Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
19 Lord, remember my ·suffering [affliction] and my ·misery [or wanderings; homelessness; 1:7],
·my sorrow and trouble [L it is wormwood and gall; 3:15].
20 Please remember me
and think about ·me [L my life].
21 But I have hope
when I ·think of this [L return to my mind/heart]:
22 The Lord’s ·love [loyalty] never ends;
his ·mercies [compassion] never stop.
23 They are new every morning;
Lord, your ·loyalty [faithfulness] is ·great [abundant; Ps. 33:4; 92:2; 143:1].
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is ·mine [L my lot/portion],
so I hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who ·hope in [wait for] him,
to those who seek him.
26 It is good to wait ·quietly [silently]
for the Lord to ·save [be victorious].
7 Jerusalem ·is suffering and homeless.
She [L …in the days of her affliction and homelessness] remembers all the ·good [desirable; coveted] things
from the ·past [L former days].
But her people ·were defeated by the enemy [L fell to the power/hand of the foe],
and there was no one to help her.
When her ·enemies [foes] saw her,
they laughed ·to see her ruined [at her downfall].
8 Jerusalem sinned terribly,
so she has become ·unclean [or an object of mockery].
Those who honored her now ·hate [despise] her,
because they have seen her nakedness.
She groans
and turns away.
9 She made herself ·dirty [defiled] ·by her sins [L in her skirts; C Jerusalem is pictured as a defiled woman; Lev. 15:19–30]
and did not think about what would happen to her.
Her ·defeat [downfall] was surprising,
and no one could comfort her.
She says, “Lord, see how I ·suffer [am afflicted],
because the enemy has won.”
10 The ·enemy [foe] ·reached out and took [spread his hands on]
all her ·precious [desired; coveted] things.
She even saw ·foreigners [nations]
enter her ·Temple [L holy place; Ps. 74:4–8].
·The Lord had commanded foreigners [L …those you commanded]
never to enter the meeting place of ·his [L your] people.
11 All of ·Jerusalem’s [L its] people groan,
·looking for [seeking] bread.
They ·are trading [L give] their ·precious [desired; coveted] things for food
so they can stay alive.
The city says, “Look, Lord, and see.
I am ·hated [despised].”
12 Jerusalem says, “You who pass by on the road ·don’t seem to care [is it nothing to you…?; L No, to you].
Come, look at me and see:
Is there any ·pain [sorrow] like ·mine [L my pain/sorrow]?
·Is there any pain like that he has caused me […which has come upon me]?
The Lord has ·punished [afflicted; tormented] me
on the day of his great anger.
13 “He sent fire from above
that went ·down [deep] into my bones.
He ·stretched [spread] out a net for my feet
and turned me back.
He made me so ·sad and lonely [desolate]
that I am ·weak [faint; sick] all day.
14 “He ·has noticed my sins [or bound my transgressions into a yoke];
they are ·tied together [intertwined] by his hands;
they hang around my neck.
·He has turned my strength into weakness [L My strength falters].
The Lord has handed me over
to those who ·are stronger than I [L I cannot stand against].
15 “The Lord has rejected
all my mighty men ·inside my walls [L in my midst].
He ·brought an army [or proclaimed a time] against me
to ·destroy [break] my young men.
As if in a winepress, the Lord has ·crushed [trampled]
the ·capital city [L virgin daughter] of Judah [Is. 63:1–6].
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men(A)
29 When ·Jesus and his followers [L they] were leaving Jericho, a ·great many people [large crowd] followed him. 30 [L And look/T behold] Two blind men sitting by the road heard that Jesus was going by, so they shouted, “Lord, Son of David [C a title for the Messiah, a descendant of King David; 2 Sam. 7:11–16], ·have mercy [take pity] on us!”
31 The people ·warned [rebuked; scolded] the blind men to be quiet, but they shouted even more, “Lord, Son of David, ·have mercy [take pity] on us!”
32 Jesus stopped and said to the blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 They answered, “Lord, ·we want to see [L let our eyes be opened].”
34 Jesus felt ·sorry [compassion] for the blind men and touched their eyes, and at once they could see. Then they followed Jesus.
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