Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 131
A song by David for going up to worship.
1 O Yahweh, my heart is not conceited.
My eyes do not look down on others.
I am not involved in things too big or too difficult for me.
2 Instead, I have kept my soul calm and quiet.
My soul is content as a weaned child is content in its mother’s arms.
3 Israel, put your hope in Yahweh now and forever.
The Lord, Not the Egyptians, Will Protect His People from Assyria
31 How horrible it will be for those
who go to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who depend on many chariots,
who depend on very strong war horses.
They don’t look to Qedosh Yisrael.
They don’t seek Yahweh.
2 He is wise and can bring about disaster.
He doesn’t take back his words.
He rises against wicked people
and against those who help troublemakers.
3 The Egyptians are humans, not gods.
Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit.
When Yahweh uses his powerful hand,
the one who gives help will stumble,
and the one who receives help will fall.
Both will die together.
4 This is what Yahweh said to me:
A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey
when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it.
It isn’t frightened by their voices
or disturbed by the noise they make.
So Yahweh Tsebaoth will come to fight for
Mount Zion and its hill.
5 Yahweh Tsebaoth will defend Jerusalem like a hovering bird.
He will defend it and rescue it.
He will pass over it and protect it.
6 You people of Israel, return to the one
whom you have so violently rebelled against.
7 When that day comes, all of you will reject
the silver and gold idols
that your sinful hands have made.
8 Then Assyrians will be killed with swords not made by human hands.
Swords not made by human hands will destroy them.
They will flee from battle,
and their young men will be made to do forced labor.
9 In terror they will run to their stronghold,[a]
and their officers will be frightened at the sight of the battle flag.
Yahweh declares this. His fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem.
Jesus Is Accused of Working with Beelzebul(A)
14 Yeshua was forcing a demon out of a man. The demon had made the man unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man began to talk.
The people were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He can force demons out of people only with the help of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.” 16 Others wanted to test Yeshua and demanded that he show them some miraculous sign from heaven.
17 Since Yeshua knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is ruined. A house divided against itself falls. 18 Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? I say this because you say Beelzebul helps me force demons out of people. 19 If I force demons out with the help of Beelzebul, who helps your followers force them out? That’s why they will be your judges. 20 But if I force out demons with the help of God’s power, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own mansion, his property is safe. 22 But a stronger man than he may attack him and defeat him. Then the stronger man will take away all the weapons in which the strong man trusted and will divide the loot.
23 “Whoever isn’t with me is against me. Whoever doesn’t gather with me scatters.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.