Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Unjust Judgments Rebuked.
A Psalm of Asaph.
82 God takes His (A)position in [a]His assembly;
He (B)judges in the midst of the (C)gods.
2 How long will you (D)judge unjustly
And (E)show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 (F)Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 (G)Rescue the weak and needy;
Save them from the hand of the wicked.
5 They (H)do not know nor do they understand;
They (I)walk around in darkness;
All the (J)foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 [b]I (K)said, “You are gods,
And all of you are (L)sons of the Most High.
7 Nevertheless (M)you will die like men,
And fall like (N)one of the princes.”
8 (O)Arise, God, (P)judge the earth!
For You (Q)possess all the nations.
Israel Is Defeated at Ai
7 (A)But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully regarding the things designated for destruction, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the designated things; therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.
10 So the Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and (A)they have also violated My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things designated for destruction, and have both stolen and kept it a secret. Furthermore, they have also put them among their own things. 12 Therefore the (B)sons of Israel cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their [a]backs before their enemies, because they have become designated for destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you eliminate from your midst the things designated for destruction. 13 Stand up! (C)Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord, the God of Israel, has said this: “(D)There are things designated for destruction in your midst, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you have removed the designated things from your midst.” 14 So in the morning you shall come forward by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which (E)the Lord selects by lot shall come forward by families, and the family which the Lord selects shall come forward by households, and the household which the Lord selects shall come forward man by man. 15 And (F)it shall be that the one who is selected with the things designated for destruction shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has violated the covenant of the Lord, and because he (G)has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
The Sin of Achan
16 So Joshua got up early in the morning and brought Israel forward by [b]tribes, and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17 So he brought the family of Judah forward, and he selected the family of the Zerahites; then he brought the family of the Zerahites forward man by man, and Zabdi was selected. 18 And he brought his household forward man by man; and (H)Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, (I)give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.” 20 So Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and [c]this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoils a beautiful robe from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I (J)wanted them and took them; and behold, they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath it. 23 So they took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel; and they [d]laid them out before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his [e]oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to (K)the Valley of [f]Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why have you (L)brought disaster on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you this day.” And all Israel stoned [g]them with stones; and they burned them with fire [h]after they had stoned them with stones. 26 Then they erected over him a large heap of stones that stands to this day, and the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called (M)the Valley of [i]Achor to this day.
Christ or Judgment
26 For if we go on (A)sinning willfully after receiving (B)the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of (C)judgment and (D)the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. 28 (E)Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 (F)How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve (G)who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean (H)the blood of the covenant (I)by which he was sanctified, and has (J)insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “(K)Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “(L)The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a (M)terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the (N)living God.
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