Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A New Time Is Coming
17 “·Look [T Behold], I will ·make [create] new heavens and a new earth,
and people will not remember the ·past [former things]
or ·think about those things [bring them to heart/mind].
18 My people will be happy and joyful forever
because of the things I will ·make [create].
I will make a Jerusalem that is full of joy,
and I will make her people a delight.
19 Then I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and be delighted with my people.
There will never again be heard in that city
the sounds of ·crying [weeping] and ·sadness [crying].
20 There will never be a ·baby [infant] from that city
who lives only a few days.
And there will never be an older person
who doesn’t ·have a long life [L live out his days].
A person who ·lives a hundred years will be called young [or dies at a hundred years will still be considered a child],
and a person who dies before he is a hundred will be thought of as a ·sinner [or accursed].
21 In that city those who build houses will live there.
Those who plant vineyards will get to eat their grapes [C as opposed to times of conquest, when homes are confiscated and crops are stolen].
22 No more will one person ·build a house and someone else live there [L build and another inhabit].
One person will not ·plant a garden and someone else eat its fruit [L plant and another eat].
·My people will live a long time,
as trees live long [L For like the days of a tree
shall be the days of my people].
My chosen people will live there
and enjoy the ·things they make [L work of their hands].
23 They will ·never again work for nothing [not labor in vain].
They will never again give birth to children ·who die young [L doomed for misfortune/disaster].
All my people will be blessed by the Lord;
they and their ·children [descendants; seed] will be blessed.
24 I will ·provide for their needs [L answer] before they ·ask [call],
and I will ·help them [L hear] while they are still ·asking for help [L speaking].
25 The wolf and the lamb will ·eat together in peace [feed/graze together].
The lion will eat hay like an ox,
and ·a snake on the ground will not hurt anyone [the serpent’s food will be dust; Gen. 3:14].
They will not hurt or destroy each other
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
A Song of Praise to God
12 ·At that time [L In that day] you will say:
“I praise you, Lord!
You were angry with me,
but ·you are not angry with me now [L your anger has turned away]!
You have comforted me.
2 [L Look; T Behold] God is ·the one who saves me [L my salvation];
I will trust him and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord ·gives me [L is my] strength and ·makes me sing [L my song; or my defense/protection].
He has ·saved me [L become salvation/deliverance/victory for me].”
3 You will joyfully draw water
from the ·wells [springs] of salvation.
4 ·At that time [L In that day] you will say,
“Praise the Lord and ·worship him [L call on his name].
·Tell everyone [L Make known among the nations/peoples] what he has done
and ·how great he is [L announce that his name is exalted/lifted up].
5 Sing praise to the Lord, because he has done ·great [glorious; majestic] things.
Let all the world know what he has done.
6 Shout and sing for joy, you people of ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27],
because the Holy One of Israel [1:4] ·does great things before your eyes [L is great among you].”
The Duty to Work
6 Brothers and sisters, ·by the authority [L in the name] of our Lord Jesus Christ we command you to stay away from any ·believer [L brother (or sister)] who ·refuses to work [or behaves irresponsibly; L lives/walks in idleness/disorder] and does not follow the ·teaching we gave you [L tradition you received from us]. 7 [L For] You yourselves know that you should ·live as we live [follow our example; imitate us]. [L Because] We were not ·lazy [idle; undisciplined] when we were with you. 8 And when we ate another person’s ·food [bread], we always paid for it. We worked ·very hard [L with labor and toil] night and day so we would not be an ·expense [financial burden] to any of you. 9 ·We had [L It was not because we do not have] the right to ask you to help us, but we worked ·to take care of ourselves so we would [L in order to] be an example for you to ·follow [imitate]. 10 [L For even] When we were with you, we gave you this ·rule [instruction; command]: “Anyone who ·refuses [is not willing] to work should not eat.”
11 [L For; or Yet] We hear that some people in your group ·refuse to work [or are behaving irresponsibly; L are living/walking in idleness/disorder]. They do nothing but ·busy themselves [meddle; interfere] in other people’s lives. 12 We command ·those [such] people and ·beg [urge; encourage; exhort] them in the Lord Jesus Christ to ·work quietly [or settle down] and ·earn [L eat] their own ·food [bread]. 13 But you, brothers and sisters, never become tired of doing good.
The Temple Will Be Destroyed(A)
5 Some ·people [or of the disciples] were talking about the Temple and how it was ·decorated [adorned] with beautiful stones and gifts offered to God.
But Jesus said, 6 “As for these things you are looking at, the ·time [days] will come when not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be ·thrown [torn] down.”
7 They asked Jesus, “Teacher, when will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8 Jesus said, “·Be careful [Watch out] so you are not ·fooled [deceived; led astray]. [L For; Because] Many people will come in my name, saying, ‘I am ·the One [or he; C the Messiah]’ and, ‘The time ·has come [or is near]!’ But don’t follow them. 9 When you hear about wars and ·riots [uprisings; insurrections], don’t be ·afraid [terrified], because these things must happen first, but the end will ·come later [not come immediately].”
10 Then he said to them, “Nations will ·fight [L rise up] against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms. 11 In various places there will be great earthquakes, ·sicknesses [plagues; pestilences], and ·a lack of food [famines]. ·Fearful [Terrifying] events and great signs will come from heaven.
12 “But before all these things happen, people will ·arrest [seize; L lay their hands on] you and ·treat you cruelly [persecute you]. They will ·judge you in their [drag you into the; L hand you over to] synagogues and put you in jail and force you to stand before kings and governors, because ·you follow me [of your allegiance to me; L of my name]. 13 But this will give you an opportunity to ·tell [testify; bear witness] about me. 14 [L So; Therefore] ·Make up your minds [Resolve; L Put it in your hearts] not to ·worry [or rehearse] ahead of time about what you will say [12:11]. 15 [L For] I will give you ·the wisdom to say things [words and wisdom] that none of your enemies will be able to ·stand against [resist] or ·prove wrong [refute; contradict]. 16 Even your parents, brothers [and sisters], relatives, and friends will ·turn against you [betray you; L hand you over], and they will kill some of you. 17 All people will hate you because ·you follow me [L of my name]. 18 But ·none of these things can really harm you [L not a hair on your head will perish; C a metaphor for living forever with God]. 19 By ·continuing to have faith [your endurance/perseverance] you will ·save your lives [or gain/win your souls].
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