Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Cry for Justice
A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
82 God ·is in charge of the great meeting [L takes his place/presides in the great assembly/or the assembly of the gods/divine council; C the angels (powers and authorities; Eph. 6:12) are here called “gods”];
he judges among the “gods” [John 10:35–36].
2 He says, “How long will you ·defend evil people [or judge unfairly]?
How long will you show ·greater kindness [favor; preference] to the wicked? ·
3 ·Defend [Judge] the ·weak [or poor] and the orphans;
·defend the rights of [vindicate] the poor and ·suffering [needy].
4 ·Save [Rescue] the ·weak [or poor] and helpless;
·free [protect] them from the ·power [L hand] of the wicked.
5 “You know nothing. You don’t understand.
You walk in the dark,
while the ·world is falling apart [L foundations of the earth are tottering].
6 I said, ‘You are “gods.”
You are all sons of God Most High.’
7 But you will die like any other person;
you will fall like all the ·leaders [princes; C God will punish these evil angels].”
8 God, ·come [rise up] and judge the earth,
because you ·own [inherit] all the nations.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine [C violating their vows; Num. 6:3]
and ·told [commanded] the prophets not to prophesy.
13 Now I ·will make you get stuck [or will crush/press you down; or am burdened by you],
as a wagon loaded with grain ·gets stuck [or is weighed/pressed down].
14 No one will ·escape [find refuge], not even the fastest runner.
Strong people will not be strong enough;
warriors will not be able to save themselves.
15 Soldiers with bows and arrows will not ·stand and fight [hold their ground],
and even fast runners will not get away;
soldiers on horses will not escape alive.
16 At that time even the bravest warriors
will run away ·without their armor [L naked],” says the Lord.
Warning to Israel
3 Listen to this word that the Lord has spoken against you, ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel, against the whole family he brought out of Egypt.
2 “I have ·chosen [known; C selected for a special relationship] only you
out of all the families of the earth,
so I will punish you
for all your sins.”
3 ·Two people will not [L Can two…?] walk together
unless they have agreed ·to do so [or to meet; or on the direction].
4 ·A lion in the forest does not [L Does a lion in the forest…?] roar
unless it has caught ·an animal [L its prey];
·it does not [L does a young lion…?] growl in its den
when it has caught nothing.
5 ·A bird will not [L Does a bird…?] fall into a trap
where there is no bait;
·the trap will not [L does the trap…?] spring shut
if there is nothing to catch.
6 When a trumpet ·blows a warning [L sounds] in a city,
[L do not…?] the people tremble.
When ·trouble [disaster] comes to a city,
·the Lord has [L has not the Lord…?] caused it.
7 Before the Lord God does anything,
he tells his plans to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared [C a symbol of coming judgment]!
Who wouldn’t be afraid?
The Lord God has spoken.
Who will not prophesy?
16 “[L For] God loved the world so much that he gave his ·one and only [only; unique; T only begotten; 1:14, 18] Son so that whoever believes in him may not ·be lost [T perish], but have eternal life. 17 [L For; Indeed] God did not send his Son into the world to ·judge the world guilty [condemn the world], but to save the world through him. 18 People who believe in God’s Son are not ·judged guilty [condemned]. Those who do not believe have already been ·judged guilty [condemned], because they have not believed in [L the name of] God’s ·one and only [only; unique; T only begotten; 3:16] Son. 19 ·They are judged by this fact [L And this is the judgment/condemnation/verdict]: The Light [C Jesus, God’s Son] has come into the world, ·but they did not want light. They wanted darkness [L but people loved the darkness more than the light], because they were doing evil things. 20 All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show ·all the evil things they do [L their deeds/actions]. 21 But those who ·follow the true way [do what is true; live by the truth] come to the light, and it ·shows [may be seen] that the things they do were done ·through [or in the sight of; or in obedience to; L in] God.”
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