Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
מ MEM
97 Oh, how I love Your law!
(A)It is my meditation all the day.
98 You, through Your commandments, make me (B)wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
(C)For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 (D)I understand more than the [a]ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
102 I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
103 (E)How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Mercy on Ephraim
15 Thus says the Lord:
(A)“A voice was heard in (B)Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter (C)weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted for her children,
Because (D)they are no more.”
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Refrain your voice from (E)weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is (F)hope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:
‘You have (G)chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained bull;
(H)Restore me, and I will return,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 Surely, (I)after my turning, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh;
I was (J)ashamed, yes, even humiliated,
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,
I earnestly remember him still;
(K)Therefore My [a]heart yearns for him;
(L)I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.
21 “Set up signposts,
Make landmarks;
(M)Set your heart toward the highway,
The way in which you went.
[b]Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.
22 How long will you (N)gad about,
O you (O)backsliding daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—
A woman shall encompass a man.”
Future Prosperity of Judah
23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: (P)‘The Lord bless you, O home of justice, and (Q)mountain of holiness!’ 24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and (R)in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks. 25 For I have [c]satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”
26 After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was (S)sweet to me.
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus(A)
46 (B)Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, (C)Son of David, (D)have mercy on me!”
48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”
50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, [a]“Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; (E)your faith has [b]made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.