Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
An Experience of the Captivity.
137 By the (A)rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down and (B)wept,
When we remembered Zion.
2 Upon the [a](C)willows in the midst of it
We (D)hung our [b]harps.
3 For there our captors [c](E)demanded of us [d]songs,
And (F)our tormentors mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
4 How can we sing (G)the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?
5 If I (H)forget you, O Jerusalem,
May my right hand [e]forget her skill.
6 May my (I)tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not remember you,
If I do not [f](J)exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of (K)Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Who said, “Raze it, raze it
(L)To its very foundation.”
8 O daughter of Babylon, you [g](M)devastated one,
How blessed will be the one who (N)repays you
With [h]the recompense with which you have repaid us.
9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and (O)dashes your little ones
Against the rock.
13 How shall I admonish you?
To what (A)shall I compare you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
To what shall I liken you as I comfort you,
O (B)virgin daughter of Zion?
For your [a]ruin is as vast as the sea;
Who can (C)heal you?
14 Your (D)prophets have seen for you
False and foolish visions;
And they have not (E)exposed your iniquity
So as to restore you from captivity,
But they have (F)seen for you false and misleading [b]oracles.
15 All who pass along the way
(G)Clap their hands in derision at you;
They (H)hiss and shake their heads
At the daughter of Jerusalem,
“Is this the city of which they said,
‘(I)The perfection of beauty,
(J)A joy to all the earth’?”
16 All (K)your enemies
Have opened their mouths wide against you;
They hiss and (L)gnash their teeth.
They say, “We have (M)swallowed her up!
Surely this is the (N)day for which we waited;
We have reached it, we have seen it.”
17 The Lord has (O)done what He purposed;
He has accomplished His word
Which He commanded from days of old.
He has thrown down (P)without sparing,
And He has caused the enemy to (Q)rejoice over you;
He has (R)exalted the [c]might of your adversaries.
18 Their (S)heart cried out to the Lord,
“O (T)wall of the daughter of Zion,
Let your (U)tears run down like a river day and night;
Give yourself no relief,
Let [d]your eyes have no rest.
19 “Arise, cry aloud in the (V)night
At the beginning of the night watches;
(W)Pour out your heart like water
Before the presence of the Lord;
Lift up your hands to Him
For the (X)life of your little ones
Who are (Y)faint because of hunger
At the head of every street.”
20 See, O Lord, and look!
With (Z)whom have You dealt thus?
Should women (AA)eat their [e]offspring,
The little ones who were [f]born healthy?
Should (AB)priest and prophet be slain
In the sanctuary of the Lord?
21 On the ground in the streets
Lie (AC)young and old;
My (AD)virgins and my young men
Have fallen by the sword.
You have slain them in the day of Your anger,
You have slaughtered, (AE)not sparing.
22 You called as in the day of an appointed feast
My (AF)terrors on every side;
And there was (AG)no one who escaped or survived
In the day of the Lord’s anger.
Those (AH)whom I [g]bore and reared,
My enemy annihilated them.
Overcoming the World
5 (A)Whoever believes that Jesus is the [a]Christ is [b](B)born of God, and whoever loves the [c]Father (C)loves the child [d]born of Him. 2 (D)By this we know that (E)we love the children of God, when we love God and [e]observe His commandments. 3 For (F)this is the love of God, that we (G)keep His commandments; and (H)His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is [f](I)born of God (J)overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who (K)believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This Is Written That You May Know
13 (A)These things I have written to you who (B)believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have (C)eternal life. 14 This is (D)the confidence which we have [a]before Him, that, (E)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, (F)we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother [b]committing a sin not leading to death, (G)he shall ask and [c]God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. (H)There is a sin leading to death; (I)I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 (J)All unrighteousness is sin, and (K)there is a sin not leading to death.
18 (L)We know that (M)no one who is [d]born of God sins; but He who was [e]born of God (N)keeps him, and (O)the evil one does not (P)touch him. 19 (Q)We know that (R)we are of God, and that (S)the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And (T)we know that (U)the Son of God has come, and has (V)given us understanding so that we may know (W)Him who is true; and we (X)are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. (Y)This is the true God and (Z)eternal life.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.