Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

81 A psalm for Asaph. God hath stood in the congregation of gods: and being in the midst of them he judgeth gods.

2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

² Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: I have remembered thee, pitying thy soul, pitying thy youth, and the love of thy espousals, when thou followedst me in the desert, in a land that is not sown.

³ Israel is holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his increase: all they that devour him offend: evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.

¹⁴ Is Israel a bondman, or a homeborn slave? why then is he become prey?

¹⁵ The lions have roared upon him, and have made a noise, they have made his land a wilderness: his cities are burnt down and there is none to dwell in them.

¹⁶ The children also of Memphis, and of Taphnes have deflowered thee, even to the crown of the head.

¹⁷ Hath not this been done to thee, because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God at that time, when he led thee by the way?

¹⁸ And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the troubled water? And what hast thou to do with the way of the Assyrians, to drink the water of the river?

¹⁹ Thy own wickedness shall reprove thee, and thy apostasy shall rebuke thee. Know thou, and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing for thee, to have left the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not with thee, saith the Lord the God of hosts.

²⁰ Of old time thou hast broken my yoke, thou hast burst my bands, and thou saidst: I will not serve. For on every high hill, and under every green tree thou didst prostitute thyself.

²¹ Yet I planted thee a chosen vineyard, all true seed: how then art thou turned unto me into that which is good for nothing, O strange vineyard?

²² Though thou wash thyself with nitre, and multiply to thyself the herb borith, thou art stained in thy iniquity before me, saith the Lord God.

²⁰ Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him.

²¹ Who said to her: What wilt thou? She saith to him: Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.

²² And Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: We can.

²³ He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.

²⁴ And the ten hearing it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren.

²⁵ But Jesus called them to him, and said: You know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that are the greater, exercise power upon them.

²⁶ It shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be the greater among you, let him be your minister:

²⁷ And he that will be first among you, shall be your servant.

²⁸ Even as the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.