Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Book V
Psalms 107–150
Psalm 107
He Redeemed Them From Trouble
Invocation to Give Thanks
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say this,
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.[a]
First Crisis: The Wilderness
4 They wandered in the wilderness, in the wasteland.
They did not find the way to a city where they could live.
5 They were hungry and also thirsty,
so their lives were draining away.
Refrain
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their distress.
He delivered them from their troubles.
7 He led them by a straight way to come to a city where they could live.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his mercy and his wonderful deeds for all people,[b]
9 because he satisfies the desire of the thirsty,
and he fills the desire of the hungry with good things.
Application: Be Wise
43 Whoever is wise, let him keep these things.
Let them take to heart the mercies of the Lord.
10 Israel was a spreading[a] vine.
He produced fruit for himself.
The more fruit he produced, the more altars he made.
The richer the land became, the richer he made his sacred memorial stones.
2 Their hearts are insincere,[b]
so now they will suffer for their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
and destroy their sacred memorial stones.
Kings Cannot Save You
3 Certainly now they will say, “We have no king
because we did not fear the Lord,
but what could such a king do for us anyway?”
4 They speak empty words.
With empty oaths, they make agreements.
That is why disputes sprout like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria will be terrified because of the calf[c] of Beth Aven.
Yes, its people will mourn over it,
and its idolatrous priests will cry out over it,
over its lost glory, because it has gone into exile.
6 It will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the Great King.[d]
Ephraim will be gripped with shame,
and Israel will be ashamed of its own idol.[e]
7 Samaria, like her king, will be carried off
like a twig on the surface of the water.
8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will become unusable.
Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars.
They will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
Learn the Lesson of Gibeah
9 Israel, you have sinned ever since the days of Gibeah,
where the evildoers took their stand.
The war against the evildoers caught up with them at Gibeah, did it not?
10 When I see fit, I will discipline them.[f]
Peoples will be gathered against them
to bind them for their double guilt.[g]
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh.
I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck.[h]
I will harness Ephraim.
Judah will plow.
Jacob will break up the ground.
12 Sow righteousness for yourselves,
and reap mercy.
Break up your fallow ground.
It is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes and rains righteousness on you.
13 You have plowed wickedness.
You have reaped injustice.
You have eaten the fruit of your lies,
because you trusted in your own way,
in the large number of your strong warriors.
14 Therefore the roar of battle will rise against your people,
and all your fortresses will be destroyed,
as Shalman[i] devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle.
Mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.
15 This is what will be done to you, Bethel,
because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.
The Rich Young Ruler
17 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19 You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’”[a]
20 The man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”
21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.