Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 34[a]
By David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech; Abimelech threw him out, so David left.
1 I will thank Yahweh at all times.
My mouth will always praise him.
2 My soul will boast about Yahweh.
Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.
3 Praise Yahweh’s greatness with me.
Let us highly honor his name together.
4 I went to Yahweh for help.
He answered me and rescued me from all my fears.
5 All who look to him will be radiant.[b]
Their faces will never be covered with shame.
6 Here is a poor man who called out.
Yahweh heard him and saved him from all his troubles.
7 The Messenger of Yahweh camps around those who fear him,
and he rescues them.
8 Taste and see that Yahweh is good.
Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear Yahweh, you holy people who belong to him.
Those who fear him are never in need.
10 Young lions go hungry and may starve,
but those who seek Yahweh’s help have all the good things they need.
11 Come, children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
12 Which of you wants a full life?
Who would like to live long enough to enjoy good things?
13 Keep your tongue from saying evil things
and your lips from speaking deceitful things.
14 Turn away from evil, and do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it!
15 Yahweh’s eyes are on righteous people.
His ears hear their cry for help.
16 Yahweh confronts those who do evil
in order to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
17 Righteous people cry out.
Yahweh hears and rescues them from all their troubles.
18 Yahweh is near to those whose hearts are humble.
He saves those whose spirits are crushed.
19 The righteous person has many troubles,
but Yahweh rescues him from all of them.
20 Yahweh guards all of his bones.
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil will kill wicked people,
and those who hate righteous people will be condemned.
22 Yahweh protects the souls of his servants.
All who take refuge in him will never be condemned.
7 So Moses went down and called for the leaders of the people. He repeated to them all the words that Yahweh had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together, “We will do everything Yahweh has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to Yahweh.
9 Yahweh said to Moses, “I am coming to you in a storm cloud so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always believe you.” Moses told Yahweh what the people had said.
10 So Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and tell them they have two days to get ready. They must set themselves apart as holy. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the day after tomorrow. On that day Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch. 12 Mark off a boundary around the mountain for the people, and tell them not to go up the mountain or even touch it. Those who touch the mountain must be put to death. 13 No one should touch them. They must be stoned or shot with arrows. No matter whether it’s an animal or a person, it must not live. The people may go up the mountain only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast.”
14 After Moses went down the mountain to the people, he had them get ready, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then Moses said to the people, “Be ready two days from now. Don’t disqualify yourselves by having sexual intercourse.”
16 On the morning of the second day, there was thunder and lightning with a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn was heard. All the people in the camp shook with fear. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with Elohim, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because Yahweh had come down on it in fire. Smoke rose from the mountain like the smoke from a kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the sound of the horn grew louder and louder, Moses was speaking, and the voice of Elohim answered him.
20 Yahweh came down on top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up.
17 Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Yeshua Christ told you to expect: 18 “In the last times people who ridicule God will appear. They will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who cause divisions. They are concerned about physical things, not spiritual things.
Final Advice
20 Dear friends, use your most holy faith to grow. Pray with the Holy Spirit’s help. 21 Remain in God’s love as you look for the mercy of our Lord Yeshua Christ to give you eternal life.
22 Show mercy to those who have doubts. 23 Save others by snatching them from the fire of hell. Show mercy to others, even though you are afraid that you might be stained by their sinful lives.
24 God can guard you so that you don’t fall and so that you can be full of joy as you stand in his glorious presence without fault. 25 Before time began, now, and for eternity glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to the only God, our Savior, through Yeshua Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.