Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph(A)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
14 The (B)fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
2 (C)The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3 (D)They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
13 “Behold, he shall come up like clouds,
And (A)his chariots like a whirlwind.
(B)His horses are swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for we are plundered!”
14 O Jerusalem, (C)wash your heart from wickedness,
That you may be saved.
How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares (D)from Dan
And proclaims [a]affliction from Mount Ephraim:
16 “Make mention to the nations,
Yes, proclaim against Jerusalem,
That watchers come from a (E)far country
And raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 (F)Like keepers of a field they are against her all around,
Because she has been rebellious against Me,” says the Lord.
18 “Your(G) ways and your doings
Have procured these things for you.
This is your wickedness,
Because it is bitter,
Because it reaches to your heart.”
Sorrow for the Doomed Nation
19 O my (H)soul, my soul!
I am pained in my very heart!
My heart makes a noise in me;
I cannot hold my peace,
Because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 (I)Destruction upon destruction is cried,
For the whole land is plundered.
Suddenly (J)my tents are plundered,
And my curtains in a moment.
21 How long will I see the [b]standard,
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
29 The whole city shall flee from the noise of the horsemen and bowmen.
They shall go into thickets and climb up on the rocks.
Every city shall be forsaken,
And not a man shall dwell in it.
11 (A)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a [a]hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and (B)leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and (C)I know My sheep, and (D)am known by My own. 15 (E)As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; (F)and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And (G)other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; (H)and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
17 “Therefore My Father (I)loves Me, (J)because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I (K)have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. (L)This command I have received from My Father.”
19 Therefore (M)there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, (N)“He has a demon and is [b]mad. Why do you listen to Him?”
21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. (O)Can a demon (P)open the eyes of the blind?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.