October 2016 Prayers

Luke 13:18-30 18He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it?19It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’ 20And again he said, ‘To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’ 22Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, ‘Lord, will only a few be saved?’ He said to them,24‘Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, “Lord, open to us”, then in reply he will say to you, “I do not know where you come from.” 26Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.” 27But he will say, “I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!” 28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. 29Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God.30Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.’ The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Sirach 44:1-15Let us now sing the praises of famous men,   our ancestors in their generations. 2 The Lord apportioned to them great glory,   his majesty from the beginning. 3 There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,   and made a name for themselves by their valour;those who gave counsel because they were intelligent;   those who spoke in prophetic oracles; 4 those who led the people by their counsels   and by their knowledge of the people's lore;   they were wise in their words of instruction; 5 those who composed musical tunes,   or put verses in writing; 6 rich men endowed with resources,   living peacefully in their homes— 7 all these were honoured in their generations,   and were the pride of their times. 8 Some of them have left behind a name,   so that others declare their praise. 9 But of others there is no memory;   they have perished as though they had never existed;they have become as though they had never been born,   they and their children after them. 10 But these also were godly men,   whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten; 11 their wealth will remain with their descendants,   and their inheritance with their children's children. 12 Their descendants stand by the covenants;   their children also, for their sake. 13 Their offspring will continue for ever,   and their glory will never be blotted out. 14 Their bodies are buried in peace,   but their name lives on generation after generation. 15 The assembly declares their wisdom,   and the congregation proclaims their praise.The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.

Revelation 15:3-4  O ruler of the universe, Lord God, great deeds are they that you have done, * surpassing human understanding. Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, * O King of all the ages Who can fail to do you homage, Lord and sing the praises of your Name for you only are the Holy One. All nations will draw near and fall down before you because your just and holy works have been revealed. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Luke 12:49-59 49'I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.' 54 He also said to the crowds, 'When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, "It is going to rain"; and so it happens. 55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, "There will be scorching heat"; and it happens. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? 57'And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. 59I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.' The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Matthew 18:21-35 21 Then Peter came and said to him, 'Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?' 22Jesus said to him, 'Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 23'For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything." 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, "Pay what you owe." 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you." 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, "You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?" 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 24  1The earth is the LORD'S and all that is in it, * the world and all who dwell therein. 2For it is he who founded it upon the seas * and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep. 3"Who can ascend the hill of the LORD? * and who can stand in his holy place?" 4"Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, * who have not pledged themselves to falsehood, nor sworn by what is a fraud. 5They shall receive a blessing from the LORD * and a just reward from the God of their salvation." 6Such is the generation of those who seek him, * of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob. 7Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; * and the King of glory shall come in. 8"Who is this King of glory?" * "The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle." 9Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; * and the King of glory shall come in. 10"Who is he, this King of glory?" * "The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory."

Revelation 13:11-18 11 Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. 13It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of all; 14and by the signs that it is allowed to perform on behalf of the beast, it deceives the inhabitants of earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived; 15and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast could even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18This calls for wisdom: let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred sixty-six. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 66  1Be joyful in God, all you lands; * sing the glory of his Name; sing the glory of his praise. 2Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! * because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you. 3All the earth bows down before you, * sings to you, sings out your Name." 4Come now and see the works of God, * how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people. 5He turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot, * and there we rejoiced in him.

