Lamentations 1:1-2

New International Version

1 ^[a]How deserted^(A) lies the city,
    once so full of people!^(B)
How like a widow^(C) is she,
    who once was great^(D) among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
    has now become a slave.^(E)

²Bitterly she weeps^(F) at night,
    tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers^(G)
    there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed^(H) her;
    they have become her enemies.^(I)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Lamentations 1:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Lamentations 1:6-12

New International Version

⁶All the splendor has departed
    from Daughter Zion.^(A)
Her princes are like deer
    that find no pasture;
in weakness they have fled^(B)
    before the pursuer.

⁷In the days of her affliction and wandering
    Jerusalem remembers all the treasures
    that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into enemy hands,
    there was no one to help her.^(C)
Her enemies looked at her
    and laughed^(D) at her destruction.

⁸Jerusalem has sinned^(E) greatly
    and so has become unclean.^(F)
All who honored her despise her,
    for they have all seen her naked;^(G)
she herself groans^(H)
    and turns away.

⁹Her filthiness clung to her skirts;
    she did not consider her future.^(I)
Her fall^(J) was astounding;
    there was none to comfort^(K) her.
“Look, Lord, on my affliction,^(L)
    for the enemy has triumphed.”

¹⁰The enemy laid hands
    on all her treasures;^(M)
she saw pagan nations
    enter her sanctuary^(N)—
those you had forbidden^(O)
    to enter your assembly.

¹¹All her people groan^(P)
    as they search for bread;^(Q)
they barter their treasures for food
    to keep themselves alive.
“Look, Lord, and consider,
    for I am despised.”

¹²“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?^(R)
    Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering^(S)
    that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
    in the day of his fierce anger?^(T)

Read full chapter

2 Corinthians 1:1-7

New International Version

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) and Timothy^(C) our brother,

To the church of God^(D) in Corinth,^(E) together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:^(F)

²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(G)

Praise to the God of All Comfort

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(H) the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us^(I) in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,^(J) so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation;^(K) if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings,^(L) so also you share in our comfort.

Read full chapter

Mark 11:12-25

New International Version

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts^(A)^(B)^(C)

¹²The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.^(D) ¹⁴Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

¹⁵On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’^[a]?^(E) But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^[b]”^(F)

¹⁸The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,^(G) because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.^(H)

¹⁹When evening came, Jesus and his disciples^[c] went out of the city.^(I)

²⁰In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi,^(J) look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

²²“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³“Truly^[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.^(K) ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.^(L) ²⁵And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”^(M)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Mark 11:17 Isaiah 56:7
Mark 11:17 Jer. 7:11
Mark 11:19 Some early manuscripts came, Jesus
Mark 11:23 Some early manuscripts “If you have faith in God,” Jesus answered, ²³“truly