Psalm 79:1-9

Common English Bible

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

79 The nations have come into your inheritance, God!
    They’ve defiled your holy temple.
    They’ve made Jerusalem a bunch of ruins.
²They’ve left your servants’ bodies
    as food for the birds;
    they’ve left the flesh of your faithful
    to the wild animals of the earth.
³They’ve poured out the blood of the faithful
    like water all around Jerusalem,
    and there’s no one left to bury them.
⁴We’ve become a joke to our neighbors,
    nothing but objects of ridicule
    and disapproval to those around us.

⁵How long will you rage, Lord? Forever?
    How long will your anger burn like fire?
⁶Pour out your wrath on the nations
        who don’t know you,
    on the kingdoms
        that haven’t called on your name.
⁷They’ve devoured Jacob
    and demolished his pasture.
⁸Don’t remember the iniquities of past generations;
    let your compassion hurry to meet us
    because we’ve been brought so low.
⁹God of our salvation, help us
    for the glory of your name!
Deliver us and cover our sins
    for the sake of your name!

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Daniel 9:3-10

Common English Bible

³I then turned my face to my Lord God, asking for an answer with prayer and pleading, and with fasting, mourning clothes, and ashes. ⁴As I prayed to the Lord my God, I made this confession:

Please, my Lord—you are the great and awesome God, the one who keeps the covenant, and truly faithful to all who love him and keep his commands: ⁵We have sinned and done wrong. We have brought guilt on ourselves and rebelled, ignoring your commands and your laws. ⁶We haven’t listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our leaders, our parents, and to all the land’s people. ⁷Righteousness belongs to you, my Lord! But we are ashamed this day—we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, all Israel whether near or far, in whatever country where you’ve driven them because of their unfaithfulness when they broke faith with you. ⁸Lord, we are ashamed—we, our kings, our leaders, and our parents who sinned against you. ⁹Compassion and deep forgiveness belong to my Lord, our God, because we rebelled against him. ¹⁰We didn’t listen to the voice of the Lord our God by following the teachings he gave us through his servants, the prophets.

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Luke 6:27-38

Common English Bible

Behaving as God’s children

²⁷“But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. ³¹Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.

³²“If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. ³⁴If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. ³⁵Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. ³⁶Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.

³⁷“Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.”

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