Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

2 Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: because the day of the Lord cometh, because it is nigh at hand,

² A day of darkness, and of gloominess, a day of clouds and whirlwinds: a numerous and strong people as the morning spread upon the mountains: the like to it hath not been from the beginning, nor shall be after it even to the years of generation and generation.

¹² Now therefore saith the Lord: Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning.

¹³ And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil.

¹⁴ Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive, and leave a blessing behind him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God?

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly,

¹⁶ Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bride chamber.

¹⁷ Between the porch and the altar the priests the Lord's ministers shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God?

58 Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their sins.

² For they seek me from day to day, sad desire to know my ways, as a nation that hath done justice, and hath not forsaken the judgment of their God: they ask of me the judgments of justice: they are willing to approach to God.

³ Why have we fasted, and thou hast not regarded: have we humbled our souls, and thou hast not taken notice? Behold in the day of your fast your own will is found, and you exact of all your debtors.

⁴ Behold you fast for debates and strife. and strike with the fist wickedly. Do not fast as you have done until this day, to make your cry to be heard on high.

⁵ Is this such a fast as I have chosen: for a man to afflict his soul for a day? is this it, to wind his head about like a circle, and to spread sackcloth and ashes? wilt thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?

⁶ Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, let them that are broken go free, and break asunder every burden.

⁷ Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh.

⁸ Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up.

⁹ Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou wilt take away the chain out of the midst of thee, and cease to stretch out the finger, and to speak that which profiteth not.

¹⁰ When thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise up in darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noonday.

¹¹ And the Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail.

¹² And the places that have been desolate for ages shall be built in thee: thou shalt raise up the foundations of generation and generation: and thou shalt be called the repairer of the fences, turning the paths into rest.

51 Unto the end, understanding for David,

² When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul David went to the house of Achimelech. [1 Kings 22.]

³ Why dost thou glory in malice, thou that art mighty in iniquity?

⁴ All the day long thy tongue hath devised injustice: as a sharp razor, thou hast wrought deceit.

⁵ Thou hast loved malice more than goodness: and iniquity rather than to speak righteousness.

⁶ Thou hast loved all the words of ruin, O deceitful tongue.

⁷ Therefore will God destroy thee for ever: he will pluck thee out, and remove thee from thy dwelling place: and thy root out of the land of the living.

⁸ The just shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, and say:

⁹ Behold the man that made not God his helper: But trusted in the abundance of his riches: and prevailed in his vanity.

¹⁰ But I, as a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in the mercy of God for ever, yea for ever and ever.

¹¹ I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name, for it is good in the sight of thy saints.

²⁰ For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us. For Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God.

²¹ Him, who knew no sin, he hath made sin for us, that we might be made the justice of God in him.

6 And we helping do exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain.

² For he saith: In an accepted time have I heard thee; and in the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

³ Giving no offence to any man, that our ministry be not blamed:

⁴ But in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses,

⁵ In stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labours, in watchings, in fastings,

⁶ In chastity, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity unfeigned,

⁷ In the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armour of justice on the right hand and on the left;

⁸ By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet known;

⁹ As dying, and behold we live; as chastised, and not killed;

¹⁰ As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as needy, yet enriching many; as having nothing, and possessing all things.

6 Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven.

² Therefore when thou dost an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.

³ But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.

⁴ That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.

⁵ And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.

⁶ But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.

¹⁶ And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.

¹⁷ But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

¹⁸ That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.

¹⁹ Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal.

²⁰ But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal.

²¹ For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.