Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
19 Lord, remember my suffering and how I have no home.
Remember the misery and suffering.
20 I remember them well.
And I am very sad.
21 But I have hope
when I think of this:
22 The Lord’s love never ends.
His mercies never stop.
23 They are new every morning.
Lord, your loyalty is great.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is what I have left.
So I have hope.”
25 The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him.
He is good to those who look to him for help.
26 It is good to wait quietly
for the Lord to save.
7 Jerusalem is suffering and homeless.
She remembers all the precious things
she had in the past.
She remembers when her people were defeated by the enemy.
There was no one to help her.
When her enemies saw her,
they laughed to see her ruined.
8 Jerusalem sinned terribly.
So she has become unclean.
Those who honored her hate her now
because they have seen her nakedness.
Jerusalem groans
and turns away.
9 Jerusalem made herself unclean by her sins.
She did not think about what would happen to her.
Her defeat was surprising.
There was no one to comfort her.
She says, “Lord, see how I suffer.
The enemy has won.”
10 The enemy reached out and took
all her precious things.
She even saw foreigners
enter her Temple.
Lord, you had commanded
that they should not enter the meeting of your people.
11 All of Jerusalem’s people are groaning.
They are looking for bread.
They are giving away their precious things for food
so they can stay alive.
The city says, “Look, Lord, and see.
I am hated.”
12 Jerusalem says, “You who pass by on the road don’t seem to care.
Come, look at me and see.
Is there any pain like mine?
Is there any pain like that he has caused me?
The Lord has punished me
on the day of his great anger.
13 “The Lord sent fire from above.
It went down into my bones.
He stretched out a net for my feet.
He turned me back.
He made me sad and lonely.
I am weak all day.
14 “He has noticed my sins.
They are tied together by his hands.
They hang around my neck.
He has turned my strength into weakness.
The Lord has let me be defeated
by those who are stronger than I am.
15 “The Lord has rejected
all my mighty men inside my walls.
He brought an army against me
to destroy my young men.
As if in a winepress, the Lord has crushed
the capital city of Judah.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 When Jesus and his followers were leaving Jericho, a great many people followed Jesus. 30 There were two blind men sitting by the road. The blind men heard that Jesus was going by, so they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, please help us!”
31 All the people criticized the blind men. They told them to be quiet. But the blind men shouted more and more, “Lord, Son of David, please help us!”
32 Jesus stopped and said to the blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 They answered, “Lord, we want to be able to see.”
34 Jesus felt sorry for the blind men. He touched their eyes, and at once they were able to see. Then the men followed Jesus.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.