Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

³ And you will draw water from the wells of salvation in joy. ⁴ And you will say on that day,

Woe to the Complacent

6 Alas for those being at ease in Zion, and those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, the notables of the best of the nations! The house of Israel resorts to them. ² Cross over to Calneh and see, and go from there to Hamath Rabbah and go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms, or is their territory greater than your territory? ³ You that put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of violence! ⁴ Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches, and those eating young rams from the sheep and goats, and bull-calves from the middle of the animal stall. ⁵ Alas for those who sing to the tune of the harp; like David they improvise on instruments of music. ⁶ Alas for those who drink from sprinkling bowls of wine and anoint themselves with the best of olive oils and are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph. ⁷ Therefore, they shall now go into exile at the head of the exiles and the feast of lounging shall pass away.

Yahweh Abhors Israel’s Pride

⁸ My Lord Yahweh has sworn by himself, declares^[a] Yahweh, the God of hosts: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and I hate his citadel fortresses and I will deliver the city and its fullness!”

Generosity in Giving

8 Now we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ² that with a great ordeal of affliction, the abundance of their joy and the extreme depth of their poverty have overflowed to the wealth of their generosity. ³ I testify that they gave^[a] according to their ability, and beyond their ability, by their own choice, ⁴ requesting of us with much exhortation the favor and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints, ⁵ and not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by the will of God. ⁶ So we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun it, thus he would also complete for you this act of grace. ⁷ But just as you excel in everything—in faith and in speaking and in knowledge and with all diligence and in the love from us that is in you—so may you excel in this grace also. ⁸ I am not saying this as a command, but proving the genuineness of your love by means of the diligence of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he^[b] was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich. ¹⁰ And I am giving an opinion in this matter, because this is profitable for you who not only began previously, a year ago, to do something, but also to want to do it. ¹¹ So now also complete the doing of it, in order that just as you have the eagerness to want to do it, thus also you may complete it from what you have. ¹² For if the eagerness is present according to what one has^[c], it is acceptable not according to what one does not have^[d]. ¹³ For this is not that for others there may be relief, and for you difficult circumstances, but as a matter of equality. ¹⁴ At the present time your abundance will be for their need, in order that their abundance may also be for your need, so that there may be equality, ¹⁵ just as it is written, “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^[e]