Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer of the poor in spirit, when he is overwhelmed, and pours out his complaint before the LORD.

¹ ¶ Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

² Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily.

³ For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as in a hearth.

⁴ My heart is smitten and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread.

⁵ By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin.

⁶ I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.

⁷ I watch and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

⁸ My enemies reproach me all the day, and those that are mad against me are sworn against me.

⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping,

¹⁰ because of thine indignation and thy wrath; for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down.

¹¹ My days are like a shadow that declines, and I am withered like grass.

¹² ¶ But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations.

¹³ Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour her, the set time, is come.

¹⁴ For thy slaves love her stones and have compassion on the dust thereof.

¹⁵ So the Gentiles shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory

¹⁶ because the LORD shall have built up Zion, and he shall be seen in his glory.

¹⁷ He shall have regarded the prayer of those who are alone and destitute and not despised their prayer.

⁸ ¶ For thus hath the LORD of the hosts the God of Israel said: Let not your prophets and your diviners that are in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye dream.

⁹ For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, said the LORD.

¹⁰ For thus hath the LORD said, That after seventy years are accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and quicken my good word upon you to cause you to return to this place.

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think concerning you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you the end that you wait for.

¹² Then ye shall call upon me, and ye shall walk in my ways and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, for ye shall seek me with all your heart.

¹⁴ And I will be found of you, said the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the Gentiles and from all the places where I have driven you, said the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.

¹⁵ ¶ But ye have said, The LORD has raised us up prophets in Babylon;

¹⁶ know that thus hath the LORD said of the king that sits upon the throne of David and of all the people that dwell in this city and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;

¹⁷ thus hath the LORD of the hosts said: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence and will make them like the evil figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

¹⁸ And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will give them over as a reproach to all the kingdoms of the earth, as a curse, and as an astonishment, and a hissing, and an affront, unto all the Gentiles where I have driven them:

¹⁹ because they did not hearken unto my words, said the LORD, which I sent unto them by my slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye did not hear, said the LORD.

²⁰ Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have cast out of Jerusalem unto Babylon:

²¹ Thus hath the LORD of the hosts the God of Israel said regarding Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and regarding Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsely unto you in my name; Behold, I deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

²² and of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

²³ because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken a word falsely in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know and am a witness, saith the LORD.

²⁴ ¶ And as he spoke these things and answered for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

²⁵ But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth words of truth and temperance.

²⁶ For the king knows of these things, before whom I also speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner.

²⁷ King Agrippa, dost thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believest.

²⁸ Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

²⁹ And Paul said, I desire before God that by little or by much, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were such as I am, except these bonds.