Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 11
Faith, Not Flight
Heading
For the choir director. By David.
The Fear of the Fainthearted
1 In the Lord I take refuge.
How can you say to my soul:
“Flee to your mountain like a bird.
2 Look! The wicked bend their bow.
They set their arrow against the string
to shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being torn down,
what can the righteous do?”
David’s Answer
4 The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord is on his throne in heaven.
His eyes observe.
He focuses on[a] the children of Adam.[b]
5 The Lord is righteous.
He examines the wicked.
He really hates[c] those who love violence.
6 On the wicked he will rain down fiery coals and sulfur.[d]
A scorching wind will be the cup given to them.
7 Indeed, the Lord is righteous. He loves righteousness.
The upright will view his face.
The Lord Will Judge the Earth
24 Watch, the Lord is going to strip the earth bare and make it desolate.
He will wring it out and scatter its inhabitants.
2 It will be the same for people and priest,
for servant and master,
for servant girl and lady,
for buyer and seller,
for lender and borrower,
for creditor and debtor.
3 The earth will be stripped bare, totally plundered,
for the Lord has spoken this word.
4 The earth mourns and withers.
The world fades and withers away.
The proud people of the earth fade away.
5 The earth is polluted by its inhabitants,
because they have bypassed the laws.
They have changed the statutes
and set aside the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and those who live there will be found guilty.
That is why the inhabitants of the earth will be burned up,
and so few will remain.
7 The new wine mourns.
The vine dries up.
Those who were feeling merry now sigh.
8 The happy sound of drums has ceased.
The noise of partying has ended.
The joyful lyre is silent.
9 They will drink no wine with their songs anymore.
Beer[a] is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city is in chaos and ruins.
Every house is closed up,
and no one can get in.
11 They cry for wine in the streets,
but all festive joy is gone.
Joyful celebration is banished from the land.
12 The city is left desolate,
and the gate is smashed into pieces.
13 This is the way it will be among the peoples on earth:
It will be like an olive tree after it has been picked over,
like the gleanings left after the grape harvest.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac. This man, who received the promises, was ready to offer his only son, 18 about whom it was said, “Through Isaac your offspring will be traced.”[a] 19 He reasoned that God also had the ability to raise him from the dead, and in a figurative sense, Abraham did receive him back from the dead.
20 By faith Isaac also blessed Jacob and Esau about things that were going to happen.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, as he neared the end of his life, mentioned[b] the Exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his bones.
23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after he was born, because they saw he was a special child, and they were not afraid of the king’s order.
24 By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter when he grew up. 25 He chose to be mistreated with God’s people rather than enjoy sin for a little while. 26 He considered disgrace for the sake of Christ as greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s wrath, because he persevered as one who sees him who is invisible.
28 By faith he celebrated the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not strike them down.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.