Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁸ Thus has the LORD said, In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in the day of saving health I have helped thee; and I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant of people, that thou might awaken the earth, that thou might inherit the desolate heritages;

⁹ that thou may say to the prisoners, Go forth; and unto those that are in darkness, Show yourselves. Upon the ways shall they be fed, and upon all the high places shall be their pastures.

¹⁰ They shall never hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water he shall feed them.

¹¹ And I will turn all my mountains into a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

¹² Behold, these shall come from far; and, behold, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

¹³ ¶ Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD has comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

¹⁴ But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.

¹⁵ Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Even though they may forget, I will not forget thee.

¹⁶ Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

A Song of degrees of David.

¹ ¶ LORD, my heart has not become haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither have I walked in grandeur, nor in wonderful things above and beyond that which pertains to me.

² Rather I have quieted myself and caused my soul to become silent, that I might be as a child that is weaned of his mother, as one who is weaned from my own life.

³ Let Israel wait for the LORD from now on and for ever.

4 ¶ Let us reckon men as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

² Moreover, it is required in stewards that each one be found faithful.

³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by man’s judgment; I do not even judge my own self.

⁴ For although I have nothing on my conscience, yet am I not hereby justified, but he that judges me is the Lord.

⁵ Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each one have praise of God.

²⁴ No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and riches.

²⁵ ¶ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment?

²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they?

²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin;

²⁹ and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

³⁰ Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed?

³² (For the Gentiles seek after all these things.) For your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.

³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the affliction thereof.