Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁷ For, lo, I am creating new heavens, and a new earth, And the former things are not remembered, Nor do they ascend on the heart.

¹⁸ But joy ye, and rejoice for ever, that I [am] Creator, For, lo, I am creating Jerusalem a rejoicing, And her people a joy.

¹⁹ And I have rejoiced in Jerusalem, And have joyed in My people, And not heard in her any more Is the voice of weeping, and the voice of crying.

²⁰ There is not thence any more a suckling of days, And an aged man who doth not complete his days, For the youth a hundred years old dieth, And the sinner, a hundred years old, is lightly esteemed.

²¹ And they have built houses, and inhabited, And planted vineyards, and eaten their fruit.

²² They do not build, and another inhabit, They do not plant, and another eat, For as the days of a tree [are] the days of My people, And the work of their hands wear out do My chosen ones.

²³ They labour not for a vain thing, Nor do they bring forth for trouble, For the seed of the blessed of Jehovah [are] they, And their offspring with them.

²⁴ And it hath come to pass, They do not yet call, and I answer, They are yet speaking, and I hear.

²⁵ Wolf and lamb do feed as one, And a lion as an ox eateth straw, As to the serpent -- dust [is] its food, They do no evil, nor destroy, In all My holy mountain, said Jehovah!

12 And thou hast said in that day: `I thank thee, O Jehovah, Though Thou hast been angry with me, Turn back doth Thine anger, And Thou dost comfort me.

² Lo, God [is] my salvation, I trust, and fear not, For my strength and song [is] Jah Jehovah, And He is to me for salvation.

³ And ye have drawn waters with joy Out of the fountains of salvation,

⁴ And ye have said in that day, Give ye praise to Jehovah, call in His name. Make known among the peoples His acts. Make mention that set on high is His name.

⁵ Praise ye Jehovah, for excellence He hath done, Known is this in all the earth.

⁶ Cry aloud, and sing, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in thy midst [is] the Holy One of Israel!'

⁶ And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother disorderly walking, and not after the deliverance that ye received from us,

⁷ for yourselves have known how it behoveth [you] to imitate us, because we did not act disorderly among you;

⁸ nor for nought did we eat bread of any one, but in labour and in travail, night and day working, not to be chargeable to any of you;

⁹ not because we have not authority, but that ourselves a pattern we might give to you, to imitate us;

¹⁰ for even when we were with you, this we did command you, that if any one is not willing to work, neither let him eat,

¹¹ for we hear of certain walking among you disorderly, nothing working, but over working,

¹² and such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness working, their own bread they may eat;

¹³ and ye, brethren, may ye not be weary doing well,

⁵ And certain saying about the temple, that with goodly stones and devoted things it hath been adorned, he said,

⁶ `These things that ye behold -- days will come, in which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down.'

⁷ And they questioned him, saying, `Teacher, when, then, shall these things be? and what [is] the sign when these things may be about to happen?'

⁸ And he said, `See -- ye may not be led astray, for many shall come in my name, saying -- I am [he], and the time hath come nigh; go not on then after them;

⁹ and when ye may hear of wars and uprisings, be not terrified, for it behoveth these things to happen first, but the end [is] not immediately.'

¹⁰ Then said he to them, `Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

¹¹ great shakings also in every place, and famines, and pestilences, there shall be; fearful things also, and great signs from heaven there shall be;

¹² and before all these, they shall lay on you their hands, and persecute, delivering up to synagogues and prisons, being brought before kings and governors for my name's sake;

¹³ and it shall become to you for a testimony.

¹⁴ `Settle, then, to your hearts, not to meditate beforehand to reply,

¹⁵ for I will give to you a mouth and wisdom that all your opposers shall not be able to refute or resist.

¹⁶ `And ye shall be delivered up also by parents, and brothers, and kindred, and friends, and they shall put of you to death;

¹⁷ and ye shall be hated by all because of my name --

¹⁸ and a hair out of your head shall not perish;

¹⁹ in your patience possess ye your souls.