Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
68 “Blessed be Adonai,
God of Israel,
for He has looked after His people
and brought them redemption.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,[a]
70 just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ages past,
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us!
72 So He shows mercy to our fathers
and remembers His holy covenant,[b]
73 the vow which He swore to Abraham
our father, to grant us—
74 rescued fearlessly from the hand of
our enemies[c]—to serve Him,
75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of Elyon.
For you will go before Adonai to prepare His ways,[d]
77 to give knowledge of salvation to His people
through removal of their sins.[e]
78 Through our God’s heart of mercy,
the Sunrise from on high will come upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,[f]
to guide our feet in the way of shalom.”
Warning to David’s Heirs
22 Thus said Adonai: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and speak this word:
2 ‘Hear the word of Adonai, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David—you, your servants, and your people who enter by these gates.’ 3 Thus says Adonai: ‘Execute justice and righteousness. Rescue the one who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the fatherless or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you really carry out this word, then through the gates of this palace will enter kings sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses—himself, his servants, and his people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,’ declares Adonai, ‘that this palace will become a ruin.’”
6 For thus says Adonai concerning the house of the king of Judah:
“You are Gilead to Me—
the summit of Lebanon,
yet I will surely make you into a wilderness,
uninhabited cities.
7 I will consecrate destroyers against you,
each with his own weapons.
They will cut down your choice cedars
and cast them into the fire.
8 Many nations will pass by this city, and they will say, each to his neighbor, ‘Why has Adonai done such a thing to this great city?’ 9 Then they will answer: ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of Adonai their God, and worshipped other gods and served them.’”
10 Weep not for the dead or bemoan him.
Weep bitterly for him who departs,
for he will never return,
or see his native country again.
11 For thus says Adonai to Shallum, son of King Josiah of Judah, who became king in place of his father Josiah: “He who went forth from this place will never return there. 12 Instead, in the place where they led him captive, there will he die—he will see this land no more.”
13 Oy to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,
and his roof-chambers by injustice,
that makes his neighbor work without pay,
never giving him his wages,
14 who says: “I will build myself a big house with spacious rooms
and cut out my windows for it,
and panel it with cedar,
and paint it with vermilion!
15 Did you become king
just to be striving with cedar?
Did your father not eat and drink,
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it went well with him.
16 He pled the case of the poor and weak,
so it went well.
Is not this knowledge of Me?”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
17 “But your eyes and your heart
are only on your unjust gain,
and on shedding innocent blood,
and committing extortion and fraud.”
A Message of Living Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! In His great mercy He caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua from the dead. 4 An incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance has been reserved in heaven for you. 5 By trusting, you are being protected by God’s power for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. 7 These trials are so that the true metal[a] of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua. 8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. And even though you don’t see Him now, you trust Him and are filled with a joy that is glorious beyond words, 9 receiving the outcome of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.