Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer for help in affliction.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

12 The ^[a]burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel.

Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him: ² Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and ^[b]upon Judah also ^[c]shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. ³ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it. ⁴ In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness. ⁵ And the chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of hosts their God. ⁶ In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in ^[d]their own place, even in Jerusalem. ⁷ Jehovah also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified above Judah. ⁸ In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he ^[e]that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them. ⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

¹⁰ And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto ^[f]me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. ¹¹ In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. ¹² And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; ¹³ the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart; ¹⁴ all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

13 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

⁹ But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them. ¹⁰ And the ^[a]gospel must first be preached unto all the nations. ¹¹ And when they lead you to judgment, and deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand what ye shall speak: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother shall ^[b]deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children shall rise up against parents, and ^[c]cause them to be put to death. ¹³ And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴ But when ye see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains: ¹⁵ and let him that is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house: ¹⁶ and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. ¹⁷ But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! ¹⁸ And pray ye that it be not in the winter. ¹⁹ For those days shall be tribulation, such as there hath not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be. ²⁰ And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days. ²¹ And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there; believe ^[d]it not: ²² for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³ But take ye heed: behold, I have told you all things beforehand.