Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
13 But as for me, Lord,
my prayer to You is for a time of favor.
In Your abundant, faithful love, God,
answer me with Your sure salvation.(A)
14 Rescue me from the miry mud; don’t let me sink.
Let me be rescued from those who hate me
and from the deep waters.(B)
15 Don’t let the floodwaters sweep over me
or the deep swallow me up;
don’t let the Pit close its mouth over me.(C)
16 Answer me, Lord,
for Your faithful love is good;
in keeping with Your great compassion,
turn to me.(D)
30 I will praise God’s name with song
and exalt Him with thanksgiving.(A)
31 That will please Yahweh more than an ox,
more than a bull with horns and hooves.(B)
32 The humble will see it and rejoice.
You who seek God, take heart!(C)
33 For the Lord listens to the needy
and does not despise
His own who are prisoners.(D)
Cain Murders Abel
4 Adam was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.”[a] 2 Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord.(A) 4 And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions.(B) The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,(C) 5 but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.[b]
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious?(D) And why do you look despondent?[c] 7 If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”(E)
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.(F)
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”
10 Then He said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground!(G) 11 So now you are cursed, alienated, from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed.[e] 12 If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”(H)
13 But Cain answered the Lord, “My punishment[f] is too great to bear! 14 Since You are banishing me today from the soil, and I must hide myself from Your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me.”(I)
15 Then the Lord replied to him, “In that case,[g] whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.”[h] And He placed a mark(J) on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. 16 Then Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
God’s Righteous Judgment
2 Therefore, any one of you[a](A) who judges is without excuse.(B) For when you judge another,(C) you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His kindness,(D) restraint,(E) and patience,(F) not recognizing[b] that God’s kindness(G) is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath(H) for yourself in the day of wrath,(I) when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. 6 He will repay each one according to his works:(J)[c] 7 eternal life(K) to those who by persistence in doing good(L) seek glory, honor,(M) and immortality;(N) 8 but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking(O) and disobey the truth(P) but are obeying unrighteousness; 9 affliction and distress(Q) for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;(R) 10 but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 11 There is no favoritism with God.(S)
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