Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 13[a]
Prayer of One in Sorrow
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of David.
2 How long,[c] O Lord—will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
3 How long must I suffer anguish in my soul
and sorrow in my heart[d] day and night?
How long will my enemy lord it over me?
4 Look upon me, O Lord, my God, and answer me;
enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep in death,
5 lest my enemy say, “I have defeated him,”
and my foes exult in my collapse.
6 As for me, I trust in your kindness;[e]
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
7 I will sing to the Lord
because he has been good to me.[f]
Chapter 12
The Lord Undertakes Defense of Jerusalem.1 An oracle: the word of the Lord concerning Israel. Thus says the Lord, who spread out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the human spirit within:
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup that will intoxicate all the surrounding nations, and Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations of the world are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All those who try to lift it will hurt themselves seriously, even though all the nations of the earth will be massed against her.
4 On that day, says the Lord, I will strike all the horses with panic and their riders with madness. Further, I will strike blind all the horses of the peoples, but I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah. 5 Then the people of Judah will say to themselves, “The inhabitants of Jerusalem derive their strength from the Lord of hosts, their God.”
6 On that day, I will make the families of Judah like a brazier burning in a woodland, like a torch aflame among sheaves, and they will consume all the surrounding nations on their right and on their left, while the people of Jerusalem will reside peacefully in their city. 7 The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not surpass that of Judah. 8 On that day, the Lord will shield the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The weakest of them will be like David when that day comes, and the house of David will be godlike, with the angel of the Lord at their head.
9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
10 They Will Cry over Him Whom They Have Pierced.[a] Further, I will pour out a spirit of grace and supplication on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that they will look on me, the one whom they have pierced, and mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they will grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.
11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning over Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.[b] 12 And the land will mourn, each family individually:
The family of the house of David by itself,
and their women by themselves;
the family of the house of Nathan by itself,
and their women by themselves;
13 the family of the house of Levi by itself,
and their women by themselves;
the family of the house of Shimei by itself,
and all their women by themselves;
14 all the remaining families by themselves,
and their women by themselves.
Chapter 13
The Country Will Be Purified. 1 On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
The Coming Persecution.[a] 9 “Be on your guard. For they will hand you over to courts and beat you in synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me to testify before them. 10 But first the gospel must be preached to all nations.
11 “When they arrest you and bring you to trial, do not be concerned beforehand about what you are to say. Simply say whatever is given to you when that time comes, for it will not be you who speak but the Holy Spirit.
12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.
14 The Great Trial.“Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation[b] standing where it does not belong (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, 15 the one who is standing on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of the house, 16 and someone who is in the field must not turn back to retrieve his coat.
17 “Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing infants in those days. 18 Pray that all this may not occur in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such suffering as has not been since the beginning of the creation that God made until now and will never be again. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he did cut short those days.
21 False Messiahs and False Prophets.[c]“Therefore, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders to lead astray God’s chosen ones, if that were possible. 23 Be on your guard! I have forewarned you about everything.
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