Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A song of praise from the Korah family.
87 The Lord built his city on the holy hills.
2 He loves the gates of Zion more than any other place in Israel.
3 Wonderful things are said about you, City of God. Selah
4 God says, “Some of my people live in Egypt[a] and Babylon.
Some of them were born in Philistia, Tyre, and even Ethiopia.”
5 But about Zion he says,
“I know each and every person born there.”
It is the city built by God Most High.
6 The Lord keeps a list of all his people,
and he knows where each of them was born. Selah
7 At the festivals, people will dance and sing,
“All good things come from Zion.”
17 “Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.
I live on Zion, my holy mountain.
Jerusalem will become holy.
Strangers will never pass through that city again.
A New Life for Judah Promised
18 “On that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine.
The hills will flow with milk,
and water will flow through all the empty rivers of Judah.
A fountain will come from the Lord’s Temple.
It will give water to Acacia Valley.
19 Egypt will be empty.
Edom will be an empty wilderness,
because they were cruel to the people of Judah.
They killed innocent people[a] in their country.
20 But there will always be people living in Judah.
People will live in Jerusalem through many generations.
Jesus Uses a Story About Two Sons
28 “Tell me what you think about this: There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “The son answered, ‘I will not go.’ But later he decided he should go, and he went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ He answered, ‘Yes, sir, I will go and work.’ But he did not go.
31 “Which of the two sons obeyed his father?”
The Jewish leaders answered, “The first son.”
Jesus said to them, “The truth is, you are worse than the tax collectors and the prostitutes. In fact, they will enter God’s kingdom before you enter. 32 John came showing you the right way to live, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed John. You saw that happening, but you would not change. You still refused to believe him.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International