Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁸¹ I faint for your salvation; but I expect your help, for you have promised it. ⁸² My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me with your help? ⁸³ I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, exhausted with waiting. But still I cling to your laws and obey them. ⁸⁴ How long must I wait before you punish those who persecute me? ^85-86 These proud men who hate your truth and laws have dug deep pits for me to fall in. Their lies have brought me into deep trouble. Help me, for you love only truth. ⁸⁷ They had almost finished me off, yet I refused to yield and disobey your laws. ⁸⁸ In your kindness, spare my life; then I can continue to obey you.

^14-15 But there will come a glorious day, says the Lord, when the whole topic of conversation will be that God is bringing his people home from a nation in the north, and from many other lands where he had scattered them. You will look back no longer to the time when I rescued you from your slavery in Egypt. That mighty miracle will scarcely be mentioned anymore. Yes, I will bring you back again, says the Lord, to this same land I gave your fathers.

¹⁶ Now I am sending for many fishermen to fish you from the deeps where you are hiding from my wrath. I am sending for hunters to chase you down like deer in the forests or mountain goats on inaccessible crags. Wherever you run to escape my judgment, I will find you and punish you. ¹⁷ For I am closely watching you, and I see every sin. You cannot hope to hide from me.

¹⁸ And I will punish you doubly for all your sins because you have defiled my land with your detestable idols and filled it up with all your evil deeds.

¹⁹ O Lord, my Strength and Fortress, my Refuge in the day of trouble, nations from around the world will come to you saying, “Our fathers have been foolish, for they have worshiped worthless idols! ²⁰ Can men make God? The gods they made are not real gods at all.”

²¹ And when they come in that spirit, I will show them^[a] my power and might and make them understand at last that I alone am God.

7 After this, Jesus went to Galilee, going from village to village, for he wanted to stay out of Judea where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. ² But soon it was time for the Tabernacle Ceremonies, one of the annual Jewish holidays, ³ and Jesus’ brothers urged him to go to Judea for the celebration.

“Go where more people can see your miracles!” they scoffed. ⁴ “You can’t be famous when you hide like this! If you’re so great, prove it to the world!” ⁵ For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

⁶ Jesus replied, “It is not the right time for me to go now. But you can go anytime and it will make no difference, ⁷ for the world can’t hate you; but it does hate me, because I accuse it of sin and evil. ⁸ You go on, and I’ll come later^[a] when it is the right time.” ⁹ So he remained in Galilee.