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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.
Duration: 1245 days
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
Version
Psalm 82

Psalm 82

Woe to Corrupt Rulers

Heading
A psalm by Asaph.

Judgment on Corrupt Rulers

God is standing in the assembly of God.
In the midst of the gods[a] he renders judgment.

God’s Verdict

How long will you judge unjustly Interlude
and show favoritism to the wicked?
Judge in favor of the weak and the fatherless.
Acquit the oppressed and the poor.
Rescue the weak and the needy.
Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
They do not know. They do not understand.
They walk around in darkness.
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I myself said, “You are ‘gods,’
and you are all ‘sons of the Most High.’
But you will die like men.
You will fall like any other ruler.”

Prayer

Rise up, O God. Judge the earth,
for you will take possession of all the nations.

Amos 1:1-2:3

The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders[a] from Tekoa. He saw a vision concerning Israel during the days of Uzziah king of Judah and during the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

He said:
    The Lord roars from Zion.
    From Jerusalem he sends out his voice.
    The pastures of the shepherds dry up,[b]
    and the top of Mount Carmel withers.

Judgment Against Aram

This is what the Lord says:
    Because of three sins[c] of Damascus,
    because of four, I will not hold back judgment,
    because they cut up Gilead with iron threshing boards.[d]
So I will send fire against the house of Hazael,
    and it will consume the fortresses of Ben Hadad.
I will break the bars of the gates of Damascus,
    and I will cut off the one seated in the Valley of Aven,
    and the one who holds a scepter in Beth Eden.[e]
    So the people of Aram will go into exile toward Kir.[f]
    The Lord has spoken.

Judgment Against Philistia

This is what the Lord says:
    Because of three sins of Gaza,
    because of four, I will not hold back judgment,
    because they sold an entire population into exile,
    handing them over to Edom.
So I will send fire against the city wall of Gaza,
    and it will consume her citadels.
I will cut off the one seated in Ashdod,
    and the one who holds a scepter in Ashkelon.
    I will also turn my hand against Ekron,
    and what is left of the Philistines will perish.
    The Lord God has spoken.

Judgment Against Canaan

This is what the Lord says:
    Because of three sins of Tyre,
    because of four, I will not hold back judgment,
    because they delivered over an entire population and exiled them to Edom,
    and they did not remember a treaty of brotherhood.
10 So I will send fire against the city wall of Tyre,
    and it will consume her citadels.

Judgment Against Edom

11 This is what the Lord says:
    Because of three sins of Edom,
    because of four, I will not hold back judgment,
    because he[g] pursued his brother with a sword,
    and he had no compassion.[h]
    His anger kept tearing Israel apart,
    and his fury raged without stopping.
12 So I will send fire against Teman,
    and it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.

Judgment Against Ammon

13 This is what the Lord says:
    Because of three sins of the Ammonites,
    because of four, I will not hold back judgment,
    because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their own territory.
14 So I will ignite a fire against the city wall of Rabbah,
    and it will consume her citadels
        with a battle cry on the day of war,
        with a strong wind on the day of the storm.
15 Then their king will go into exile,
    he and his officials together.
    The Lord has spoken.

Judgment Against Moab

This is what the Lord says:
Because of three sins of Moab,
    because of four, I will not hold back judgment,
    because they burned the bones of the king of Edom to make lime.
So I will send fire against Moab,
    and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth.
    Moab will die in an uproar,
    with a battle cry, with a blast of a ram’s horn.
I will cut off the judge[i] from her midst,
    and I will kill all her officials with him.
    The Lord has spoken.

James 2:14-26

Faith Is Active

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but has no works? Such “faith” cannot save him, can it? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but does not give them what their body needs, what good is it? 17 So also, such “faith,” if it is alone and has no works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder! 20 But do you want proof, you mindless person, that such “faith” without works is dead?[a] 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father shown to be righteous by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that his faith was working together with his works, and by his works his faith was shown to be complete. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[b] He was also called God’s friend.[c] 24 You see[d] that a person is shown to be righteous by works and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way also, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute shown to be righteous by works when she welcomed the spies and sent them out another way? 26 For just as the body without breath[e] is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.