Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer for Protection, Guidance, and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

¹⁵ “And now, Lord, our God, You who ^(A)brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and ^(B)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. ¹⁶ Lord, in accordance with all Your ^[a]righteous acts, let now Your ^(C)anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your ^(D)holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an ^(E)object of taunting to all those around us. ¹⁷ So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for ^[b]Your sake, Lord, ^(F)let Your face shine on Your ^(G)desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ My God, ^(H)incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and ^(I)see our desolations and the city which is ^(J)called by Your name; for we are not ^[c](K)presenting our pleas before You based on ^[d]any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion. ¹⁹ Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, ^(L)do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

²⁰ While I was still ^(M)speaking and praying, and ^(N)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and ^[e]presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, ²¹ while I was still speaking in prayer, the man ^(O)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision ^[f]previously, ^[g]came to me ^[h]in my extreme weariness about the time of the ^(P)evening offering. ²² And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with ^(Q)understanding. ²³ At the ^(R)beginning of your pleas the ^[i]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are ^[j](S)highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain ^(T)understanding of the vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

²⁴ “Seventy ^[k](U)weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to ^[l]finish the wrongdoing, to ^[m]make an end of sin, to ^(V)make atonement for guilt, to bring in ^(W)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and ^[n]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. ²⁵ So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a ^[o](X)decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until ^[p](Y)Messiah the ^(Z)Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with ^[q]streets and moat, even in times of distress.

Preach the Word

4 ^(A)I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to ^(B)judge the living and the dead, and by His ^(C)appearing and His kingdom: ² preach ^(D)the word; be ready ^[a]in season and out of season; ^(E)correct, rebuke, and ^[b]exhort, with ^[c]great ^(F)patience and instruction. ³ For ^(G)the time will come when they will not tolerate ^(H)sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, ⁴ and they ^(I)will turn their ears away from the truth and ^(J)will turn aside to myths. ⁵ But as for you, ^(K)use self-restraint in all things, ^(L)endure hardship, do the work of an ^(M)evangelist, fulfill your ^(N)ministry.