Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
68 Blessed is 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 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 hand of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors(F)
and remembered his holy covenant(G)—
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,(H)
to grant that we,
74 having been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
would serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, 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.
18 Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim(A) son of Josiah, king of Judah:
They will not mourn for him, saying,
“Woe, my brother!” or “Woe, my sister!”
They will not mourn for him, saying,
“Woe, lord! Woe, his majesty!”
19 He will be buried like a donkey,(B)
dragged off and thrown
outside Jerusalem’s gates.
20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out;
raise your voice in Bashan;
cry out from Abarim,(C)
for all your lovers[a] have been crushed.(D)
21 I spoke to you when you were secure.
You said, “I will not listen.”
This has been your way since youth;(E)
indeed, you have never listened to me.
22 The wind will take charge of[b] all your shepherds,
and your lovers will go into captivity.
Then you will be ashamed and humiliated(F)
because of all your evil.
23 You residents of Lebanon,
nestled among the cedars,
how you will groan[c] when pains come on you,
agony like a woman in labor.(G)
A Message concerning Coniah
24 “As I live”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“though you, Coniah[d](H) son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet ring(I) on my right hand, I would tear you from it. 25 In fact, I will hand you over to those you dread,(J) who intend to take your life, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who gave birth(K) to you into another land,(L) where neither of you were born, and there you will both die. 27 They will never return to the land they long to return to.”
28 Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered pot,(M)
a jar no one wants?
Why are he and his descendants hurled out
and cast into a land they have not known?
29 Earth, earth, earth,
hear the word of the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
Blessing the Children
15 People(A) were bringing infants to him so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to me,(B) and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you,(C) whoever does not receive(D) the kingdom of God like a little child(E) will never enter it.”
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