Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
15 The Lord pays attention to the godly
and hears their cry for help.[a]
16 But the Lord opposes evildoers
and wipes out all memory of them from the earth.[b]
17 The godly[c] cry out and the Lord hears;
he saves them from all their troubles.[d]
18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
he delivers[e] those who are discouraged.[f]
19 The godly[g] face many dangers,[h]
but the Lord saves[i] them[j] from each one of them.
20 He protects[k] all his bones;[l]
not one of them is broken.[m]
21 Evil people self-destruct;[n]
those who hate the godly are punished.[o]
22 The Lord rescues his servants;[p]
all who take shelter in him escape punishment.[q]
Civil War is Averted
10 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan and built there, near the Jordan, an impressive altar.[a] 11 The Israelites received this report:[b] “Look, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the entrance to[c] the land of Canaan, at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side.” 12 When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to launch an attack against them.[d]
13 The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 He was accompanied by ten leaders, one from each of the Israelite tribes, each one a family leader among the Israelite clans.[e] 15 They went to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them: 16 “The entire community of the Lord says, ‘Why have you disobeyed the God of Israel by turning back today from following the Lord? You built an altar for yourselves and have rebelled today against the Lord.[f] 17 The sin we committed at Peor was bad enough. To this very day we have not purified ourselves; it even brought a plague on the community of the Lord.[g] 18 Now today you dare to turn back[h] from following the Lord! You are rebelling today against the Lord; tomorrow he may break out in anger against[i] the entire community of Israel. 19 But if your own land[j] is impure,[k] cross over to the Lord’s own land,[l] where the Lord himself lives,[m] and settle down among us.[n] But don’t rebel against the Lord or us[o] by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 When Achan son of Zerah disobeyed the command about the city’s riches, the entire Israelite community was judged,[p] though only one man had sinned. He most certainly died for his sin!’”[q]
Motivation to Godly Conduct
11 And do this[a] because we know[b] the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers. 12 The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.[c]
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