Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
23 And so be glad, children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
because he has given you the right amount of early rain,
and he will cause the rain to fall for you,
both the early rain and the later rain as before.
24 The threshing floors will be smothered in grain,
and the vats will overflow with wine and oil.
25 “Then I will restore to you the years that the locust swarm devoured,
as did the young locust, the other locusts, and the ravaging locust,
that great army of mine that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, and will be fully satisfied.
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has performed wonders specifically for you.
And my people will never be ashamed.
27 As a result, you will know that I am in the midst of Israel;
that I myself am the Lord your God—
and there is none other!
And my people will never be ashamed.”
The Day of the Lord
28 [a]“Then it will come about at a later time
that I will pour out my Spirit on every person.
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.
Your elderly people will dream dreams,
and your young people will see visions.
29 Also at that time I will pour out my Spirit
upon men and women servants.
30 I will display warnings in the heavens,
and on the earth blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The sun will be given over to darkness,
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the great and terrifying Day of the Lord.
32 And everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be delivered.
For as the Lord has said,
‘In Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape,
the survivors whom the Lord is calling.’”
To the Director: A song. Lyrics[a] by David.
A Song of Praise to God
65 In Zion, God, praise silently awaits you,
and vows will be paid to you.
2 Since you hear prayer,
everybody will come to you.
3 My acts of iniquity—they overwhelm me!
Our transgressions—you blot them out!
4 How blessed is the one you choose,
the one you cause to live in your courts.
We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
yes, even with the holiness of your Temple.
5 With awesome deeds of justice[b]
you will answer us, God our Deliverer;
you are[c] the confidence for everyone at the ends of the earth,
even for those far away overseas.
6 The One who established the mountains by his strength
is clothed with omnipotence.
7 He calmed the roar of seas,
the roaring of the waves,
and the turmoil of the peoples.
8 Those living at the furthest ends of the earth[d] are seized by fear because of your miraculous deeds.
You make the going forth of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You take care of the earth,
you water it,
and you enrich it greatly with the river of God that overflows with water.
You provide grain for them,
for you have ordained it this way.
10 You fill the furrows of the field with water
so that their ridges overflow.
You soften them with rain showers;
their sprouts you have blessed.
11 You crown the year with your goodness;
your footsteps drop prosperity behind them.
12 The wilderness pastures drip with dew,[e]
and the hills wrap themselves with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
and the valleys are covered with grain.
They shout for joy;
yes, they burst out in song!
6 I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time for my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith. 8 The victor’s crown of righteousness is now waiting for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on the day that he comes,[a] and not only to me but also to all who eagerly wait for his appearing.
16 At my first trial no one came to my defense. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be held against them! 17 However, the Lord stood by me and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles could hear it. I was rescued out of a lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack[a] and will take me safely to[b] his heavenly kingdom. Glory belongs to him forever and ever! Amen.
The Parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Jesus[a] also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves, thinking they were righteous, but who looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘O God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—thieves, dishonest people, adulterers, or even this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of my entire income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven. Instead, he continued to beat his chest and said, ‘O God, be merciful to me, the sinner that I am!’[b] 14 I tell you, this man, rather than the other one, went down to his home justified, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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