Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 Restore us, God of Hosts;
look on us with favor, and we will be saved.(A)
8 You uprooted a vine from Egypt;
You drove out the nations and planted it.(B)
9 You cleared a place for it;
it took root and filled the land.(C)
10 The mountains were covered by its shade,
and the mighty cedars[a] with its branches.(D)
11 It sent out sprouts toward the Sea[b]
and shoots toward the River.[c](E)
12 Why have You broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its fruit?(F)
13 The boar from the forest tears it
and creatures of the field feed on it.(G)
14 Return, God of Hosts.(H)
Look down from heaven and see;
take care of this vine,
15 the root[d] Your right hand has planted,
the shoot[e] that You made strong for Yourself.(I)
Threatened Siege of Jerusalem
6 “Run for cover,(A) Benjaminites,
out of Jerusalem!
Sound the ram’s horn(B) in Tekoa;(C)
raise a smoke signal(D) over Beth-haccherem,[a]
for disaster threatens from the north,(E)
even great destruction.
2 Though she is beautiful and delicate,
I will destroy[b] Daughter Zion.
3 Shepherds and their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents all around her.(F)
Each will pasture his own portion.
4 Set them apart for war(G) against her;
rise up, let’s attack at noon.
Woe to us, for the day is passing;
the evening shadows grow long.
5 Rise up, let’s attack by night.
Let us destroy her fortresses.”
6 For this is what the Lord of Hosts says:
Cut down the trees;(H)
raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished.
There is nothing but oppression within her.(I)
7 As a well gushes out its water,
so she pours out her evil.[c]
Violence and destruction(J) resound in her.
Sickness and wounds keep coming to My attention.
8 Be warned, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away from you;(K)
I will make you a desolation,
a land without inhabitants.(L)
Wrath on Israel
9 This is what the Lord of Hosts says:
Glean the remnant of Israel(M)
as thoroughly as a vine.
Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer
over the branches.
The People Are Divided over Jesus
40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This really is the Prophet!”[a](A) 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah!” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does He? 42 Doesn’t the Scripture(B) say that the Messiah comes from David’s(C) offspring[b] and from the town of Bethlehem,(D) where David once lived?” 43 So a division(E) occurred among the crowd because of Him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize Him,(F) but no one laid hands on Him.
Debate over Jesus’ Claims
45 Then the temple police(G) came to the chief priests(H) and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why haven’t you brought Him?”
46 The police answered, “No man ever spoke like this!”[c](I)
47 Then the Pharisees responded to them: “Are you fooled(J) too? 48 Have any of the rulers(K) or Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed!”
50 Nicodemus(L)—the one who came to Him previously, being one of them—said to them, 51 “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”(M)
52 “You aren’t from Galilee(N) too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”[d](O)
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