); Isaiah 51:1-3 (Look to Abraham and Sarah); Matthew 11:20-24 (Jesus prophesies against the cities) (Expanded Bible)
Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God, the King of the World
For the director of music. A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as Temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].
47 Clap your hands, all you people.
Shout to God with ·joy [jubilant shouts/cries/L sound].
2 The Lord Most High is ·wonderful [awesome].
He is the great King over all the earth!
3 He ·defeated [subdues] ·nations [or armies] ·for [L under] us
and ·put them under our control [L peoples under our feet].
4 He chose ·the land we would inherit [L for us our heritage/inheritance].
We are the ·children [L pride] of Jacob, whom he loved. ·
5 God has risen with a shout of joy;
the Lord has risen ·as the trumpets sounded [L with the sound of the ram’s horn].
6 Sing praises to God. Sing praises.
Sing praises to our King. Sing praises.
7 God is King of all the earth,
so sing a ·song of praise [psalm; a skillful psalm; meditation; L maskil] to him.
8 God is King over the nations.
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The ·leaders [princes] of the ·nations [or armies] ·meet [L gather together]
with the ·people [or army] of the God of Abraham,
because the ·leaders [L shields; C military leaders] of the earth belong to God.
He is ·supreme [highly exalted].
Jerusalem Will Be Saved
51 The Lord says, “Listen to me,
those of you who ·try to live right [L pursue righteousness] and ·follow [seek] the Lord.
Look ·at [or to] the rock from which you were cut;
look ·at [or to] the stone quarry from which you were dug [C referring to their ancestors Abraham and Sarah; see v. 2].
2 Look at Abraham, your ·ancestor [father],
and Sarah, who gave birth to ·your ancestors [L you].
Abraham ·had no children [was just one person; L was one] when I called him [Gen. 12:1–3],
but I blessed him and ·gave him many descendants [L made him many].
3 So the Lord will comfort ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple];
he will ·show mercy to [comfort] ·those who live in [L all] her ruins.
He will change her ·deserts [wilderness] into ·a garden like Eden [L Eden];
he will make her ·empty lands [desert; arid plains] like the garden of the Lord.
·People there will be very happy [L Joy and gladness will be found in her];
·they will give thanks and sing songs [L thanksgiving and the voice of song].
Jesus Warns Unbelievers(A)
20 Then Jesus began to ·criticize [denounce; reproach] the cities where he did ·most [so many] of his ·miracles [powerful deeds], because the people did not ·change their lives and stop sinning [repent]. 21 He said, “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, Korazin! ·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, Bethsaida! If the same ·miracles [powerful deeds] ·I did [L that occurred] in you had happened in Tyre and Sidon [C cities in Phoenicia notorious for their wickedness], those people would have ·changed their lives [repented] a long time ago. ·They would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves to show they had changed [L …in sackcloth/burlap and ashes; C signs of sorrow and deep remorse]. 22 But I tell you, on the judgment day it will be ·better [more bearable/tolerable] for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum [C a town in Galilee where Jesus lived and ministered], will you be ·lifted up to [honored/exalted in] heaven? No! you will be thrown down to ·the depths [the place of the dead; L Hades; Is. 14:13, 15]. If the ·miracles [powerful deeds] ·I did [L that occurred] in you had happened in Sodom [C a city God destroyed because the people were so evil; Gen. 19], it would ·still be a city [L have remained until] today [C because its people would have repented and judgment averted]. 24 But I tell you, on the judgment day it will be ·better [more bearable/tolerable] for [L the region/land of] Sodom than for you.”
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