Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 68
The Procession of God
Heading
For the choir director. By David. A psalm. A song.
Judgment on God’s Enemies
1 May God arise. May his enemies scatter.
May those who hate him flee from his presence.
2 As smoke is blown away, may you blow them away.
As wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
Blessing on God’s People
3 But the righteous rejoice and celebrate in the presence of God.
They will be happy and joyful.
4 Sing to God. Make music to his name.
Lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts.[a]
His name is the Lord.[b] Celebrate before him.
5 In his holy dwelling, God is a father for the fatherless
and a judge who defends widows.
6 God causes the lonely to dwell together as a household.
He leads out the prisoners with music,
but the rebellious dwell in a scorched land.
God Brings His People Into His Land
7 God, when you went out in front of your people,
when you marched through the wasteland, Interlude
8 the earth shook.
Yes, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, this one from Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 You dispersed plentiful showers, O God.
You strengthened your inheritance when it was weary.[c]
10 Your people settled in it.
In your goodness you provided for the oppressed, O God.
God’s Daily Care
19 Blessed be the Lord.
Day by day he bears our burdens.
He is the God who saves us. Interlude
God’s Future Victories
20 Our God is a God who saves.
From God the Lord comes escape from death.
Round Three: Eliphaz’s Speech
22 Eliphaz the Temanite responded:
2 Can a man benefit God?
Can even a wise man be of any use to him?
3 Should the Almighty be delighted if you are righteous?
Does he gain any advantage if your ways are blameless?
4 Is it because of your reverence that he rebukes you
and comes against you in judgment?
5 Isn’t your wickedness great?
Isn’t your guilt endless?
6 You have seized collateral from your brothers without cause,
and you have stripped off clothing from the naked.
7 You have not given water to the weary,
and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 The earth belongs to a forceful man,
and a well-respected man dwells in it.[a]
9 You send widows away empty-handed.
You crush the arms of the fatherless.
10 That is why snares are all around you,
and sudden fear overwhelms you.
11 That is why you cannot see in the darkness,
and floodwaters cover you.
12 Is not God in the heights of heaven?
Look at[b] the highest stars, so high above!
13 But you say, “What does God know?
Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Dark clouds are a veil around him,
so he does not see us
as he walks back and forth in heaven’s dome.”
15 Are you the guardian of the ancient way,
the one traveled by wicked men?
16 They were snatched away before their time.[c]
Their foundation was washed away by a river.
17 They said to God, “Keep away from us,”
and “What can the Almighty do to us?”[d]
18 even though he had filled their houses with good.
That is why the way of life of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see this and are glad.
The innocent mock them, saying,
20 “Surely our adversaries have been erased!
Fire has eaten up their abundance.”
Paul’s Fellowship With Those in Jerusalem
2 Then, after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, also taking Titus with me. 2 I went up in keeping with a revelation, and I laid before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately before those who were considered important, in order to make sure that I was not running—or had not run—in vain. 3 But Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, even though he is Greek. 4 This was an issue because of the false brothers, who slipped in under false pretenses to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Their goal was to make us slaves. 5 We refused to give in to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would continue with you.
6 But as for those who were considered to be important (what sort of people they once were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality), indeed, those who were considered to be important added nothing to my gospel. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised. 8 For God, who worked effectively in Peter to serve as an apostle to the circumcised, also worked effectively in me to serve as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 And because James, Cephas, and John, who were considered to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship. They agreed that we were to go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 The only thing they asked was that we remember the poor, the very thing that I was also eager to do.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.