Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Restoration of Israel
8 “This what the Lord says:
“I’ll answer[a] you in a time of favor,
and on a day of salvation I’ll help[b] you.
I have watched over you,
and given you as a covenant for the people,
to restore the land,
to reassign the inheritances that have been devastated;
9 saying to captives, ‘Come out!’
and[c] to those who are in darkness, ‘Be free!’[d]
“They will feed on all the mountains,[e]
and their pasture will be on all the barren hills.
10 They won’t hunger or thirst,
nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them;
for the one who has compassion on them will drive them
and guide them alongside springs of water.
11 I’ll turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways will be raised up.
12 “Watch! They’ll come from far away—
some from the north and from the west,
and others from the region of China.”[f]
13 Shout with joy, you heavens,
and rock with glee, you earth!
Break out in song, you mountains![g]
The Lord is comforting[h] his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
Zion Not Forgotten
14 “But Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
and my God[i] has forgotten me.’
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or have no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these mothers may forget;
But as for me, I’ll never forget you!
16 Look! I’ve inscribed you on the palms of my hands,
and[j] your walls are forever before me.
A Davidic Song of Ascents
Hope in the Lord
131 Lord, my heart is not arrogant,
nor do I look haughty.
I do not aspire[a] to great things,
nor concern myself with things beyond my ability.
2 Instead, I have composed and quieted myself
like a weaned child with its mother;
I am like a weaned child.
3 Place your hope in the Lord, Israel,
both now and forever.
Faithful Servants of the Messiah
4 Think of us as servants of the Messiah[a] and as servant managers entrusted with God’s secrets. 2 Now it is required of servant managers that each one should prove to be trustworthy.[b] 3 It is a very small thing to me that I should be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I don’t even evaluate myself. 4 For my conscience is clear,[c] but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who examines me. 5 Therefore, stop judging prematurely, before the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness and reveal the motives of our hearts. Then each person will receive his praise from God.
God and Riches(A)
24 “No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!”[a]
Stop Worrying(B)
25 “That’s why I’m telling you to stop worrying about your life—what you will eat or what you will drink[b]—or about your body—what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn’t it, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren’t you? 27 Can any of you add a single hour to the length of your life[c] by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don’t work or spin yarn, 29 but I tell you that not even Solomon in all of his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30 Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won’t he clothe you much better—you who have little faith?
31 “So don’t ever worry by saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ 32 because it is the unbelievers[d] who are eager for all those things. Surely your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them! 33 But first be concerned about God’s kingdom and his righteousness,[e] and all of these things will be provided for you as well. 34 So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
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