Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
68 “Blessed[a] be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help[b] and has redeemed[c] his people.
69 For[d] he has raised up[e] a horn of salvation[f] for us in the house of his servant David,[g]
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,[h]
71 that we should be saved[i] from our enemies,[j]
and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 He has done this[k] to show mercy[l] to our ancestors,[m]
and to remember his holy covenant[n]—
73 the oath[o] that he swore to our ancestor[p] Abraham.
This oath grants[q]
74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our[r] enemies,
may serve him without fear,[s]
75 in holiness and righteousness[t] before him for as long as we live.[u]
76 And you, child,[v] will be called the prophet[w] of the Most High.[x]
For you will go before[y] the Lord to prepare his ways,[z]
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation[aa] through the forgiveness[ab] of their sins.
78 Because of[ac] our God’s tender mercy[ad]
the dawn[ae] will break[af] upon us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,[ag]
to guide our feet into the way[ah] of peace.”
22 The Lord told me,[a] “Go down[b] to the palace of the king of Judah. Give him a message from me there.[c] 2 Say: ‘Listen, O king of Judah who follows in David’s succession.[d] You, your officials, and your subjects who pass through the gates of this palace must listen to the Lord’s message.[e] 3 The Lord says, “Do what is just and right. Deliver those who have been robbed from those[f] who oppress them. Do not exploit or mistreat resident foreigners who live in your land, children who have no fathers, or widows.[g] Do not kill innocent people[h] in this land. 4 If you are careful to[i] obey these commands, then the kings who follow in David’s succession and ride in chariots or on horses will continue to come through the gates of this palace, as will their officials and their subjects.[j] 5 But, if you do not obey these commands, I solemnly swear[k] that this palace will become a pile of rubble. I, the Lord, affirm it!”’[l]
6 “For the Lord says concerning the palace of the king of Judah,
“‘This place looks like a veritable forest of Gilead to me.
It is like the wooded heights of Lebanon in my eyes.
But I swear that I will make it like a wilderness
whose towns have all been deserted.[m]
7 I will send men against it to destroy it[n]
with their axes and hatchets.
They will hack up its fine cedar panels and columns
and throw them into the fire.
8 “‘People from other nations will pass by this city. They will ask one another, “Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?” 9 The answer will come back, “It is because they broke their covenant with the Lord their God and worshiped and served other gods.”
Judgment on Jehoahaz
10 “‘Do not weep for the king who was killed.
Do not grieve for him.
But weep mournfully for the king who has gone into exile.
For he will never return to see his native land again.[o]
11 “‘For the Lord has spoken about Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but was carried off into exile. He has said, “He will never return to this land.[p] 12 For he will die in the country where they took him as a captive. He will never see this land again.”[q]
Judgment on Jehoiakim
13 “‘Sure to be judged[r] is the king who builds his palace using injustice
and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms.[s]
He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing.
He does not pay them for their labor.
14 He says, “I will build myself a large palace
with spacious upper rooms.”
He cuts windows in its walls,
panels it[t] with cedar, and paints its rooms red.[u]
15 Does it make you any more of a king
that you outstrip everyone else in[v] building with cedar?
Just think about your father.
He was content that he had food and drink.[w]
He did what was just and right.[x]
So things went well with him.
16 He upheld the cause of the poor and needy.
So things went well for Judah.’[y]
The Lord says,
‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.[z]
17 But you are always thinking and looking
for ways to increase your wealth by dishonest means.
Your eyes and your heart are set
on killing some innocent person
and committing fraud and oppression.’”[aa]
New Birth to Joy and Holiness
3 Blessed be[a] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 that is,[b] into[c] an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 This brings you great joy,[d] although you may have to suffer[e] for a short time in various trials. 7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith,[f] which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away[g]—and will bring praise[h] and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.[i] 8 You[j] have not seen him, but you love him. You[k] do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice[l] with an indescribable and glorious[m] joy, 9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.