Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and made redemption for his people

⁶⁹ And has raised up a horn of saving health for us in the house of his servant David,

⁷⁰ as he spoke by the mouth of the saints who from the beginning were his prophets;

⁷¹ salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us;

⁷² to fulfill mercy unto our fathers and remembering his holy covenant

⁷³ of the oath which he made to our father Abraham,

⁷⁴ that he would grant unto us, that without fear delivered out of the hand of our enemies, we might serve him

⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

⁷⁶ And thou, child, shalt be called prophet of the Most High, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,

⁷⁷ giving knowledge of saving health unto his people for the remission of their sins

⁷⁸ through the bowels of mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us

⁷⁹ to give light to those that dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace.

22 ¶ Thus hath the LORD said: Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word,

² and say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that doth sit upon the throne of David, thou, and thy slaves and thy people that enter in by these gates:

³ Thus hath the LORD said: Execute judgment and righteousness and deliver the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor and do not deceive, neither steal from the stranger nor from the fatherless nor from the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

⁴ For if ye effectively obey this word, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house the kings seated by David upon his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, he and his slaves and his people.

⁵ But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, said the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

⁶ For thus hath the LORD said regarding the house of the king of Judah: Thou art Gilead unto me and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness and cities which are not inhabited.

⁷ And I will appoint destroyers against thee, each one with his weapons, and they shall cut down thy choice cedars and cast them into the fire.

⁸ And many Gentiles shall pass by this city, and each man shall say to his neighbour, Why has the LORD done thus unto this great city?

⁹ Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshipped other gods and served them.

¹⁰ ¶ Do not weep for the dead nor bemoan him, but weep sore for him that goes away, for he shall return no more nor see his native country.

¹¹ For thus hath the LORD said of Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, He who went forth out of this place shall not return there any more;

¹² but he shall die in the place where they have led him captive and shall see this land no more.

¹³ Woe unto him that builds his house and not in righteousness and his chambers and not in judgment, using his neighbour’s service without wages and not giving him the wages of his work!

¹⁴ That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cuts out windows in it and covers it with cedar and anoints it with vermilion.

¹⁵ Shalt thou reign, because thou dost enclose thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink and do judgment and righteousness, and then it was well with him?

¹⁶ He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him. Is this not to know me? said the LORD.

¹⁷ But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression and for violence, to do it.

³ ¶ Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ, who according to his great mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, from the dead,

⁴ unto the incorruptible inheritance that cannot be defiled and that does not fade away, conserved in the heavens for you,

⁵ who are kept in the virtue of God by faith, to attain unto the saving health which is made ready to be manifested in the last time.

⁶ ¶ In which ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are afflicted in diverse temptations,

⁷ that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold (which perishes, nevertheless it is tried with fire), might be found unto praise and glory and honour when Jesus, the Christ, is made manifest;

⁸ whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though at present ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;

⁹ receiving the end of your faith, even the saving health of your souls.