Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of David.
124 Here is what Israel should say.
Suppose the Lord had not been on our side.
2 Suppose the Lord had not been on our side
when our enemies attacked us.
3 Suppose he had not been on our side
when their burning anger blazed out against us.
Then they would have swallowed us alive.
4 They would have been like a flood that drowned us.
They would have swept over us like a rushing river.
5 They would have washed us away
like a swollen stream.
6 Give praise to the Lord.
He has not let our enemies chew us up.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from a hunter’s trap.
The trap has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help comes from the Lord.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth.
Jerusalem Will Be Glorious
54 “Jerusalem, sing!
You are now like a woman who never had a child.
Burst into song! Shout for joy!
You who have never had labor pains,
you are now all alone.
But you will have more children than a woman who still has a husband,”
says the Lord.
2 “Make a large area for your tent.
Spread out its curtains.
Go ahead and make your tent wider.
Make its ropes longer.
Drive the stakes down deeper.
3 You will spread out to the right and the left.
Your children after you will drive out the nations that are now living in your land.
They will make their homes in the deserted cities of those nations.
4 “Do not be afraid. You will not be put to shame anymore.
Do not be afraid of being dishonored.
People will no longer make fun of you.
You will forget the time when you suffered as slaves in Egypt.
You will no longer remember the shame
of being a widow in Babylon.
5 I made you. I am now your husband.
My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I have set you free.
I am the God of the whole earth.
6 You were like a wife who was deserted.
And her heart was broken.
You were like a wife who married young.
And her husband sent her away.
But now I am calling you to come back,” says your God.
7 “For a brief moment I left you.
But because I love you so much, I will bring you back.
8 For a moment I turned my face away from you.
I was very angry with you.
But I will show you my loving concern.
My faithful love will continue forever,”
says the Lord. He is the one who set you free.
9 “During Noah’s time I made a promise.
I said I would never cover the earth with water again.
In the same way, I have promised not to be angry with you.
I will never punish you again.
10 The mountains might shake.
The hills might be removed.
But my faithful love for you will never be shaken.
And my covenant that promises peace to you will never be removed,”
says the Lord. He shows you his loving concern.
23 At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘There he is!’ Do not believe it. 24 False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do great signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘He is a long way out in the desert,’ do not go out there. Or if anyone says, ‘He is deep inside the house,’ do not believe it. 27 Lightning that comes from the east can be seen in the west. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. 28 The vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.
29 “Right after the terrible suffering of those days,
“ ‘The sun will be darkened.
The moon will not shine.
The stars will fall from the sky.
The heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (Isaiah 13:10; 34:4)
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. At that time, all the peoples of the earth will mourn. They will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. He will come with power and great glory. 31 He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call. They will gather his chosen people from all four directions. They will bring them from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. 34 What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.
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