Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

126 The song of degrees. When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion; we were made as comforted. (When the Lord returned the captives to Zion/When the Lord returned prosperity to Zion; we were made like in a dream.)

² Then our mouth was filled with joy; and our tongue with full out joying. Then they shall say among heathen men; The Lord magnified to do with them. (Then our mouths were filled with joy; and ours tongues with rejoicing. And the heathen said to each other, The Lord hath done great things for them.)

³ The Lord magnified to do with us; we be made glad. (Yea, the Lord did great things for us; and we were glad.)

⁴ Lord, turn thou (again) our captivity; as a strand in the south. (Lord, return thou the captives/return thou our prosperity; like the streams return to the south.)

⁵ They that sow in tears; shall reap in full out joying. (Then they who sowed in tears; shall reap with rejoicing.)

⁶ They going, went, and wept; sending their seeds. But they coming, shall come with full out joying; bearing their handfuls (They going, went, and wept; sending out their seeds. But when they shall return, they shall come back rejoicing; carrying their harvest.)

³ Comfort ye [the] clumsid hands (Strengthen ye the benumbed hands), and make ye strong [the] feeble knees.

⁴ Say ye, Men of little comfort, be ye comforted, and do not ye dread; lo! our God shall bring the vengeance of yielding, God himself shall come, and shall save us. (Say ye, People of little courage, be ye strengthened, and do not ye fear; lo! our God shall bring the vengeance of punishment, or of retribution, God himself shall come, and shall save us.)

⁵ Then the eyes of blind men shall be opened, and the ears of deaf men shall be open(ed). (Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened.)

⁶ Then a crooked man shall skip as an hart, and the tongue of dumb men shall be opened (Then the lame shall skip like a hart, and the tongues of the dumb shall be loosened, or shall be freed); for why waters be broken out in (the) desert, and streams in (the) wilderness.

⁷ And that that was dry, is made into a pond, and the thirsty is made into wells of waters. [The] Greenness of [the] reed, and of [the] spire shall grow in [the] dens, in which dwelled dragons before (where jackals lived before).

¹⁸ And John's disciples told him of all these things. [And the disciples of John told to him of all these things.]

¹⁹ And John called twain of his disciples, and sent them to Jesus, and said [And John called together two of his disciples, and sent to Jesus, saying], Art thou he that is to come, or abide we another?

²⁰ And when the men came to him [Soothly when the men had come to him], they said, John Baptist sent us to thee, and said [saying], Art thou he that is to come, or we abide another?

²¹ And in that hour he healed many men of their sicknesses, and wounds, and [of] evil spirits; and he gave sight to many blind men.

²² And Jesus answered, and said to them [And Jesus answering said to them], Go ye again, and tell ye to John those things that ye have heard and seen; blind men see, crooked men go, mesels be made clean, deaf men hear, dead men rise again, poor men be taken to preaching of the gospel.

²³ And he that shall not be caused to stumble in me [And whoever shall not be offended in me], is blessed.

²⁴ And when the messengers of John were gone forth [And when the messengers of John had gone away], he began to say of John to the people, What went ye out into desert to see? a reed wagged with the wind [a reed waved with the wind]?

²⁵ But what went ye out to see? a man clothed with soft clothes? Lo! they that be in [a] precious cloak [Lo! they that be in precious cloth] and in delights, be in kings' houses.

²⁶ But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

²⁷ This is he, of whom it is written, Lo! I send mine angel before thy face, which shall make ready thy way before thee.

²⁸ Certainly I say to you, there is no man a more prophet among the children of women, than is John Baptist [Soothly I say to you, among the children of women, no man is more prophet than John Baptist]; but he that is less in the kingdom of heavens, is more than he.

²⁹ And all the people hearing, and publicans, that had been baptized with the baptism of John, justified God; [And all the people hearing, and publicans, baptized with the baptism of John, justified God;]

³⁰ but the Pharisees and the wise men of the law, that were not baptized of him [forsooth Pharisees and wise men of law, not baptized of him], despised the counsel of God against themselves.