Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations gather together?
Why do their people devise useless plots?
2 Kings take their stands.
Rulers make plans together
against Yahweh and against his Mashiach[a] by saying,
3 “Let’s break apart their chains
and shake off their ropes.”
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs.
Adonay makes fun of them.
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger.
In his burning anger he terrifies them by saying,
6 “I have installed my own king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will announce Yahweh’s decree.
He said to me:
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.
8 Ask me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance
and the ends of the earth as your own possession.
9 You will break them with an iron scepter.
You will smash them to pieces like pottery.”
10 Now, you kings, act wisely.
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
11 Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, or he will become angry
and you will die on your way
because his anger will burst into flames.
Blessed is everyone who takes refuge in him.
The Lord Tells Moses to Speak to Pharaoh Again
2 Elohim spoke to Moses, “I am Yahweh. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shadday, but I didn’t make myself known to them by my name, Yahweh. 4 I even made a promise[a] to give them Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners. 5 Now I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians hold in slavery, and I have remembered my promise.
6 “Tell the Israelites, ‘I am Yahweh. I will bring you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians, and I will free you from slavery. I will rescue you with my powerful arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 Then I will make you my people, and I will be your Elohim. You will know that I am Yahweh your Elohim, who brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land I solemnly swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your own possession. I am Yahweh.’”
9 Moses reported this to the Israelites. But they would not listen to him because they were so discouraged by their back–breaking work.
Jesus’ Priestly Work Is Superior to Other Priests’ Work
8 The main point we want to make is this: We do have this kind of chief priest. This chief priest has received the highest position, the throne of majesty in heaven. 2 He serves as priest of the holy place and of the true tent set up by the Lord and not by any human.
3 Every chief priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, this chief priest had to offer something. 4 If he were on earth, he would not even be a priest. On earth other priests offer gifts by following the instructions that Moses gave. 5 They serve at a place that is a pattern, a shadow, of what is in heaven. When Moses was about to make the tent, God warned him, “Be sure to make everything based on the plan I showed you on the mountain.”
6 Yeshua has been given a priestly work that is superior to the Levitical priests’ work. He also brings a better promise[a] from God that is based on better guarantees. 7 If nothing had been wrong with the first promise, no one would look for another one.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.