Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.
A Psalm of David.
28 To You, Lord, I call;
My (A)rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You (B)are silent to me,
I will become like those who (C)go down to the pit.
2 Hear the (D)sound of my pleadings when I cry to You for help,
When I (E)raise my hands (F)toward [a]Your holy (G)sanctuary.
3 (H)Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who practice injustice,
Who (I)speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
4 Give back to them (J)according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Give back to them according to the work of their hands;
Repay them what is due them.
5 Because they (K)do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Because He (L)has heard the sound of my pleading.
7 The Lord is my (M)strength and my (N)shield;
My heart (O)trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore (P)my heart triumphs,
And with (Q)my song I shall thank Him.
8 The Lord is [b]their (R)strength,
And He is a refuge of (S)salvation to His anointed.
9 (T)Save Your people and bless (U)Your inheritance;
Be their (V)shepherd also, and (W)carry them forever.
The City Will Not Be Spared
12 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by (A)being unfaithful, and I stretch out My hand against it, [a]destroy its (B)supply of bread, send famine against it, and eliminate from it both human and animal life, 14 even (C)though these three men, (D)Noah, (E)Daniel, and (F)Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only save (G)themselves,” declares the Lord God. 15 “If I were to cause (H)vicious animals to pass through the land and they [b]depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the animals, 16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters. (I)They alone would be saved, but the country would be desolate. 17 Or if I were to (J)bring a sword on that country and say, ‘A sword is to pass through the country,’ and I (K)eliminated human and animal life from it, 18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved. 19 Or if I were to send a (L)plague against that country and pour out My wrath on it in blood to eliminate man and animal from it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their son or their daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.”
21 For this is what the Lord God says: “How much more when (M)I send My four [c]severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, vicious animals, and plague to eliminate human and animal life from it! 22 Yet, behold, [d]survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come out to you, and you will (N)see their conduct and actions; then you will be (O)comforted for the disaster which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. 23 Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done (P)without reason whatever I did [e]to it,” declares the Lord God.
Sight for Those Who Are Blind
29 (A)As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, (B)have mercy on us, (C)Son of David!” 31 But the crowd sternly warned them to be quiet; yet they cried out all the more, “Lord, (D)Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They *said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
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