Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,(A)
because He has visited
and provided redemption for His people.(B)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation[a] for us(C)
in the house of His servant David,(D)
70 just as He spoke by the mouth
of His holy prophets in ancient times;(E)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the clutches[b] of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers(F)
and remembered His holy covenant(G)—
73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham.(H)
He has given us the privilege,
74 since we have been rescued
from our enemies’ clutches,[c]
to serve Him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in His presence all our days.
76 And child, you will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(I)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare His ways,(J)
77 to give His people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(K)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high(L) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(M)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Judgment against Sinful Kings
22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and announce this word there. 2 You are to say: Hear the word of the Lord, king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David—you, your officers, and your people who enter these gates. 3 This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness.(A) Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor.(B) Don’t exploit or brutalize the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace(C) riding on chariots and horses—they, their officers, and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by Myself”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“that this house will become a ruin.”(D)
6 For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah:
You are like Gilead to Me,
or the summit of Lebanon,
but I will certainly turn you into a wilderness,
uninhabited cities.
7 I will appoint destroyers against you,
each with his weapons.
They will cut down the choicest of your cedars
and throw them into the fire.
8 “Many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why did the Lord do such a thing to this great city?’ 9 They will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant(E) of Yahweh their God and worshiped and served other gods.’”(F)
A Message Concerning Shallum
10 Do not weep for the dead;
do not mourn for him.
Weep bitterly for the one[a] who has gone away,
for he will never return again
and see his native land.
11 For this is what the Lord says concerning Shallum(G) son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in place of his father Josiah: “He has left this place—he will never return here again, 12 but he will die in the place where they deported him, never seeing this land again.”
A Message concerning Jehoiakim
13 Woe for the one who builds his palace
through unrighteousness,(H)
his upper rooms through injustice,
who makes his fellow man serve without pay
and will not give him his wages,(I)
14 who says, “I will build myself a massive palace,
with spacious upper rooms.”
He will cut windows[b] in it,
and it will be paneled with cedar
and painted with vermilion.
15 Are you a king because you excel in cedar?
Didn’t your father eat and drink
and administer justice and righteousness?(J)
Then it went well with him.
16 He took up the case of the poor and needy,
then it went well.
Is this not what it means to know Me?
This is the Lord’s declaration.
17 But you have eyes and a heart for nothing
except your own dishonest profit,
shedding innocent blood
and committing extortion and oppression.
A Living Hope
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.(A) According to His great mercy,(B) He has given us a new birth(C) into a living hope(D) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead(E) 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable,(F) uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven(G) for you. 5 You are being protected by God’s power(H) through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.(I) 6 You rejoice in this,[a] though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials(J) 7 so that the genuineness of your faith(K)—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire(L)—may result(M) in[b] praise, glory, and honor(N) at the revelation of Jesus Christ.(O) 8 You love Him,(P) though you have not seen(Q) Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice(R) with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your[c] faith, the salvation of your souls.[d]
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