Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ Standing in front of the new courtyard in the house of Adonai, among those assembled from Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, ⁶ he said: “Adonai, God of our ancestors, you alone are God in heaven. You rule all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and strength, so that no one can withstand you. ⁷ You, our God, drove out those living in the land ahead of your people Isra’el and gave it forever to the descendants of Avraham your friend. ⁸ They lived in it, built you a sanctuary in it for your name, and said, ⁹ ‘If calamity strikes us, such as war, judgment, disease or famine, we will stand before this house — that is, before you, since your name is in this house — and cry to you in our distress; and you will hear us and rescue us.’

¹⁰ “So now, see: the people of ‘Amon, Mo’av and Mount Se‘ir, whom you would not let Isra’el invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, so that they turned away from them and did not destroy them, ¹¹ are now repaying us [evil]; they have come to throw us out of your possession, which you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² Our God! Won’t you execute judgment against them? For we haven’t strength enough to defeat this huge horde coming against us, and we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

⁷ You were running the race well; who has stopped you from following the truth? ⁸ Whatever means of persuasion he used was not from the One who calls you. ⁹ “It takes only a little hametz to leaven the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰ I am confident that since you are united with the Lord, you will take no other view; and I am confident that the one who has been disturbing you, whoever he may be, will have to bear his punishment.

¹¹ And as for me, brothers, if I am still preaching that circumcision is necessary, why am I still being persecuted? If that were the case, my preaching about the execution-stake would cause no offense whatever. ¹² I wish the people who are bothering you would go the whole way and castrate themselves!