Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK FIVE
(Psalms 107–150)
Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to Yahweh because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the people Yahweh 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.
33 He changes rivers into a desert,
springs into thirsty ground,
34 and fertile ground into a layer of salt
because of the wickedness of the people living there.
35 He changes deserts into lakes
and dry ground into springs.
36 There he settles those who are hungry,
and they build cities to live in.
37 They plant in fields and vineyards
that produce crops.
38 He blesses them, and their numbers multiply,
and he does not allow a shortage of cattle.
39 They became few in number and were humiliated
because of oppression, disaster, and sorrow.
40 He poured contempt on their influential people
and made them stumble around in a pathless desert.
41 But now he lifts needy people high above suffering
and makes their families like flocks.
42 Decent people will see this and rejoice,
but all the wicked people will shut their mouths.
43 Let those who think they are wise
pay attention to these things
so that they may understand Yahweh’s blessings.
Israel Told Never to Forget God
8 Be careful to obey every command I give you today. Then you will live, and your population will increase. You will enter and take possession of the land that Yahweh promised to your ancestors with an oath.
2 Remember that for 40 years Yahweh your Elohim led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands. 3 So he made you suffer from hunger and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had seen before. He did this to teach you that a person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that Yahweh speaks. 4 Your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t swell these past 40 years. 5 Learn this lesson by heart: Yahweh your Elohim was disciplining you as parents discipline their children. 6 Obey the commands of Yahweh your Elohim. Follow his directions, and fear him.
7 Yahweh your Elohim is bringing you into a good land. It is a land with rivers that don’t dry up. There are springs and underground streams flowing through the valleys and hills. 8 The land has wheat and barley, grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates. The land has honey and olive trees for olive oil. 9 The land will have enough food for you, and you will have everything you need. The land has rocks with iron ore, and you will be able to mine copper ore in the hills. 10 When you have eaten all you want, thank Yahweh your Elohim for the good land he has given you.
11 Be careful that you don’t forget Yahweh your Elohim. Don’t fail to obey his commands, rules, and laws that I’m giving you today. 12 You will eat all you want. You will build nice houses and live in them. 13 Your herds and flocks, silver and gold, and everything else you have will increase. 14 When this happens, be careful that you don’t become arrogant and forget Yahweh your Elohim, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt. 15 He was the one who led you through that vast and dangerous desert—a thirsty and arid land, with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He was the one who made water come out of solid rock for you. 16 He was the one who fed you in the desert with manna, which your ancestors had never seen. He did this in order to humble you and test you. But he also did this so that things would go well for you in the end. 17 You may say to yourselves, “I became wealthy because of my own ability and strength.” 18 But remember Yahweh your Elohim is the one who makes you wealthy. He’s confirming the promise[a] which he swore to your ancestors. It’s still in effect today.
19 I warn you today that if you forget Yahweh your Elohim and follow other gods, and if you serve them and bow down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. 20 Yahweh is going to destroy other nations as you enter the land. You will be destroyed like them if you don’t obey Yahweh your Elohim.
27 You are Christ’s body and each of you is an individual part of it. 28 In the church God has appointed first apostles, next prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, then those who have the gift of healing, then those who help others, those who are managers, and those who can speak in a number of languages. 29 Not all believers are apostles, are they? Are all of them prophets? Do all of them teach? Do all of them perform miracles 30 or have gifts of healing? Can all of them speak in other languages or interpret languages?
31 You only want the better gifts, but I will show you the best thing to do.[a]
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.