FIRST
READING: Isaiah 7: 1
- 9
1
In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzzi'ah, king of Judah,
Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remali'ah the king of
Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could
not conquer it.
2
When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league with
E'phraim," his heart and the heart of his people shook as the
trees of the forest shake before the wind.
3
And the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go forth to meet Ahaz, you and
She'ar-jash'ub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool
on the highway to the Fuller's Field,
4
and say to him, `Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let
your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of
firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of
Remali'ah.
5
Because Syria, with E'phraim and the son of Remali'ah, has devised
evil against you, saying,
6
"Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer
it for ourselves, and set up the son of Ta'be-el as king in the midst
of it,"
7
thus says the Lord GOD: It shall not stand, and it shall not come to
pass.
8
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin.
(Within sixty-five years E'phraim will be broken to pieces so that it
will no longer be a people.)
9
And the head of E'phraim is Sama'ria, and the head of Sama'ria is the
son of Remali'ah. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be
established.'"
PSALM:
Psalms 48: 2 - 8
2
beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in
the far north, the city of the great King.
3
Within her citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4
For lo, the kings assembled, they came on together.
5
As soon as they saw it, they were astounded, they were in panic, they
took to flight;
6
trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in travail.
7
By the east wind thou didst shatter the ships of Tarshish.
8
As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God, which God establishes for ever. [Selah]
GOSPEL:
Matthew 11: 20 - 24
20
Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works
had been done, because they did not repent.
21
"Woe to you, Chora'zin! woe to you, Beth-sa'ida! for if the
mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would
have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22
But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for
Tyre and Sidon than for you.
23
And you, Caper'na-um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be
brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been
done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24
But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment
for the land of Sodom than for you."
