Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God’s Rule
82 God takes His stand in the great meeting of His people. He judges among the rulers. 2 How long will you rulers be wrong in how you judge? How long will you show favor to the sinful? 3 Do the right thing for the weak and those without a father. Stand up for the rights of those who are suffering and in need. 4 Save the weak and those in need. Set them free from the hand of the sinful.
5 They know nothing; they understand nothing. They walk around in the dark. All that the earth is built upon is shaking. 6 I said, “You are gods. You are all sons of the Most High. 7 But you will die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”
8 Rise up, O God! Say who is guilty or not guilty upon the earth! For all the nations belong to You.
7 But the people of Israel sinned with the things that were to be destroyed. Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the family of Judah, took some of the things that were to be destroyed. So the Lord was very angry with the people of Israel.
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned. They have gone against My agreement which I told them to keep. They have even taken some of the things that were to be destroyed. They have stolen and lied. And they have put them among their own things. 12 That is why the people of Israel cannot stand in front of those who fight against them. They turn their backs in front of those who hate them because they are being punished. I will not be with you any more unless you destroy the things among you that should be destroyed. 13 Get up! Set apart the people and say, ‘Make yourselves holy for tomorrow. For the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, “There are things among you which should be destroyed, O Israel. You cannot stand in front of those who fight against you until you take away the things among you which should be destroyed.” 14 In the morning you must come near by your family groups. Then the family group which the Lord takes must come near by families. The family which the Lord takes must come near by tents. And the tent which the Lord takes must come near man by man. 15 Then the one who is taken with the things which should have been destroyed must be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him because he has sinned against the agreement of the Lord. He has done an act of shame in Israel.’”
16 So Joshua got up early in the morning and brought Israel near by family groups. The family group of Judah was taken. 17 He brought the family group of Judah near. And he took the family of the Zerahites. He brought the family of the Zerahites near man by man. Zabdi was taken. 18 Then he brought those of Zabdi’s tent near man by man. And Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the family of Judah, was taken. 19 Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give honor and praise to the Lord, the God of Israel. Tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.” 20 Achan answered Joshua, saying, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I did. 21 I saw among what was left of the city a beautiful coat from Shinar. I saw 200 pieces of silver, and a large piece of gold as heavy as fifty pieces of silver. I had a desire for them and took them. See, they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under it.”
22 So Joshua sent men to the tent. There they found it, with the silver under it. 23 They took these things from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the coat, the large piece of gold, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys, sheep, tent and all that belonged to him. They brought them to the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why have you brought trouble upon us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” Then all Israel threw stones at them. After that they burned them with fire. 26 They put many stones over him that stand to this day. Then the Lord was no longer angry. The name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.
Do Not Fall Back Into Sin
26 If we keep on sinning because we want to after we have received and know the truth, there is no gift that will take away sins then. 27 Instead, we will stand before God and on that day He will judge us. And the hot fires of hell will burn up those who work against God. 28 Anyone who did not obey the Old Way of Worship died without loving-kindness when two or three men spoke against him. 29 How much more will a man have to be punished if he walks on and hates the Son of God? How much more will he be punished if he acts as if the blood of God’s New Way of Worship is worth nothing? This New Way of Worship is God’s way of making him holy. How much more will he be punished if he laughs at the Holy Spirit Who wanted to show him loving-favor? 30 For we know God said, “I will pay back what is coming to them.” And, “The Lord will judge His people.” (A) 31 The very worst thing that can happen to a man is to fall into the hands of the living God!
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