Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prologue—Psalms 1–2[a]
Psalm 1[b]
True Happiness
1 Blessed[c] is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stand in the way of sinners,
nor sit in the company of scoffers.
2 Rather, his delight is in the law of the Lord,[d]
and on that law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted near streams of water,
which bears fruit in its season,
and whose leaves never wither.[e]
In the same way,
everything he does will prosper.
4 This is not true of the wicked,
for they are like chaff that the wind blows away.[f]
5 Therefore, the wicked will not stand firm at the judgment,[g]
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over[h] the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
12 The Shattered Wineflask. Therefore, proclaim this message to them: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every wineflask should be filled with wine. If they reply, “Do you think we do not know that every wineflask is meant to be filled with wine?” 13 say to them in reply: Thus says the Lord: I will fill all the inhabitants of this land with wine until they are drunk—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 14 Then I will smash them one against the other, parents and children together, says the Lord. I will show no pity, I will not spare or show compassion, when I destroy them.
A Vision of Exile
15 Listen carefully and suppress your pride,
for it is the Lord who speaks.
16 Give glory to the Lord, your God,
before the darkness descends,
before your feet stumble
on the mountains at twilight,
before the light you hope for
will gradually turn to gloom
and then into thick darkness.
17 If your pride does not allow you to listen,
I will weep in secret for you.
My eyes will be filled with tears
because the Lord’s flock is being led into captivity.
18 [a]Say to the king and the queen mother,
“Descend from your thrones,
since your glorious crowns
have fallen from your heads.”
19 The cities in the Negeb are besieged,
and no one will be able to offer them relief.
All Judah has been taken into exile;
every inhabitant has been led away.
26 “Brethren, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who fear God, we are the ones to whom this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize Jesus or to understand the words of the Prophets that are read on every Sabbath, and they fulfilled those prophecies by condemning him. 28 Even though they found no basis to justify his execution, they asked Pilate to have him killed.
29 “When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. 30 However, God raised him from the dead, 31 and over a period of many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people.
32 “We have come here to proclaim to you the good news—what God promised to our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus up as it is written in the second psalm:
‘You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.’
34 “God raised him from the dead, never to be subjected to corruption. He declares it in these words, ‘To you I will give the blessings promised to David.’
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