Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

This is a song that David wrote.

God takes care of his people^[a]

What will happen to Jerusalem

11 Then a spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the Lord's temple.^[a] When I was there, near the entrance of the gate, I could see 25 men. Azzur's son Jaazaniah and Benaiah's son Pelatiah were among them. They were leaders of the people. ² The Lord said to me. ‘Son of man, these are the men who decide to do evil things in this city. They also give wicked advice to the people. ³ They say, “It is not the right time now to build houses. This city is like a pot to cook meat on a fire. We are like the meat in that pot.”

⁴ Son of man, you must speak my message to warn them.’

⁵ Then the Lord's Spirit took hold of me. He said to me, ‘This is the Lord's message to the people: Tell them, “People of Israel, I know what you are saying. I know the thoughts that you have in your minds. ⁶ You have killed many people in this city. The streets are full of the dead bodies of people that you have killed.”

⁷ So this is what the Almighty Lord says: “The dead bodies that you have put in this city are the meat. And the city is the pot to cook them in. But as for you, I will remove you from it! ⁸ You are afraid that an enemy will attack you. So I will bring an army to attack you.” That is what the Almighty Lord says.

⁹ “I will remove you from this city. I will put you under the power of a foreign army. I will use them to punish you. ¹⁰ Enemy soldiers will use their swords to kill you. I will punish you in your own country. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹ This city will not be like a pot where you can be safe. You will not be like the meat in that pot. I will punish you while you are still inside Israel. ¹² Then you will know that I am the Lord. You have not obeyed my rules or my laws. Instead, you have lived in the same wicked way as the nations around you.” ’

¹³ While I was speaking the Lord's message, Benaiah's son Pelatiah died. Then I bent down low with my face towards the ground. I shouted, ‘Almighty Lord, do not do this! You will completely destroy all Israel's people who remain!’

¹⁴ Then the Lord gave this message to me: ¹⁵ ‘Son of man, listen to what the people of Jerusalem are saying about you, your brothers and your relatives. They say this about all the people of Israel who are now in Babylon. They are saying, “Those people have gone far away from the Lord. So now this land belongs to us and we can keep it.”

¹⁶ So say this: “This is what the Almighty Lord says. I removed my people from their own land and I sent them far away. I sent them to live among other nations and in other countries. But I am still near to them in the countries where they have gone.” 

¹⁷ Then say, “This is what the Almighty Lord says. I will fetch you from the places where you have been living. I will bring you back together from those countries. I will give the land of Israel back to you.” 

¹⁸ The people will return to their land. Then they will destroy their idols and other disgusting things. ¹⁹ I will give them new thoughts so that they will choose to worship only me. I will put a new spirit in them. They will no longer refuse to change their way of life. Instead, I will help them to want to obey me. ²⁰ Then they will know my rules and my laws. They will be careful to obey them. They will be my people and I will be their God. ²¹ But it will be different for those who continue to worship their disgusting idols. I will punish them as they deserve because of the evil things that they have done. That is what the Almighty Lord says.’

²² Then the cherubs lifted up their wings to fly. The wheels were at their sides. And the bright glory of Israel's God was above them. ²³ The glory of the Lord rose up and it went away from the city. It stopped over a mountain on the east side of the city.

²⁴ In the vision, a spirit lifted me up and took me back to Babylon. I returned to the Israelites who were prisoners there. That was the end of the vision.

²⁵ I told the Israelites everything that the Lord had shown me in the vision.

The book and the Lamb

5 Then I looked at the one who was sitting on the throne. I saw that he held a book in his right hand.^[a] Words were written on both sides, the inside and the outside. Seven seals kept the book closed. ² Then I saw a powerful angel. He said with a loud voice, ‘Who is so good that they can break the seals? Who can open the book?’ ³ But nobody in heaven could open the book and look inside it. Neither could anyone on the earth or anyone under the earth open it.^[b]

⁴ I wept much because there was nobody who was good enough. Nobody was so good that they could open the book. Nobody could look inside it. ⁵ Then one of the leaders said to me, ‘Do not weep! Look! There is someone who can break the seven seals and then open the book. His name is the Lion from Judah's tribe. He is called the Root of King David. He has won over all his enemies.’^[c]

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb. He was standing in the middle of the throne. The four beings that are alive and the leaders were around him. The Lamb appeared to be like a lamb that someone had killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes. His eyes are the seven spirits of God, that God has sent into all parts of the world. ⁷ The Lamb came and he took the book. He took it from the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. ⁸ When he had taken the book, the four beings and the 24 leaders fell down to the ground in front of the Lamb. They worshipped him. Each leader had a harp to make music. They were also holding gold bowls which were full of incense. That nice smell shows what it is like when God's people pray to him. ⁹ The beings that are alive and the leaders sang a new song. They sang: