Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

1 Aleph. How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! how is the mistress of the Gentiles become as a widow: the princes of provinces made tributary!

² Beth. Weeping she hath wept in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: there is none to comfort her among all them that were dear to her: all her friends have despised her, and are become her enemies.

³ Ghimel. Juda hath removed her dwelling place because of her affliction, and the greatness of her bondage: she hath dwelt among the nations, and she hath found no rest: all her persecutors have taken her in the midst of straits.

⁴ Daleth. The ways of Sion mourn, because there are none that come to the solemn feast: all her gates are broken down: her priests sigh: her virgins are in affliction, and she is oppressed with bitterness.

⁵ He. Her adversaries are become her lords, her enemies are enriched: because the Lord hath spoken against her for the multitude of her iniquities: her children are led into captivity: before the face of the oppressor.

⁶ Vau. And from the daughter of Sion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like rams that find no pastures: and they are gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.

¹⁹ Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.

²⁰ Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.

²¹ Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.

²² Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.

²³ Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.

²⁴ Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.

²⁵ Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.

²⁶ Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.

137 I will praise thee, O lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of his angels:

² I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

³ In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shall multiply strength in my soul.

⁴ May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

⁵ And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off.

⁷ If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me.

⁸ The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the work of thy hands.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus.

² To Timothy my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ I give thanks to God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that without ceasing, I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day.

⁴ Desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy,

⁵ Calling to mind that faith which is in thee unfeigned, which also dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain that in thee also.

⁶ For which cause I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands.

⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of sobriety.

⁸ Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but labour with the gospel, according to the power of God,

⁹ Who hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world.

¹⁰ But is now made manifest by the illumination of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath destroyed death, and hath brought to light life and incorruption by the gospel:

¹¹ Wherein I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles.

¹² For which cause I also suffer these things: but I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day.

¹³ Hold the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith, and in the love which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ Keep the good thing committed to thy trust by the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in us.

⁵ And the apostles said to the Lord: Increase our faith.

⁶ And the Lord said: If you had faith like to a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou transplanted into the sea: and it would obey you.

⁷ But which of you having a servant ploughing, or feeding cattle, will say to him, when he is come from the field: Immediately go, sit down to meat:

⁸ And will not rather say to him: Make ready my supper, and gird thyself, and serve me, whilst I eat and drink, and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink?

⁹ Doth he thank that servant, for doing the things which he commanded him?

¹⁰ I think not. So you also, when you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do.