Ephesians 4:1-16 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8Therefore it is said, When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.  9(When it says, He ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by peoples trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Revelation 12:7-17 7And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world-he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, 'Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death. 12 Rejoice then, you heavens and those who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!' 13So when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to her place where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15Then from his mouth the serpent poured water like a river after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. 16But the earth came to the help of the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Ecclus. 31:12-18,25-32:2 Sir 31:12 Are you seated at the table of the great? Do not be greedy at it,  and do not say, "How much food there is here!"  13 Remember that a greedy eye is a bad thing.  What has been created more greedy than the eye?  Therefore it sheds tears for any reason.  14 Do not reach out your hand for everything you see,  and do not crowd your neighbor at the dish.  15 Judge your neighbor's feelings by your own,  and in every matter be thoughtful.  16 Eat what is set before you like a well brought-up person, and do not chew greedily, or you will give offense.  17 Be the first to stop, as befits good manners,  and do not be insatiable, or you will give offense.  18 If you are seated among many persons,  do not help yourself before they do. 25 Do not try to prove your strength by wine-drinking,  for wine has destroyed many.  26 As the furnace tests the work of the smith,   so wine tests hearts when the insolent quarrel.  27 Wine is very life to human beings  if taken in moderation.  What is life to one who is without wine?  It has been created to make people happy.  28 Wine drunk at the proper time and in moderation  is rejoicing of heart and gladness of soul.  29 Wine drunk to excess leads to bitterness of spirit,  to quarrels and stumbling.  30 Drunkenness increases the anger of a fool to his own hurt,  reducing his strength and adding wounds.  31 Do not reprove your neighbor at a banquet of wine,  and do not despise him in his merrymaking;  speak no word of reproach to him,  and do not distress him by making demands of him.  32:1 If they make you master of the feast, do not exalt yourself; be among them as one of their number.  Take care of them first and then sit down; 2 when you have fulfilled all your duties, take your place,  so that you may be merry along with them  and receive a wreath for your excellent leadership. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Luke 11:37-52 37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. 38The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39Then the Lord said to him, 'Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you. 42'But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. 43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.' 45One of the lawyers answered him, 'Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too.' 46And he said, 'Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them. 47Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, "I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute," 50so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. 52Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.' The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Ecclus. 24: 1- 12 Wisdom praises herself,  and tells of her glory in the midst of her people.  2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,  and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory:  3 "I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,  and covered the earth like a mist.  4 I dwelt in the highest heavens,  and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.  5 Alone I compassed the vault of heaven  and traversed the depths of the abyss.  6 Over waves of the sea, over all the earth,  and over every people and nation I have held sway. 7 Among all these I sought a resting place;  in whose territory should I abide? 8 "Then the Creator of all things gave me a command,  and my Creator chose the place for my tent.  He said, 'Make your dwelling in Jacob,  and in Israel receive your inheritance.'  9 Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me,  and for all the ages I shall not cease to be.  10 In the holy tent I ministered before him,  and so I was established in Zion.  11 Thus in the beloved city he gave me a resting place,  and in Jerusalem was my domain.  12 I took root in an honored people,  in the portion of the Lord, his heritage. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Luke 11: 27- 36 27 While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!" 28 But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!" 29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! 32 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here! 33 "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar,but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays." The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Revelation 10:1-11 (NRSV)And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2He held a little scroll open in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3he gave a great shout, like a lion roaring. And when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded. 4And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.' 5Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand to heaven 6and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: 'There will be no more delay, 7but in the days when the seventh angel is to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he announced to his servants the prophets.' 8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, 'Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.' 9So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, 'Take it, and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth.' 10So I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11Then they said to me, 'You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.'The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.

