Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 83
Prayer against Enemies
A song. A psalm of Asaph.(A)
1 God, do not keep silent.
Do not be deaf, God; do not be quiet.(B)
2 See how your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have acted arrogantly.[a](C)
3 They devise clever schemes against your people;
they conspire against your treasured ones.(D)
4 They say, “Come, let’s wipe them out as a nation
so that Israel’s name will no longer be remembered.”(E)
5 For they have conspired with one mind;
they form an alliance[b] against you(F)—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,(G)
Moab and the Hagrites,(H)
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,(I)
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre.(J)
8 Even Assyria has joined them;
they lend support[c] to the sons of Lot.[d](K)Selah
9 Deal with them as you did with Midian,(L)
as you did with Sisera
and Jabin at the Kishon River.(M)
10 They were destroyed at En-dor;
they became manure for the ground.(N)
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(O)
and all their tribal leaders like Zebah and Zalmunna,(P)
12 who said, “Let’s seize God’s pastures for ourselves.”(Q)
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like straw before the wind.(R)
14 As fire burns a forest,
as a flame blazes through mountains,(S)
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.(T)
16 Cover their faces with shame
so that they will seek your name, Lord.(U)
17 Let them be put to shame and terrified forever;
let them perish in disgrace.(V)
18 May they know that you alone—
whose name is the Lord—
are the Most High over the whole earth.(W)
5 “I will come to you in judgment, and I will be ready to witness against sorcerers and adulterers; against those who swear falsely; against those who oppress the hired worker, the widow, and the fatherless; and against those who deny justice to the resident alien.(A) They do not fear me,”(B) says the Lord of Armies. 6 “Because I, the Lord, have not changed,(C) you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.[a](D)
Robbing God
7 “Since the days of your ancestors, you have turned from my statutes; you have not kept them.(E) Return to me,(F) and I will return to you,”(G) says the Lord of Armies.
Yet you ask, “How can we return?”
8 “Will a man rob(H) God? Yet you are robbing me!”
“How do we rob you?” you ask.
“By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions.(I) 9 You are suffering under a curse, yet[b] you—the whole nation—are still robbing me. 10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouse(J) so that there may be food in my house.(K) Test me in this way,”(L) says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven(M) and pour out a blessing for you without measure.(N) 11 I will rebuke the devourer[c](O) for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Armies. 12 “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Armies.
The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
2 When(A) he entered Capernaum(B) again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word(C) to them. 3 They came to him bringing a paralytic,(D) carried by four of them. 4 Since they were not able to bring him to[a] Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5 Seeing their faith,(E) Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins(F) are forgiven.”(G)
6 But some of the scribes(H) were sitting there, questioning(I) in their hearts: 7 “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming!(J) Who can forgive(K) sins(L) but God alone?” (M)
8 Right away(N) Jesus perceived in his spirit(O) that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier:(P) to say to the paralytic,(Q) ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’?(R) 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man(S) has authority(T) on earth to forgive sins”(U)—he told the paralytic— 11 “I tell you: get up,(V) take your mat, and go home.”
12 Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded(W) and gave glory(X) to God,(Y) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Z)
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