Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
19 But as for you, Lord, do not be far away from me;
My Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword;
my precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Deliver me from the mouth of the lion,
from the horns of the wild oxen.
You have answered me.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation, I will praise you, saying,[a]
23 “All who fear the Lord, praise him!
All the seed of Jacob, glorify him!
All the seed of Israel, fear him!
24 For he does not despise nor detest the afflicted person;
he does not hide his face from him,
but he hears him when he cries out to him.”
25 My praise in the great congregation is because of you;
I will pay my vows before those who fear you.[b]
26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him,
“May you[c] live forever!”
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord;
all the families of the nations will bow in submission to the Lord.
28 Indeed, the kingdom belongs to the Lord;
he rules over the nations.
Israel’s Idolatry
57 “Also[a] the righteous are perishing,[b]
but no one takes it to heart;
devout people[c] are taken away,
while no one understands
that the righteous person is taken away from calamity.
2 Then[d] he enters into peace,
and[e] they’ll rest on his[f] couches,
each one living righteously.[g]
3 “But as for you, come here,
you children of a sorceress,
you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes![h]
4 Whom are you mocking?
And[i] against whom do you make a wide mouth
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
the offspring of lies,
5 you who burn with lust among the oaks,
under every spreading tree,
who slaughter your children in the ravines,
under the clefts of the rocks?
6 “Among the smooth stones[j] of the ravines is your portion—
there they are as[k] your lot.
To them you have poured out drink offerings;
you have brought grain offerings.
Should I be lenient over such things?
7 “You have made your bed
on a high and lofty mountain,
and you went up to offer sacrifice there.
8 Behind the doors and the doorposts
you have set up your pagan sign.”
For in deserting me you have uncovered your bed—
you have climbed up into it
and have opened it wide.
And you[l] have made a pact for yourself with them;
you have loved their bed,
you have looked on their private parts.[m]
9 You went to Molech[n] with olive oil
and increased your perfumes;
you sent your ambassadors far away,
you sent them down even to Sheol[o] itself!
10 You grew tired with your many wanderings,[p]
but you wouldn’t say: ‘It is hopeless.’
You found new strength for your desire,
and so you did not falter.
11 “Whom did you so dread—
and while you feared me[q]—
that you lied,
and you did not remember me,
and[r] did not lay to heart these things?[s]
Haven’t I remained silent for a long time,
and still you don’t fear me?”
12 “I will denounce your righteousness[t] and your works,
for your collections of idols[u] will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out, let your collection deliver you!
The wind will carry them all off,
and[v] a mere breath will sweep them all away.”
God’s Reward for the Faithful
“But whoever[w] takes refuge in me will possess the land,
and will inherit my holy mountain.
15 Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life.[a] Once an agreement[b] has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn’t say “descendants,” referring to many, but “your descendant,”[c] referring to one person, who is the Messiah.[d] 17 This is what I mean: The Law that came 430 years later did not cancel the covenant that God ratified previously. The promise was never nullified. 18 For if the inheritance comes about through the Law, it no longer comes about through the promise. But it was through a promise that God so graciously gave it to Abraham.
The Purpose of the Law
19 Why, then, was the Law added?[e] Because of transgressions, until the descendant[f] came to whom the promise pertained. It was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one. 21 So is the Law in conflict with the promises of God? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could give us life, then certainly righteousness would come through the Law. 22 But the Scripture has captured everything by means of sin’s net, so that what was promised by the faithfulness of[g] the Messiah[h] might be granted to those who believe.
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