Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer to Bring Israel Back
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies of the Agreement.” A song of Asaph.
80 Shepherd of Israel, listen to us.
You lead the people of Joseph like a flock.
You sit on your throne between the gold creatures with wings.
Show your greatness 2 to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Use your strength.
Come and save us.
8 You brought us out of Egypt as if we were a vine.
You forced out other nations and planted us in the land.
9 You cleared the land for us.
Like a vine, we took root and filled the land.
10 We covered the mountains with our shade.
We had limbs like the mighty cedar tree.
11 Our branches reached the Mediterranean Sea.
And our shoots went to the Euphrates River.
12 So why did you pull down our walls?
Now everyone who passes by steals from us.
13 Like wild pigs they walk over us.
Like wild animals they feed on us.
14 God of heaven’s armies, come back.
Look down from heaven and see.
Take care of us, your vine.
15 You planted this shoot with your own hands.
You raised and strengthened this child.
16 Now it is cut down and burned with fire.
You destroyed us by your angry looks.
17 Help the man you have chosen.
Make this human being strong for your service.
18 Then we will not turn away from you.
Give us life again, and we will call to you for help.
19 Lord God of heaven’s armies, take us back.
Show us your kindness so we can be saved.
God Will Punish Judah and Jerusalem
3 Understand what I am telling you.
The Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies,
will take away everything Judah and Jerusalem need.
He will take away all the food and water.
2 He will take away all the heroes and great soldiers.
He will take away all the judges, prophets,
people who do magic and elders.
3 He will take away the military leaders and government leaders.
He will take away the counselors, the skilled craftsmen and those who try to tell the future.
4 The Lord says, “I will cause young boys to be your leaders.
Foolish children will rule over you.
5 Everyone will be against everyone else.
Young people will not respect older people.
Common people will not respect important people.”
6 At that time a man will grab one of his brothers
from his own family and say,
“You have a coat. So you will be our leader.
You will be the leader over all these ruins.”
7 But that brother will stand up and say,
“I cannot help you.
I do not have food or clothes in my house.
You will not make me your leader.”
8 This will happen because Jerusalem has stumbled
and Judah has fallen.
The things they say and do are against the Lord.
They sin openly against the Lord.
9 The look on their faces shows they are guilty of doing wrong.
Like the people of Sodom, they are proud of their sin.
They don’t care who sees it.
How terrible it will be for them!
They have brought much trouble to themselves.
10 Tell the good people that good things will happen to them.
They will receive a reward for the good they do.
11 But how terrible it will be for wicked people!
They will be punished for all the wrong they have done.
12 Children treat my people cruelly.
Women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you in the wrong way.
They turn you away from what is right.
13 The Lord takes his place in court.
He stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord presents his case
against the elders and other leaders of his people.
He says, “You have burned my vineyard.
Your houses are full of what you took from the poor.
15 What gives you the right to crush my people?
How can you grind the faces of the poor into the dirt?”
The Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies, said this.
A Warning to Women of Jerusalem
16 The Lord says,
“The women of Jerusalem are proud.
They walk around with their heads held high.
They flirt with their eyes.
They take quick, short steps,
making noise with their ankle bracelets.”
17 So the Lord will put sores on the heads of those women in Jerusalem.
He will make them lose all their hair.
32 Remember those days in the past when you first learned the truth. You had a hard struggle with many sufferings, but you continued strong. 33 Sometimes you were hurt and persecuted before crowds of people. And sometimes you shared with those who were being treated that way. 34 You helped the prisoners. And you even had joy when all that you owned was taken from you. You were joyful because you knew that you had something better and more lasting.
35 So do not lose the courage that you had in the past. It has a great reward. 36 You must hold on, so you can do what God wants and receive what he has promised. 37 For in a very short time,
“The One who is coming will come.
He will not be late.
38 The person who is right with me
will have life because of his faith.
But if he turns back with fear,
I will not be pleased with him.” Habakkuk 2:3-4
39 But we are not those who turn back and are lost. We are people who have faith and are saved.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.