Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 76
For the music leader. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
76 God is known in Judah;
his name is great in Israel.
2 His dwelling place became Salem;
his habitation was Zion.
3 It was there that he broke the fiery shafts of the bow,
the shield, the sword—even the battle itself! Selah
4 You are ablaze with light,
mightier than the mountains that give food.
5 The bravehearted lie plundered.
They sank into deep lethargy.
All the strong troops
couldn’t even lift their hands!
6 At your rebuke, Jacob’s God,
both chariot and horse were stopped dead-still.
7 You! You are awesome!
Who can stand before you when you are angry?
8 You have announced judgment from heaven.
The earth grew afraid and fell silent
9 when God rose up to establish justice,
when God rose up to save all of the earth’s poor. Selah
10 Even human rage will turn to your praise
when you dress yourself
with whatever remains of your wrath.[a]
11 Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them!
Let all around him bring gifts to the awesome one.
12 He breaks the spirit of princes.
He is terrifying to all the kings of the earth.
Where God may be found
66 The Lord says:
Heaven is my throne,
and earth is my footstool.
So where could you build a house for me,
and where could my resting place be?
2 My hand made all these things
and brought them into being, says the Lord.
But here is where I will look:
to the humble and contrite in spirit,
who tremble at my word.
3 The one who slaughters an ox kills a person;
the one who sacrifices a sheep breaks a dog’s neck;
the one who makes a grain offering offers swine’s blood;
the one who burns incense blesses an idol.
All these have chosen their own ways,
and prefer their detestable things.
4 So I too will choose to punish them,
to bring horrors upon them,
since I called and no one answered.
I spoke and no one heard,
but they did evil in my eyes.
What I didn’t want, they chose.
5 Listen to the Lord’s word,
you who tremble at his word:
Your family members, those who hate and exclude you because of my name,
have said, “Let the Lord be glorified;
let’s see your joy.”
But they will be ashamed.
6 The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple!
The sound of the Lord repaying his enemies what they have earned.
Mother Zion
7 Before she was in labor, she gave birth.
Before her pangs came upon her, she delivered a boy.
8 Whoever heard of such a thing?
Whoever saw such things as these?
Can a land come to birth in one day?
Can a nation be born all at once?
Yet as soon as birth pangs came,
Zion bore her children.
9 Will I open the womb and not bring to birth? says the Lord.
Will I, who create life, close the womb? says your God.
10 Celebrate with Jerusalem; be happy with her,
all you who love her!
Rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her,
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her comforting breasts,
that you may drink and be refreshed
from her full breasts.
12 The Lord says:
Look, I’m extending prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream.
You will nurse and be carried on the hip
and bounced upon the knee.
13 As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
in Jerusalem you will be comforted.
23 Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial. Everything is permitted, but everything doesn’t build others up. 24 No one should look out for their own advantage, but they should look out for each other. 25 Eat everything that is sold in the marketplace, without asking questions about it because of your conscience. 26 The earth and all that is in it belong to the Lord.[a] 27 If an unbeliever invites you to eat with them and you want to go, eat whatever is served, without asking questions because of your conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This meat was sacrificed in a temple,” then don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 Now when I say “conscience” I don’t mean yours but the other person’s. Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I participate with gratitude, why should I be blamed for food I thank God for? 31 So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God’s glory. 32 Don’t offend either Jews or Greeks, or God’s church. 33 This is the same thing that I do. I please everyone in everything I do. I don’t look out for my own advantage, but I look out for many people so that they can be saved. 11 1 Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible