Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[a]Maskil of David, when he was [b]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (A)cry aloud with my voice to the Lord;
I (B)make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
2 I (C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (D)trouble before Him.
3 When (E)my spirit [c]was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (F)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (G)no one who regards me;
[d]There is no (H)escape for me;
(I)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, O Lord;
I said, “You are (J)my refuge,
My (K)portion in the (L)land of the living.
6 “(M)Give heed to my cry,
For I am (N)brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are too (O)strong for me.
7 “(P)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (Q)deal bountifully with me.”
The Day of the Lord and the Future
15 “For the (A)day of the Lord draws near on all the nations.
(B)As you have done, it will be done to you.
Your (C)dealings will return on your own head.
16 “Because just as you (D)drank on (E)My holy mountain,
All the nations (F)will drink continually.
They will drink and [a]swallow
And become as if they had never existed.
17 “But on Mount (G)Zion there will be those who escape,
And it will be holy.
And the house of Jacob will (H)possess their possessions.
18 “Then the house of Jacob will be a (I)fire
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau will be as stubble.
And they will set [b]them on fire and consume [c]them,
So that there will be (J)no survivor of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken.
19 Then those of the [d]Negev will (K)possess the mountain of Esau,
And those of the [e]Shephelah the (L)Philistine plain;
Also, (M)possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,
And Benjamin will possess Gilead.
20 And the exiles of this host of the sons of Israel,
Who are among the Canaanites as far as (N)Zarephath,
And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
Will possess the (O)cities of the Negev.
21 The (P)deliverers will ascend Mount Zion
To judge the mountain of Esau,
And the (Q)kingdom will be the Lord’s.
An Explanation
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 [a]Jesus answered them, “(A)To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 (B)For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while (C)seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 [b]In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘[c](D)You will keep on hearing, [d]but will not understand;
[e]You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
15 (E)For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.’
16 (F)But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that (G)many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
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