Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 68
For the choir director; a psalm by David; a song.
1 Elohim will arise.
His enemies will be scattered.
Those who hate him will flee from him.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Let wicked people melt in Elohim’s presence like wax next to a fire.
3 But let righteous people rejoice.
Let them celebrate in Elohim’s presence.
Let them overflow with joy.
4 Sing to Elohim; make music to praise his name.
Make a highway for him to ride through the deserts.[a]
Yah is his name.
Celebrate in his presence.
5 The Elohim who is in his holy dwelling place
is the Ab of the fatherless and the defender of widows.
6 Elohim places lonely people in families.
He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,
but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.
7 O Elohim, when you went in front of your people,
when you marched through the desert, Selah
8 the earth quaked and the sky poured
in the presence of the Elohim of Sinai,
in the presence of the Elohim of Israel.
9 You watered the land with plenty of rain, O Elohim.
You refreshed it when your land was exhausted.
10 Your flock settled there.
Out of your goodness, O Elohim,
you provided for oppressed people.
19 Thanks be to Adonay,
who daily carries our burdens for us.
El is our salvation. Selah
20 Our El is the El of victories.
Yahweh Adonay is our escape from death.
9 “People snatch the nursing orphan from a breast
and take a poor woman’s baby as security for a loan.
10 That is why the poor go around naked.
They are hungry, yet they carry bundles of grain.
11 They press out olive oil between rows of olive trees.
They stomp on grapes in wine vats, yet they are thirsty.
12 Those dying in the city groan.
Wounded people cry for help,
but Eloah pays no attention to their prayers.
13 “Such people are among those who rebel against the light.
They are not acquainted with its ways.
They do not stay on its paths.
14 At dawn murderers rise; they kill the poor and needy.
At night they become thieves.
15 Adulterers watch for twilight.
They say, ‘No one is watching us,’ as they cover their faces.
16 In the dark, they break into houses,
but by day they lock themselves in.
They do not even know the light,
17 because morning and deep darkness are the same to them,
because they are familiar with the terrors of deep darkness.
18 Such people are like scum on the surface of the water.
Their property is cursed in the land.
People do not travel the road that goes to their vineyards.
19 Just as drought and heat steal water from snow,
so the grave steals people who sin.
20 The womb forgets them.
Worms feast on them.
No one remembers them anymore,
and wickedness is snapped like a twig.
21 These men take advantage of childless women.
These men show no kindness to widows.
22 God will drag away these mighty men by his power.
These people may prosper,
but they will never feel secure about life.
23 God may let them feel confident and self-reliant,
but his eyes are on their ways.
24 Such people may be prosperous for a little while,
but then they’re gone.
They are brought down low and disappear like everything else.[a]
They wither like heads of grain.
25 “If it isn’t so, who can prove I’m a liar
and show that my words are worthless?”
Paul Shows How Cephas Was Wrong
11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I had to openly oppose him because he was completely wrong. 12 He ate with people who were not Jewish until some men James had sent from Jerusalem arrived. Then Cephas drew back and would not associate with people who were not Jewish. He was afraid of those who insisted that circumcision was necessary. 13 The other Jewish Christians also joined him in this hypocrisy. Even Barnabas was swept along with them.
14 But I saw that they were not properly following the truth of the Good News. So I told Cephas in front of everyone, “You’re Jewish, but you live like a person who is not Jewish. So how can you insist that people who are not Jewish must live like Jews?”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.