Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
To the director: To the tune “Don’t Destroy.” A miktam of David.
58 You judges are not being fair in your decisions.
You are not judging people fairly.
2 No, you only think of evil things to do.
You do violent crimes in this country.
3 Those wicked people started doing wrong as soon as they were born.
They have been liars from birth.
4 Their anger is as deadly as the poison of a snake.[a]
They shut their ears like a deaf cobra
5 that does not listen to the music of the snake charmers,
no matter how well they play.
6 God, they are like lions.
So, Lord, break their teeth.
7 May they disappear like water down a drain.
May they be crushed like weeds on a path.[b]
8 May they be like snails melting away as they move.
May they be like a baby born dead, who never saw the light of day.
9 May they be destroyed suddenly,
like the thorns that are burned to quickly heat a pot.
23 “Judah, how can you say to me,
‘I am not guilty because I have not worshiped the Baal idols’?
Think about what you did in the valley.
Think about what you have done.
You are like a fast she-camel
that runs from place to place.
24 You are like a wild donkey that lives in the desert.
At mating time, she sniffs the wind.
No one can control her when she is in heat.
At mating time, every male that wants her will get her.
She is easy to find.
25 Judah, stop chasing after idols!
Stop wanting those other gods.
But you say, ‘It is no use! I cannot stop!
I love those other gods.
I can’t stop chasing them.’
26 “A thief is ashamed
when people catch him stealing.
The people of Israel should be ashamed too
and so should their kings and leaders, priests and prophets.
27 They say to pieces of wood,
‘You are my father.’
They say to a rock,
‘You gave birth to me.’
All these people will be ashamed.
They don’t look to me for help.
They have turned their backs to me.
But when the people of Judah get into trouble, they say to me,
‘Come and save us!’
28 But where are the idols you made for yourselves?
Let’s see if they come and save you when you are in trouble!
People of Judah, you have as many idols
as you have cities!
29 “Why do you argue with me?
You have all turned against me.”
This message was from the Lord.
30 “I punished you people of Judah,
but it did not help.
You did not come back
when you were punished.
With your swords you killed the prophets who came to you.
Like a dangerous lion, you killed the prophets.”
31 People of this generation,
pay attention to the Lord’s message!
“Have I been like a desert to the people of Israel?
Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to them?
My people say, ‘We are free to go our own way.
We will not come back to you!’
Why do they say these things?
32 A young woman does not forget her jewelry.
A bride does not forget to wear her wedding dress.
But my people have forgotten me
too many times to count.
33 “Judah, you have become so good at finding lovers.
Even the worst women could learn some evil ways from you.
34 You have blood on your hands!
It is the blood of poor, innocent people.
You did not catch them breaking into your house.
You killed them for no reason!
35 But still, you say, ‘I am innocent.
God is not angry with me.’
So I will also judge you guilty of lying, because you say,
‘I have done nothing wrong.’
36 You go from one place to another looking for help,
always changing your mind.
But Egypt will also disappoint you,
just as Assyria did.
37 So you will eventually leave Egypt too,
and you will hide your face in shame.
You trusted these countries,
but the Lord rejected them,
so they cannot help you win.
7 Remember your leaders. They taught God’s message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Don’t let all kinds of strange teachings lead you into the wrong way. Depend only on God’s grace for spiritual strength, not on rules about foods. Obeying those rules doesn’t help anyone.
10 We have a sacrifice.[a] And those priests who serve in the Holy Tent cannot eat from the sacrifice we have. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place[b] and offers that blood for sins. But the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the city. He died to make his people holy with his own blood. 13 So we should go to Jesus outside the camp and accept the same shame that he had. 14 Here on earth we don’t have a city that lasts forever. But we are waiting for the city that we will have in the future. 15 So through Jesus we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with others, because sacrifices like these are very pleasing to God.
17 Obey your leaders. Be willing to do what they say. They are responsible for your spiritual welfare, so they are always watching to protect you. Obey them so that their work will give them joy, not grief. It won’t help you to make it hard for them.
18 Continue praying for us. We feel right about what we do, because we always try to do what is best. 19 And I beg you to pray that God will send me back to you soon. I want this more than anything else.
20-21 I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so that you can do what he wants. God is the one who raised from death our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of his sheep. He raised him because Jesus sacrificed his blood to begin the new agreement that never ends. I pray that God will work through Jesus Christ to do the things in us that please him. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International