Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
In You I Have Taken Refuge
A [a]Shiggaion of David, which he sang to Yahweh concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
7 O Yahweh my God, (A)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and (B)deliver me,
2 Lest he tear [b]my soul (C)like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Yahweh my God, if I have done this,
If there is (D)injustice in my hands,
4 If I have (E)rewarded evil to him who [c]is at peace with me,
Or have (F)plundered my adversary without cause,
5 Let the enemy pursue [d]my soul and overtake [e]it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground
And cause my glory to dwell in the dust. [f]Selah.
6 (G)Arise, O Yahweh, in Your anger;
(H)Lift up Yourself against (I)the fury of my adversaries,
And (J)arouse Yourself [g]for me; You have appointed judgment.
7 Let the congregation of the (K)peoples encompass You,
And over [h]them return on high.
8 Yahweh (L)judges the peoples;
[i](M)Give justice to me, O Yahweh, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 O let (N)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but (O)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God (P)tests the hearts and [j]minds.
10 My (Q)shield is [k]with God,
Who (R)saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a (S)righteous judge,
And a God who has (T)indignation every day.
12 If [l]a man (U)does not repent, He will (V)sharpen His sword;
He has (W)bent His bow and prepared it.
13 He has also prepared [m]for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His (X)arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness,
And he (Y)conceives mischief and gives birth to falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has (Z)fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His (AA)mischief will return upon his own head,
And his (AB)violence will descend upon [n]his own skull.
9 Make it heard on the citadels in (A)Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Gather yourselves on the (B)mountains of Samaria and see the great confusions within her and the (C)oppressions in her midst. 10 But they (D)do not know how to do what is right,” declares Yahweh, “these who (E)hoard up [a]violence and devastation in their citadels.”
11 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh,
“An (F)adversary, even one surrounding the land,
Will pull down your [b]strength from you,
And your (G)citadels will be plundered.”
12 Thus says Yahweh,
“Just as the shepherd (H)delivers from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,
So will the sons of Israel inhabiting Samaria be delivered—
With the (I)corner of a bed and the [c](J)cover of a couch!
13 Hear and (K)testify against the house of Jacob,”
Declares Lord Yahweh, the God of hosts.
14 “For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,
I will also punish the altars of (L)Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut in pieces,
And they will fall to the ground.
15 I will also strike the [d](M)winter house together with the (N)summer house;
The houses of [e](O)ivory will also perish,
And the (P)great houses will come to an end,”
Declares Yahweh.
Yet You Have Not Returned to Me
4 Hear this word, you cows of (Q)Bashan who are on the (R)mountain of Samaria,
Who (S)oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
Who say to their [f]husbands, “Bring now, that we may (T)drink!”
2 Lord Yahweh has (U)sworn by His (V)holiness that,
“Behold, the days are coming upon you,
And [g]they will take you away with (W)meat hooks,
And the last of you with (X)fish hooks.
3 And you will (Y)go out through breaches in the walls,
Each one straight before her,
And you [h]will be cast to Harmon,” declares Yahweh.
4 “Enter Bethel and transgress;
In Gilgal multiply transgression!
(Z)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.
5 [i]And offer a (AA)thank offering also from that which is leavened,
And call for (AB)freewill offerings; cause them to be heard about.
For so you (AC)love to do, you sons of Israel,”
Declares Lord Yahweh.
The Sin of Favoritism
2 (A)My brothers, (B)do not hold your faith in our [a](C)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of (D)personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your [b]assembly with a gold ring and dressed in (E)bright clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in (F)dirty clothes, 3 and you [c]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the (G)bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges (H)with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, (I)my beloved brothers: did not (J)God choose the poor [d]of this world to be (K)rich in faith and (L)heirs of the kingdom which He (M)promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and they themselves (N)drag you into [e]court? 7 (O)Do they not blaspheme the good name [f]by which you have been called?
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