Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God’s Work with Israel
105 O give thanks to the Lord. Call on His name. Make His works known among the people. 2 Sing to Him. Sing praises to Him. Tell of all His great works. 3 Honor His holy name. Let the heart of those who look to the Lord be glad. 4 Look for the Lord and His strength. Look for His face all the time. 5 Remember the great and powerful works that He has done. Keep in mind what He has decided and told us, 6 O children of His servant Abraham, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! 7 He is the Lord our God. What He has decided is in all the earth.
8 He has remembered His agreement forever, the promise He made to last through a thousand families-to-come, 9 the agreement that He made with Abraham, and His promise to Isaac. 10 He gave it to Jacob as a Law, to Israel as an agreement that will last forever. 11 He said, “I will give the land of Canaan to you as your share,”
37 Then He brought Israel out with silver and gold. And there was not one weak person among their families. 38 Egypt was glad when they left. For they had become afraid of Israel. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light at night. 40 They asked, and He brought them quails for meat. And He filled them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock and water flowed out. It flowed in the desert like a river. 42 For He remembered His holy Word with Abraham His servant. 43 And He brought His people out with joy, His chosen ones with singing. 44 He gave them the lands of the nations. They were given what others had worked for, 45 so that they might do what He told them and keep His Law. Praise the Lord!
12 “For the Lord says, ‘Your hurt cannot be healed. Your hurt is very bad. 13 There is no one to ask for you in your cause, no help for your hurt, no healing for you. 14 All your lovers have forgotten you. They do not care about you. For I have hurt you as if you were hurt by one who hates you. You have been punished without pity, because you have much guilt. You have done many sins. 15 Why do you cry out because of your hurt? Your pain cannot be healed. Because you have much guilt and have done many sins, I have done these things to you. 16 But all who destroy you will be destroyed. Every one of those who hate you will be taken away against their will. Those who rob you will be robbed, and all who hurt you will be hurt. 17 For I will heal you. I will heal you where you have been hurt,’ says the Lord, ‘because they have said that you are not wanted. They have said, “It is Zion. No one cares for her.”’
18 “The Lord says, ‘I will bring the tents of Jacob back from Babylon, and will have pity on his houses. The city will be built up again on its broken walls. And the king’s house will stand where it used to be. 19 The people who live there will give much thanks and happy voices will be heard. And I will add to their numbers. They will not be made less. I will honor them, and they will be important. 20 Their children will be as they were before. They will be a strong people before Me. And I will punish all those who make it hard for them. 21 Their leader will be one of them. Their ruler will come from among them. I will bring him near, and he will come close to Me. For who would have the strength of heart to come near Me on his own?’ says the Lord. 22 ‘And you will be My people, and I will be your God.’”
36 While you have the Light, put your trust in the Light. Then you will be the sons of the Light.” Jesus said these things and then went away. He hid Himself from them.
The People Do Not Believe
37 Jesus had done many powerful works in front of them, but they did not put their trust in Him. 38 This happened as the words of the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen. He had said, “Lord, has anyone believed our preaching? Has the Lord shown His power to anyone?” 39 The reason they could not believe is written again in Isaiah. 40 It says, “He has blinded their eyes and made their hearts hard. Then they would not see with their eyes. They would not understand with their heart. They would not turn to Me. I could not heal them.” (A) 41 This is what Isaiah said when he saw the shining-greatness of Jesus and spoke of Him.
42 Even among the leaders of the people there were many who believed in Jesus. But because of the proud religious law-keepers, they did not tell about it. If they had, they would have been put out of the Jewish place of worship. 43 They loved to have the respect from men more than honor from God.
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