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.
14 They raise their voices.
They shout for joy.
From the sea they sing joyfully about the Lord’s majesty.
15 Honor the Lord in the east.
Honor the name of the Lord God of Israel along the coastlands.
16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise
that honor the Righteous One.
But I kept saying,
“I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away!
How horrible it is for me!
Traitors continue to betray,
and their treachery grows worse and worse.”
17 Disasters, pits, and traps
are in store for those who live on earth.
18 Whoever flees from news of a disaster will fall into a pit.
Whoever climbs out of that pit will be caught in a trap.
The floodgates in the sky will be opened,
and the foundations of the earth will shake.
19 The earth will be completely broken.
The earth will shake back and forth violently.
The earth will stagger.
20 The earth will stumble like a drunk
and sway like a shack in the wind.
Its disobedience weighs heavy on it.
It will fall and not get up again.
21 On that day the Lord will punish heaven’s armies in heaven
and earth’s kings on earth.
22 They’ll be gathered like prisoners in a jail
and locked in prison.
After a long time they’ll be punished.
23 The moon will be embarrassed.
The sun will be ashamed,
because the Lord of Armies will rule
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.
He will be glorious in the presence of his respected leaders.
41 Peter asked, “Lord, did you use this illustration just for us or for everyone?”
42 The Lord asked, “Who, then, is the faithful, skilled manager that the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their share of food at the right time? 43 That servant will be blessed if his master finds him doing this job when he comes. 44 I can guarantee this truth: He will put that servant in charge of all his property. 45 On the other hand, that servant may think that his master is taking a long time to come home. The servant may begin to beat the other servants and to eat, drink, and get drunk. 46 His master will return at an unexpected time. Then his master will punish him severely and assign him a place with unfaithful people.
47 “The servant who knew what his master wanted but didn’t get ready to do it will receive a hard beating. 48 But the servant who didn’t know ⌞what his master wanted⌟ and did things for which he deserved punishment will receive a light beating. A lot will be expected from everyone who has been given a lot. More will be demanded from everyone who has been entrusted with a lot.
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