Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer for Help

126 It was like a dream when the Lord brought back to Zion those who had been held in another land. ² Then we laughed with our mouths, and we sang with our tongues. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” ³ The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad.

⁴ Bring back our people, O Lord, like the rivers in the South. ⁵ Those who plant with tears will gather fruit with songs of joy. ⁶ He who goes out crying as he carries his bag of seed will return with songs of joy as he brings much grain with him.

³ Give strength to weak hands and to weak knees. ⁴ Say to those whose heart is afraid, “Have strength of heart, and do not be afraid. See, your God will come ready to punish. He will come to make sinners pay for their sins, but He will save you.” ⁵ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened. And the ears of those who cannot hear will be opened. ⁶ Then those who cannot walk will jump like a deer. And the tongue of those who cannot speak will call out for joy. For waters will break out in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. ⁷ The burning sand will become a pool. The thirsty ground will become wells of water. The resting place of the wild dog will be filled with river-grasses.

John the Baptist Asks about Jesus ^(A)

¹⁸ The followers of John the Baptist told him about all these things. ¹⁹ John called two of his followers and sent them to Jesus to ask, “Are You the One Who is to come? Or are we to look for another?” ²⁰ The men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask You, ‘Are You the One Who is to come? Or are we to look for another?’”

²¹ At that time Jesus was healing many people of all kinds of sickness and disease and was putting out demons. Many that were blind were able to see. ²² Jesus said to John’s followers, “Go back to John the Baptist and tell him what you have seen and heard. Tell him the blind are made to see. Those who could not walk, are walking. Those with a bad skin disease are healed. Those who could not hear, are hearing. The dead are raised to life and poor people have the Good News preached to them. ²³ The person who is not ashamed of Me and does not turn away from Me is happy.”

Jesus Tells about John the Baptist ^(B)

²⁴ As John’s followers were going away, Jesus began to tell the people about John the Baptist. He said, “Why did you go out to the desert? Did you go out to see a small tree moving in the wind? ²⁵ What did you go out to see? A man dressed in good clothes? Those who are dressed in good clothes are in the houses of kings. ²⁶ But what did you go to see? One who speaks for God? Yes, I tell you, he is more than one who speaks for God. ²⁷ This is the man the Holy Writings spoke of when they said, ‘See! I will send My helper to carry news ahead of You. He will make Your way ready for You!’ ^(C)

²⁸ “I tell you, of those born of women, there is no one greater than John the Baptist. The least in the holy nation of God is greater than he.”

²⁹ All the people who heard Jesus and those who gathered taxes showed they knew God was right and were baptized by John. ³⁰ But the proud religious law-keepers and the men who knew the Law would not listen. They would not be baptized by John and they did not receive what God had for them.