The following are the readings for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, August 21, (Proper 16) according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.

OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 1: 4 - 10 (RCL) 

Jere 1:4 (NRSV) Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, 
and before you were born I consecrated you; 
I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 
6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." 7 But the LORD said to me, 
"Do not say, "I am only a boy'; 
for you shall go to all to whom I send you, 
and you shall speak whatever I command you, 
8 Do not be afraid of them, 
for I am with you to deliver you, 
says the LORD." 
9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, 
"Now I have put my words in your mouth. 
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, 
to pluck up and to pull down, 
to destroy and to overthrow, 
to build and to plant." 

Isaiah 58: 9b - 14 (alt. for RCL) 

Isai 58:9 (NRSV) If you remove the yoke from among you, 
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 
10 if you offer your food to the hungry 
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, 
then your light shall rise in the darkness 
and your gloom be like the noonday. 
11 The LORD will guide you continually, 
and satisfy your needs in parched places, 
and make your bones strong; 
and you shall be like a watered garden, 
like a spring of water, 
whose waters never fail. 
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; 
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; 
you shall be called the repairer of the breach, 
the restorer of streets to live in. 
13 If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, 
from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; 
if you call the sabbath a delight 
and the holy day of the LORD honorable; 
if you honor it, not going your own ways, 
serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; 
14 then you shall take delight in the LORD, 
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; 
I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, 
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 

Isaiah 66: 18 - 21   (Roman Catholic) 

Isai 66:18 (NRSV) For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, 19 and I will set a sign among them. From them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tar'shish, Put, and Lud--which draw the bow--to Tu'bal and Ja'van, to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21 And I will also take some of them as priests and as Le'vites, says the LORD. 

PSALM 71: 1 - 6   (RCL) 

Psal 71:1 (NRSV) In you, O LORD, I take refuge; 
let me never be put to shame. 
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; 
incline your ear to me and save me. 
3 Be to me a rock of refuge, 
a strong fortress, to save me, 
for you are my rock and my fortress. 
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, 
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. 
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, 
my trust, O LORD, from my youth. 
6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth; 
it was you who took me from my mother's womb. 
My praise is continually of you. 

71   In te, Domine, speravi    (ECUSA BCP)
 
1  	In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; *
 	let me never be ashamed.
 
2  	In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; *
 	incline your ear to me and save me.
 
3  	Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe; *
 	you are my crag and my stronghold.
 
4  	Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, *
 	from of the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
 
5  	For you are my hope, O Lord God, *
 	my confidence since I was young.
 
6  	I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
from my mother's womb you have been my strength; *
 	my praise shall be always of you.

Psalm 103: 1 - 8 (alt. for RCL) 

Psal 103:1 (NRSV) Bless the LORD, O my soul, 
and all that is within me, 
bless his holy name. 
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, 
and do not forget all his benefits-- 
3 who forgives all your iniquity, 
who heals all your diseases, 
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, 
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live 
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 
6 The LORD works vindication 
and justice for all who are oppressed. 
7 He made known his ways to Moses, 
his acts to the people of Israel. 
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, 
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

103   Benedic, anima mea     (ECUSA BCP)
 
1  	Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
 	and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
 
2  	Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
 	and forget not all his benefits.
 
3  	He forgives all your sins *
 	and heals all your infirmities;
 
4  	He redeems your life from the grave *
 	and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
 
5  	He satisfies you with good things, *
 	and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
 
6  	The Lord executes righteousness *
 	and judgment for all who are oppressed.
 
7  	He made his ways known to Moses *
 	and his works to the children of Israel.
 
8  	The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
 	slow to anger and of great kindness.

Psalm 117, Mark 16:15 (Roman Catholic) 

Psal 117:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD, all you nations! 
Extol him, all you peoples! 
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, 
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. 
Praise the LORD! 
Resp. Mark 16:15 Go to every part of the world, 
and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 

NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 12: 18 - 29 (RCL) 

Hebr 12:18 (NRSV) You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. 20 (For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death." 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear.") 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 
25 See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! 26 At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." 27 This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; 29 for indeed our God is a consuming fire. 

Hebrews 12: 5 - 7, 11 - 13 (Roman Catholic) 

Hebr 12:5 (NRSV) And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children-- 
"My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, 
or lose heart when you are punished by him; 
6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, 
and chastises every child whom he accepts." 
7 Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? 
11 Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 

GOSPEL: Luke 13: 10 - 17 (RCL) 

Luke 13:10 (NRSV) Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day." 15 But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing. 

Luke 13: 22 - 30   (Roman Catholic) 

Luke 13:22 (NRSV) Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone 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. 25 When 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.' 26 Then you will begin to say, "We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, "I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!' 28 There 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. 29 Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."