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.
Capture of the Ark Provokes God
5 Now the Philistines took the ark of God and (A)brought it from Ebenezer to (B)Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into (C)the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, (D)Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and (E)set him back in his place. 4 But when they got up early the next morning, behold, (F)Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; [a]only the torso of Dagon was left. 5 For that reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house (G)step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 Now (H)the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and (I)He made them feel devastated and struck them with (J)tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, because His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So they sent word and (K)gathered all the governors of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Have the ark of the God of Israel [b]brought to Gath.” So they took the ark of the God of Israel away. 9 After they had taken it away, (L)the hand of the Lord was against the city, creating a very great panic; and He struck the people of the city, from the young to the old, so that (M)tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to [c]us, to kill [d]us and [e]our people!” 11 Therefore they (N)sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill [f]us and [g]our people!” For there was a deadly panic throughout the city; (O)the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the people who did not die were struck with tumors, and (P)the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
32 But remember (A)the former days, [a]when, after being (B)enlightened, you endured a great (C)conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being (D)made a public spectacle through insults and distress, and partly by becoming [b](E)companions with those who were so treated. 34 For you (F)showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted (G)joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves (H)a better and lasting possession. 35 Therefore, do not throw away your (I)confidence, which has a great (J)reward. 36 For you have need of (K)endurance, so that when you have (L)done the will of God, you may (M)receive [c]what was promised.
37 (N)For yet in a very little while,
(O)He who is coming will come, and will not delay.
38 (P)But My righteous one will live by faith;
And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.
39 But [d]we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul.
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