Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A miktam of David.
16 My God, keep me safe.
I go to you for safety.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
Without you, I don’t have anything that is good.”
3 I say about God’s people who live in our land, “They are the noble ones.
I take great delight in them.”
4 Those who run after other gods
will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out offerings of blood to those gods.
My lips will not speak their names.
5 Lord, you alone are everything I need.
You make my life secure.
6 I am very pleased with what you have given me.
I am very happy with what I’ve received from you.
7 I will praise the Lord. He gives me good advice.
Even at night my heart teaches me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
He is at my right hand.
So I will always be secure.
9 So my heart is glad. Joy is on my tongue.
My body also will be secure.
10 You will not leave me in the place of the dead.
You will not let your faithful one rot away.
11 You always show me the path of life.
You will fill me with joy when I am with you.
You will make me happy forever at your right hand.
15 When Israel grew fat, they became stubborn.
When they were filled with food, they became fat and heavy.
They left the God who made them.
They turned away from the Rock who saved them.
16 They made him jealous by serving false gods.
They made him angry by worshiping statues of gods.
He hated those gods.
17 The people sacrificed to those false gods, not to God.
They hadn’t known anything about those false gods.
Those gods were new to them.
Their people of long ago didn’t worship them.
18 But then they deserted the Rock. He was their Father.
They forgot the God who created them.
19 When the Lord saw this, he turned away from them.
His sons and daughters made him angry.
20 “I will turn my face away from them,” he said.
“I will see what will happen to them in the end.
They are sinful people.
They are unfaithful children.
21 They made me jealous by serving what is not even a god.
They made me angry by worshiping worthless statues of gods.
I will use people who are not a nation to make them jealous.
A nation that has no understanding will make them angry.
22 My anger will start a fire.
It will burn all the way down to the kingdom of the dead.
It will eat up the earth and its crops.
It will set the base of the mountains on fire.
23 “I will pile troubles on my people.
I will shoot all my arrows at them.
24 I will send them hunger. It will make them weak.
I will send terrible sickness. I will send deadly plagues.
I will send wild animals that will tear them apart.
Snakes that glide through the dust will bite them.
25 In the streets their children will be killed by swords.
Their homes will be filled with terror.
The young men and women will die.
The babies and old people will die.
26 I said I would scatter them.
I said I would erase their name from human memory.
27 But I was afraid their enemies would make fun of that.
I was afraid their attackers would not understand.
I was sure they would say, ‘We’re the ones who’ve beaten them!
The Lord isn’t the one who did it.’ ”
39 “Look! I am the One!
There is no other God except me.
I put some people to death. I bring others to life.
I have wounded, and I will heal.
No one can save you from my power.
40 I raise my hand to heaven. Here is the promise I make.
You can be sure that I live forever.
41 And you can be just as sure
that I will sharpen my flashing sword.
My hand will hold it when I judge.
I will get even with my enemies.
I will pay back those who hate me.
42 I will make my arrows drip with blood.
My sword will destroy people.
It will kill some. It will even kill prisoners.
It will cut off the heads of enemy leaders.”
43 You nations, be full of joy. Be joyful together with God’s people.
The Lord will get even with his enemies.
He will pay them back for killing those who serve him.
He will wipe away the sin of his land and people.
Jesus Speaks About His Coming Death
21 Jesus strongly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. The elders will not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law will not accept him either. He must be killed and on the third day rise from the dead.”
23 Then he said to all of them, “Whoever wants to follow me must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross every day and follow me. 24 Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses or gives up their very self? 26 Suppose someone is ashamed of me and my words. The Son of Man will come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Then he will be ashamed of that person.
27 “What I’m about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God’s kingdom.”
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