Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A song. A Psalm of Asaph
A Plea for Judgment
83 God, do not rest!
Don’t be silent!
Don’t stay inactive, God!
2 See! Your enemies rage;
those who hate you issue threats.[a]
3 They plot against[b] your people
and conspire against your cherished ones.
4 They say, “Let us go and erase them as a nation
so the name of Israel will not be remembered anymore.”
13 God, set them up like dried thistles,
like straw before the wind.
14 Like a fire burning a forest,
and a flame setting mountains ablaze.
15 Pursue them with your storm and
terrify them with your whirlwind.
16 Fill their faces with shame
until they seek your name, God.
17 Let them be humiliated and terrified permanently
until they die in shame.[a]
18 Then they will know that you alone—
whose name is Lord—
are the Most High over all the earth.
Water is Turned into Blood
14 Then the Lord told Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard. He has refused to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he’s going down to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile River[a] and meet him. Be sure to take with you[b] the staff that was turned into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, “Let my people go so they may serve[c] me in the desert, but until now you haven’t obeyed.”’[d]
17 “‘This is what the Lord says: “This is how you’ll know that I am the Lord: Right now I’m going to strike the water of the Nile River[e] with the staff that’s in my hand, and it will be turned to blood. 18 The fish in the Nile River[f] will die and the river[g] will stink. The Egyptians will be unable[h] to drink water from the Nile River.[i]”’”
19 The Lord also told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their Nile River[j], over their ponds, and over their reservoirs,[k] and they’ll become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in their[l] wood and stone containers.’”[m]
20 Moses and Aaron did just what the Lord had commanded. Aaron[n] raised his staff and struck the water in the Nile River[o] in front of[p] Pharaoh and his[q] officials,[r] and all the water in the Nile River[s] turned to blood. 21 The fish in the Nile River[t] died and the river[u] stank. The Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile River,[v] and blood was throughout the land of Egypt. 22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing[w] with their secret arts. Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn,[x] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 23 Then Pharaoh turned away, went to his palace, and paid no attention to any of this. 24 All the Egyptians dug around the Nile River[y] for water to drink because they could not drink from the water in the Nile River.[z]
The Plague of Frogs
25 Seven days after[aa] the Lord had struck the Nile River,[ab]
Jesus is Accused of Working with Beelzebul(A)
22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus[a] healed him so that the man[b] could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and kept saying, “This man isn’t the Son of David, is he?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”
25 He knew what they were thinking and told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 So if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom stand? 27 If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers[c] drive them out? That is why they will be your judges! 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 How can someone go into a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man? Then he can ransack his house. 30 The person who isn’t with me is against me, and the person who isn’t gathering with me is scattering. 31 So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven,[d] but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.”
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