Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
For the choir director; by David.
11 I have taken refuge in the Lord.
How can you say to me:
“Flee to your mountain like a bird?
2 Wicked people bend their bows.
They set their arrows against the strings
to shoot in the dark at people whose motives are decent.
3 When the foundations ⌞of life⌟ are undermined,
what can a righteous person do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes see.
They examine Adam’s descendants.
5 The Lord tests righteous people,
but he hates wicked people and the ones who love violence.
6 He rains down fire and burning sulfur upon wicked people.
He makes them drink from a cup filled with scorching wind.
7 The Lord is righteous.
He loves a righteous way of life.
Decent people will see his face.
The Lord’s Great Triumph
24 The Lord is going to turn the earth into a desolate wasteland.
He will mar the face of the earth and scatter the people living on it.
2 The same will happen to people and priests,
male slaves and masters,
female slaves and masters,
buyers and sellers,
lenders and borrowers,
debtors and creditors.
3 The earth will be completely laid waste and stripped
because the Lord has spoken.
4 The earth dries up and withers.
The world wastes away and withers.
The great leaders of the earth waste away.
5 The earth is polluted by those who live on it
because they’ve disobeyed the Lord’s teachings,
violated his laws,
and rejected the everlasting promise.[a]
6 That is why a curse devours the earth,
and its people are punished for their guilt.
That is why those who live on the earth are burned up,
and only a few people are left.
7 New wine dries up, and grapevines waste away.
All happy people groan.
8 Joyful tambourine music stops.
Noisy celebrations cease.
Joyful harp music stops.
9 People no longer drink wine when they sing.
Liquor tastes bad to its drinkers.
10 The ruined city lies desolate.
The entrance to every house is barred shut.
11 People in the streets call for wine.
All joy passes away,
and the earth’s happiness is banished.
12 The city is left in ruins.
Its gate is battered to pieces.
13 That is the way it will be on earth among the nations.
They will be like an olive tree which has been shaken
or like what’s left after the grape harvest.
17 When God tested Abraham, faith led him to offer his son Isaac. Abraham, the one who received the promises from God, was willing to offer his only son as a sacrifice. 18 God had said to him, “Through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name.” 19 Abraham believed that God could bring Isaac back from the dead. Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead in a figurative sense.
20 Faith led Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau.
21 While Jacob was dying, faith led him to bless each of Joseph’s sons. He leaned on the top of his staff and worshiped God.
22 While Joseph was dying, faith led him to speak about the Israelites leaving Egypt and give them instructions about burying his bones.
23 Faith led Moses’ parents to hide him for three months after he was born. They did this because they saw that Moses was a beautiful baby and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s order.
24 When Moses grew up, faith led him to refuse to be known as a son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to suffer with God’s people rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while. 26 He thought that being insulted for Christ would be better than having the treasures of Egypt. He was looking ahead to his reward.
27 Faith led Moses to leave Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. Moses didn’t give up but continued as if he could actually see the invisible God.
28 Faith led Moses to establish the Passover and spread the blood ⌞on the doorposts⌟ so that the destroying angel would not kill the firstborn sons.
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