Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 131
A Childlike Spirit
A Davidic song of ascents.
1 Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.(A)
I do not get involved with things
too great or too difficult for me.(B)
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself
like a little weaned child with its mother;
I am like a little child.(C)
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.(D)
The Lord, the Only Help
31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help(A)
and who depend on horses!
They trust in the abundance of chariots
and in the large number of horsemen.(B)
They do not look(C) to the Holy One of Israel
and they do not seek the Lord’s help.
2 But He also is wise and brings disaster.(D)
He does not go back on what He says;(E)
He will rise up against the house of wicked men
and against the allies of evildoers.
3 Egyptians are men, not God;
their horses are flesh, not spirit.
When the Lord raises His hand to strike,
the helper will stumble
and the one who is helped will fall;
both will perish together.
4 For this is what the Lord said to me:
As a lion or young lion growls over its prey(F)
when a band of shepherds is called out against it,
and is not terrified by their shouting
or subdued by their noise,
so the Lord of Hosts will come down
to fight on Mount Zion
and on its hill.(G)
5 Like hovering birds,
so the Lord of Hosts will protect Jerusalem(H)—
by protecting it, He will rescue it,
by sparing it, He will deliver it.
6 Return to the One the Israelites have greatly rebelled against.(I) 7 For on that day, every one of you will reject the silver and gold idols that your own hands have sinfully made.(J)
8 Then Assyria will fall,
but not by human sword;
a sword will devour him,
but not one made by man.(K)
He will flee from the sword;
his young men will be put to forced labor.(L)
9 His rock[a] will pass away because of fear,(M)
and his officers will be afraid because of the signal flag.(N)
This is the Lord’s declaration—whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.(O)
A House Divided
14 Now(A) He was driving out a demon(B) that was mute.[a](C) When the demon came out, the man who had been mute, spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul,(D) the ruler(E) of the demons!”(F) 16 And others, as a test,(G) were demanding of Him a sign(H) from heaven.
17 Knowing their thoughts,(I) He told them: “Every kingdom divided(J) against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls. 18 If Satan(K) also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom(L) stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons[b](M) drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges. 20 If I drive out demons by the finger of God,(N) then the kingdom of God(O) has come to you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure.[c] 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers(P) him, he takes from him all his weapons[d](Q) he trusted(R) in, and divides up his plunder.(S) 23 Anyone who is not with Me is against Me,(T) and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters.
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