Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
For the choir director; according to shoshannim eduth; by Asaph; a psalm.
80 Open your ears, O Shepherd of Israel,
the one who leads ⌞the descendants of⌟ Joseph like sheep,
the one who is enthroned over the angels.[a]
2 Appear in front of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Wake up your power, and come to save us.
3 O God, restore us and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
4 O Lord God, commander of armies, how long will you smolder in anger
against the prayer of your people?
5 You made them eat tears as food.
You often made them drink ⌞their own⌟ tears.
6 You made us a source of conflict to our neighbors,
and our enemies made fun of us.
7 O God, commander of armies, restore us and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
17 Let your power rest on the man you have chosen,
the son of man you strengthened for yourself.
18 Then we will never turn away from you.
Give us life again, and we will call on you.
19 O Lord God, commander of armies, restore us, and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
13 ⌞The Lord declares,⌟ “On that day a fountain will be opened for David’s family and for those who live in Jerusalem to wash away ⌞their⌟ sin and stain.
False Prophets Will Be Judged
2 “On that day,” declares the Lord of Armies, “I will wipe away the names of the idols from the land. They will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the ⌞false⌟ prophets and the unclean [a] spirit from the land.
3 “If a man still prophesies, his father and his mother, who gave birth to him, will say, ‘You don’t deserve to live because you speak lies in the name of the Lord.’ Then his father and his mother, who gave birth to him, will stab him when he prophesies.
4 “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He won’t deceive people by dressing ⌞like a prophet⌟ in a coat made of hair. 5 He will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I’m a farmer. I’ve owned this land since I was a child.’
6 “When someone asks him, ‘What are these scars on your chest?’ he will answer, ‘I was hurt at my friend’s house.’
The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered
7 “Arise, sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my friend,” declares the Lord of Armies.
“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.
Then I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
8 The Lord declares,
“Throughout the land two-thirds will be cut off and die.
Yet, one-third will be left in it.
9 I will bring this third ⌞of the people⌟ through the fire.
I will refine them as silver is refined.
I will test them as gold is tested.
They will call on me, and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people.’
They will reply, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”
The Harvest of the Earth
6 I saw another angel flying overhead with the everlasting Good News to spread to those who live on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 The angel said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the time has come for him to judge. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs.”
8 Another angel, a second one, followed him, and said, “Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! She has made all the nations drink the wine of her passionate sexual sins.”
9 Another angel, a third one, followed them, and said in a loud voice, “Whoever worships the beast or its statue, whoever is branded on his forehead or his hand, 10 will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured unmixed into the cup of God’s anger. Then he will be tortured by fiery sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the lamb. 11 The smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast or its statue, or for anyone branded with its name.” 12 In this situation God’s holy people, who obey his commands and keep their faith in Jesus, need endurance.
13 I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: From now on those who die believing in the Lord are blessed.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit. “Let them rest from their hard work. What they have done goes with them.”
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.