Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
23 So be happy, people of Jerusalem;
be joyful in the Lord your God.
Because he does what is right,
he has brought you rain;
he has sent the fall rain
and the spring rain for you, as before.
24 And the threshing floors will be full of grain;
the barrels will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
The Lord Speaks
25 “Though I sent my great army against you—
those swarming locusts and hopping locusts,
the destroying locusts and the cutting locusts[a] that ate your crops—
I will pay you back
for those years of trouble.
26 Then you will have plenty to eat
and be full.
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has done miracles for you.
My people will never again be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am among the people of Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and there is no other God.
My people will never be shamed again.
28 “After this,
I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29 At that time I will pour out my Spirit
also on male slaves and female slaves.
30 I will show miracles
in the sky and on the earth:
blood, fire, and thick smoke.
31 The sun will become dark,
the moon red as blood,
before the overwhelming and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32 Then anyone who calls on the Lord
will be saved,
because on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be people who will be saved,
just as the Lord has said.
Those left alive after the day of punishment
are the people whom the Lord called.
A Hymn of Thanksgiving
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
65 God, you will be praised in Jerusalem.
We will keep our promises to you.
2 You hear our prayers.
All people will come to you.
3 Our guilt overwhelms us,
but you forgive our sins.
4 Happy are the people you choose
and invite to stay in your court.
We are filled with good things in your house,
your holy Temple.
5 You answer us in amazing ways,
God our Savior.
People everywhere on the earth
and beyond the sea trust you.
6 You made the mountains by your strength;
you are dressed in power.
7 You stopped the roaring seas,
the roaring waves,
and the uproar of the nations.
8 Even those people at the ends of the earth fear your miracles.
You are praised from where the sun rises to where it sets.
9 You take care of the land and water it;
you make it very fertile.
The rivers of God are full of water.
Grain grows because you make it grow.
10 You send rain to the plowed fields;
you fill the rows with water.
You soften the ground with rain,
and then you bless it with crops.
11 You give the year a good harvest,
and you load the wagons with many crops.
12 The desert is covered with grass
and the hills with happiness.
13 The pastures are full of flocks,
and the valleys are covered with grain.
Everything shouts and sings for joy.
6 My life is being given as an offering to God, and the time has come for me to leave this life. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now, a crown is being held for me—a crown for being right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give the crown to me on that day[a]—not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.
16 The first time I defended myself, no one helped me; everyone left me. May they be forgiven. 17 But the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength so I could fully tell the Good News to all those who are not Jews. So I was saved from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will save me when anyone tries to hurt me, and he will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Glory forever and ever be the Lord’s. Amen.
Being Right with God
9 Jesus told this story to some people who thought they were very good and looked down on everyone else: 10 “A Pharisee and a tax collector both went to the Temple to pray. 11 The Pharisee stood alone and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast[a] twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I get!’
13 “The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even look up to heaven. But he beat on his chest because he was so sad. He said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. All who make themselves great will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great.”
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.