Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A song. A Psalm of Asaph
A Plea for Judgment
83 God, do not rest!
Don’t be silent!
Don’t stay inactive, God!
2 See! Your enemies rage;
those who hate you issue threats.[a]
3 They plot against[b] your people
and conspire against your cherished ones.
4 They say, “Let us go and erase them as a nation
so the name of Israel will not be remembered anymore.”
5 Indeed, they shrewdly planned together,
forming an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom, the Ishmaelites,
Moab, the Hagrites,
7 Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia,
and the inhabitants of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria joined them
to strengthen the descendants of Lot.
9 Deal with them as you did to Midian,[c]
Sisera, and Jabin at the Kishon Brook.[d]
10 They were destroyed at En-dor
and became as dung on the ground.
11 Punish their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,[e]
and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,[f]
12 who said, “Let us possess the pastures of God.”
13 God, set them up like dried thistles,
like straw before the wind.
14 Like a fire burning a forest,
and a flame setting mountains ablaze.
15 Pursue them with your storm and
terrify them with your whirlwind.
16 Fill their faces with shame
until they seek your name, God.
17 Let them be humiliated and terrified permanently
until they die in shame.[g]
18 Then they will know that you alone—
whose name is Lord—
are the Most High over all the earth.
David’s Mercy for Barzillai
31 Barzillai the Gileadite also had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan River with the king and to see him on his way from there. 32 Now Barzillai was a very old man at the age of 80 years. A very wealthy man, Barzillai[a] had provided for king David during his sojourn in Mahanaim.[b] 33 So the king invited Barzillai, “Cross the Jordan River[c] with me, live with me in Jerusalem, and I’ll provide for you there.”[d]
34 “How many more years do I have to live,” Barzillai replied to the king, “that I should move to Jerusalem with the king? 35 I’m now 80 years old! I can hardly tell the difference between what tastes[e] good or bad! I can’t tell what I eat or drink! I can’t hear the voice of men and women when they sing! So why should your servant be an added burden to your majesty the king? 36 Your servant will cross the Jordan River[f] with the king for a short distance, but why should the king offer me this reward? 37 Please let your servant return so I can die in my own home town near the grave of my father and mother. Meanwhile, here is your servant Chimham![g] Let him accompany your majesty the king. Please do for him whatever seems best to you.”
38 So the king answered, “Chimham will accompany me, and I’ll do for him whatever seems best to you! I’ll do anything for you that you want!” 39 Then all the people crossed the Jordan River,[h] followed by the king. The king embraced[i] Barzillai, blessed him, and then Barzillai[j] returned to his home.[k] 40 As the king crossed over the Jordan River[l] to Gilgal, Chimham accompanied him, as did all the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel.
Petty Quarrels Arise between Israel and Judah
41 Not long afterward, all the men of Israel started coming to the king, complaining to him,[m] “Why did our relatives in Judah’s army sneak you away, taking the king and his household over the Jordan River,[n] along with David’s army?”
42 Everybody from Judah shouted to the men from Israel, “We did this because the king is closely related to us. So why are you angry about this? Have we lived off[o] the king’s expense? Have we appropriated anything for ourselves?”
43 But the men from Israel answered the men from Judah: “We[p] represent ten of the tribes[q] of Israel! So we[r] have more right to David than you[s] do! Why haven’t you[t] taken us[u] seriously? Weren’t we[v] the first to talk about bringing back our[w] king?” But what the people of Judah had to say was harsher than what the people of Israel were saying.
No One is Justified by the Law
10 Certainly all who depend on the actions of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, “A curse on everyone who does not obey everything that is written in the Book of the Law!”[a] 11 Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because “The righteous will live by faith.”[b] 12 But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, “The person who keeps the commandments[c] will have life in them.”[d] 13 The Messiah[e] redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, “A curse on everyone who is hung on a tree!”[f] 14 This happened[g] in order that the blessing promised to[h] Abraham would come to the gentiles through the Messiah[i] Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit[j] through faith.
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