Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
He Makes Wars Cease
Psalm 46
1 For the music director, of the sons of Korah, according to Alamoth, a song.
2 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
3 Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth change,
though the mountains topple into the heart of the seas,
4 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains quake at their swelling. Selah
5 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God—
the holy dwelling place of Elyon.[a]
6 God is in the midst of her, she will not be shaken.
God will help her when morning dawns.
7 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms totter,
He utters His voice, the earth melts!
8 Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us.
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
9 Come, see the works of Adonai,
who brings devastations on the earth.
10 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.
He burns chariots with fire.
11 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I am exalted among the nations.
I am exalted in the earth.”
12 Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us.
The God of Jacob is our strong tower. Selah
Parashat Bereshit
Creation in Six Days
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [a] 2 Now the earth was chaos and waste, darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the surface of the water.[b]
3 Then God said, “Let there be light!” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good. So God distinguished the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” So there was evening and there was morning—one day.
6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water! Let it be for separating water from water.” 7 So God made the expanse and it separated the water that was below the expanse from the water that was over the expanse. And it happened so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” So there was evening and there was morning—a second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the water below the sky be gathered to one place. Let the dry ground appear.” And it happened so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the collection of the water He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land sprout grass, green plants yielding seed, fruit trees making fruit, each according to its species with seed in it, upon the land.” And it happened so. 12 The land brought forth grass, green plants yielding seed, each according to its species, and trees making fruit with the seed in it, each according to its species. And God saw that it was good. 13 So there was evening and there was morning—a third day.
14 Then God said, “Let lights in the expanse of the sky be for separating the day from the night. They will be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. 15 They will be for lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the land.” And it happened so. 16 Then God made the two great lights—the greater light for dominion over the day, and the lesser light as well as the stars for dominion over the night. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to shine on the land 18 and to have dominion over the day and over the night and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So there was evening and there was morning—a fourth day.
20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures! Let flying creatures fly above the land across the expanse of the sky.” 21 Then God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that crawls, with which the water swarms, according to their species, as well as every winged flying creature, according to their species. And God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them by saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas. Let the flying creatures multiply on the land.” 23 So there was evening and there was morning—a fifth day.
24 Then God said, “Let the land bring forth living creatures according to their species—livestock, crawling creatures and wild animals, according to their species.” And it happened so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their species, the livestock according to their species, and everything that crawls on the ground, each according to its species. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.” 27 God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. [c] 28 God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land, and conquer it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the flying creatures of the sky, and over every animal that crawls on the land.”
29 Then God said, “I have just given you every green plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the whole land, and every tree, which has the fruit of a tree yielding seed. They are to be food for you. 30 Also for every wild animal, every flying creature of the sky and every creature that crawls on the land which has life, every green plant is to be food.” And it happened so. 31 So God saw everything that He made, and behold it was very good.
So there was evening and there was morning—the sixth day.
Shabbat For Rest
2 So the heavens and the earth were completed along with their entire array. 2 God completed—on the seventh day—His work that He made, and He ceased—on the seventh day—from all His work that He made. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He ceased from all His work that God created for the purpose of preparing.
Humanity in Gan-Eden
4 These are the genealogical records of the heavens and the earth when they were created, at the time when Adonai Elohim made land and sky.
Jewish People Fall Short Too
17 But if you call yourself Jewish and rely upon the Torah and boast in God 18 and know His will and determine what matters because you are instructed from the Torah— 19 and you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Torah the embodiment of knowledge and the truth—
21 you then who teach another, do you not teach yourself?
You who preach not to steal, do you steal?
22 You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?
You who detest idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who take pride in the Torah,
through your violation of the Torah, do you dishonor God?
24 For as it is written, “the name of God is slandered among the nations because of you.”[a]
25 Circumcision is indeed worthwhile if you keep the Torah; but if you break the Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. [b] 26 Therefore, if the uncircumcised keeps the righteous decrees of the Torah, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? [c] 27 Indeed, the one not circumcised physically who fulfills the Torah will judge you[d] who—even with the written code[e] and circumcision—break the Torah. 28 For one is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something visible in the flesh. 29 Rather, the Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—in Spirit not in letter. His praise is not from men, but from God.[f]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.