Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Chapter 5
The Song of the Vineyard[a]
1 Now let me sing for my beloved
the song of my friend concerning his vineyard.
My beloved had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it, cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice red vines.
In its midst he built a watchtower
and also hewed out a winepress.
He expected it to yield a rich crop of grapes,
but the only thing it brought forth was wild grapes.
3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
I ask you to judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could I have done for my vineyard
that I did not do?
When I expected it to yield choice grapes,
why did it bring forth wild grapes?
5 Now listen to me as I tell you
what I am planning to do to my vineyard.
I will take away its hedge
and use it for grazing.
I will knock down its wall
and let it be trampled upon.
6 I will let it go to waste;
it will be neither pruned nor hoed,
but left overgrown with briars and thorns.
I will also command the clouds
not to allow any rain to fall upon it.
7 The vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah
are the plant he cherished.
He expected justice but found bloodshed;
he expected righteousness but heard cries of distress.
8 Restore us, O Lord of hosts;
let your face shine upon us,
and we will be saved.
9 [a]You brought a vine[b] out of Egypt;
you dispersed the nations and planted it.
10 You prepared the ground for it;
then it took root and filled the land.
11 The mountains were covered with its shade
and the cedars of God[c] with its shoots.
12 It sent out its boughs as far as the Sea,[d]
its shoots as far as the river.
13 [e]Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pluck its grapes?[f]
14 The boars from the forest ravage it,
and wild beasts of the field feed on it.
15 Turn once again to us, O Lord of hosts;[g]
look down from heaven and see;
take care of this vine,
16 this shoot[h] that your right hand has planted,
the son that you yourself made strong.
17 Let those who would burn it or cut it down
perish when confronted by your rebuke.
18 Let your hand rest upon the man at your right,[i]
the son of man that you yourself made strong.
19 Then we will never again turn away from you;
give us life and we will call upon your name.[j]
29 The Faith of the Israelites and Rahab. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as though it were dry land. However, when the Egyptians attempted to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho[a] fell when the people had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab[b] the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, for she had received the spies in peace.
32 The Faith of the Judges and Prophets. What more shall I say? Time is too short for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the Prophets,[c] 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and obtained the promises. They closed the mouths of lions,[d] 34 quenched raging fires,[e] and escaped the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned into strength as they became mighty in battle and put foreign armies to flight.
35 Women received their dead[f] back through resurrection. Others who were tortured refused to accept release in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others were mocked and scourged, even to the point of enduring chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned,[g] or sawed in two, or put to death by the sword. They went about in skins of sheep or goats—destitute, persecuted, and tormented. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in desert areas and on mountains, and they lived in dens and caves of the earth.
39 Yet all these, even though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised. 40 For God had made provision for us to have something better, and they were not to achieve perfection except with us.[h]
Let Us Run with Eyes Fixed on Jesus[i]
Chapter 12
You Have Not Yet Resisted to the Point of Bloodshed. 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,[j] let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sins that so easily distract us and with perseverance run the race that lies ahead of us, 2 with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, ignoring its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Urgency of Making the Decision
49 Jesus and His Passion.[a]“I have come to spread fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already blazing! 50 I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it has been completed!
51 Jesus, Cause of Dissensions.[b]“Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
52 “From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
54 Discerning the Signs of the Times.[c] He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain,’ and so it happens. 55 And when you see the wind blowing from the south, you say, ‘It is going to be hot,’ and so it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky. Why then do you not know how to interpret the present time?
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