Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Bet: Hidden in My Heart
9 How can a young man keep his path pure?
By guarding it with your words.[a]
10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your sayings[b] in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord!
Teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I tell about all the judgments
that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in the way that is taught by your testimonies
as much as I delight in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts,
and I will consider your paths.
16 In your statutes I delight.
I will not forget your words.
The Second Message:
The Glory of This House
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,[a] the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet.
2 Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the surviving remnant of the people.
3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing in your eyes?
4 But now, be strong, Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest! Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Get to work, and I will be with you, declares the Lord of Armies. 5 This is the promise I made[b] to you when you left Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Do not be afraid!
6 Listen, this is what the Lord of Armies says. Once again, in a little while, I myself will shake the heavens and the earth, the seas and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the desired of all the nations will come,[c] and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of Armies. 8 The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of Armies. 9 The glory of this second house will be greater than that of the first one,[d] says the Lord of Armies. For in this place I will provide peace, declares the Lord of Armies.
Zerubbabel Is the Lord’s Signet Ring
20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month.
21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah. Say, “I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will go down, each one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of Armies, I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant, declares the Lord, and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of Armies.”
34 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Scriptures that the Christ will remain forever. So how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Then Jesus told them, “The light will be with you just a little while longer. Keep on walking while you have the light, so that darkness does not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.”
Jesus spoke these words, and then went away and was hidden from them.
37 Even though Jesus had done so many miraculous signs in their presence, they still did not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said:
Lord, who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?[a]
39 For this reason they could not believe, because Isaiah also said:
40 He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
so that they would not see with their eyes,
or understand with their heart,
or turn—and I would heal them.[b]
41 Isaiah said these things when[c] he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42 Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing him, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from people more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus called out, “The one who believes in me does not believe in me only, but in him who sent me. 45 And the one who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words but does not hold on to them, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words does have a judge. The word which I spoke is what will judge him on the Last Day, 49 because I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command regarding what I am to say and what I am to speak. 50 And I know that his command is eternal life. So the things I speak are exactly what the Father told me to speak.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.