Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
23 “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord,
“And not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone (A)hide himself in secret places,
So I shall not see him?” says the Lord;
(B)“Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ 26 How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, 27 who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, (C)as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.
28 “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream;
And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully.
What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the Lord.
29 “Is not My word like a (D)fire?” says the Lord,
“And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
A Plea for Justice
A Psalm of Asaph.
82 God (A)stands in the congregation of [a]the mighty;
He judges among (B)the [b]gods.
2 How long will you judge unjustly,
And (C)show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 [c]Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and (D)needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
5 They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the (E)foundations of the earth are [d]unstable.
6 I said, (F)“You are [e]gods,
And all of you are children of the Most High.
7 But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
(G)For You shall inherit all nations.
29 By faith (A)they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
By Faith They Overcame
30 By faith (B)the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith (C)the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who [a]did not believe, when (D)she had received the spies with peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of (E)Gideon and (F)Barak and (G)Samson and (H)Jephthah, also of (I)David and (J)Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, (K)stopped the mouths of lions, 34 (L)quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 (M)Women received their dead raised to life again.
Others were (N)tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and (O)of chains and imprisonment. 37 (P)They were stoned, they were sawn in two, [b]were tempted, were slain with the sword. (Q)They wandered about (R)in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, (S)in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, (T)having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be (U)made perfect apart from us.
The Race of Faith
12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, (V)let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and (W)let us run (X)with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [c]author and [d]finisher of our faith, (Y)who for the joy that was set before Him (Z)endured the cross, despising the shame, and (AA)has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Christ Brings Division(A)
49 (B)“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But (C)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is (D)accomplished! 51 (E)Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, (F)but rather division. 52 (G)For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 (H)Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Discern the Time(I)
54 Then He also said to the multitudes, (J)“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the (K)south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern (L)this time?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.