Ecclus. 15:9-20 9 Praise is unseemly on the lips of a sinner,  for it has not been sent from the Lord.  10 For in wisdom must praise be uttered,  and the Lord will make it prosper.  11 Do not say, "It was the Lord's doing that I fell away";  for he does not do what he hates.  12 Do not say, "It was he who led me astray";  for he has no need of the sinful.  13 The Lord hates all abominations;  such things are not loved by those who fear him.  14 It was he who created humankind in the beginning,  and he left them in the power of their own free choice.  15 If you choose, you can keep the commandments,  and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.  16 He has placed before you fire and water;  stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.  17 Before each person are life and death,  and whichever one chooses will be given.  18 For great is the wisdom of the Lord;  he is mighty in power and sees everything;  19 his eyes are on those who fear him,  and he knows every human action.  20 He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,  and he has not given anyone permission to sin. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Ecclus. 11:2-20 2 Do not praise individuals for their good looks, or loathe anyone because of appearance alone. 3 The bee is small among flying creatures, but what it produces is the best of sweet things. 4 Do not boast about wearing fine clothes, and do not exalt yourself when you are honored; for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and his works are concealed from humankind. 5 Many kings have had to sit on the ground, but one who was never thought of has worn a crown. 6 Many rulers have been utterly disgraced, and the honored have been handed over to others. 7 Do not find fault before you investigate; examine first, and then criticize. 8 Do not answer before you listen, and do not interrupt when another is speaking. 9 Do not argue about a matter that does not concern you, and do not sit with sinners when they judge a case.10 My child, do not busy yourself with many matters; if you multiply activities, you will not be held blameless. If you pursue, you will not overtake, and by fleeing you will not escape. 11 There are those who work and struggle and hurry, but are so much the more in want. 12 There are others who are slow and need help, who lack strength and abound in poverty; but the eyes of the Lord look kindly upon them; he lifts them out of their lowly condition 13 and raises up their heads to the amazement of the many.14 Good things and bad, life and death, poverty and wealth, come from the Lord.17 The Lord's gift remains with the devout, and his favor brings lasting success. 18 One becomes rich through diligence and self-denial, and the reward allotted to him is this: 19 when he says, "I have found rest, and now I shall feast on my goods!" he does not know how long it will be until he leaves them to others and dies.20 Stand by your agreement and attend to it, and grow old in your work.The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.

Luke 10:25-37 25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. 'Teacher,' he said, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 26He said to him, 'What is written in the law? What do you read there?' 27He answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.' 28And he said to him, 'You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.' 29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' 30Jesus replied, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend." 36Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?' 37He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise.' The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Ecclus. 7:4-14 4 Do not seek from the Lord high office,  or the seat of honor from the king.  5 Do not assert your righteousness before the Lord,  or display your wisdom before the king.  6 Do not seek to become a judge,  or you may be unable to root out injustice;  you may be partial to the powerful,  and so mar your integrity.  7 Commit no offense against the public,  and do not disgrace yourself among the people. 8 Do not commit a sin twice;  not even for one will you go unpunished.  9 Do not say, "He will consider the great number of my gifts,  and when I make an offering to the Most High God, he will accept it."  10 Do not grow weary when you pray;  do not neglect to give alms.  11 Do not ridicule a person who is embittered in spirit,  for there is One who humbles and exalts.  12 Do not devisea lie against your brother,  or do the same to a friend.  13 Refuse to utter any lie,  for it is a habit that results in no good.  14 Do not babble in the assembly of the elders,  and do not repeat yourself when you pray. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Ecclus. 4:1-10 My child, do not cheat the poor of their living,  and do not keep needy eyes waiting.  2 Do not grieve the hungry,  or anger one in need.  3 Do not add to the troubles of the desperate, or delay giving to the needy.  4 Do not reject a suppliant in distress,  or turn your face away from the poor.  5 Do not avert your eye from the needy,  and give no one reason to curse you;  6 for if in bitterness of soul some should curse you,  their Creator will hear their prayer. 7 Endear yourself to the congregation;  bow your head low to the great.  8 Give a hearing to the poor,  and return their greeting politely.  9 Rescue the oppressed from the oppressor;  and do not be hesitant in giving a verdict.  10 Be a father to orphans,  and be like a husband to their mother;  you will then be like a son of the Most High,  and he will love you more than does your mother. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Luke 8:40-56 40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his house, 42for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying. As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. 43Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. 44She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45Then Jesus asked, 'Who touched me?' When all denied it, Peter said, 'Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.' 46But Jesus said, 'Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.' 47When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.' 49While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader's house to say, 'Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.' 50When Jesus heard this, he replied, 'Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.' 51When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother. 52They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, 'Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.' 53And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54But he took her by the hand and called out, 'Child, get up!' 55Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. 56Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Micah 3:9-4:5 9Hear this, you rulers of the house of Jacob and chiefs of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity, 10who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wrong! 11Its rulers give judgment for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, its prophets give oracles for money; yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Surely the LORD is with us! No harm shall come upon us." 12Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height. In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, 2and many nations shall come and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; 4but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. 5For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.