Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 This is the story of Noah and his family. Noah was right with God. He was without blame in his time. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was sinful in the eyes of God. The earth was filled with people hurting each other. 12 God looked at the earth and saw how sinful it was. For all who lived on the earth had become sinful in their ways.
13 Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to make an end to all the people on the earth. They are the cause of very much trouble. See, I will destroy them as I destroy the earth. 14 Make a large boat of gopher wood for yourself. Build rooms in the boat. And cover it inside and out with tar. 15 This is how you are to make it: The boat is to be as long as 150 long steps, as wide as twenty-five long steps, and eight times taller than a man. 16 Make a window for the boat, that goes down a cubit from the roof. Put a door in the side of the boat. And make it with first, second, and third floors. 17 See, I will bring a flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh under heaven that has the breath of life. Everything on earth will be destroyed. 18 But I will make My agreement with you. You will go into the large boat, you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the large boat two of every kind of living thing of all flesh, to keep them alive with you. They will be male and female. 20 Two of all the kinds of birds, and animals, and every thing that moves on the ground are to be with you to keep them alive. 21 And take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it. It will be food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did just what God told him to do.
24 And the water covered the earth for 150 days.
14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the ground was dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out of the boat, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and everything that moves on the earth. So they may give birth and become many upon the earth.” 18 So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 Every animal, every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the large boat by their families.
God Is with Us
46 God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble. 2 So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the center of the sea, 3 and even if its waters go wild with storm and the mountains shake with its action.
4 There is a river whose waters make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High lives. 5 God is in the center of her. She will not be moved. God will help her when the morning comes. 6 The people made noise. The nations fell. He raised His voice and the earth melted. 7 The Lord of All is with us. The God of Jacob is our strong place.
8 Come and see the works of the Lord. He has destroyed parts of the earth. 9 He stops wars to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the war-wagons with fire. 10 Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth. 11 The Lord of All is with us. The God of Jacob is our strong place.
16 I am not ashamed of the Good News. It is the power of God. It is the way He saves men from the punishment of their sins if they put their trust in Him. It is for the Jew first and for all other people also. 17 The Good News tells us we are made right with God by faith in Him. Then, by faith we live that new life through Him. The Holy Writings say, “A man right with God lives by faith.” (A)
22 Men become right with God by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. God will accept men if they come this way. All men are the same to God. 23 For all men have sinned and have missed the shining-greatness of God. 24 Anyone can be made right with God by the free gift of His loving-favor. It is Jesus Christ Who bought them with His blood and made them free from their sins. 25 God gave Jesus Christ to the world. Men’s sins can be forgiven through the blood of Christ when they put their trust in Him. God gave His Son Jesus Christ to show how right He is. Before this, God did not look on the sins that were done. 26 But now God proves that He is right in saving men from sin. He shows that He is the One Who has no sin. God makes anyone right with Himself who puts his trust in Jesus.
27 What then do we have to be proud of? Nothing at all! Why? Is it because men obey the Law? No! It is because men put their trust in Christ. 28 This is what we have come to know. A man is made right with God by putting his trust in Christ. It is not by his doing what the Law says.
29 Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the people who are not Jews also? He is for sure. 30 He is one God. He will make Jews and the people who are not Jews right with Himself if they put their trust in Christ. 31 Does this mean that we do away with the Law when we put our trust in Christ? No, not at all. It means we know the Law is important.
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will go into the holy nation of heaven. The one who does the things My Father in heaven wants him to do will go into the holy nation of heaven. 22 Many people will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not preach in Your Name? Did we not put out demons in Your Name? Did we not do many powerful works in Your Name?’ 23 Then I will say to them in plain words, ‘I never knew you. Go away from Me, you who do wrong!’
Jesus Teaches about Houses Built on Rock or Sand
24 “Whoever hears these words of Mine and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain came down. The water came up. The wind blew and hit the house. The house did not fall because it was built on rock. 26 Whoever hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down. The water came up. The wind blew and hit the house. The house fell and broke apart.” 28 Then Jesus finished talking. The people were surprised and wondered about His teaching. 29 He was teaching them as One Who has the right and the power to teach. He did not teach as the teachers of the Law.
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