Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

8 A message came from Adonai-Tzva’ot: ² “Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘I am extremely jealous on Tziyon’s behalf, and I am jealous for her with great fury.’ ³ Adonai says, ‘I am returning to Tziyon, and I will live in Yerushalayim. Then Yerushalayim will be called Truth City, Adonai-Tzva’ot’s Mountain, the Mountain of the Holy One. ⁴ Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘Old men and old women will once again sit in the open places of Yerushalayim, each one with his cane in his hand, because of their great age. ⁵ The city’s open places will also be full of boys and girls playing there.’ ⁶ Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘This may seem amazing to the survivors in those days, but must it also seem amazing to me?’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁷ Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘I will save my people from lands east and west; ⁸ I will bring them back, and they will live in Yerushalayim. They will be my people; and I will be their God, with faithfulness and justice.’

⁹ “Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘Take courage, you who are hearing only now, in these days, these words spoken by the prophets when the foundation was being laid for rebuilding the temple, the house of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ¹⁰ For prior to that time, there were wages neither for people nor for animals; moreover, it was unsafe for anyone to go out or come in, because of the enemy; for I set all people each against the other. ¹¹ But from now on, I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did before,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ¹² ‘Now they will sow in peace, the vine will give its fruit, the ground will produce its yield, the sky will give its dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. ¹³ House of Y’hudah and house of Isra’el, just as you were formerly a curse among the nations, so now I will save you; and you will be a blessing. Don’t be afraid, but take courage!’

¹⁴ “For Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘Just as I resolved to do you harm when your forefathers provoked me,’ Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘and I did not relent; ¹⁵ so now, I resolve to do good to Yerushalayim and to the house of Y’hudah. Don’t be afraid! ¹⁶ These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to each other; in your courts, administer justice that is true and conducive to peace; ¹⁷ don’t plot harm against each other; and don’t love perjury; for all these are things I hate,’ says Adonai.”

¹⁹ Therefore, Yeshua said this to them: “Yes, indeed! I tell you that the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does too. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does; and he will show him even greater things than these, so that you will be amazed. ²¹ Just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, so too the Son makes alive anyone he wants. ²² The Father does not judge anyone but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, ²³ so that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever fails to honor the Son is not honoring the Father who sent him. ²⁴ Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever hears what I am saying and trusts the One who sent me has eternal life — that is, he will not come up for judgment but has already crossed over from death to life! ²⁵ Yes, indeed! I tell you that there is coming a time — in fact, it’s already here — when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will come to life. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has given the Son life to have in himself. ²⁷ Also he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Don’t be surprised at this; because the time is coming when all who are in the grave will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out — those who have done good to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to a resurrection of judgment.