Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
For the Director of Music: According to “The Lilies”. A testimony of Asaph. A psalm.
A Prayer for Jerusalem
80 Shepherd of Israel, listen!
The one who leads Joseph like a flock,
the one enthroned on the cherubim,
display your glory.[a]
2 Reveal[b] your power before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
then come to our rescue.
3 God, restore us,
show your favor[c] and deliver us.
4 Lord God of the Heavenly Armies,
when will your smoldering anger[d]
toward your people’s prayers cease?[e]
5 You fed them tears as their food,
and caused them to drink a full measure of tears.
6 You have set us at strife against our neighbors
and our enemies deride us.
7 God of the Heavenly Armies, restore us
and show your favor,[f]
so we may be delivered.
7 “Before she goes into labor she gives birth;
before her pains come upon her
she has delivered[a] a son.
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
And[b] who ever sees[c] such things?
Can a country be born in a single day,
or can a nation be brought forth in a single moment?
Yet no sooner was Zion in labor
than she delivered her children.
9 Am I to open the womb and not deliver?”
asks[d] the Lord.
“And when I bring to delivery, am I to close[e] the womb?”
asks your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be happy for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in gladness,
all you who mourn over her,
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
at her consoling breasts,
and so that you may drink deeply and take delight
from her glorious bosom.”
Jesus Rebukes Jerusalem(A)
31 At that hour some Pharisees came and told Jesus,[a] “Leave and get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you!”
32 He told them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Listen! I am driving out demons and healing today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish my work. 33 But I must be on my way today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it’s not possible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you people were unwilling! 35 Look! Your house is left vacant to you. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[b]
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