Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Hope in God in the Midst of Despair

For the music director. A maskil of the sons of Korah.^[a]

River of the Temple, Division of the Land and Its Boundaries

47 And he brought me back to the doorway of the temple and, look! There was water coming out from under the threshold of the temple eastward, because the face of the temple was eastwards; and the water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, from south of the altar. ² And he brought me out by the way of the north gate and he led me around by the way leading to the outside of the outer gate^[a] by way of the gate facing east, and look, there was water trickling from the south side. ³ As the man went eastward a measuring line was in his hand, and he measured a thousand cubits.^[b] And he led me through on into the water; it was ankle deep.^{[c] 4} And he measured a thousand cubits,^[d] and he brought me over into the waters and it was knee deep.^[e] And he measured a thousand cubits,^[f] and he brought me over into the waters and it was waist deep.^{[g] 5} And he measured a thousand cubits,^[h] and it became a stream that I was not able to cross, because the water rose, waters a person could swim in,^[i] and became a stream that could not be crossed. ⁶ And he asked me, “Son of man,^[j] did you see this?” And he made me go, and he brought me back along the bank of the stream.

⁷ When I returned,^[k] then look! On the bank of the river were many trees on both sides.^{[l] 8} And he said to me, “These waters are going out to the eastern region, and they go down to the Jordan Valley,^[m] and they come to the sea^[n] and flow into the sea where they issue out,^[o] and the waters in the sea will be healed.^{[p] 9} And then every living creature with which it teems,^[q] to every place the waters come^[r] it will live; and very many fish will live because these waters came there, and so the water will be healed^[s] and everything will be alive everywhere that^[t] the stream will come.^{[u] 10} And then fishers^[v] from En Gedi and on up to En Eglaim will stand beside it, a sea-girt drying yard for nets; their fish for the dragnets will be of every kind,^[w] like the fish of the great sea,^[x] and very many. ¹¹ But its marshes and its swamps will not be cured, for they were given for salt. ¹² And along the stream will go up on its banks from both sides^[y] every tree producing food;^[z] its leaf will not wither and it will not cease producing its fruit. Every month^[aa] it will bear early fruit, for its waters are going out from the sanctuary, and its fruit will be as food, and its leaf for healing.”

Persevere in the Love of God

¹⁷ But you, dear friends, remember the words proclaimed beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁸ for they said to you,^[a] “In the end time there will be scoffers following according to their own ungodly desires.” ¹⁹ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly, not having the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, dear friends, by^[b] building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by^[c] praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt, ²³ and save others by^[d] snatching them from the fire, and have mercy on others with fear, hating even the tunic stained by the flesh.

Benediction

²⁴ Now to the one who is able to protect you from stumbling and make you to stand before his glory blameless^[e] with exultation, ²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and now and for all eternity. Amen.