Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 82
A song of Asaph.
Psalm 82 provides an image of a heavenly scene in which God accuses His heavenly messengers of not caring for the poor and pursuing justice.
1 The True God stands to preside over the heavenly council.
He pronounces judgment on the so-called gods.
2 He asks: “How long will you judge dishonestly
and be partial to the wicked?”
[pause][a]
3 “Stand up for the poor and the orphan;
advocate for the rights of the afflicted and those in need.
4 Deliver the poor and the needy;
rescue them from their evil oppressors.”
5 These bullies are ignorant; they have no understanding of My ways.
So as they walk in darkness,
the foundations of the earth tremble.
6 I said, “Though you are gods[b]
and children of the Most High,
7 You will die no differently than any mortal;
you will fall like one of the princes.”
8 Rise up, O True God; judge the rulers of the earth,
for all the nations are Yours.
1 These are the words of Amos, one of the shepherds in Tekoa, a city in the highlands of Judah. God gave him these visions regarding Israel in the time of Uzziah (who ruled Judah) and Jeroboam (the son of Joash, who ruled Israel) two years before the great earthquake.
2 The Eternal One roars from Zion;
His voice thunders from Jerusalem.
The pastures shrivel and die beneath the shepherds’ feet,
and the crest of Mount Carmel dries to dust as all await His judgment.
3 Eternal One: For three crimes of Damascus,
no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
Because they have threshed the people of Gilead
with threshing-sledges made of iron.
4 I will send down fire on the house of Hazael, the ruler in Damascus,
and burn down the fortresses of Ben-hadad, his son and successor.
5 I will smash the gates of Damascus,
wipe out those who live in the valley of Aven.
I will cut off the hand that holds the scepter in Beth-eden
and force the people of Aram into exile in Kir.
So says the Eternal about Aram, Israel’s constant enemy to the northeast.
6 Eternal One: For three crimes of Gaza,
no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
Because they sent entire communities into exile,
including women and children,
Because they sold My people
as slaves to Edom.
7 So I will send down fire on the wall that protects Gaza
and burn down all of its fortifications.
8 I will destroy those who live in Ashdod
and cut off the hand that holds the scepter in Ashkelon.
I will raise My hand against Ekron and the rest of the Philistines;
even those in the formerly great city of Gath will perish.
Four of the five major cities of Philistia are mentioned here; only Gath is excluded. It was previously destroyed by Judah under King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:6).
So says the Eternal Lord about Philistia, Israel’s enemy in the southwest.
9 Here is what the Eternal says about Tyre, that maritime power to the northwest:
Eternal One: For three crimes of Tyre,
no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
Because they also handed over whole communities to Edom
and ignored the covenant of brotherhood, the treaty between Phoenicia and Israel.
10 So I will send down fire on the wall that protects Tyre
and burn down all of its fortifications.
11 Here is what the Eternal says about Edom, our neighbor to the southeast:
Eternal One: For three crimes of Edom,
no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
Because he pursued his brother, Israel, with the sword
without any pity,
Because he continually stoked his anger
and nourished his rage.
12 So I will send down fire on Teman, its largest city in the south,
and burn down the fortresses of Bozrah in the north.
13 Here is what the Eternal says about Ammon, just northeast of the Jordan:
Eternal One: For three crimes of the Ammonites,
no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
Because they ripped open the bellies of pregnant women in Gilead
as they made war to expand their territory.
14 So I will send down fire on the wall that protects Rabbah, its only major city,
and burn down all of its fortifications.
With shouts and war cries on the day of battle,
with a whirlwind in the midst of the storm,
15 I will force the king into exile,
along with all the officials who counsel him.
So says the Eternal One.
2 Here is what the Eternal says about Moab, Ammon’s brother nation east of the Jordan:
Eternal One: For three crimes of Moab,
no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
Because they burned to ash the bones of the king of Edom,
believing this would prevent his resurrection.
2 So I will send down fire on Moab and burn down the fortresses of Kerioth,
where the people worship Chemosh.
Moab will be destroyed in an uproar,
with warriors screaming and war horns blaring,
3 And I will destroy their ruler,
along with all the officials who counsel him.
James’ focus on works is frequently cited as a contradiction to other messages in the Bible. On the one hand, it appears James is saying that salvation is achieved by works; on the other, writers such as Paul emphasize that salvation comes by faith alone, not works of the law (Galatians 2).
Look carefully and you’ll see that Paul and James are talking about different issues. Paul is in the middle of a debate with Jewish Christians over whether Gentiles must live like Jews to enter the family of faith. He says that no one is made right with God by performing the works of the law. Instead, all people are made right by faith, thanks to God’s grace. For James the situation is entirely different. The works he is talking about refer to God’s people helping the poor, not whether non-Jews must live like Jews. He’s concerned about a shallow, insincere, and hypocritical faith.
Paul describes the root of salvation; a person is saved by God’s grace received through faith. James is explaining the fruit of salvation; saving faith is a faith that works.
14 Brothers and sisters, it doesn’t make any sense to say you have faith and act in a way that denies that faith. Mere talk never gets you very far, and a commitment to Jesus only in words will not save you. 15 It would be like seeing a brother or sister without any clothes out in the cold and begging for food, and 16 saying, “Shalom, friend, you should get inside where it’s warm and eat something,” but doing nothing about his needs—leaving him cold and alone on the street. What good would your words alone do? 17 The same is true with faith. Without actions, faith is useless. By itself, it’s as good as dead. 18 I know what you’re thinking: “OK, you have faith. And I have actions. Now let’s see your faith without works, and I’ll show you a faith that works.”
Don’t you realize that faith without works is useless, like a glove without a hand or a hat without a head?
19 Do you think that just believing there’s one God is going to get you anywhere? The demons believe that, too, and it terrifies them! 20 The fact is, faith has to show itself through works performed in faith. If you don’t recognize that, then you’re an empty soul. 21 Wasn’t our father Abraham made right with God by laying his son Isaac on the altar? 22 The faith in his heart was made known in his behavior. In fact, his commitment was perfected by his obedience. 23 That’s what Scripture means when it says, “Abraham entrusted himself to God, and God credited him with righteousness.”[a] And living a faithful life earned Abraham the title of “God’s friend.”[b] 24 Just like our father in the faith, we are made right with God through good works, not simply by what we believe or think. 25 Even Rahab the prostitute was made right with God by hiding the spies and aiding in their escape.[c] 26 Removing action from faith is like removing breath from a body. All you have left is a corpse.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.