Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
For the choir director; a psalm by David.
31 I have taken refuge in you, O Lord.
Never let me be put to shame.
Save me because of your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear toward me.
Rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Indeed, you are my rock and my fortress.
For the sake of your name, lead me and guide me.
4 You are my refuge,
so pull me out of the net that they have secretly laid for me.
5 Into your hands I entrust my spirit.
You have rescued me, O Lord, God of truth.
19 Your kindness is so great!
You reserve it for those who fear you.
Adam’s descendants watch
as you show it to those who take refuge in you.
20 You hide them in the secret place of your presence
from those who scheme against them.
You keep them in a shelter,
safe from quarrelsome tongues.
21 Thank the Lord!
He has shown me the miracle of his mercy
in a city under attack.
22 When I was panic-stricken, I said,
“I have been cut off from your sight.”
But you heard my pleas for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you godly ones!
The Lord protects faithful people,
but he pays back in full those who act arrogantly.
24 Be strong, all who wait with hope for the Lord,
and let your heart be courageous.
The Promise Sealed with Blood
24 The Lord said to Moses, “You and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s leaders come up the mountain to me and worship at a distance. 2 Moses may come near the Lord, but the others may not. The people must not come along with Moses.”
3 Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and legal decisions. Then all the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has told us to do.” 4 So Moses wrote down all the Lord’s words.
Early the next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and ⌞set up⌟ 12 sacred stones for the 12 tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they sacrificed bulls as burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it into bowls, and he threw the other half against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Lord’s Promise [a] and read it while the people listened. They said, “We will obey and do everything the Lord has said.”
8 Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “Here is the blood which seals the promise that the Lord has made to you based on everything you have just heard.”
God Will Judge Jewish People
17 You call yourself a Jew, rely on the laws in Moses’ Teachings, brag about your God, 18 know what he wants, and distinguish right from wrong because you have been taught Moses’ Teachings. 19 You are confident that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in the dark, 20 an instructor of ignorant people, and a teacher of children because you have the full content of knowledge and truth in Moses’ Teachings. 21 As you teach others, are you failing to teach yourself? As you preach against stealing, are you stealing? 22 As you tell others not to commit adultery, are you committing adultery? As you treat idols with disgust, are you robbing temples? 23 As you brag about the laws in Moses’ Teachings, are you dishonoring God by ignoring those laws? 24 As Scripture says, “God’s name is cursed among the nations because of you.”
25 For example, circumcision is valuable if you follow the laws in Moses’ Teachings. If you don’t follow those laws, your circumcision amounts to uncircumcision. 26 So if a man does what those laws demand, won’t he be considered circumcised even if he is uncircumcised? 27 The uncircumcised man who carries out what those laws say will condemn you for not following them. He will condemn you in spite of the fact that you are circumcised and have those laws in writing. 28 A person is not a Jew because of his appearance, nor is circumcision a matter of how the body looks. 29 Rather, a person is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is something that happens in a person’s heart. Circumcision is spiritual, not just a written rule. That person’s praise will come from God, not from people.
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