.

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.

A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.

¹ ¶ 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 mercy in the morning and thy faithfulness every night

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

⁴ For thou, O LORD, hast made me glad with thy work; I will delight 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 vigorous and flourishing

¹⁵ to show that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that while 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 also procure, whether present or absent, that we may please him.

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive according to that which they have done in the body, good or evil.

¹¹ Therefore being certain of that 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 do not commend 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 whether we are fools, it is unto God; or whether we are sane, it is for your cause.

¹⁴ For the charity of the Christ constrains us because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all are dead:

¹⁵ And that he died for all that those who live should not live from now on unto themselves, but unto him who died and rose again for them.

¹⁶ ¶ Therefore from now on we know no one according to the flesh: and even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him no longer.

¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are made new.

²⁶ He also 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 forth and grow up, he knows not how.

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

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

³⁰ He also said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable 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 grows up and becomes greater than all herbs and shoots 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 he did not speak unto them; and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.