Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Intercession for Restoration of Zion
Psalm 74
1 A contemplative song of Asaph.
Why have You cast us off forever, O God?
Why does Your anger smolder against the flock of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You purchased of old,
redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance,
and Mount Zion, where You dwelt.
3 Lift Your steps toward the perpetual ruins—
an enemy has done all evil to the Sanctuary!
4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place.
They have set up their standards as signs.
5 It seemed like bringing up axes
into a thicket of trees—
6 and now all its carved work
they smash with hatchet and hammers!
7 They set Your Sanctuary on fire,
burning it to the ground.
They defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.
8 They said in their hearts: “Let us crush them totally!”
They burned down all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs.
No longer is there any prophet—
and no one among us knows how long.
10 How long, O God, will the adversary mock?
Will the enemy revile Your Name forever?
11 Why do You hold back Your hand, Your right hand?
Draw it out of Your bosom and consume them!
12 Yet God is my King of old,
working salvation in the midst of the land.
13 You split the sea with Your power.
You smashed the monsters’ heads in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan,
giving him as food to the desert dwellers.
15 You opened up spring and brook.
You dried up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours.
You provided moon and sun.
17 You set all the borders of earth.
You made summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy mocked, Adonai,
and how foolish people despised Your Name.
19 Do not deliver Your turtledove’s soul to the wild beast.
Do not forget the life of Your afflicted ones forever.
20 Look upon the covenant—for haunts of violence
fill the dark places of earth.
21 Do not let the oppressed turn back in shame.
But let the poor and needy praise Your Name.
22 Rise up O God, and defend Your cause.
Remember how the fool mocks You all day.
23 Do not forget the noise of Your foes,
the uproar of those rising up against You,
ascending continually.
16 Adonai, they sought You in distress,
they poured out a whispered prayer
when Your discipline was upon them.
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pain,
so we were before You, Adonai.
18 We have been with child,
we have been in pain,
yet we gave birth to wind.
We are accomplishing no deliverance for the earth,
nor are inhabitants of the world coming to life.
19 Yet it will be:
“Your dead will live!
My corpses will rise!
Awake and shout for joy,
you who dwell in the dust!
Your dew is like the dew of the dawn.
The land of dead souls will come to life!
20 Go, my people, enter your rooms,
and shut your doors behind you.
Hide for a little while,
until the wrath is past.
21 For behold, Adonai is coming out from His place
to punish inhabitants of the earth for iniquity.
The earth will disclose her bloodshed,
no longer covering up her slain.
Leviathan the Dragon
27 In that day Adonai will punish
Leviathan the fleeing serpent
with His fierce, great, strong sword,
Leviathan the twisted serpent!
He will slay the dragon in the sea.
Crowds Demand a Sign from Heaven
14 Now Yeshua was driving out a demon, and it was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute one spoke and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some among them said, “By beelzebul, the ruler of demons, He drives out demons.” 16 Others, testing Him, were demanding from Him a sign from heaven.
17 But Yeshua, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and a house against a house falls. 18 Now if satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say by beelzebul I drive out the demons. 19 But if by beelzebul I drive out demons, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. 20 But if by the finger of God[a] I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21 “When a strong one, fully-armed, protects his own estate, his possessions are safe. 22 But as soon as someone stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, then he takes away the armor that he had trusted in and divides up his plunder. 23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places looking for rest. Not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house where I came from.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and settle there. And that man’s last condition becomes worse than the first.”
27 Then as Yeshua was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd, raising her voice, said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that carried You and the breasts that nursed You!”
28 But He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.