Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
To the director: A song of David.
20 May the Lord answer you in times of trouble.
May the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from his Holy Place.
May he support you from Zion.
3 May he remember all the gifts you have offered.
May he accept all your sacrifices. Selah
4 May he give you what you really want.
May he make all your plans successful.
5 We will celebrate when he helps you.
We will praise the name of God.
May the Lord give you everything you ask for.
6 Now I know the Lord helps his chosen king.
From his holy heaven he answered.
With his great power he saved him.
7 Some give the credit for victory to their chariots and soldiers,
but we honor the Lord our God.
8 They fall in battle, totally defeated,
but we survive and stand strong!
9 Lord, save the king!
Answer us when we call to you for help.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A sound is heard in Ramah—
bitter crying and great sadness.
Rachel[a] cries for her children,
and she refuses to be comforted,
because her children are gone.”
16 But the Lord says, “Stop crying.
Don’t fill your eyes with tears.
You will be rewarded for your work.”
This message is from the Lord.
“The people of Israel will come back from their enemy’s land.
17 Israel, there is hope for you.”
This message is from the Lord.
“Your children will come back to their own land.
18 I have heard Ephraim crying:
‘Lord, you punished me, and I learned my lesson.
I was like a calf that was never trained.
Please stop punishing me,
and I will come back to you.
You really are the Lord my God.
19 I wandered away from you.
But I finally realized how wrong I was.
So I changed my heart and life.
I am ashamed and embarrassed
about the foolish things I did when I was young.’”
20 The Lord says,
“You know that Ephraim is my dear son.
I love that child.
Yes, I often criticized Ephraim,
but I still think about him.
I love him very much,
and I really do want to comfort him.
21 “People of Israel, repair the road signs.
Put up signs that show the way home.
Watch the road.
Remember the road you are leaving on.
Israel, my bride, come home.
Come back to your towns.
22 Unfaithful daughter,
how long will you wander around?
“The Lord has created something new in the land:
A woman surrounding a man.[b]”
Jesus Cries for Jerusalem
41 Jesus came near Jerusalem. Looking at the city, he began to cry for it 42 and said, “I wish you knew today what would bring you peace. But it is hidden from you now. 43 A time is coming when your enemies will build a wall around you and hold you in on all sides. 44 They will destroy you and all your people. Not one stone of your buildings will stay on top of another. All this will happen because you did not know the time when God came to save you.”
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International