); Isaiah 51:1-3 (Look to Abraham and Sarah); Matthew 11:20-24 (Jesus prophesies against the cities) (New Life Version)
Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God—the King of the Earth
47 Show your happiness, all peoples! Call out to God with the voice of joy! 2 For the Lord Most High is to be feared. He is a great King over all the earth. 3 He sets people under us, and nations under our feet. 4 He chooses for us what is to be ours, the pride of Jacob, whom He loves.
5 God has gone up with a loud voice, the Lord with the sound of a horn. 6 Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with a well written song. 8 God rules over the nations. God sits on His holy throne. 9 The rulers of the people have gathered together as the people of the God of Abraham. For the powers of the earth belong to God. He is much honored.
Comfort for Zion
51 “Listen to me, you who are following what is right and good, and who are looking for the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were cut out, and to the hole from which you were dug. 2 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain. When he was but one, I called him. Then I brought good to him and made him many.” 3 For the Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places. He will make her desert like Eden, like the garden of the Lord. Joy and happiness will be found in her. There will be much giving of thanks and much singing.
20 Then He began to say strong words against the cities where most of His powerful works were done. He spoke to them because they were not sorry for their sins and did not turn from them. 21 “It is bad for you, city of Chorazin! It is bad for you, town of Bethsaida! For if the powerful works which were done in you had been done in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, they would have turned from their sins long ago. They would have shown their sorrow by putting on clothes made from hair and would have sat in ashes. 22 I tell you, it will be better for Tyre and Sidon on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for you.
23 “And Capernaum, are you to be lifted up into heaven? You will be taken down to hell. If the powerful works which were done in you had been done in the city of Sodom, it would be here to this day. 24 But I say to you that it will be better for the land of Sodom on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for you.”
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