Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David.
16 (A)Preserve me, O God, for (B)I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I (C)have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d](D)saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones (E)in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f](F)sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of (G)blood,
Nor will I (H)take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the (I)portion of my inheritance and my (J)cup;
You support my (K)lot.
6 The (L)lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is (M)beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has (N)counseled me;
Indeed, my [h](O)mind instructs me in the night.
8 (P)I have (Q)set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is (R)at my right hand, (S)I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore (T)my heart is glad and (U)my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will (V)dwell securely.
10 For You (W)will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j](X)allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me (Y)the path of life;
In (Z)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are (AA)pleasures forever.
The Vision Fulfilled
28 “All this (A)happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. 29 (B)Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king [a]reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the (C)great, which I myself have built as a royal [b]residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice [c]came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: [d]sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and (D)you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and (E)seven [e]periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the (F)Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ 33 Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was (G)driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 “But at the end of [f]that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my [g]reason returned to me, and I blessed the (H)Most High and praised and honored (I)Him who lives forever;
For His dominion is an (J)everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 “(K)All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
But (L)He does according to His will in the host of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And (M)no one can [h]ward off His hand
Or say to Him, ‘(N)What have You done?’
36 At that time my [i](O)reason returned to me. And my majesty and (P)splendor were [j]restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my [k]sovereignty, and surpassing (Q)greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of (R)heaven, for (S)all His works are [l]true and His ways [m]just, and He is able to humble those who (T)walk in pride.”
Parable of the Vine-growers
12 (A)And He began to speak to them in parables: “(B)A man (C)planted a vineyard and put a [a]wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to [b]vine-growers and went on a journey. 2 At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the [c]owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture:
‘(D)The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the chief corner stone;
11 (E)This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 (F)And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the [d]people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so (G)they left Him and went away.
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