Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Solomonic Song of Ascents
God’s Blessing in the Family
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor uselessly.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
its security forces keep watch uselessly.
2 It is useless to get up early
and to stay up late,[a]
eating the food of exhausting labor—
truly he gives sleep to those he loves.
3 Children[b] are a gift[c] from the Lord;
a productive womb, the Lord’s[d] reward.
4 As arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so also are children[e] born during one’s[f] youth.
5 How blessed[g] is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He[h] will not be ashamed
as they confront their enemies at the city gate.
The Ancestry of David
18 This is the genealogy of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab. 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed. 22 Then Obed fathered Jesse, who fathered David.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree(A)
12 The next day, as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus[a] became hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing except leaves because it wasn’t the season for figs. 14 So he told it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” Now his disciples were listening to this.
The Lesson from the Dried Fig Tree(A)
20 While they were walking along early the next morning, they saw the fig tree dried up to its roots. 21 Remembering what Jesus had said,[a] Peter pointed out to him, “Rabbi,[b] look! The fig tree you cursed has dried up!”
22 Jesus told his disciples,[c] “Have faith in God! 23 I tell all of you[d] with certainty, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ if he doesn’t doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 That is why I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received[e] it and it will be yours.
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