Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
68 “Let us thank the Lord, the God of Israel.
God has come to help his people and has given them freedom.
69 God has given us a powerful Savior
from the family of God’s servant David.
70 God said that he would do this.
He said it through his holy prophets who lived long ago.
71 God will save us from our enemies
and from the power of all those who hate us.
72 God said he would give mercy to our ancestors.
And he remembered his holy promise.
73 God promised Abraham, our father,
74 that he would free us from the power of our enemies,
so that we could serve him without fear.
75 We will be righteous and holy before God as long as we live.
76 “Now you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go first before the Lord
to prepare the people for his coming.
77 You will make his people know that they will be saved.
They will be saved by having their sins forgiven.
78 With the loving mercy of our God,
a new day from heaven will shine upon us.
79 God will help those who live in darkness,
in the fear of death.
He will guide us into the path that goes toward peace.”
Judgment Against Evil Kings
22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Prophesy this message there: 2 ‘Hear the word of the Lord, king of Judah. You rule from David’s throne. You and your officers, listen well! All of your people who come through these gates, listen! 3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is fair and right. Protect those who have been robbed from those who robbed them. Don’t do any wrong to the orphans or widows. Don’t hurt them. Don’t kill innocent people here. 4 If you carefully obey these commands, this is what will happen: Kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace. They will come with their officers and people. They will all come riding in chariots and on horses. 5 But if you don’t obey these commands, this is what the Lord says: I promise in my own name that this king’s palace will become a ruin.’”
6 This is what the Lord says about the palace where the king of Judah lives:
“This palace is tall like the forests of Gilead.
It is high like the mountains of Lebanon.
But I will truly make it like a desert.
It will be empty like towns where no one lives.
7 I will send men to destroy the palace.
Each man will have his weapons with him.
They will cut up your strong, beautiful cedar beams.
And they will throw them into the fire.
8 “People from many nations will pass by this city. They will ask each other, ‘Why has the Lord done such a terrible thing to Jerusalem? This was such a great city.’ 9 And the answer will be: ‘It was because the people of Judah quit following the agreement with the Lord their God. They worshiped and served other gods.’”
Judgment Against Jehoahaz
10 Don’t cry for the king who has died. Don’t cry loudly for him.
But cry painfully for the king who is being taken away from here.
Cry for him because he will never come back again.
He will never see his homeland again.
11 This is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz son of Josiah. Jehoahaz became king of Judah after his father died. He has left this place. The Lord says, “He will never come back again. 12 He will die where those who captured him have taken him. He will not see this land again.”
Judgment Against Jehoiakim
13 “How terrible it will be for him who builds his palace by doing evil.
He cheats people so he can build its upper rooms.
He is making his own people work for nothing.
He is not paying them for their work.
14 He says, ‘I will build a great palace for myself.
I will have large upper rooms.’
So he builds the palace with large windows.
He uses cedar wood for the walls.
And he paints it red.
15 “Does having a lot of cedar in your house
make you a great king?
Your father was satisfied to have food and drink.
He did what was right and fair.
So everything went well for him.
16 He helped those who were poor and needy.
So everything went well for him.
That’s what it means to know God,” says the Lord.
17 “But your eyes only look for what you can get dishonestly.
You are always thinking about getting more for yourself.
You are even willing to kill innocent people to get it.
You are making it hard for people.
You even steal things from them.”
A Living Hope
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. He gave us a living hope because Jesus Christ rose from death. 4 Now we hope for the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be destroyed or be spoiled or lose their beauty. 5 God’s power protects you through your faith, and it keeps you safe until your salvation comes. That salvation is ready to be given to you at the end of time. 6 This makes you very happy. But now for a short time different kinds of troubles may make you sad. 7 These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold. Gold can be proved to be pure by fire, but gold can be destroyed. But the purity of your faith will bring you praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ comes again. 8 You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a joy that cannot be explained. And that joy is full of glory. 9 Your faith has a goal, to save your souls. And you are receiving that goal—your salvation.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.