Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
40 Therefore (A)the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people,
So that He abhorred (B)His own inheritance.
41 And (C)He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 (D)Many times He delivered them;
But they rebelled in their counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,
When (E)He heard their cry;
45 (F)And for their sake He remembered His covenant,
And (G)relented (H)according to the multitude of His mercies.
46 (I)He also made them to be pitied
By all those who carried them away captive.
47 (J)Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.
48 (K)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
[a]Praise the Lord!
The Coming Captivity of Judah
18 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will (B)throw out at this time
The inhabitants of the land,
And will distress them,
(C)That they may find it so.”
19 (D)Woe is me for my hurt!
My wound is severe.
But I say, (E)“Truly this is an infirmity,
And (F)I must bear it.”
20 (G)My tent is plundered,
And all my cords are broken;
My children have gone from me,
And they are (H)no more.
There is no one to pitch my tent anymore,
Or set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,
And have not sought the Lord;
Therefore they shall not prosper,
And all their flocks shall be (I)scattered.
22 Behold, the noise of the report has come,
And a great commotion out of the (J)north country,
To make the cities of Judah desolate, a (K)den of jackals.
23 O Lord, I know the (L)way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
24 O Lord, (M)correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
25 (N)Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, (O)who do not know You,
And on the families who do not call on Your name;
For they have eaten up Jacob,
(P)Devoured him and consumed him,
And made his dwelling place desolate.
Beware of the Scribes(A)
45 (B)Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, 46 (C)“Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, (D)love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 47 (E)who devour widows’ houses, and for a (F)pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
The Widow’s Two Mites(G)
21 And He looked up (H)and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain (I)poor widow putting in two (J)mites.[a] 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you (K)that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings [b]for God, but she out of her poverty put in (L)all the livelihood that she had.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.