Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The King of Peace Is Coming
11 A small tree[a] will begin to grow from the stump of Jesse.[b] That branch will grow from Jesse’s roots. 2 The Lord’s Spirit will always be with that new king to give him wisdom, understanding, guidance, and power. The Spirit will help him know and respect the Lord. 3 He will find joy in obeying the Lord.
This king will not judge people by the way things look. He will not judge by listening to rumors. 4-5 He will judge the poor fairly and honestly. He will be fair when he decides what to do for the poor of the land. If he decides people should be beaten, he will give the command, and they will be beaten. If he decides people must die, he will give the command, and those evil people will be killed. Goodness and fairness will be like a belt he wears around his waist.
6 Then wolves will live at peace with lambs, and leopards will lie down in peace with young goats. Calves, lions, and bulls will all live together in peace. A little child will lead them. 7 Bears and cattle will eat together in peace, and all their young will lie down together and will not hurt each other. Lions will eat hay like cattle. 8 Even snakes will not hurt people. Babies will be able to play near a cobra’s[c] hole and put their hands into the nest of a poisonous snake.
9 People will stop hurting each other. People on my holy mountain will not want to destroy things because they will know the Lord. The world will be full of knowledge about him, like the sea is full of water.
8 And you, Tower of Flocks,[a]
your time will come.
Ophel, hill of Zion,
you will again have the right to rule.
Yes, the kingdom will be in Jerusalem
as it was in the past.
Why Must the Israelites Go to Babylon?
9 Now, why are you crying so loudly?
Is your king gone?
Have you lost your wise leader?
Is that why you are suffering like a woman in labor?
10 Cry out, you people of Jerusalem,[b] and feel the pain,
as if you were giving birth.
You must go out of the city
and live in the fields.
You will go away to Babylon,
but you will also be saved from that place.
The Lord will come and rescue you there.
He will take you away from your enemies.
The Lord Will Destroy the Other Nations
11 Many nations have come to fight against you.
They say, “Look, there is Zion!
Let’s attack her!”
12 They have their plans,
but they don’t know what the Lord is planning.
He brought them here for a special purpose.
They will be crushed like grain on a threshing floor.
Israel Will Defeat Its Enemies
13 “People of Jerusalem, get up and crush them!
I will make you very strong.
It will be as if you have horns of iron and hooves of bronze.
You will beat many people into small pieces.
You will give their wealth to the Lord.
You will give their treasure to the Lord of all the earth.”
31 “What shall I say about the people of this time? What can I compare them to? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group of children calls to the other children and says,
‘We played flute music for you,
but you did not dance;
we sang a sad song,
but you did not cry.’
33 John the Baptizer came and did not eat the usual food or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon inside him.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking. And you say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine! He is a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by those who accept it.”
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International