Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
It Is Foolish to Trust in Riches
48 The Lord is great and should be given much praise, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. 2 Mount Zion in the far north is beautiful and high, the joy of the whole earth, the city of the great King. 3 God has made Himself known as a safe place in that city.
4 For, see, the kings gathered themselves and went up together. 5 They saw it, then they were surprised and afraid. And they ran away fast in fear. 6 They began shaking there. And they suffered pain like a woman giving birth. 7 You wreck the ships of Tarshish with the east wind. 8 As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of All, in the city of our God. God will make her last forever.
9 O God, we have thought about Your loving-kindness within Your holy house. 10 Like Your name, O God, Your praise is heard to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of what is right and good. 11 Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the people of Judah be full of joy because You are right in how You judge. 12 Walk in Zion, and go around her. See how many towers she has. 13 Give thought to her walls. Go through her beautiful houses where kings live. And tell about it to the children-to-come. 14 This is God, our God forever and ever. He will show us the way until death.
The Lord Gives Food Again
18 Then the Lord will be jealous for His land and have pity on His people. 19 The Lord will say to His people, “I am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be filled with them. I will never again put you to shame among the nations. 20 I will take the army from the north far from you, and will drive it into a hot and dry land. The ones in front will be driven into the sea in the east. The ones in the back will be driven into the sea in the west. And a bad smell will rise up from their dead bodies. For He has done great things.”
21 Do not be afraid, O land. Have joy and be glad, for the Lord has done great things. 22 Do not be afraid, you animals of the field. For the fields of the desert have turned green and there is fruit on the trees. The fig trees and vines are full of fruit. 23 Be glad, O sons of Zion. Be happy in the Lord your God. For He has given the early rain to help you. He has poured down much rain for you, both fall and spring rains, as before. 24 The grain-floors will be full of grain, and the crushing-places will flow over with new wine and oil. 25 “I will pay you back for the years that your food was eaten by the flying locust, the jumping locust, the destroying locust, and the chewing locust, My large army which I sent among you. 26 You will have much to eat and be filled. And you will praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has done wonderful things for you. Then My people will never be put to shame. 27 You will know that I am in Israel. You will know that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other. And My people will never be put to shame.
God Sends His Spirit
28 “In the last days I will send My Spirit on all men. Then your sons and daughters will speak God’s Word. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see special dreams. 29 Yes, on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
Paul Received the Good News from God
2 Christian brothers, when I came to you, I did not preach the secrets of God with big sounding words or make it sound as if I were so wise. 2 I made up my mind that while I was with you I would speak of nothing except Jesus Christ and of His death on the cross. 3 When I was with you, I was weak. I was afraid and I shook. 4 What I had to say when I preached was not in big sounding words of man’s wisdom. But it was given in the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 In this way, you do not have faith in Christ because of the wisdom of men. You have faith in Christ because of the power of God.
True Wisdom Comes from God
6 We speak wisdom to full-grown Christians. This wisdom is not from this world or from the leaders of today. They die and their wisdom dies with them. 7 What we preach is God’s wisdom. It was a secret until now. God planned for us to have this honor before the world began. 8 None of the world leaders understood this wisdom. If they had, they would not have put Christ up on a cross to die. He is the Lord of shining-greatness. 9 The Holy Writings say, “No eye has ever seen or no ear has ever heard or no mind has ever thought of the wonderful things God has made ready for those who love Him.” (A) 10 God has shown these things to us through His Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who looks into all things, even the secrets of God, and shows them to us. 11 Who can know the things about a man, except a man’s own spirit that is in him? It is the same with God. Who can understand Him except the Holy Spirit?
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