Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah.

102 Jehovah, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.

² Hide not thy face from me: in the day of my trouble, incline thine ear unto me; in the day I call, answer me speedily.

³ For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a firebrand.

⁴ My heart is smitten and withered like grass; yea, I have forgotten to eat my bread.

⁵ By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my flesh.

⁶ I am become like the pelican of the wilderness, I am as an owl in desolate places;

⁷ I watch, and am like a sparrow alone upon the housetop.

⁸ Mine enemies reproach me all the day; they that are mad against me swear by me.

⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,

¹⁰ Because of thine indignation and thy wrath; for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

¹¹ My days are like a lengthened-out shadow, and I, I am withered like grass.

¹² But thou, Jehovah, abidest for ever, and thy memorial from generation to generation.

¹³ *Thou* wilt rise up, thou wilt have mercy upon Zion: for it is the time to be gracious to her, for the set time is come.

¹⁴ For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour her dust.

¹⁵ And the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

¹⁶ When Jehovah shall build up Zion, he will appear in his glory.

¹⁷ He will regard the prayer of the destitute one, and not despise their prayer.

⁸ For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in your midst, nor your diviners deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams, which ye like to dream.

⁹ For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith Jehovah.

¹⁰ For thus saith Jehovah: When seventy years shall be accomplished for Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in bringing you back to this place.

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you in your latter end a hope.

¹² And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you;

¹³ and ye shall seek me and find me, for ye shall search for me with all your heart,

¹⁴ and I will be found of you, saith Jehovah. And I will turn your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again into the place whence I have caused you to be carried away captive.

¹⁵ If ye say, Jehovah hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;

¹⁶ yea, thus saith Jehovah concerning the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people that dwell in this city, your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;

¹⁷ thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will send against them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like the vile figs, that cannot be eaten for badness.

¹⁸ And I will pursue them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will give them over to be driven hither and thither into all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an execration, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I will drive them:

¹⁹ because they have not hearkened to my words, saith Jehovah, wherewith I sent unto them my servants the prophets, rising early and sending; but ye have not hearkened, saith Jehovah.

²⁰ But ye, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon, hear the word of Jehovah.

²¹ Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsehood unto you in my name: Behold, I will give them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall smite them before your eyes.

²² And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

²³ because they have committed infamy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken words of falsehood in my name, which I had not commanded them: and I [am] he that knoweth, and [am] witness, saith Jehovah.

²⁴ And as he answered for his defence with these things, Festus says with a loud voice, Thou art mad, Paul; much learning turns thee to madness.

²⁵ But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness;

²⁶ for the king is informed about these things, to whom also I speak with all freedom. For I am persuaded that of these things nothing is hidden from him; for this was not done in a corner.

²⁷ King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

²⁸ And Agrippa [said] to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

²⁹ And Paul [said], I would to God, both in little and in much, that not only thou, but all who have heard me this day, should become such as *I* also am, except these bonds.