Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or as a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass which [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)fades and (N)withers away.
13 Do (A)return, O Lord; (B)how long will it be?
And [a]be (C)sorry for Your servants.
14 O (D)satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may (E)sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 (F)Make us glad [b]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (G)years we have seen [c]evil.
16 Let Your (H)work appear to Your servants
And Your (I)majesty [d]to their children.
17 Let the (J)favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [e](K)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [f]confirm the work of our hands.
Israel Will Fall Away
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, [a](A)the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” (B)So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15 (C)The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent. 16 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, (D)you are about to lie down with your fathers; and (E)this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and (F)will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 (G)Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and (H)I will forsake them and (I)hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘(J)Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ 18 But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.
19 “Now therefore, (K)write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it [b]on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 20 (L)For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and (M)become [c]prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall come about, (N)when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the [d]lips of their descendants); for (O)I know their intent which they are [e]developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” 22 (P)So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.
Qualifications of Elders
5 For this reason I left you in (A)Crete, that you would set in order what remains and (B)appoint (C)elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, (D)if any man is above reproach, the (E)husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of (F)dissipation or (G)rebellion. 7 For the [a](H)overseer must be above reproach as (I)God’s steward, not (J)self-willed, not quick-tempered, not (K)addicted to wine, not pugnacious, (L)not fond of sordid gain, 8 but (M)hospitable, (N)loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 (O)holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in (P)sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
10 (Q)For there are many (R)rebellious men, (S)empty talkers and deceivers, especially (T)those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting (U)whole families, teaching (V)things they should not teach (W)for the sake of sordid gain. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “(X)Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this reason (Y)reprove them (Z)severely so that they may be (AA)sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish (AB)myths and (AC)commandments of men who (AD)turn away from the truth. 15 (AE)To the pure, all things are pure; but (AF)to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their (AG)mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 (AH)They profess to know God, but by their deeds they (AI)deny Him, being (AJ)detestable and (AK)disobedient and (AL)worthless (AM)for any good deed.
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