Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Maschil of Asaph.

¹ ¶ Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

² I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter enigmas of old,

³ which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

⁴ We will not hide them from their sons, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD and his strength and his wonderful works that he has done.

¹² He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

¹³ He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and he made the waters to stand as a heap.

¹⁴ In the daytime also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵ He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

¹⁶ He brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.

20 ¶ Then came the sons of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.

² And there was no water for the congregation; and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

³ And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying, Oh, that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

⁴ And why have ye caused the congregation of the LORD to come into this wilderness that we and our beasts should die here?

⁵ And why have ye made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? It is not a place to plant seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates; there is not even any water to drink.

⁶ And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the congregation unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the LORD appeared upon them.

⁷ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁸ Take the rod and gather the congregation together, thou and Aaron, thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth its water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

⁹ Then Moses took the rod from before the LORD as he commanded him.

¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

¹¹ Then Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

¹² And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore, ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

¹³ These are the waters of Meribah; over which the sons of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

³² And we declare unto you the gospel of the promise which was made unto the fathers,

³³ which God has fulfilled unto us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

³⁴ And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said this, I will give you the sure mercies promised to David.

³⁵ Therefore he also says in another place, Thou shalt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.

³⁶ For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep and was gathered unto his fathers and saw corruption;

³⁷ but he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

³⁸ Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this one is preached unto you the remission of sins;

³⁹ and in him all that believe are justified from all the things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

⁴⁰ Beware, therefore, lest what is spoken of in the prophets come upon you:

⁴¹ Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish, for I do a work in your days, a work which ye would in no wise believe, if one should declare it unto you.