Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Isaiah’s Call and Mission
6 In the year that King Uzziah(A) died, I saw the Lord(B) seated on a high and lofty(C) throne,(D) and His robe[a] filled the temple. 2 Seraphim[b] were standing above Him; each one had six wings:(E) with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.(F) 3 And one called to another:
4 The foundations of the doorways shook(I) at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 Then I said:
Woe is me(J) for I am ruined[c]
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,(K)
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of Hosts.
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar(L) with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth(M) with it and said:
Now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed
and your sin is atoned for.(N)
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:
Who should I send?
Who will go for Us?
I said:
Here I am. Send me.
Psalm 29
The Voice of the Lord
A Davidic psalm.
1 Ascribe to Yahweh, you heavenly beings,[a]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due His name;
worship Yahweh
in the splendor of His holiness.[b](A)
3 The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above vast waters,(B)
4 the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.(C)
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.(D)
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,(E)
and Sirion,[c] like a young wild ox.(F)
7 The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.(G)
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.(H)
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[d](I)
and strips the woodlands bare.(J)
In His temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Holy Spirit’s Ministries
12 So then, brothers, we are not obligated 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,(A) you will live. 14 All those led by God’s Spirit(B) are God’s sons.(C) 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,(D) but you received the Spirit of adoption,(E) by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”(F) 16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit(G) that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs(H)—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that[a] we suffer with Him(I) so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man from the Pharisees(A) named Nicodemus,(B) a ruler(C) of the Jews. 2 This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,(D) we know that You have come from God(E) as a teacher,(F) for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”(G)
3 Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again,[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(I)
4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born(J) of water and the Spirit,[b](K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit(M) is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you[c] must be born(N) again. 8 The wind[d] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(P)
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher[e] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “I assure you:(Q) We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you[f] do not accept Our testimony.[g] 12 If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? 13 No one has ascended(R) into heaven(S) except the One who descended from heaven(T)—the Son of Man.[h](U) 14 Just as Moses(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will[i] have eternal life.(X)
16 “For God loved(Y) the world in this way:[j] He gave His One and Only(Z) Son,(AA) so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.(AB) 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn(AC) the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
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