Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 46
God Our Refuge
For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.[a](A)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.(B)
2 Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,(C)
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with its turmoil.(D)
4 There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.(E)
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.(F)
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.(G)
7 The Lord of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(H)
8 Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.(I)
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
He burns up the chariots.[b](J)
10 “Stop your fighting—and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”(K)
11 Yahweh of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(L)
The Creation
1 In the beginning(A) God created the heavens and the earth.[a](B)
2 Now the earth was[b] formless and empty,(C) darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.(D) 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,”(E) and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.
6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse[c] between the waters, separating water from water.”(F) 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse.(G) And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.”[d] Evening came and then morning: the second day.
9 Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place,(H) and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land “earth,” and He called the gathering of the water “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.”(I) And it was so. 12 The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 Evening came and then morning: the third day.
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs(J) for festivals[e] and for days and years.(K) 15 They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night—as well as the stars.(L) 17 God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, 18 to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness.(M) And God saw that it was good. 19 Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.
20 Then God said, “Let the water swarm with[f] living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21 So God created the large sea-creatures[g] and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water,(N) according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 So God blessed them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”(O) 23 Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.
24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let Us(P) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.(Q) They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth,[h] and the creatures that crawl[i] on the earth.”(R)
27 So God created man in His own image;
He created him in the image of God;
He created them male and female.(S)
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth,(T) and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls[j] on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you,(U) 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food.”(V) And it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.(W) Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
2 So the heavens and the earth and everything in them[k] were completed.(X) 2 By the seventh[l] day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested[m] on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.(Y) 3 God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested(Z) from His work of creation.[n](AA)
Man and Woman in the Garden
4 These are the records(AB) of the heavens and the earth, concerning their creation at the time[o] that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
Jewish Violation of the Law
17 Now if[a] you call yourself a Jew, and rest in the law,(A) boast in God, 18 know His will, and approve the things that are superior,(B) being instructed from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the full expression[b] of knowledge and truth(C) in the law— 21 you then, who teach another,(D) don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? 22 You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples?(E) 23 You who boast in the law,(F) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.(G)[c]
Circumcision of the Heart
25 For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.(H) 26 Therefore if an uncircumcised(I) man keeps the law’s requirements,(J) will his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? 27 A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you(K) who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly,(L) and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly,(M) and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter.[d](N) That man’s praise[e] is not from men but from God.(O)
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