Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 135
Yahweh Is Great
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of Yahweh.
Give praise, you servants of Yahweh(A)
2 who stand in the house of Yahweh,
in the courts of the house of our God.(B)
3 Praise Yahweh, for Yahweh is good;
sing praise to His name, for it is delightful.(C)
4 For Yahweh has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His treasured possession.(D)
5 For I know that Yahweh is great;
our Lord is greater than all gods.(E)
6 Yahweh does whatever He pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.(F)
7 He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.(G)
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both man and beast.(H)
9 He sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his officials.(I)
10 He struck down many nations
and slaughtered mighty kings:(J)
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.(K)
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to His people Israel.(L)
13 Yahweh, Your name endures forever,
Your reputation, Yahweh,
through all generations.(M)
14 For Yahweh will vindicate His people
and have compassion on His servants.(N)
Idolatrous Elders Punished
14 Some of the elders of Israel came(A) to me and sat down in front of me.(B) 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put sinful stumbling blocks before their faces.(C) Should I be consulted by them at all?(D)
4 “Therefore, speak to them and tell them: This is what the Lord God says: When anyone from the house of Israel sets up idols in his heart, puts a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I, Yahweh, will answer him appropriately.[a] I will answer him according to his many idols, 5 so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts. They are all estranged from Me because of their idols.
6 “Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: Repent and turn away(E) from your idols; turn your faces away from all your detestable things. 7 For when anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside in Israel separates himself from Me, setting up idols in his heart and putting a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me,[b] I, Yahweh, will answer him Myself. 8 I will turn against that one and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people.(F) Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
9 “But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, Yahweh, who deceived that prophet.(G) I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.(H) 10 They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet— 11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from following Me and no longer defile themselves(I) with all their transgressions. Then they will be My people and I will be their God.”(J) This is the declaration of the Lord God.
Healing of a Lame Man
3 Now Peter and John were going up together to the temple complex at the hour of prayer(A) at three in the afternoon.[a] 2 And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex.(B) 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple complex, he asked for help. 4 Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us.” 5 So he turned to them,[b] expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”(C) 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 So he jumped up, stood, and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.(D) 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.(E)
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