Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Cry for Help
69 Save me, O God, for the waters have almost taken my life. 2 I have gone down into deep mud and there is no place to put my feet. I have come into deep waters and a flood comes over me. 3 I have cried until I am tired. My mouth is dry. My eyes become weak while I wait for my God.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You at the right time, O Lord. Answer me with Your saving truth in Your great loving-kindness, O God. 14 Take me out of the mud and do not let me go down in it. Take me away from those who hate me and from the deep waters. 15 Keep the flood water from covering me. Do not let the sea swallow me up. Do not let the deep hole close its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O Lord, for Your loving-kindness is good. Turn to me because of Your great loving-pity.
30 I will praise the name of God with song. And I will give Him great honor with much thanks. 31 This will please the Lord more than any ox or young bull with horns and hoofs. 32 Those without pride will see it and be glad. You who look for God, let your heart receive new strength. 33 For the Lord hears those who are in need, and does not hate His people in prison.
34 Let heaven and earth and the seas and all the things that move in them give thanks to Him. 35 For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah. Then His people may live there and have it for their own. 36 And the children of those who obey Him will have it given to them. Those who love His name will live there.
17 Cain lay with his wife and she was going to have a child and she gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and gave it the name of Enoch, the name of his son. 18 Now Irad was born to Enoch. And Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. And Methushael became the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech took two wives for himself. The name of one was Adah. And the name of the other was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who live in tents and have cattle. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and the horn. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain who made things from brass and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice. Hear what I say, you wives of Lamech. For I have killed a man for hurting me, and a boy for hitting me. 24 If those who hurt Cain are punished seven times worse, then those who hurt Lamech will be punished seventy-seven times worse.”
25 And Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and gave him the name Seth. For she said, “God has let me have another son in the place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 A son was born to Seth also, and he gave him the name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.
The Families from Adam to Noah
5 This is the book of the children of Adam and of their children’s children. When God made man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He made them male and female, and brought good to them. And He gave them the name Man when they were made. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he gave birth to a son in his own likeness. And he gave him the name Seth. 4 Adam lived 800 years after he became the father of Seth. He had other sons and daughters. 5 So Adam lived 930 years, and he died.
9 What about it then? Are we Jews better than the people who are not Jews? Not at all! I have already said that Jews and the people who are not Jews are all sinners. 10 The Holy Writings say, “There is not one person who is right with God. No, not even one! 11 There is not one who understands. There is not one who tries to find God.” (A) 12 Everyone has turned away from God. They have all done wrong. Not one of them does what is good. No, not even one! 13 Their mouth is like an open grave. They tell lies with their tongues. (B) Whatever they say is like the poison of snakes. 14 Their mouths speak bad things against God. They say bad things about other people. (C) 15 They are quick to hurt and kill people. 16 Wherever they go, they destroy and make people suffer. 17 They know nothing about peace. (D) 18 They do not honor God with love and fear.” (E)
19 Now we know that the Law speaks to those who live under the Law. No one can say that he does not know what sin is. Yes, every person in the world stands guilty before God. 20 No person will be made right with God by doing what the Law says. The Law shows us how sinful we are.
21 But now God has made another way to make men right with Himself. It is not by the Law. The Law and the early preachers tell about it. 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.
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