Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Praise to the Lord
5 Your gracious love, Lord, reaches to the heavens;
your truth[a] extends to the skies.[b]
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your justice is like the great depths of the sea.[c]
You deliver both[d] people and animals, Lord.
7 How precious is your gracious love, God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They are refreshed from the abundance of your house;
You cause them to drink from the river of your pleasures.
9 For with you is a fountain of life,
and in your light we will see light.
10 Send forth your gracious love to those who know you,
and your righteousness to those who are upright in heart.
God Contemplates Divorcing Israel
3 “When a man divorces his wife, she leaves him and
becomes another man’s wife,
will the first husband[a] return to her again?
The land would be deeply polluted, would it not?
Since you have committed fornication with many lovers,
would you now return to me?”
declares the Lord.
2 “Look up to the barren heights and see.
Is there any place[b] where you have not been ravished?
You have sat beside the road, waiting[c] for them[d]
like a nomad in the desert.
And you have polluted the land
with your fornication and your wickedness.
3 This is why the rain has been withheld
and there are no spring showers.
Yet you have a harlot’s look[e]
and you refuse to be ashamed.
4 Have you not just called out to me,
‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—
5 will he hold on to his anger forever,
will he persist in his wrath to the end?’
Look, you have spoken and done evil things,
and you have succeeded in it.”[f]
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me this power too, so that when I lay my hands on someone, he will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter told him, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s free gift with money! 21 You have no part or share in what we’re saying, because your heart isn’t right with God. 22 So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you’re being poisoned by bitterness and you’re a prisoner of wickedness!”
24 Simon answered, “Both of you pray[a] to the Lord for me that none of the things you have said will happen to me.”
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