Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Vav
A Song of Praise
41 May your gracious love come to me, Lord,
your salvation, just as you said.
42 Then I can answer the one who insults me,
for I place my trust in your word.
43 Never take your truthful words from me,
For I wait for[a] your ordinances.
44 Then I will always keep your Law,
forever and ever,
45 I will walk in liberty,
for I seek your precepts.
46 Then I will speak of your decrees before kings
and not be ashamed.
47 I will take delight in your commands,
which I love.
48 I will lift up my hands to your commands,
which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
10 When I stood on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights as I did the first time, the Lord listened to me once again. The Lord was not willing to destroy you. 11 So the Lord told me, ‘Get up and proceed to lead[a] the people, so they may enter and take possession of the land that I promised to give their ancestors by an oath.’”
Love the Lord
12 “Now Israel, what does the Lord your God desire from you? Only this: fear him,[b] walk in all his ways, love him, serve him[c] with all your heart and in all your life,[d] 13 and observe his[e] commands and statutes that I’m commanding you today for your own good. 14 You see, heaven—even the highest heavens—belongs to the Lord, along with the earth and all that is in it, 15 yet the Lord committed himself to love your ancestors—and did so! He chose you—their descendants after them—from all the nations, as it is[f] today. 16 Therefore, circumcise your heart and stop being stubborn. 17 For the Lord your God is the God of all gods, the Lord of all lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who does not show favoritism or take bribes. 18 He executes justice for the orphan and the widows, loves the foreigner, and gives them food and clothing.”
Love Others
19 “You are to love the foreigner, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20 You are to fear the Lord your God and serve him. Cling to him and swear by his name. 21 He is the one you are to praise, because he is[g] your God who carried out those great and awesome things for you that you witnessed. 22 Your ancestors went down to Egypt with 70 people, but the Lord your God has now made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.”
Faith is Shown by Actions
14 What good does it do, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but does not prove it with actions? This kind of faith cannot save him, can it? 15 Suppose a brother or sister does not have any clothes or daily food 16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace! Stay warm and eat heartily.” If you do not provide for their bodily needs, what good does it do? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with actions, is dead.
18 But someone may say, “You have faith, and I have actions.” Show me your faith without any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions. 19 You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! Even the demons believe that and tremble with fear. 20 Do you want proof, you foolish person, that faith without actions is worthless? 21 Our ancestor Abraham was justified by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar, wasn’t he? 22 You[a] see that his faith worked together with what he did, and by his actions his faith was made complete. 23 And so the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[b] And so he was called God’s friend. 24 You[c] observe that a person is justified through actions and not through faith alone. 25 Likewise, Rahab the prostitute was justified through actions when she welcomed the messengers[d] and sent them away on a different road, wasn’t she? 26 For just as the body without the spirit[e] is dead, so faith without actions is also dead.
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