Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Peace through the One from the Family of Jesse

11 Then One will come from the family of Jesse. A branch will grow out of his roots. ² And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of wise words and strength, the spirit of much learning and the fear of the Lord. ³ He will be glad in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what His eyes see, or decide by what His ears hear. ⁴ But He will judge the poor in a right and good way. He will be fair in what He decides for the people of the earth who have much trouble. He will punish the earth with His powerful mouth, and kill the sinful with the breath of His lips. ⁵ He will wear a belt of what is right and good and faithful around His body.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the young lion and the young fat animal will lie down together. And a little boy will lead them. ⁷ The cow and the bear will eat side by side. And their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. ⁸ The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra. And another child will put his hand in the hole of a snake whose bite is poison. ⁹ They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain. For the earth will be as full of much learning from the Lord as the seas are full of water.

⁸ As for you, O watch-tower of the flock, the strong-place of the people of Zion, the power you had to rule will come to you again. The nation will come to Jerusalem.

⁹ “Now why do you cry out in a loud voice? Is there no king among you? Has your wise man died, so that you have pains like a woman giving birth? ¹⁰ Suffer in pain, O people of Zion, like a woman giving birth. For now you will go out of the city and live in the field, and go to Babylon. There you will be saved and He will make you free from the power of those who hate you.

¹¹ “Now many nations are gathered against you. They say, ‘Let her be unclean. Let our eyes look on Zion.’ ¹² But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord. They do not understand His plan. For He has gathered them like grain to the crushing-floor. ¹³ Get up and crush the grain, O people of Zion. For I will give you horns of iron and feet of brass, and you will break many nations to pieces. You will give to the Lord what they received by hurting others. You will give their riches to the Lord of all the earth.

Jesus Speaks Against the People of This Day

³¹ Then the Lord said, “What are the people of this day like? ³² They are like children playing in front of stores. They call to their friends, ‘We have played music for you, but you did not dance. We have had sorrow for you, but you did not have sorrow.’ ³³ John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you say, ‘See! He likes food and wine. He is a friend of men who gather taxes and of sinners!’ ³⁵ Wisdom is shown to be right by those who are wise.”