Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Unjust Judgments Rebuked.
A Psalm of Asaph.
82 God takes His (A)stand in [a]His own congregation;
He (B)judges in the midst of the [b](C)rulers.
2 How long will you (D)judge unjustly
And (E)show partiality to the wicked? [c]Selah.
3 (F)Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 (G)Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They (H)do not know nor do they understand;
They (I)walk about in darkness;
All the (J)foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 [d]I (K)said, “You are gods,
And all of you are (L)sons of the Most High.
7 “Nevertheless (M)you will die like men
And fall like any (N)one of the princes.”
8 (O)Arise, O God, (P)judge the earth!
For it is You who (Q)possesses all the nations.
Capture of the Ark Provokes God
5 Now the Philistines took the ark of God and (A)brought it from Ebenezer to (B)Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to (C)the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, (D)Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and (E)set him in his place again. 4 But when they arose early the next morning, behold, (F)Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; [a]only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon’s house (G)tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 Now (H)the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and (I)He ravaged them and smote them with (J)tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So they sent and (K)gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” And they brought the ark of the God of Israel around. 9 After they had brought it around, (L)the hand of the Lord was against the city with very great confusion; and He smote the men of the city, both young and old, so that (M)tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel around to [b]us, to kill [c]us and [d]our people.” 11 They (N)sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill [e]us and [f]our people.” For there was a deadly confusion throughout the city; (O)the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the men who did not die were smitten with tumors and (P)the cry of the city went up to heaven.
32 But remember (A)the former days, [a]when, after being (B)enlightened, you endured a great (C)conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being (D)made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming (E)sharers with those who were so treated. 34 For you (F)showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted (G)joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves (H)a better possession and a lasting one. 35 Therefore, do not throw away your (I)confidence, which has a great (J)reward. 36 For you have need of (K)endurance, so that when you have (L)done the will of God, you may (M)receive [b]what was promised.
37 (N)For yet in a very little while,
(O)He who is coming will come, and will not delay.
38 (P)But My righteous one shall live by faith;
And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.
39 But [c]we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the [d]preserving of the soul.
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