Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
137 1 The people of God in their banishment seeing God’s true Religion decay, lived in great anguish and sorrow of heart: the which grief the Chaldeans did so little pity, 3 That they rather increased the same daily with taunts, reproaches and blasphemies against God. 7 Wherefore the Israelites desire God, first to punish the Edomites, who provoked the Babylonians against them, 8 And moved by the Spirit of God, prophesy the destruction of Babylon, where they were handled so tyrannously.
1 By the rivers of Babel we [a]sat, and there we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst [b]thereof.
3 Then they that led us captive, [c]required of us songs and mirth, when we had hanged up our harps, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4 How shall we sing, said we, a song of the Lord in a strange land?
5 [d]If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget to play.
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth: yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem to my [e]chief joy.
7 Remember the children of [f]Edom, O Lord, in the [g]day of Jerusalem, which said, Raze it, raze it to the foundation thereof.
8 O daughter of Babel, worthy to be destroyed, blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us.
9 [h]Blessed shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones.
13 [a]What thing shall I take to witness for thee? What thing shall I compare to thee, O daughter Jerusalem? what shall I liken to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?
14 Thy Prophets have[b]looked out vain and foolish things for thee, and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity, but have looked out for thee false [c]prophecies, and causes of banishment.
15 All that pass by the way, clap their hands at thee: they hiss and wag their head upon the daughter Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call, The perfection of beauty, and the joy of the whole earth?
16 All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth, saying, Let us devour it: certainly this is the day that we looked for: we have found and seen it.
17 (A)The Lord hath done that which he had purposed: he hath fulfilled his word that he had determined of old time: he hath thrown down, and not spared: he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, and set up the horn of thine adversaries.
18 Their heart (B)cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter Zion, let tears run down like a river, day and night: take thee no rest, neither let the apple of thine eye cease.
19 Arise, cry in the night: in the beginning of the watches, pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thine hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the corners of all the streets.
20 Behold, O Lord, and consider to whom thou hast done thus: shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a [d]span long? shall the Priest and the Prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord?
21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword: thou hast slain them in the day of thy wrath: thou hast killed, and not spared.
22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my [e]terrors round about, so that in the day of the Lord’s wrath none escaped nor remained: those that I have nourished and brought up, hath mine enemy consumed.
5 1 He showeth that brotherly love and faith are things inseparable: 10 And that there is no faith towards God, but by believing in Christ: 14 Hence proceedeth calling upon God with assurance: 16 and also that our prayers be available for our brethren.
1 Whosoever [a]believeth that Jesus is that [b]Christ, is born of God: and everyone that loveth him, which begat, loveth [c]him also which is begotten of him.
2 [d]In this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his [e]commandments.
3 [f]For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: [g]and his (A)commandments are not [h]burdenous.
4 [i]For all that is born of God, overcometh this world: [j]and this is that victory that [k]hath overcome this world even our [l]faith.
5 (B)[m]Who is it that overcometh this world, but he which believeth that Jesus is that Son of God?
13 [a]These things have I written unto you, that believe in the name of that Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe in the Name of that Son of God.
14 [b]And this is that assurance that we have in him, (A)that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
15 And if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions, that we have desired of him.
16 [c]If any man see his brother sin a sin that is not unto death, let him [d]ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. (B)There is a sin unto death, I say not that thou shouldest pray for it.
17 [e]All unrighteousness is sin, but there is a sin not unto death.
18 [f]We know that whosoever is born of God, sinneth not: but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
19 [g]We know that we are of God, and this whole world lieth in wickedness.
20 But we know that that Son of God is (C)come, and hath given us a mind to know him, which is true, and we are in him that is true, that is, in that his Son Jesus Christ, the same is that very [h]God, and that eternal life.
21 [i]Little children, keep yourselves from idols, Amen.
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