Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord Will Turn Mourning to Joy
31 (A)“At that time, declares the Lord, (B)I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
2 Thus says the Lord:
“The people who survived the sword
found grace in the wilderness;
(C)when Israel sought for rest,
3 the Lord appeared to him[a] from far away.
(D)I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore (E)I have continued (F)my faithfulness to you.
4 (G)Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
(H)Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
and shall go forth in (I)the dance of the merrymakers.
5 (J)Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant
and shall enjoy the fruit.
6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call
in (K)the hill country of Ephraim:
(L)‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”
Dedication to Theophilus
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that (A)have been accomplished among us, 2 (B)just as those who (C)from the beginning were (D)eyewitnesses and (E)ministers of (F)the word (G)have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write (H)an orderly account for you, (I)most excellent (J)Theophilus, 4 that you may have (K)certainty concerning the things (L)you have been taught.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.