Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK FIVE
(Psalms 107–150)
107 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the people the Lord defended repeat these words.
They are the people he defended from the power of their enemies
3 and gathered from other countries,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4 They wandered around the desert on a deserted road
without finding an inhabited city.
5 They were hungry and thirsty.
They began to lose hope.
6 In their distress they cried out to the Lord.
He rescued them from their troubles.
7 He led them on a road that went straight to an inhabited city.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy.
He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
9 He gave plenty to drink to those who were thirsty.
He filled those who were hungry with good food.
10 Those who lived in the dark, in death’s shadow
were prisoners in misery.
They were held in iron chains
11 because they had rebelled against God’s words and had despised the advice given by the Most High.
12 So he humbled them with hard work.
They fell down, but no one was there to help them.
13 In their distress they cried out to the Lord.
He saved them from their troubles.
14 He brought them out of the dark, out of death’s shadow.
He broke apart their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy.
He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
16 He shattered bronze gates
and cut iron bars in two.
Water from the Rock
20 In the first month the whole community of Israel came into the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.
2 Since the community was without water, they came together to confront Moses and Aaron. 3 The people complained to Moses and said, “If only we had died when the other Israelites died in the Lord’s presence! 4 Did you bring the Lord’s assembly into this desert just to have us and our animals die here? 5 Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us into this terrible place? This is no place to plant crops. Even figs, grapes, and pomegranates won’t grow here. And there’s no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take your staff, then you and your brother Aaron gather the community. Right before their eyes, tell the rock to give up its water. In this way you will give the community water from the rock for them and their animals to drink.”
9 Moses took his staff out of ⌞the tent in⌟ the Lord’s presence as he had been commanded. 10 Then Moses and Aaron assembled the community in front of the rock and said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Moses raised his hand and hit the rock twice with the staff. Water came pouring out, and all the people and their animals drank.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “You didn’t trust me! You didn’t show the Israelites how holy I am! So you will not bring this congregation into the land I’m giving them.”
13 This was the oasis of Meribah [Complaining], where the Israelites complained about the Lord and where he showed them he was holy.
6 These things have become examples for us so that we won’t desire what is evil, as they did. 7 So don’t worship false gods as some of them did, as Scripture says, “The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy.” 8 We shouldn’t sin sexually as some of them did. Twenty-three thousand of them died on one day. 9 We shouldn’t put the Lord [a] to the test as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. 10 Don’t complain as some of them did. The angel of death destroyed them. 11 These things happened to make them an example for others. These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of history. 12 So, people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don’t fall.
13 There isn’t any temptation that you have experienced which is unusual for humans. God, who faithfully keeps his promises, will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist. But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape.
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