The Prophet Isaiah by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1509, fresco at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican

Prime Timers

The Prime Timers were a Bible study group at St. Martin's for eight years. One of the goals of our founder, Jackie Rose, was to have a weekly web page for the group and all the pages are still online here. The group disbanded but the readings below are being kept up to date.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for Sunday, November 17 are from Lectionary Year C, Proper 28: Isaiah 65:17-25; Canticle 9 or Malachi 4:1-2a; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 and Luke 21:5-19. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Isaiah 65:17-25

¹⁷ “See, I will create new heavens
     and a new earth.

The former things will not be remembered,
     nor will they come to mind.

¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever
     in what I will create,

for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

¹⁹ I will rejoice over Jerusalem
     and take delight in my people;

the sound of weeping and of crying
     will be heard in it no more.

²⁰ “Never again
     will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days,
     or an old man who does not live out his years;

the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child;
     the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

²¹ They will build houses and dwell in them;
     they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

²² No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
     or plant and others eat.

For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people;
     my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands.

²³ They will not labor in vain,
     nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;

for they will be a people blessed by the LORD,
     they and their descendants with them.

²⁴ Before they call I will answer;
     while they are still speaking I will hear.

²⁵ The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
     and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
     and dust will be the serpent’s food.

They will neither harm nor destroy
     on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.

Canticle 9

² Surely God is my salvation;
     I will trust and not be afraid.

The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense ;
     he has become my salvation.”

³ With joy you will draw water
     from the wells of salvation.

⁴ In that day you will say:
     “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has done,
     and proclaim that his name is exalted.

⁵ Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
     let this be known to all the world.

⁶ Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
     for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

or Malachi 4:1-2a

¹ “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. ² But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.

Psalm 98

¹ Sing to the LORD a new song,
     for he has done marvelous things;

his right hand and his holy arm
     have worked salvation for him.

² The LORD has made his salvation known
     and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

³ He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel;
     all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁴ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
     burst into jubilant song with music;

⁵ make music to the LORD with the harp,
     with the harp and the sound of singing,

⁶ with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
     shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

⁷ Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
     the world, and all who live in it.

⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
   ⁹ let them sing before the LORD,
     for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness
     and the peoples with equity.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

⁶ In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” ¹¹ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. ¹² Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. ¹³ And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

Luke 21:5-19

⁵ Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, ⁶ “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

⁷ “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” ⁸ He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.

⁹ When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” ¹⁰ Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. ¹³ And so you will bear testimony to me. ¹⁴ But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. ¹⁵ For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ Everyone will hate you because of me. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ Stand firm, and you will win life.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.