Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer for Help^[a]

The Two Shepherds

⁴ The Lord my God said to me, “Act the part of the shepherd^[a] of a flock of sheep that are going to be butchered. ⁵ Their owners kill them and go unpunished. They sell the meat and say, ‘Praise the Lord! We are rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no pity on them.”

(⁶ The Lord said, “I will no longer pity anyone on earth. I myself will put all the people in the power of their rulers. These rulers will devastate the earth, and I will not save it from their power.”)

⁷ Those who bought and sold the sheep hired me, and I became the shepherd of the sheep that were going to be butchered. I took two sticks: one I called “Favor” and the other “Unity.” And I took care of the flock. ⁸ I lost patience with three other shepherds, who hated me, and I got rid of them all in a single month. ⁹ Then I said to the flock, “I will not be your shepherd any longer. Let those die who are to die. Let those be destroyed who are to be destroyed. Those who are left will destroy one another.” ¹⁰ Then I took the stick called “Favor” and broke it, to cancel the covenant which the Lord had made with all the nations. ¹¹ So the covenant was canceled on that day. Those who bought and sold the sheep were watching me, and they knew that the Lord was speaking through what I did. ^12 (A)I said to them, “If you are willing, give me my wages. But if not, keep them.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver as my wages.

¹³ The Lord said to me, “Put them in the Temple treasury.”^[b] So I took the thirty pieces of silver—the magnificent sum they thought I was worth—and put them in the Temple treasury. ¹⁴ Then I broke the second stick, the one called “Unity,” and the unity of Judah and Israel was shattered.

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to me, “Once again act the part of a shepherd, this time a worthless one. ¹⁶ I have put a shepherd in charge of my flock, but he does not help the sheep that are threatened by destruction; nor does he look for the lost, or heal those that are hurt, or feed the healthy. Instead, he eats the meat of the fattest sheep and tears off their hoofs. ¹⁷ That worthless shepherd is doomed! He has abandoned his flock. War will totally destroy his power. His arm will wither, and his right eye will go blind.”

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a large crowd of people in heaven, saying, “Praise God! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God! ^2 (A)True and just are his judgments! He has condemned the prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. God has punished her because she killed his servants.” ^3 (B)Again they shouted, “Praise God! The smoke from the flames that consume the great city goes up forever and ever!” ⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. They said, “Amen! Praise God!”

The Wedding Feast of the Lamb

^5 (C)Then there came from the throne the sound of a voice, saying, “Praise our God, all his servants and all people, both great and small, who have reverence for him!” ^6 (D)Then I heard what sounded like a crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder. I heard them say, “Praise God! For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King! ⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it. ⁸ She has been given clean shining linen to wear.” (The linen is the good deeds of God's people.)

^9 (E)Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And the angel added, “These are the true words of God.”