Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed
5 Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had (A)a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with (B)choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and (C)he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 (D)What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
(E)When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?
5 And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove (F)its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;[a]
(G)I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and (H)briers and thorns shall grow up;
(I)I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
8 You brought (A)a vine out of Egypt;
you (B)drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You (C)cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its branches to (D)the sea
and its shoots to (E)the River.[a]
12 Why then have you (F)broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 (G)The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts!
(H)Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15 the stock that your right hand planted,
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
16 They have (I)burned it with fire; they have (J)cut it down;
may they perish at (K)the rebuke of your face!
17 But (L)let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
(M)give us life, and we will call upon your name!
19 (N)Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
29 By faith (A)the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. 30 By faith (B)the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith (C)Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she (D)had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of (E)Gideon, (F)Barak, (G)Samson, (H)Jephthah, of (I)David and (J)Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, (K)stopped the mouths of lions, 34 (L)quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, (M)became mighty in war, (N)put foreign armies to flight. 35 (O)Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even (P)chains and imprisonment. 37 (Q)They were stoned, they were sawn in two,[a] (R)they were killed with the sword. (S)They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—(T)wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, (U)though commended through their faith, (V)did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, (W)that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and (X)sin which clings so closely, and (Y)let us run (Z)with endurance the race that is (AA)set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, (AB)who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising (AC)the shame, and (AD)is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Not Peace, but Division
49 (A)“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 (B)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how (C)great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 (D)Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? (E)No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, (F)father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Interpreting the Time
54 He also said to the crowds, (G)“When you see (H)a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And (I)when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be (J)scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! (K)You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.