Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
10 Hear the word of the Lord,(A)
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!(B)
11 “What are all your sacrifices to Me?”
asks the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams
and the fat of well-fed cattle;
I have no desire for the blood of bulls,
lambs, or male goats.(C)
12 When you come to appear before Me,
who requires this from you—
this trampling of My courts?
13 Stop bringing useless offerings.(D)
Your incense is detestable to Me.
New Moons and Sabbaths,(E)
and the calling of solemn assemblies(F)—
I cannot stand iniquity(G) with a festival.
14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.
They have become a burden to Me;
I am tired of putting up with them.
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer,(H)
I will refuse to look at you;
even if you offer countless prayers,
I will not listen.(I)
Your hands are covered with blood.(J)
Purification of Jerusalem
16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.(K)
Remove your evil deeds from My sight.
Stop doing evil.(L)
17 Learn to do what is good.
Seek justice.(M)
Correct the oppressor.[a]
Defend the rights of the fatherless.
Plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come, let us discuss this,”(N)
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;(O)
though they are as red as crimson,
they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land.(P)
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”(Q)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(R)
Psalm 50
God as Judge
A psalm of Asaph.(A)
1 Yahweh, the God of gods[a] speaks;
He summons the earth from east to west.[b](B)
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God appears in radiance.[c](C)
3 Our God is coming; He will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes Him,
and a storm rages around Him.(D)
4 On high, He summons heaven and earth
in order to judge His people.(E)
5 “Gather My faithful ones to Me,
those who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”(F)
6 The heavens proclaim His righteousness,(G)
for God is the Judge.(H)
Heroes of Faith
11 Now faith is the reality[a] of what is hoped for, the proof[b] of what is not seen.(A) 2 For our ancestors won God’s approval by it.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was[c] created by God’s command,[d](B) so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going.(A) 9 By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise.(B) 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.(C)
11 By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she[a] considered that the One who had promised was faithful.(D) 12 Therefore from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as innumerable as the grains of sand by the seashore.(E)
13 These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance,(F) greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.(G) 14 Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. 16 But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.(H)
32 Don’t be afraid,(A) little flock,(B) because your Father delights(C) to give you the kingdom.(D) 33 Sell(E) your possessions and give to the poor.(F) Make money-bags(G) for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure(H) in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.(I)
Ready for the Master’s Return
35 “Be ready for service[a] and have your lamps lit.(J) 36 You must be like people waiting for their master(K) to return[b] from the wedding banquet(L) so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.(M) 37 Those slaves the master will find alert(N) when he comes will be blessed. I assure you: He will get ready,[c] have them recline at the table, then come and serve them.(O) 38 If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn,[d] and finds them alert, those slaves are blessed. 39 But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming,(P) he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also be ready,(Q) because the Son of Man(R) is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”(S)
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