Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer for Help

130 O Lord, I have cried to You out of the deep places. ² Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears hear the voice of my prayers. ³ If you, Lord, should write down our sins, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But You are the One Who forgives, so You are honored with fear.

⁵ I wait for the Lord. My soul waits and I hope in His Word. ⁶ My soul waits for the Lord more than one who watches for the morning; yes, more than one who watches for the morning. ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord! For there is loving-kindness with the Lord. With Him we are saved for sure. ⁸ And He will save Israel from all their sins.

⁸ But you, O mountains of Israel, will put out your branches and give your fruit for My people Israel. For they will come home soon. ⁹ See, I care for you and will show you favor. You will be plowed and planted. ¹⁰ I will cause the people to become many, all the people of Israel. People will live in the cities, and the places that have been destroyed will be built again. ¹¹ I will give you many people and animals, and they will have many young ones. You will be full of people as you were before. And I will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹² I will have people, My people Israel, walk on you and own you. You will belong to them, and you will never again take their children from them.’

¹³ “The Lord God says, ‘People say to you, “You destroy men and have taken children from your nation. ¹⁴ But you will no longer destroy men and take away your nation’s children,” says the Lord God. ¹⁵ “I will not let you hear words of shame from the nations any more. You will not be put to shame by the nations any longer. And you will no longer make your nation fall,” says the Lord God.’”

Jesus Sends His Followers to Teach ^(A)

⁴⁴ Jesus said to them, “These are the things I told you while I was yet with you. All things written about Me in the Law of Moses and in the Books of the early preachers and in the Psalms must happen as they said they would happen.” ⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds to understand the Holy Writings. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “It is written that Christ should suffer and be raised from the dead after three days. ⁴⁷ It must be preached that men must be sorry for their sins and turn from them. Then they will be forgiven. This must be preached in His name to all nations beginning in Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are to tell what you have seen. ⁴⁹ See! I will send you what My Father promised. But you are to stay in Jerusalem until you have received power from above.”

Jesus Goes to Be Beside His Father ^(B)

⁵⁰ Jesus led them out as far as Bethany. Then He lifted up His hands and prayed that good would come to them. ⁵¹ And while He was praying that good would come to them, He went from them (*and was taken up to heaven and ⁵² they worshiped Him). Then they went back to Jerusalem with great joy. ⁵³ They spent all their time in the house of God honoring and giving thanks to God.