Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[a]Maskil of David, when he was [b]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (A)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I (B)implore the Lord for compassion.
2 I (C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (D)trouble before Him.
3 When (E)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (F)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (G)no one who regards me favorably;
[c]There is no (H)escape for me;
(I)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are (J)my refuge,
My (K)portion in the (L)land of the living.
6 (M)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been (N)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too (O)strong for me.
7 (P)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (Q)look after me.”
The Day of the Lord and the Future
15 “For the (A)day of the Lord is near for all the nations.
(B)Just as you have done, it will be done to you.
Your (C)dealings will return on your own head.
16 For just as you (D)drank on (E)My holy mountain,
All the nations (F)will drink continually.
They will drink [a]to the last drop,
And become as if they had never existed.
17 But on Mount (G)Zion there will be those who escape,
And it will be holy.
And the house of Jacob will [b](H)possess their [c]property.
18 Then the house of Jacob will be a (I)fire,
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau will be like stubble.
And they will set [d]them on fire and consume [e]them,
So that there will be (J)no survivor of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken.
19 Then those of the [f]Negev will [g](K)possess the mountain of Esau,
And those of the [h]Shephelah the (L)Philistine plain;
Also, (M)they will [i]possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,
And Benjamin the territory of Gilead.
20 And the exiles of this army of the sons of Israel,
Who are among the Canaanites as far as (N)Zarephath,
And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad,
Will [j]possess the (O)cities of the Negev.
21 [k]The (P)deliverers will ascend Mount Zion
To judge the mountain of Esau,
And the (Q)kingdom will be the Lord’s.
An Explanation for Parables
10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And [a]Jesus answered them, “(A)To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 (B)For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while (C)seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And [b]in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘[c](D)You shall keep on listening, [d]but shall not understand;
And [e]you shall keep on looking, [f]but shall not perceive;
15 (E)For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their heart, and return,
And I would heal them.’
16 (F)But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that (G)many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
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