Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Isaiah’s Commission
6 In the year of the death of Uzziah the king, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and raised throne, and the hem of his robe was filling the temple. 2 Seraphs were standing above him. Each had six wings:[a] with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And the one called to the other and said,
“Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts!
The whole earth is full of his glory.”[b]
4 And the pivots of the thresholds shook from the sound of those who called, and the house[c] was filled with smoke.
5 And I said, “Woe to me! For I am destroyed![d] For I am a man of unclean lips,[e] and I am living among[f] a people of unclean lips,[g] for my eyes have seen the king, Yahweh of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, and in his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs.
7 And he touched my mouth, and he said,
“Look! This has touched your lips
and has removed your guilt,
and your sin is annulled.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us?”
And I said,
“I am here!
Send me!”
Praise to God for His Glory and Strength
A psalm of David.[a]
29 Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of God,[b]
ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due[c] his name.
Worship Yahweh in holy array.
3 The voice of Yahweh is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders.
Yahweh is over many waters.
4 The voice of Yahweh is powerful.
The voice of Yahweh is majestic.
5 The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars.
Yahweh shatters even the cedars of Lebanon.
6 And he makes them skip like a calf;
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of Yahweh flashes[d] flames of fire.
8 The voice of Yahweh shakes the wilderness.
Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of Yahweh causes deer[e] to give birth
and strips the forests bare.
And at his temple all in it say, “Glory!”
10 Yahweh sits enthroned at the flood,
and Yahweh sits as king forever.
11 May Yahweh give strength to his people.
May Yahweh bless his people with peace.
12 So then, brothers, we are obligated not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba![a] Father!” 16 The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together with him so that we may also be glorified together with him.
A Meeting with Nicodemus
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees whose name was[a] Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are[b] a teacher who has come from God, for no one is able to perform these signs that you are performing unless God were with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above,[c] he is not able to see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is an old man? He is not able to enter into his mother’s womb for the second time and be born, can he?”[d]
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you to be born from above.’[e] 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly I say to you, we speak what we know, and we testify about what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony! 12 If I tell you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 And no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,[f] thus it is necessary that the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”[g]
God’s Love for the World
16 For in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge[h] the world, but in order that the world should be saved through him.
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