Wednesday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Zechariah 8:1-17

Verse 1. Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying: Verse 2. This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.” Verse 3. This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.” Verse 4. This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age. Verse 5. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.” Verse 6. This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts. Verse 7. This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. Verse 8. I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.” Verse 9. This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundations were laid to rebuild the temple, the house of the LORD of Hosts. Verse 10. For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. Verse 11. But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD of Hosts. Verse 12. “For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance. Verse 13. As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.” Verse 14. For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Just as I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the LORD of Hosts, Verse 15. “so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. Verse 16. These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates, Verse 17. do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.

PSALM

Psalm 98

A Psalm. Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand and holy arm have gained Him the victory.

The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations.

He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth — let your cry ring out, and sing praises!

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, in melodious song with the harp.

With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea resound, and all that fills it, the world, and all who dwell in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy

before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Job 25:1-26:14

Text not available in the Berean Standard Bible.

PSALM

Psalm 123

A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven.

As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.

Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt.

We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.

SECOND READING

John 5:19-29

Verse 19. So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does. Verse 20. The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these. Verse 21. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. Verse 22. Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, Verse 23. so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Verse 24. Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life. Verse 25. Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. Verse 26. For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. Verse 27. And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Verse 28. Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice Verse 29. and come out — those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.