²³ Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off?^{(A) 24} Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.^{(B) 25} I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, “I have dreamed! I have dreamed!”^{(C) 26} How long? Will the hearts of the prophets ever turn back—those who prophesy lies and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart? ²⁷ They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal.^{(D) 28} Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord.^{(E) 29} Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?^(F)

Psalm 82

A Plea for Justice

A Psalm of Asaph.

The Faith of Other Israelite Heroes

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned.^{(A) 30} By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.^{(B) 31} By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient,^[a] because she had received the spies in peace.^(C)

³² And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,^{(D) 34} quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.^{(E) 35} Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection.^{(F) 36} Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment.^{(G) 37} They were stoned to death; they were sawn in two;^[b] they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented^(H)— ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.^(I)

³⁹ Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.^(J)

The Example of Jesus

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,^[c] and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,^{(K) 2} looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of^[d] the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.^(L)

Jesus the Cause of Division

⁴⁹ “I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze! ⁵⁰ I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!^{(A) 51} Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!^{(B) 52} From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; ⁵³ they will be divided:

Interpreting the Time

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.^{(D) 55} And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens.^{(E) 56} You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?^(F)