Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Mercy
130 I cry to you from the depths, Lord,
2 Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears pay attention
to what I ask of you![a]
3 Lord,[b] if you were to record iniquities,
Lord, who could remain standing?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits,
and I will hope in his word.
6 My soul looks to the Lord
more than watchmen look for the morning—
more, indeed, than[c] watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is gracious love,
along with abundant redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its sins.
Misuse of God’s Word
9 To whom will he teach knowledge,
and to whom will he explain the message?
To children just weaned from milk?
To those just taken from the breast?
10 For it is: “Do this and do that,
do this and do that,
Line upon line, line upon line,
a little here, a little there.”
11 Very well, then, through the mouths of foreigners[a]
and foreign languages
the Lord will speak to this people
12 to whom he said,
“This is the resting place,
so give rest to the weary”’
and,
“This is the place of repose”—
but they would not listen.
13 So, then, the message from the Lord to them will become:
“Do this and do that,
do this and do that,
line upon line,
line upon line,
a little here,
a little there,”
so that they will go,
but fall backward,
and be injured, snared, and captured.
7 Because everything will soon come to an end, be sensible and clear-headed, so you can pray. 8 Above all, continue to love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without complaining. 10 As good servant managers of God’s grace in its various forms, serve one another with the gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must speak God’s words.[a] Whoever serves must serve with the strength[b] that God supplies, so that in every way God may be glorified through Jesus, the Messiah.[c] Glory and power belong to him forever and ever! Amen.
Suffering as a Christian
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, because you are participating in the sufferings of the Messiah,[d] keep on rejoicing, so that you may be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of the Messiah,[e] you are blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God is resting on you.[f]
15 Of course, none of you should suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker. 16 But if you suffer for being a Christian, do not feel ashamed, but glorify God with that name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who refuse to obey the gospel of God?
18 “If it is hard for the righteous person to be saved,
what will happen to the ungodly and sinful person?”[g]
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do what is good.
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