Tuesday in Advent — Open Word

FIRST READING

Micah 4:6-13

Verse 6. “On that day,” declares the LORD, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the outcast, even those whom I have afflicted. Verse 7. And I will make the lame into a remnant, the outcast into a strong nation. Then the LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. Verse 8. And you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion — the former dominion will be restored to you; sovereignty will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.” Verse 9. Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor? Verse 10. Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies! Verse 11. But now many nations have assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let us feast our eyes on Zion.” Verse 12. But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Verse 13. Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron and hooves of bronze to break to pieces many peoples. Then you will devote their gain to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

PSALM

Psalm 79

A Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.

They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us.

How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that refuse to call on Your name,

for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland.

Do not hold past sins against us; let Your compassion come quickly, for we are brought low.

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name.

Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.

May the groans of the captives reach You; by the strength of Your arm preserve those condemned to death.

Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord.

Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will thank You forever; from generation to generation we will declare Your praise.

SECOND READING

Revelation 18:1-10

Verse 1. After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. Verse 2. And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast. Verse 3. All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.” Verse 4. Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues. Verse 5. For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Verse 6. Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup. Verse 7. As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ Verse 8. Therefore her plagues will come in one day — death and grief and famine — and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” Verse 9. Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. Verse 10. In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”