Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
19 But You, Lord, don’t be far away.(A)
My strength, come quickly to help me.(B)
20 Deliver my life from the sword,(C)
my only life[a] from the power of these dogs.
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!(D)
You have rescued[b] me
from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;
I will praise You in the congregation.(E)
23 You who fear Yahweh, praise Him!(F)
All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere Him!(G)
24 For He has not despised or detested
the torment of the afflicted.(H)
He did not hide His face from him(I)
but listened when he cried to Him for help.(J)
57 The righteous one perishes,
and no one takes it to heart;
faithful men are swept away,
with no one realizing
that the righteous one is swept away
from the presence[a] of evil.
2 He will enter into peace—
they will rest on their beds[b]—
everyone who lives uprightly.
Pagan Religion Denounced
3 But come here,
you sons of a sorceress,
offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute![c]
4 Who is it you are mocking?
Who is it you are opening your mouth
and sticking out your tongue at?
Isn’t it you, you rebellious children,(A)
you race of liars,
5 who burn with lust among the oaks,
under every green tree,(B)
who slaughter children in the wadis
below the clefts of the rocks?(C)
6 Your portion is among the smooth stones of the wadi;
indeed, they are your lot.
You have even poured out a drink offering to them;
you have offered a grain offering;
should I be satisfied with these?
7 You have placed your bed
on a high and lofty mountain;(D)
you also went up there to offer sacrifice.
8 You have set up your memorial
behind the door and doorpost.
For away from Me, you stripped,
went up, and made your bed wide,(E)
and you have made a bargain[d] for yourself with them.
You have loved their bed;
you have gazed on their genitals.[e][f]
9 You went to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes;
you sent your couriers far away(F)
and sent them down even to Sheol.
10 You became weary on your many journeys,
but you did not say, “I give up!”(G)
You found a renewal of your strength;[g]
therefore you did not grow weak.
11 Who was it you dreaded and feared,
so that you lied and didn’t remember Me
or take it to heart?
Have I not kept silent for such a long time[h](H)
and you do not fear Me?
12 I will expose your righteousness,
and your works—they will not profit you.
13 When you cry out,
let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a breath will take them away.
But whoever takes refuge in Me
will inherit the land(I)
and possess My holy mountain.(J)
15 Brothers, I’m using a human illustration.[a] No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant[b] that has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed,(A)[c] who is Christ. 17 And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later,(B) does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God[d] and cancel the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.
The Purpose of the Law
19 Why then was the law given?(C) It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels(D) by means of a mediator.(E) 20 Now a mediator is not for just one person, but God is one.(F) 21 Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law. 22 But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin’s power,[e](G) so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ(H) might be given to those who believe.(I)
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