Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David.
16 (A)Protect me, God, for (B)I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I (C)have nothing good besides You.”
3 As for the [d](D)saints who are on the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones; (E)all my delight is in them.
4 [f]The (F)pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;
I will 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 measuring (L)lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is (M)beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has (N)advised me;
Indeed, my [g](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 [h]Sheol;
You will not [i](X)allow Your [j]Holy One to [k]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me (Y)the way of life;
In (Z)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are (AA)pleasures forever.
The Vision Fulfilled
28 “All of 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 began speaking and was saying, ‘Is this not Babylon the (C)great, which I myself have built as a royal [a]residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ 31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice [b]came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: [c]sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and (D)you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and (E)seven [d]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 [e]that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my [f]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 of no account,
But (L)He does according to His will among the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And (M)no one can [g]fend off His hand
Or say to Him, ‘(N)What have You done?’
36 At that time my [h](O)reason returned to me. And my majesty and (P)splendor were [i]restored to me for the honor of my kingdom, and my state counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my [j]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 [k]true and His ways [l]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]fence around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and leased it to [b]vine-growers and went on a journey. 2 And at the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive his share of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 And 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 man to send, a beloved son; he sent him to them last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 And 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 put the vine-growers to death, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture:
‘(D)A stone which the builders rejected,
This has become the [d]chief cornerstone;
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 [e]people, for they understood that He told the parable against them. And so (G)they left Him and went away.
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