Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

106 Hallelujah! Thank you, Lord! How good you are! Your love for us continues on forever. ² Who can ever list the glorious miracles of God? Who can ever praise him half enough?

³ Happiness comes to those who are fair to others and are always just and good.

⁴ Remember me too, O Lord, while you are blessing and saving your people. ⁵ Let me share in your chosen ones’ prosperity and rejoice in all their joys, and receive the glory you give to them.

⁶ Both we and our fathers have sinned so much.

¹³ Yet how quickly they forgot again! They wouldn’t wait for him to act ¹⁴ but demanded better food,^[a] testing God’s patience to the breaking point. ¹⁵ So he gave them their demands but sent them leanness in their souls.^{[b] 16} They were envious of Moses, yes, and Aaron too, the man anointed^[c] by God as his priest. ¹⁷ Because of this, the earth opened and swallowed Dathan, Abiram, and his friends; ¹⁸ and fire fell from heaven to consume these wicked men. ^19-20 For they preferred a statue of an ox that eats grass to the glorious presence of God himself. ^21-22 Thus they despised their Savior who had done such mighty miracles in Egypt and at the Red Sea. ²³ So the Lord declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped into the breach between the people and their God and begged him to turn from his wrath and not destroy them.

⁴⁷ O Lord God, save us! Regather us from the nations so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you.

⁴⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!

⁹ “But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. May his miracles have a deep and permanent effect upon your lives! Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles he did. ¹⁰ Tell them especially about the day you stood before the Lord at Mount Horeb, and he told me, ‘Summon the people before me and I will instruct them, so that they will learn always to reverence me, and so that they can teach my laws to their children.’ ¹¹ You stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire; flames shot far into the sky, surrounded by black clouds and deep darkness. ¹² And the Lord spoke to you from the fire; you heard his words but didn’t see him. ¹³ He proclaimed the laws you must obey—the Ten Commandments—and wrote them on two stone tablets. ¹⁴ Yes, it was at that time that the Lord commanded me to issue the laws you must obey when you arrive in the Promised Land.

⁶ If you explain this to the others you will be doing your duty as a worthy pastor who is fed by faith and by the true teaching you have followed.

⁷ Don’t waste time arguing over foolish ideas and silly myths and legends. Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit. ⁸ Bodily exercise is all right, but spiritual exercise is much more important and is a tonic for all you do. So exercise yourself spiritually, and practice being a better Christian because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too. ^9-10 This is the truth and everyone should accept it. We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe it, for our hope is in the living God who died for all, and particularly for those who have accepted his salvation.

¹¹ Teach these things and make sure everyone learns them well. ¹² Don’t let anyone think little of you because you are young. Be their ideal; let them follow the way you teach and live; be a pattern for them in your love, your faith, and your clean thoughts. ¹³ Until I get there, read and explain the Scriptures to the church; preach God’s Word.

¹⁴ Be sure to use the abilities God has given you through his prophets when the elders of the church laid their hands upon your head. ¹⁵ Put these abilities to work; throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone may notice your improvement and progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others.