Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

114 Long ago when the Israelis escaped from Egypt, from that land of foreign tongue, ² then the lands of Judah and of Israel became God’s new home and kingdom.

³ The Red Sea saw them coming and quickly broke apart before them. The Jordan River opened up a path for them to cross. ⁴ The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs! ⁵ What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? ⁶ Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs?

⁷ Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob. ⁸ For he caused gushing streams to burst from flinty rock.

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine and led the women in dances.

²¹ And Miriam sang this song:

^7-8 “Don’t recite the same prayer over and over as the heathen do, who think prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

⁹ “Pray along these lines: ‘Our Father in heaven, we honor your holy name. ¹⁰ We ask that your kingdom will come now. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us our food again today, as usual, ¹² and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. ¹³ Don’t bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One.^[a] Amen.’ ^14-15 Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you; but if you refuse to forgive them, he will not forgive you.