Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Branch Will Come From Jesse’s Family Line
11 Jesse’s family is like a tree that has been cut down.
A new little tree will grow from its stump.
From its roots a Branch will grow and produce fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on that Branch.
The Spirit will help him to be wise and understanding.
The Spirit will help him make wise plans and carry them out.
The Spirit will help him know the Lord and have respect for him.
3 The Branch will take delight
in respecting the Lord.
He will not judge things only by the way they look.
He won’t make decisions based simply on what people say.
4 He will always do what is right
when he judges those who are in need.
He’ll be completely fair
when he makes decisions about poor people.
When he commands that people be punished,
it will happen.
When he orders that evil people be put to death,
it will take place.
5 He will put on godliness as if it were his belt.
He’ll wear faithfulness around his waist.
6 Wolves will live with lambs.
Leopards will lie down with goats.
Calves and lions will eat together.
And little children will lead them around.
7 Cows will eat with bears.
Their little ones will lie down together.
And lions will eat straw like oxen.
8 A baby will play near a hole where cobras live.
A young child will put its hand into a nest
where poisonous snakes live.
9 None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone
on my holy mountain of Zion.
The oceans are full of water.
In the same way, the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord.
8 Jerusalem, you used to be
like a guard tower for my flock.
City of Zion, you used to be
a place of safety for my people.
The glorious kingdom you had before
will be given back to you.
Once again a king will rule over your people.”
9 Why are you crying out so loudly now?
Don’t you have a king?
Has your ruler died?
Is that why pain comes on you
like the pain of a woman having a baby?
10 People of Zion, groan with pain.
Cry out like a woman having a baby.
Soon you must leave your city.
You must camp in the open fields.
You will have to go to the land of Babylon.
But that’s where the Lord will save you.
There he will set you free
from the power of your enemies.
11 But now many nations
have gathered together to attack you.
They say, “Let Jerusalem be made ‘unclean.’
We want to laugh when Zion suffers!”
12 But those nations don’t know
what the Lord has in mind.
They don’t understand his plan.
He has planned to gather them up like bundles of grain.
He has planned to take them to his threshing floor.
13 The Lord says,
“People of Zion, get up
and crush your enemies.
I will make you like a threshing ox.
I will give you iron horns and bronze hooves.
So you will crush many nations.”
They got their money in the wrong way.
But you will set it apart to the Lord.
You will give their wealth
to the Lord of the whole earth.
31 Jesus went on to say, “What can I compare today’s people to? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the market and calling out to each other. They say,
“ ‘We played the flute for you.
But you didn’t dance.
We sang a funeral song.
But you didn’t cry.’
33 That is how it has been with John the Baptist. When he came to you, he didn’t eat bread or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 But when the Son of Man came, he ate and drank as you do. And you say, ‘This fellow is always eating and drinking far too much. He’s a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 All who follow wisdom prove that wisdom is right.”
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